CJ-7 Projects
 

  

Lightforce Lights - H.I.D. High-intensity discharge Upgrade

HEI Ignition System (GM Style) Installed in the AMC 360 V8
Getting rid of gremlins and improving performance

Installing 23,000 Volt Offroad Lights

Autogage Tachometer Installation
  

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Project CJ-7
  
Offroaders Guide
to Gearing up
for Offroad

From Basic Equipment to Well Equipped.  An extensive list guide to help you prepare your vehicle for the offroad.
  
 

  

Onboard Air
Converting a York
AC Compressor
to Pump Air


Trailering Safety and Trailer Hitch Information

 

Off-Road Truck Driving Techniques and Safety



Off-Road Lights
by LightForce Product Review / Installation.
from Off-Road Lights

 

Jeep Dana 300 TeraLow - 4:1 Gearset for the Dana 300 Transfer Case


AMC V8 Engines
From
GEN-1 Nash/Hudson/Rambler V-8s (1956-1966) through to the GEN-3 AMC Tall-deck (1970-1991)

Chevy Small-Block V8 Engines
Chevy Small-Block V8 Engines Manufactured by General Motors - Production: 1955?2002

Hemi Engine - All about the Hemi Engine

Ford Engines
4 Cylinder, 6 Cylinder, 8 Cylinder, 10 Cylinder, 12 Cylinder Ford Engines

Ford V8 Engines
8 Cylinder Engines manufactured by Ford

Ford 351 Cleveland V8 Engines
351 cubic inch V8 Engines manufactured by Ford

Chrysler Hemi Engine

AMC V8 hp/Torque, Compression & Bore/Stroke by year

Engine Size Conversion Table
Converting engine displacement from CID, Liters, C.C.

Engine Overheating Basics - 16 Common Causes of an Overheated Engine

Fan Clutch Diagnosis
How to tell if the Fan Clutch in your Cooling System is failing or has failed.

Automotive Gauges & Instrument Functions
Information they display & their importance.

 

From the
Department of Cheap   Tricks and Useful Tips

  
Ultra-Cool Hand Throttle for Free!

Jeep V8 Swap Tips

The Exploding Clutch

Radiator Protection using 6 bucks worth of material

Cracked Under Pressure - Fixing a smashed fingernail

A Cheap, effective alternative to undercoating

Home-built Saginaw Gearbox Brace for the cost of lunch!

Ammo Box Storage - Mounting Them for Quick Disconnect

Home-built Serious Skid-Plate protection for the Oil Pan for under 20 bucks!

Ramp Travel Index
RTI / Ramp Travel Index  What it is and how to calculate it, with and without the ramp.
 

 

 

 

 
Project Jeep CJ-7 - Axles
The Quest for a Decent Dana 44
Front Axle in my Jeep CJ-7

Back to Project Index

When I began the build of Project CJ-7, the set of donor axle were Scout Axles, Front and rear.  Dana 44 axles with a width close enough to stock that they did not require narrowing and a lug pattern of 5-5½, same as the Jeep.  My plans were to create new out-rigged spring hangers in the front and use the CJ outer knuckles instead of the Scout's outer knuckles.  And I did just that.  As with almost any project things don't always go as you had planned and sometimes you don't get exactly what you wanted the first time around.
 
 

 
Castor.  If I knew then what I know now, the Scout front axle would NOT have been the axle of choice.  The primary reason for not choosing a Scout axle is Castor.  The Scout axle, except for the last year of Scout production, had zero degree of castor.  The last year, 1980, had 2 degrees.  You need castor for proper self-centering of the front wheels while coming out of a turn and tracking straight down the highway.  The stock Jeep CJ-7 has 5 to 6 degrees of castor.  And even with 5-6 degrees of castor, old Jeep CJ's rarely track straight down the road!  So less castor certainly won't help.  Now if this CJ was going to be a trailer queen and never see the road, then this wouldn't matter.  But I wanted to drive it on the road as well as the trail.

After a few years of playing (unsuccessfully) with band-aid fixes like castor correctors and 4 degree axle shims between the spring pads and the leaf springs (pointing the pinion down towards the rocks), I decide to start looking for the axle I probably would have used to begin with (Had I knew then what I know now).

So if not a Scout axle, then what axle would be a decent front axle in a Jeep CJ-7?  As I've learned the Wagoneer narrow track axle, in years up to 1986, had the differential on the passenger side.  Its width is slightly wider than the Scout Dana 44 front axle and about 2 inches per side wider than the CJ-7's wide track axles.  Spring pads, slightly wider apart then the width of the Scout's spring pads.  But most importantly, the Wagoneer has 5 to 6 degrees of castor built into the axle.  Other differences include a 3 inch tube in the Wagoneer, 1/4 inch wider then the Scouts 2¾" tube.  The tube wall thickness is about an 1/8 inch thicker in the Wagoneer, meaning STRONGER then the Scout's 44.

So the search began.  Finally, at the 2005 All Breed Jeep Show in York PA, I found what I was looking for.  Or so I thought.  Did I mention that things don't always go as planned?  You see that tag to the right?  Well, that says narrow track right?  That's what I thought it said.  Here's a tip.  Bring a tape measure to a swap meet.  That was a wide track.  I'll withhold the Jeep parts guy's name here.  I though He hew what he was doing but... well. whatever.

So I bought a wide track.  I figured I wasted $100.  But then I thought about it and came up with an idea that nobody out there would ever do unless they were thinking of swapping a Scout Dana 44 for a Wagoneer Dana 44, much like did.  The point of documenting all this is two fold.  First, there's probably some useful information in here for someone who would like to do some axle work.  secondly, like the rest of the site, it's entertaining at the very least.

 

 

So here's what I did...

Thinking about it, I realized, I can cut down the axle tube on the Wagoneer Wide track axle and use Scout's 30 spline axles shafts.  Move the spring pad slightly inboard on the driver side and it will be just about the same dimensions as my Scout Dana 44 Front axle.  It would then mount up to my custom made, relocated front leaf spring hangers.  Then I can remount my outer knuckles to the Wagoneer Dana 44 and I'll have what I want.  A little labor but nothing more to hunt for.  A Front axle with good castor.

So the following section describes the process I when through to cut the axle down and make this hybrid Wagoneer, Scout, CJ-7 Dana 44 front axle.

  • Cutting the Tube down and Pressing (banging) on the Inner Knuckles
     
  • Welding the Axle, Getting a Pro to do it (Cool welding pics)
     
  • Replacing Axle U-Joints with Useful Tips
     
  • Reassembling the Axle
     
  • Camber Axle Shims
     
  • Warn Hub Installation, Inspection Cleaning
     
  • Final Assessment

 

This page is under construction but you can enjoy the pictures below.  Check back while I work on the recap of this project.  The bottom line, if you're interested, is this solved my castor problem. The axle has been solid and the Jeep drives well on the road (for a CJ anyway).
 

Break down of the Scout axle
   
 
 
 
 

 

 
   
   
   

 
 
 

Scout axle, notice the castor.

Wagoneer axle, Castor much better.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Welding the axle


now that's a welding machine.

Gary doing the better beads.
 
   
   
 

 

 

 

Tip - Metal Dumpsters are great sources for project metal!

 
   

BFW

 
   

 

 
 

 
   
 

 

 

Tip - Hockey Puck

 

 
 
   

Project Jeep CJ-7 
Fabricating Shackles

Back to Project Index

 

  

 

Offroad Tire Info
Tire Terminology
Wheel Terminology
How to Pick the Right
Tires for your Truck
Truck Tire Info
Tires - What Hits What Fits
 
All Terrain  Mud Terrain
Tire Reviews & Info
Mud Terrain MT Tire Reviews
All Terrain AT Tire Reviews
Super Swamper Bogger
Super Swamper SSR
Super Swamper SX
Super Swamper Vortrac
Interco IROK TSL
Super Swamper LTB
Super Swamper TSL
Super Swamper TSL Radial
Super Swamper Narrow
Interco SS-M16 Swamper
Thornbird TSl Radial
Thornbird TSl Bias
Thornbird TSL
Parnelli Jone Dirt Grip
BFGoodrich Krawler
BFGoodrich MT T/A KM
BFGoodrich MT T/A KM2
BFGoodrich AT TA KO
BFGoodrich Mud King XT
Bridgestone Dueler MT
Cooper Discoverer ST
Cooper Discoverer STT
Cooper Discoverer ST/C
Firestone Destination MT
General Grabber MT
General Grabber AT2
Green Diamond Icelander
Ground Hawg Mud Tire
Hankook Dynapro MT
Hankook Dynamic MT RT01
Hercules Terra Trac MT
Hercules Trail Digger MT
Kelly-Springfield Safari DTR
Kelly-Springfield Safari MSR
Kumho Road Venture MT
Kumho Road Venture KL71
Kumho Road Venture AT
Dick Cepek Mud Country
Dick Cepek F-C II
Dick Cepek Fun Country II
Dick Cepek Fun Country Nylon
Dick Cepek Fun Country Kevlar
Mastercraft Courser MT
Mastercraft Courser HTR
Mastercraft Courser HTR Plus
Maxxis BigHorn Radial
Maxxis Creepy Crawler
Maxxis Trepador
Maxxis Buckshot Mudder
Maxxis MA-SW
Maxxis M-8080 Mudzilla
Maxxis MT-754 Buckshot
Maxxis MT-753 Bravo
Maxxis MA-751 Bravo
Maxxis MA-S2 Marauder II
Maxxis MA-S1 Marauder
Maxxis MT-762 BigHorn
Nitto Mud Grappler
Nitto Dune Grappler
Nokian Vatiiva MT
Pit Bull Rocker Extreme
Pit Bull Maddog
Pit Bull Growler
Goodyear Wrangler MT/R
Pro Comp Xterrain
Pro Comp All Terrain
Pro Comp Mud Terrain
Pro Comp Xtreme AT
Pro Comp Xtreme MT
Toyo Open Country MT
TrXus Mud Terrain
TrXus STS All Terrain
Mickey Thompson MTZ
Mickey Thompson MTX
Mickey Thompson Baja Claw
Mickey Thompson Baja Crusher
Competition Claw
Dunlop Mud Rover
Yokohama Geolandar
  

Latest trips Offroad
... trail reports with the Project CJ-7
click here.

Sounds System, Raised the Rear Seat
Storage below and a great place to mount 6x9 Speakers for Great Bass ... In a Jeep!

York AC Compressor Conversion.  What used to pump Freon, now pumps compressed air to the front and rear bumpers.  125 psi,  2 gallons of storage, air fittings at the bumpers, enough CFM to power air tools!.  Click Here for more  Details

 

Dick Cepek's 2008 F-250 Super Duty Project Vehicle ? Project CRUSHER


Warn X8000i
Winch Installation


ARB Air Locker Install
Jeep Wide Track Axles Swap

 
Mud Tire Reviews

Building a Garage?
Need a Garage Plan?
 


Reader's Rigs and Seriously Stucks!

 

Jeep Trans Swap Info
T-18A Transmission Rebuild & Short Shaft Conversion