I have a '81 Jeep CJ-7 with 258(4.2L) I6. A cast aluminum valve cover
from Clifford keeps most of the oil from spraying out of the 258.
A Centerforce clutch transfers power from the engine to a
Ford T-18 4 speed. The T-18 is mated to a Dana 300
transfer case with an adapter from Advanced Adapters.
The Dana 300 features a Currie twin stick shifter.
I recently swapped my 3.54 geared axles for a custom front Dana
44 and a Jeep Commando rear Dana 44. These axles are geared with
4.27:1 ring and pinion on Detroit Soft Lockers. The front Dana 44
was built by Predator Four Wheel Drive in Colorado Springs and features
what ever lock outs I have lying around that aren't broken. The
Commando 44 I bought from Darron Birenheier
in upstate New York. The Commando 44 is a great, low buck, bolt on
upgrade for '76-'86 CJs. The final crawl ratio, thanks to the T-18,
is 6.32*2.6*4.27=70.2:1.
It also has a 2 1/2" suspension lift
made up of Rancho springs, Con-fer shackles, and Dick
Cepek shocks. I painted the shocks black and used black
boots so it won't look like a show truck. All this makes
plenty of room for 32"X11.50" BFG Mud Terrains.
The "interior" features a custom 6 point roll cage with two outside
spreaders, two inside spreaders, and a bar across the dash. The two
inside spreaders surround a console for a Radio Shack CB and a dome
light. The gauges are stock except for Sunpro Tachometer and vacuum
gauges. Tunes are provided by an Acoustic Tape/Radio and amp with
some extra speakers on the roll bar.
In case of trouble, a Warn 8274 winch is
mounted on the front. This winch is rated to pull 8,000 pounds
on the first wrap of the 150ft spool of 5/16" cable. Too keep the winch
running, I have dual Die Hards in a Wrangler Power Products battery
tray. The batteries are wired in with a Wrangler Power Products
Isolator and battery manager. A winch accessory kit helps me make
pulls at angles and without damaging the environment.
There is a RockWare bumper on the front and a Tomken bumper on the
rear. The rocker panels are protected with Off Your Rocker rocker
panel guards.
I also have a high lift jack and a big beafy 4"
tow strap.
Early this year I did a power steering conversion, added York
compressor, and a 26 gal Aero fuel tank. I still haven't converted
the air conditioning compressor for on board air. Belts
are hooked up, but the plumbing isn't.
Jeep Tech Articles
RockWare Bumper Review
:
RockWare has recently introduced a new bumper for CJs and Wranglers.
The bumper integrates a winch mount into the bumper which gives the
bumper a very clean appearance.
Flip Your U-Bolts:
Are you tired yet of dragging, bending, and breaking your axle
u-bolts on rocks? Well flip your u-bolts to gain ground clearance
and protect them from damge.
E-Z Axle Bearing Repack:
Reduce down time, repack your bearings in seconds.
Jeep Heater Motor Upgrade:
Keep out the winter cold by upgrading your heater motor to a high
output one from an early 70s Chevy truck.
Family Jeep History
In my family, Jeeping is a bit of a tradition. My parents had a
Wagoneer when I was growing up that unfortunately rusted to
pieces before I managed to become a licenced driver. Pictured
above is my Grandfather, Mother, and Grandmother with their
Willys Wagon in 1951. They are cooking up some dinner on their
cross country trip.
My first Jeep was a '78 CJ-5 with 258 I6 and Jeep T-18. The
body had an extreme rust problem and the carb needed rebuilding.
Basically everything was wrong with it. I'm still sorry I
sold it. Second Jeep is the current Jeep '81 CJ-7. I also
owned a '93 Wrangler for two years. It was a real nice ride.
