Posted: 5/19/2009 10:29:05 AM EDT
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Lookin at buying a 81 CJ5 it has a 2.5L Chev 4 cylinder in it, its a 4 speed, is that gunna be enough to power this thing for wheelin? Has bigger tires too 35's I think would eventually replace with 33's
Thanks guys |
| depends on the axle gearing and your type of wheeling id say for any kind of mud work youll hate the moter slow rock crawling yea youll probly hate that too unless your running a 456 or lower (numericly higher) gear but then again jeep engine swaps are not that hard if the deal is right |
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With the right gearing, it will get the job done but it is going to be pretty gutless.
If you really want a CJ5, the body and frame are pretty solid, don't mind a little mechanical work and the price is right I'd probably buy it with an eye towards an eventual engine/transmission swap. |
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Jeeping is 90% technique.
Many make up for lack of skill with brute horsepower. When your ready for more torque and horse power let me recommended giving serious consideration to dropping in a 4.0L Jeep straight six. They are powerful,reliable and plentiful. Replacing the fuel injection with a carburetor makes the process a lot easier. |
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I love my ole inline 6's...low HP but tons of torque right off idle
I wheeled for years in a 7-8000lb Cruiser with a 135hp six(with auto trany), 4:88 gears and some experence.....lockers helped as well ;) but whats a good wheeler..........personaly I am a Land Cruiser nut, but they are not cheap(for a decent one) and can be rust buckets and parts are not cheap(but not really spendy) but will last for ever. for cheap a Sami would be a fun wheeler, heck a 5K winch is overkill, can flip em back over with a few buddies look for something with lots of aftermarket suport I guess a jeep would be OK.....Cheroke(cheap) or one of them XJYJ or whatever they are called now a little 4 banger will work......but a 6 is better, no need for a high HP V8 |
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Quoted:
I dont own this and am just looking at buying it. So it would be decent for a wheeler for starting out with? Im more interested in getting some hours wheeling under my belt before I do anything to crazy. Thanks guys the chevy 2.5 is notoriously poor engine and will give you nothing but trouble, that said plan on a swap right away and you wont be dissapointed. |
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Quoted:
I dont own this and am just looking at buying it. So it would be decent for a wheeler for starting out with? Im more interested in getting some hours wheeling under my belt before I do anything to crazy. Thanks guys We need more details. Overall condition? Price? Here are my intial thoughts: The comments about the Chevy (it's actually a Pontiac IIRC) 151 Iron Duke being notiously bad and a V8 being overkill are nonsense. It's not a bad 4 cylinder for it's era. It's just rather, shall we say, anemic. With a properly set up drivetrain it will get the job done, it just won't be much fun to drive. An inline 6 would be better and a V8 would be funner yet. 
Being a 4 cylinder, this Jeep came with either 3.54 or 4.10 gears. Either are too tall for the 4 cylinder with 35s. With that combo you'll find yourself using low range a lot and slipping the tiny little factory clutch. The transmission could be a crapshoot, depending on whether it is the SR4, T4, or T176. At least the Dana 300 transfer case is considered to be the best that Jeep ever put in anything. The Dana 30 up front isn't too bad if you keep tire size and power reasonable. The AMC Model 20 in back will need 1 piece axle if not already so equipped. At 84 inches, the CJ-5 doesn't have much wheelbase. Add in a good amount of lift and 35" tires and you lose some lateral stability. This makes steep climbs and descents trickier, increasing the possibility of flipping end over end. This Jeep would have also come with what are known as narrow track axles. Again, add in a good amount of lift and 35" tires and you lose some horizontal stability. This makes off camber situations trickier, increasing the possibility of rolling over to the side. Some sort of roll cage would be STRONGLY advised. As far as a first wheeler? I spent a lot of my formative offroading years in a 1977 CJ-5 with a built 258 I6, 3 speed transmission, Dana 20 transfer case, 3.54 gears, and 35" tires. I had a ton of fun, learned a lot of things, was often impressed with the places that thing would go and lived to tell about it. I would do it again. My current Jeep is a 1982 CJ-8 with the 151, 4 speed, 3.54 gears, and 35" tires. It does pretty good cruising around town and driving on relatively mild trails. On the highway top speed is about 65mph and 4th gear is useless. Any hint of an ascending grade or headwind slows it down. It really takes the fun out of driving it. It needs more gearing and more power. One of these days I am going to follow though on the AMC 401/NV4500 swap that I have most of the parts for. I wish the little 151 would just throw a rod through the block or otherwise die so that I would have to replace it. Hell, I haven't as much as changed the oil or filters in the thing in years and still it runs on. |
| We've got just the parts for ya - High pinion Dana 60 & Dana 44 with ARB air lockers, Atlas II transfer case, 4L60E Auto trans and an International 3.0 inline 4clyinder turbo diesel. Axles are a bit overkill for the engine combo..... It's for a customer that they spec-ed, but I REALLY want to "borrow" it for a Series IIA project. |
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Quoted:
Jeeping is 90% technique. Many make up for lack of skill with brute horsepower. Quoted:
I wheeled for years in a 7-8000lb Cruiser with a 135hp six(with auto trany), 4:88 gears and some experence.... a little 4 banger will work......but a 6 is better, no need for a high HP V8 Take a buddy to pull you out and just GO! With experience, you'll learn it's not about the vehicle. Hell, I've pulled an old Cougar outta 16" of snow in my 4cyl Fiero, and gone places bigger trucks can't. Getting to know your vehicle is most of the fun.
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Jeeping is 90% technique. Many make up for lack of skill with brute horsepower. Quoted:
I wheeled for years in a 7-8000lb Cruiser with a 135hp six(with auto trany), 4:88 gears and some experence.... a little 4 banger will work......but a 6 is better, no need for a high HP V8 Take a buddy to pull you out and just GO! With experience, you'll learn it's not about the vehicle. Hell, I've pulled an old Cougar outta 16" of snow in my 4cyl Fiero, and gone places bigger trucks can't. Getting to know your vehicle is most of the fun. Sound advice there. My jeeps take me every where I want to go and some places I probably shouldn't. They are pretty plain looking without chrome or the latest gadget but they do work well 
There is something to be said for being able to effectively use what you have too. |