frame question.

The springs could be part of your problem, but my guess is you have the wrong shocks.

You can get a brand new frame, and would probably be much happier in the long run.

I can stand on the front bumper and jump up and down on it and the front of the jeep barely moves. I weigh about 200 pounds. It has a 6" lift on it. I think, the amount of bounce on a bumpy road is unreal.

Chip

Sounds like Rancho 5000 shocks. LOL!

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

WKJ wrote:

no kidding! had some of those on my cj...man they hurt! i put on some rs9000's and changed the springs. better. i think his main problem were the tight bend on those springs. 6"? ouch! too stiff!

1976 is a cut-off year for you, but any CJ-7 frame up to at least 1986 should bolt up. For reference, Quadratec sells new CJ-7 frames for US$1800, plus shipping.

It seems no one knows????

I only know the frames have changed, twice I think. Once to make them wider and once to make them longer. (or maybe both at once?)

I 'think' 78 was one of the year changes, but I am not sure.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

WKJ wrote:

I'm quite sure that the CJ-7 frame didn't change in any meaningful way from the start of the production run in 1976 through the end of the model in 1986 -- the only difference that comes to mind might be in roll bar mounting methods. Through the 70s they were an "A" frame thing bolted to the tops of the rear wheelhouses and I don't know if they were eventually tied to the frame or not.

`76 was a change year for the CJ-5 and saw the introduction of the -7. The YJ frame is apparently not a bolt-up replacement, it is reported to be wider and uses different springs.

If memory serves, during the years in question about the only real change to the frame was the front shock mounts. When they went to wide track axles the front mounts changed from short to "long" on the frame end of things.

Didn't the CJ's frame switch to a boxed design for more strength?

Jerry

The boxed frame was part of the 1976 design change in the CJ-5, prior to that it was an open "C" channel design (Hi, Bill). The CJ-7 appeared in

1976 and always had a boxed frame. The URL below also notes the appearance of "wide track" axles in 1982 and modification to the shock mounts.

[...] [snip]

Yes, but that happened in 76. Prior to they were open frames, but I thought the question was design changes between 76 - 86?