Project beginning

when i took the body off of mine i had to use a torch on a couple of them. they weren't rusted that bad but it helped a lot other favorites: breaker bar impact wrench long extensions-for the ones in front of the gas tank patience? possibly a cut-off wheel-since your tub is really rusted

don't forget to disconnect: the brake lines right below the master cylinder at the firewall the parking brake cable under the rear passenger seat the parking brake at the pedal-the cable runs through the frame the gas tank fill lines the rear axle vent line-it goes up near the filler neck the wire harness going to the rear lights-i think

just MAKE SURE nothing is connected when u lift it.

good luck!

PATIENCE!!!!

---------------------------------------------------- Del Rawlins- del@_kills_spammers_rawlinsbrothers.org Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email. Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:

Goggles when using this one are a must.

Along with some good easy outs in various sizes in case the left handed drill bit doesn't do the trick. :)

One of the best tools mentioned is this ... invaluable

Heh ....... for sure a must have along with some work gloves.

Also the following might be handy.

• Air chisel .... or hole saw for getting at seized body mount bolts
• A good friend to help

If you are getting a new tub, save your old one as a reference. Even tubs that are supposed to be pre-drilled will lack some holes and it is a whole lot easier to go out behind the garage with a tape than to drive down to the junkyard. Think: Oh, crap. They didn't drill the mounting and plumbing holes for the heater box.

Like other posters suggested, a camera or sketch pad to document assemblies that you might not come back to for months will be a lifesaver (Oh, crap! Was this the left side or the right?). Lacking a digital camera I used those disposable cardboard ones and the local cheapie photo shop -- it is also nice to be able to go back and see what it looked like after you are done. White tape and a Sharpie marker helped me keep track of some parts. Large baggies for small parts or hardware came in handy too. A few times I simply wired the baggies to larger parts and sent them to the "clean it up and put it back together later" parts pile.

When I ressurected (not really a restoration but an amazingly life-like recreation) my `79 CJ-5 I found that my 4 1/2" grinder was a favorite tool. Buy a big handful of cut-off wheels and a handful of medium-grit flap sanders.

While it is apart, you'll probably find that you should replace all the tubing. If it is in your budget I suggest buying pre-bent stainless brake tubing. I did, but I bent my own fuel lines and it nearly drove me to drink -- and that was with the tub off.

A handful of taps will come in handy for cleaning up threaded holes.

If your tub is that rusty, be sure to check the last two feet of your frame. Whack the inside of the box hard with a hammer. If it breaks through you were going to want to repair that part anyway. Replacement rear crossmember/bumpers are available mail order.

As a reference, I spent two years and change redoing my -5, but I went through everything down to the last nut, bolt and washer. YMMV, but the temptation to "fix this now while I've got it apart, oh, and this, and that doesn't look so good..." can be irresistable.

Good luck!

i hear ya! i'm going throught that right now...the budget keeps getting bigger 'cause i keep adding stuff to replace while the whole thing is apart....i'm pretty much going to replace every seal and gasket there is. after almost 20 years, some of this stuff just ain't working too well!

Thanks for the replies - I know it will be a long process and I'm ready to get started.