Build Thread Custom Jeep CJ Truck Build

[Peanut Butter]

For several months now I have been working towards a special surprise for my wife and mines 30th wedding anniversary. So my CJ7 rebuild came to a complete halt. I currently have a complete rolling chassis minus brake and fuel lines.


That build can be found here:

Build Thread - 79 CJ7 Frame Off Resto 1st Time Project

So I bought a 1979 Jeep CJ7 I6 TH400 Quadratrac on eBay vrom a guy in the Denver area back in 2008 for ~$1700. Trailered it home and drove it for a few years while working on some rust holes in the body. Added new seats to the interior and pulled all of the junk out. Emmissions air pump was...

jeep-cj.com

During this time I been able to squirrel away some extra money for my Jeep build. My mind is always turning and I have been seriously considering a big change in my CJ7 Build.

My idea is to build a CJ that is more truck than it is a CJ7. My inspiration came from Jeff Scherb's CJ Gaucho project. "Gaucho" CJ stepside pickup build - JeepForum.com I love driving a pickup truck and have many daily uses for one. My off-road driving will be mainly Jeep trails, sea shore sand, and some ranch land here in South Central Texas. Given this usage, I don't really need the compactness of a CJ7. Scrambles are awesome, but really hard to find or way to expensive for me to acquire. Thus the conclusion that I could build a Jeep CJ Truck.

SO here is my plan: First I need to lengthen my frame to accommodate a cab and bed. I can do this with some square tubing. Here is a picture of what Jeff came up with for wheel bases:



The part I haven’t got tied down is what I will use for a bed. There are several options here. I could use a 1941 to 46 Chevy Truck bed, a 1947 to 64 Willys Truck Bed, a Military trailer, or make the bed from scratch. The first two options are getting hard to find in a decent condition. I could buy new replacement, but that is a little on the expensive side. The military trailer idea is one I like the most. I could buy the trailer, remove the bed, and sell the rest as scrap, getting a return on the money I spent. There are two main types of military trailer beds available. Here are a couple of pictures:


The last picture is the one I’m leaning towards. I like the no fender look (similar to a CJ7), and I like the flat top sides of the bed. These would allow me to build a headache rack. All of the bed choices will require cutting them down to fit the Jeep frame. The only military trailer that would not need to be cut is the following:

Only problem with these is they are getting really hard to find or are very expensive.
I forgot to mention another option. There is a company called Aqualu Industries. Aqualu Industries Inc. - Aqualu Industries is full service welding and fabricating facility specializing in Land Cruisers, Jeeps and Samurai's They make aluminum bodies and beds. This would be great, but expensive.

I think the hardest part to all of this will be building the cab. The body will need to be cut, rear corners will be lengthened and attached to the body. Then a panel must be built to replace the opening that a tailgate occupies. Here are a couple of pictures from Jeff’s project where he did this.





I will also need to find a CJ8 half cab and bulkhead. I posted a wanted item in this forum’s classified ads. So, if anybody knows of one, please let me know. I’ll investigate it and see if it would be feasible to get down here to South Central Texas. I could build one from my current CJ7 hardtop, but at this point my fiberglass skills are none to nothing! When the time comes, I may have to do that. The cab thankfully is a ways down the road. I also know about GR8 Tops, but they are a little pricey at this point. The bulkhead is not 100% needed, since the bed will be separate from the cab. I was thinking it might make the task of building the space for the tailgate a little easier.

So here are some more pictures of Jeff’s Gaucho for you to look at. I look forward to everybody’s ideas and comments. Right now I’m in the planning and acquiring stage of this build, but eventually I plan an engine change and axle changes. Thanks for reading.

 

[Petescj]

Rod , Jeff's Gaucho project was probably my favorite build I've ever watched. I tried to bid on it but didn't have enough money to bid high enough. I look forward to watching your version as well.

 

[gr8dain]

Rod , Jeff's Gaucho project was probably my favorite build I've ever watched. I tried to bid on it but didn't have enough money to bid high enough. I look forward to watching your version as well.

What Pete said. Good luck with this. Subscribed.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Got a new tool today that I've been wanting for a long time :



I had the torch setup already, but finding a set of tanks was a challenge. CL listed two tanks (O2 and Acety.) already filled and current inspection for $200. :drool: So I jumped on it. Now I can start cutting away!

 

[Petescj]

That's a nice score. I'm looking for the same setup myself. Hope I can find it at that price.

 

[Peanut Butter]

I've been think a lot about the wheel base length. It will most likely have a lot to do with the type of bed I decide to use, but here is some of the things I'm using to help me make the final decision.

From Jeff's build:





And then there is this drawing from the aluminum bed building company (Aqualu)



I'd like to be in the area of 5 to 6 foot in length including the tailgate. Similar to number 4 in the above picture.

 

[Petescj]

Curse you my friend. Here I sit with a Jeep that needs a frame and you have my mind racing about a pickup build again.

I was always partial to #2.

 

[gr8dain]

Curse you my friend. Here I sit with a Jeep that needs a frame and you have my mind racing about a pickup build again.



I was always partial to #2.

So go for it!!!! In all honesty, I would love to see it. But just doing the frame swap for me was more than I expected it to be. I can't imagine what this would take.

 

[Hedgehog]

Don't take this the wrong way. Didn't they already make a Jeep pick-up? Seems like it would be easier and cheaper to cut the roof off one of those. There would still be plenty of hurtles to provide pride in your work. or Isn't this about the same as a Jeepster? Pick-up tops are available too? I have no problem admitting it though, this looks like fun.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Curse you my friend. Here I sit with a Jeep that needs a frame and you have my mind racing about a pickup build again.

I was always partial to #2.

Number 2 uses a CJ8 frame. Finding one could be a problem. But, if a person built a CJ5 frame from scratch, you should be able to build a little longer frame without any more trouble.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Don't take this the wrong way. Didn't they already make a Jeep pick-up? Seems like it would be easier and cheaper to cut the roof off one of those. There would still be plenty of hurtles to provide pride in your work. or Isn't this about the same as a Jeepster? Pick-up tops are available too? I have no problem admitting it though, this looks like fun.

It's really all about keeping it a CJ...sort of. The Jeep Trucks from this time frame were full size pickups. This would be like a mid size pickup.

 

[Petescj]

So go for it!!!! In all honesty, I would love to see it. But just doing the frame swap for me was more than I expected it to be. I can't imagine what this would take.

I'm going to put some serious thought into it again.

Don't take this the wrong way. Didn't they already make a Jeep pick-up? Seems like it would be easier and cheaper to cut the roof off one of those. There would still be plenty of hurtles to provide pride in your work. or Isn't this about the same as a Jeepster? Pick-up tops are available too? I have no problem admitting it though, this looks like fun.

But there was never a Cj truck. That's where the cool factor lies. The J trucks are cool but are more like full size trucks. The later Comanche has zero style to me and a Scrambler isn't a true pick up. Jeepsters and Commandos are cool and accept Cj front ends but are hard to find and shouldn't be modded in my opinion.

Sorry for the hijacking Peanut butter, your thoughts?

 

[Petescj]

Lol good post PB.

 

[Redthies]

Cool build ideas PB! I like the third trailer as a bed, but if you can swing it, the Aqualu bodies are worth the money. I bought the third body he (Todd) ever produced for my FJ40. I helped in his shop a couple of years back putting the finishing touches on some bodies for Icon. They are amazing quality!

Have you looked at AEVs Brute platform at all? I think the proportions are bang-on. They just look "right" with the wheelbase, box length etc.

 

[Peanut Butter]

but if you can swing it, the Aqualu bodies are worth the money.

There in lies the rub. I'm on a very tight budget being a Disable Veteran. Right now most of the extra money I save is going into mechanical parts, etc. But this will also test my abilities to piece it together, That is a challenge that I thought long and hard on before making this decision. I feel confident that I can do this and do it on a budget build. I will be doing ALL of the work myself, from stretching the frame to rebuilding the body and bed.

I recently purchased the mile marker part time kit for my QuadraTrac and will be posting some pictures soon. I also have a unique twist or modification to the Transfer Case setup that I will post on down the line. So stay tuned.

 

[Peanut Butter]

In master plan for this CJ Truck, I'll keep the original Transfer Case and automatic Transmission . I decided to buy the Mile Marker part time kit for it though. Here is what that looks like:



So I needed to take the transfer case apart and clean it up really good. By the way this is my backup transfer case.



That was cleaned up and this is a partial clean:



Here are the guts:



And I've ordered a new chain from here: QuadraTrac BW1339-BW1305 Parts They are the only USA maker of chains for the QuadraTrac . Next I will paint the transfer case to make it easier to keep clean. This has an aluminum housing to dissipate the heat build up inside. I plan on polishing the ruff edges of the case and then paint it to prevent grease and grim build up that prevents the loss of heat.

I also have Jon at JB Fab making me a custom cable shifter to eliminate the vacuum shifter that doesn't work most of the time, and since mine did not come with the low range setup, I needed a cable shifter for that. Should be a really cool setup when done.

More to follow.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Bought a new chain for my QuadraTrac rebuild. The old chain was a Morse Chain. Identified by the stamp on the outside links. The new chain I bought from BJ's Off-Road. They have the ONLY USA made chain. The picture below is the two of them side by side.



Put the new rear shaft and seal in.



Here is a picture of the new chain and the part time hub / gear in place. Big difference in the chain slack from the old one.



This is what it looks like before you put the new rear shaft in. You have to remove the old seal, the bearing, and the first bearing retainer clip. It also helps to pull the speedometer gear just to get it out of the way.



I also painted the entire Transfer Case with Eastwood’s Engine Paint in Aluminum color. If you by the kit you get the Activator or hardener for just a little more along with some mixing cups and brushes.




Now I'm just waiting for a thrust washer to come in the mail. I forgot to order one. They almost always need to be replaced when you do a rebuild. One other note, when I ordered the chain I ordered the combo set. It includes the seals and gaskets needed for a complete rebuild, and you save $15 by ordering them together. BJ's also has the cones if you need to rebuild the differential inside the case.

I think I spotted a truck bed from an old Chevy for sale in my town. We'll see what they are asking for it in the next couple of days. Rebuilding the transfer case really needed to be done and now was a good time to do that.

More to follow!

 

[Scooter402]

Great work! And grab that Chevy bed before someone else does! I have been keeping my eyes open for one, but nothing has turned up so far...

 

[Peanut Butter]

So here is the truck bed I'm going to pickup on Friday. (one on top) It is an older Chevy stepside bed without the fenders or tailgate.



I know I have some repair work to do to both sides, but not too bad for $AMC 150 . The part circled in yellow I will just remove. The white piece also. The green arrows point to where the fender was connected. I will fill these holes in and grind flat. The biggest repair has a red arrow pointing to it. I will cut the sheet metal up about an inch and weld a new piece in connecting it to the bottom of the bed for strength.



After that some sanding and rust treatment and I should be good to go. As for the size, this appears to be from an older (40's maybe) stepside, so the bed is small to begin with. I may not need to modify it any to fit behind the Jeep. :drool: We'll see once I get it home.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Bought and took home my truck bed. It is an early Chevy 60's model I believe. I kind of like the tail light setup. It is similar to my Jeep trailer. LEDs are replacing those old oem bulb style though. :drool: Like I said, I've got a little repair work to do, but I'm not as lucky as Pete and Scooter to find one of these in excellent shape. Should be able to get started on it next week.







More to come!