As far as your axles are concerned, no bolt-in Ford 9-inch front axle will work on your CJ, as Ford never made a 9-inch front axle. Currie Enterprises (714/528-6957, www.currieenterprises.com) can build you a custom 9-inch front or rear axle in any configuration-but we're guessing that's not in your budget right now. A 9-inch rear axle from a '66-'77 Bronco would be close to the right width, but you'd have to move the spring perches. A better swap, and an easier-to-find axle, would be a Dana 44 rear from a '72-'75 CJ-5. You will have to weld on some new spring perches, but the width will be correct for your '76 and we'd just keep the drum brakes. Swapping to discs on the front means either using the later Jeep factory disc brake parts or '73-'87 GM 11/42-ton 4WD rotors, '73-'87 11/42-ton caliper mounting plates, calipers, brake lines, longer wheel studs, and your Jeep's original hubs.
Lifesaving Fabrication
I would like to build my own roll cage and prerunner bumpers. I'm having difficulty finding any information on the subject. If you have or know of any source on these subjects I sure would appreciate it.
William Hiibel
Winnemucca, NV
When it comes to building rollcages we say err on the side of strength. Bumpers are not as critical, but they too need to be built correctly to be functional. Typically a cage is made out of 131/44-inch welded seam or drawn-over mandrel (DOM) tube that has a wall thickness of 0.120 inch. The more places you attach it to the floor or frame, the better. A SCORE (www.score-international.com), SCCA (www.scca.org), or even NHRA (www.nhra.com) rule book would offer good guidelines for rollcage construction. Bumpers should be constructed to protect fragile radiators, sheetmetal, and headlights without being too heavy and sacrificing too much ground clearance.
Not Enough Compression Braking
I have been struggling with a situation on my '75 Chevrolet 4x4 relating to gear reduction or the lack thereof. I have an automatic transmission with a 3.73 rearend and a 350ci motor. When I am out wheeling in four-wheel drive with my NP203 in Low-Loc, I have to depend on my brakes to slow me down on steep hills. I know I need more gear reduction, and so far I have been told that going to a 4.10 rear will not do what I am asking considering the difference in the percentage of change. I want to be able to let off of the gas and use the compression of the engine down the steep stuff instead of relying solely on the brakes.
I have also been told that maybe a different transfer case or converting my automatic transmission to a four-speed with a granny gear would solve my problem. What advice would you have before I spend money on things I do not need? If you think I should convert to a manual transmission, please give me some insight if possible.
John
Encinitas, CA
Cancel your plans for this weekend because we think you're going to be heading to the junkyard to find a four-speed donor truck. The truth is your TH350 or TH400 automatic might not give you the kind of compression braking you want if you swap in a low enough gear (4.56, 4.88, 5.13)-depending on tire size. You might also consider an Atlas from Advance Adapters (800/350-2223, www.advance adapters.com) in either the 3.03 or 3.77:1 low range configurations. We are working on a top-secret TH700R4 overdrive automatic that should also do the job, but for now we think your best choice is to swap in a manual transmission.