drivetrain for a 79 CJ5

[Rubiconrich]

Jeeps and swap go together. My 86 CJ7 has 6 bolts hubs, a T18, Scout Dana 300 and Dana 44 front end.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Rubiconrich has it right, jeeps & swaps go together. To me half the fun is the search for the parts, which can literally take years. In my case, the 1978 CJ5 lost its AMC 304 for a 1978 AMC 401 from a Waggy, the T150 was bumped for a 1977 CJ T18, a 1980 Scout Dana 300 replaced the Dana 20, and the AMC 20 was traded for a 1972 Commando Dana 44. Am I done? No, I just picked up a CJ tilt wheel that I need to get cleaned up and installed. What’s next? Not sure, but the common theme with all of my swaps is that NO adaptors (or hacking & whacking) are required to make any of them; they are all basically a direct bolt in.

 

[flatie46]

Rubiconrich has it right, jeeps & swaps go together. To me half the fun is the search for the parts, which can literally take years. In my case, the 1978 CJ5 lost its AMC 304 for a 1978 AMC 401 from a Waggy, the T150 was bumped for a 1977 CJ T18, a 1980 Scout Dana 300 replaced the Dana 20, and the AMC 20 was traded for a 1971 Commando Dana 44. Am I done? No, I just picked up a CJ tilt wheel that I need to get cleaned up and installed. What’s next? Not sure, but the common theme with all of my swaps is that NO adaptors (or hacking & whacking) are required to make any of them; they are all basically a direct bolt in.

Tilt wheel is on my must have list, seem to be hard to come by. The 71 Comando 44 that you put in, the diff is centered on those? A bolt in job? I've got the stock AMC 20 in mine, the guy I got it from had a set of one piece flanged axells he gave me for it. I may just put them in it, 31" tire is all I plan on running and just mild wheeling with stock 304.

 

[Rubiconrich]

Next step is a York Ac compresser fron a AMC concord, turn that into OBA
that's what I did on my CJ7.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Tilt wheel is on my must have list, seem to be hard to come by. The 71 Comando 44 that you put in, the diff is centered on those? A bolt in job? I've got the stock AMC 20 in mine, the guy I got it from had a set of one piece flanged axells he gave me for it. I may just put them in it, 31" tire is all I plan on running and just mild wheeling with stock 304.

I miss typed the year of my Commando Dana 44 axle, it is a 1972, not 1971. The 72 & 73 Commandos had a Dana 20 so the pumpkins are centered; they bolt right in and even have 30 spline shafts. An AMC 20 rear end with one piece shafts will hold up under mild use, even with the 304. I ran one with a Lockrite locker and 33” Buckshot Mudders with no problems but I tend to be a little more conservative with my wheeling, a position I adopted many years ago after killing a couple of CJs in their line of duty. (I lived, the CJs didn’t) The CJ version of the AMC 20 falls short in the thickness of the axle tubes and how fragile the differential case is. The tubes are very thin walled and will not take a lot of bouncing without bending while the differential case tends to crack where the axle tubes are pressed in. There are some things you can do to help beef this all up a little but in reality it is like throwing good money after bad if you plan to wheel hard. To see if you have one piece shafts check the center hub of the axle. If you see a big nut in the middle then you have a problem, that indicates the two piece shaft and a two piece shaft can even leave you stranded in the Wally World parking lot without warning.

 

[flatie46]

I miss typed the year of my Commando Dana 44 axle, it is a 1972, not 1971. The 72 & 73 Commandos had a Dana 20 so the pumpkins are centered; they bolt right in and even have 30 spline shafts. An AMC 20 rear end with one piece shafts will hold up under mild use, even with the 304. I ran one with a Lockrite locker and 33” Buckshot Mudders with no problems but I tend to be a little more conservative with my wheeling, a position I adopted many years ago after killing a couple of CJs in their line of duty. (I lived, the CJs didn’t) The CJ version of the AMC 20 falls short in the thickness of the axle tubes and how fragile the differential case is. The tubes are very thin walled and will not take a lot of bouncing without bending while the differential case tends to crake where the axle tubes are pressed in. There are some things you can do to help beef this all up a little but in reality it is like throwing good money after bad if you plan to wheel hard. To see if you have one piece shafts check the center hub of the axle. If you see a big nut in the middle then you have a problem, that indicates the two piece shaft and a two piece shaft can even leave you stranded in the Wally World parking lot without warning.

I'd have to pull my wheel 'cause the center cap is covering it but I swear I think I got a nut on one side but not the other. I'll pull the wheels Saturday to make sure but a friend pointed it out when I first got the Jeep. I didn't much think about it at the time, I was too focused on the frame repair.

 

[HarleyRidr45]

Wow guys.. I cant believe I havent been on here in 5 years.. Thanks again for all the information..

 

[69jeepcj]

All true about the AMC20, but in its defense I also ran one with one piece shafts and a lock rite locker with no problems at all. In fact, I have a video of the E.C.R.R.S (east coast rock race series) and the guy that won the thing was in a pretty basic looking cj-5 with the AMC20 rear with one piece shaft and locker. so it can live but isn't the greatest. I have had a hub on the shaft strip on the street before years ago. if your jeep is factory, it has the amc20 rear axle, dana 30 front, dana 20 tcase, and T150 3spd trans, optionsal v8 trans was 4. something t-18 and optional 6cyl trans was 6.32 t-18 trans

 

[HarleyRidr45]

As far as I know its all original with the 304. So im betting what you said is correct.. I appreciate all the help.. The one question I have now is what would make the transmission not go out of gear. The throwout bearing? I saw one video of a jeep YJ that is was the master cylinder.. Any help again would be appreciated..

 

[69jeepcj]

If you have any questions of it being a 304 or not, all AMC engines had the displacement stamped into the side of the block. yj,s have hydraulic clutches, you have manual linkage from the factory. Does it go into gear fine? sounds like you may need to adjust the linkage so the clutch fully engages. You would tighten it.

 

[flatie46]

All true about the AMC20, but in its defense I also ran one with one piece shafts and a lock rite locker with no problems at all. In fact, I have a video of the E.C.R.R.S (east coast rock race series) and the guy that won the thing was in a pretty basic looking cj-5 with the AMC20 rear with one piece shaft and locker. so it can live but isn't the greatest. I have had a hub on the shaft strip on the street before years ago. if your jeep is factory, it has the amc20 rear axle, dana 30 front, dana 20 tcase, and T150 3spd trans, optionsal v8 trans was 4. something t-18 and optional 6cyl trans was 6.32 t-18 trans

I saw this thread had resurfaced, its hard to believe it has been 5yrs. After 5yrs of sensible wheeling the AMC 20 in my CJ 5 is still holding up. I had posted that I was planning to only run 31's...well...I lied. Ran 33's for a few years, then for the last 2 It's had 35's on it. Ive still got the one piece shafts, I'm not going to change em till they break tho.

 

[HarleyRidr45]

No it dont go into gear at all atm. im in the process of changing the Master Cylinder. Once it is changed and brakes are bled. Ill see where that takes me.. Then Ill look at adjusting the clutch. Ill let ya know when its done.. Thanks again..

If you have any questions of it being a 304 or not, all AMC engines had the displacement stamped into the side of the block. yj,s have hydraulic clutches, you have manual linkage from the factory. Does it go into gear fine? sounds like you may need to adjust the linkage so the clutch fully engages. You would tighten it.

 

[69jeepcj]

Any update on this?