vehi-7

[givegodachance]

Thinking of put the vehicross body on a cj-7 frame. I can go is big as i want with solid axles. Just some thoughts from you guys. And yes i know it will be alot of work. Wheelbase of the VX is 91.8 and cj-7 is 93.something.

[Triathlete]

Wheelbase is not an issue as long as you son't mind cutting the cladding. Line up the rear and push the front wheels forward. The issue will be the egine. The straight6 4.0 is quite a bit longer than our 3.5.
As far as going "as big as you want"...if your talking tire size you will still ne limited by the weak axles. The rear axle is way weaker than our 12 bolt and uf I remember eight they have a d35 up front which is no better than our 10 bolt. There are axle shaft upgrades available though that help a little. But your still limited to about 35 inch tires without breakage...unless it will just be a mall crawlee.
Probably be much cheaper to just do a sas with a d44 or d60. Plus then you wouldnt be stuck with 18th century leafspring technology.

[VXorado]

I agree with Billy. Swapping to an old jeep is downgrade for the entire drivetrain. I had a 90 YJ before I bought the VX and it was by far the worst vehicle I ever own. I put so much time into chasing oil leaks on the 4.2L AMC junk engine (112 hp) and eventually decided selling the Jeep was easier than stopping all of the leaks. I don't dislike Jeeps at all but just had a really bad experience with mine.

IMO, to make a jeep swap worth the time & money:
1.) 91'+ model year to get the 4.0 fuel injected engine
2.) Dana 44 rear axle or equiv., most wranglers have a Dana 35 which is a downgrade from the 12-bolt.

If I had severe drivetrain issues on the VX, I would consider an 03-06' Jeep Rubicon swap as a viable option:
4.0L engine
6 speed manual
4:1 t-case
dana 44s front & rear with lockers
coil springs
93.4" wheel base

The only problem is that all of the Rubicons, used or wreaked are $$$. You might find a regular jeep donor with aftermarket upgrades to make it worth the swap. Otherwise, you have to ask what you plan to gain from the drivetrain swap.

[givegodachance]

thank on the 03-06 rubicon, i havent thought of that. But what i really want to do is have 38 to 40s on the cross and tall enough to not cut the cladding. I know it is a big task i would be taking on and im not sure if im would be ready for something like this, not without more research. But i have never seen a vx with anything bigger then 35s

[Triathlete]

If you are going tall enough to run that big of a tire without cutting cladding I am going to assume you do not plan on going offroad....



.....or taking corners very fast.

[VXorado]

But i have never seen a vx with anything bigger then 35s

37s


40s

[Triathlete]

37's have lots of cutting/trimming
40's was just for pics...not driveable unless you just want to drive straight

[TheGanzman]

If you're ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to this project, here's my advice, having built 23 vehicles from the ground up (working on #24 now):

- CAREFULLY spec out ALL the parts & labor costs associated with this, right down to the very last nut, bolt & screw; then:
- DOUBLE both numbers - THIS will be VERY CLOSE to what you actually spend in terms of time and money - I'm not kidding!

[givegodachance]

How is this vx with 37s lifted? I would really like to go a little bit taller with the vx. I seen the pics of the one with the 40s but i dont even think they are bolted on. Is this vx yours that has the 37s???

37s


40s

[Triathlete]

The white vx has a solid axle swap.

[VXorado]

I posted the VX on 40s to support Billy's point on necessary cladding cutting. Even my 35s required a bit of cutting. So, 40s would never work unless you removed all of the cladding.


The one on 37s has a build thread I linked below. The owner said he had some steering issues which is be common with custom SAS builds. Usually an SAS with larger tires is best as a trail rig that's trailered everywhere.

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=19878