The 78 CJ-5 had the big Brake. Larger Brakes than Earlier CJ's. Adding a Vacume Booster for Power isn't a hard project. Driving I find most older jeeps had some guy with a screw driver tighten down on the steering gear. The manual steering is fine. If you buy a CJ back the steering gear off a 1/4 turn to a half. Usually the steering shafts lower coupling or upper universal is got 10 degrees wear or play. The replacement shafts are junk and if they won't telescope in and out a bit Don't buy it unless you want to buy a new steering columb. They are colapsable but rigged. The body and frame flex and vary in the length from column to the steering gear. This movement will destroy your column. The lower Coupler can be rebuilt to remove the play. A WORD ABOUT STEERING A CJ'5. 1. If it is jacked up and huge tires Walk Away. STOCK is much better for the highway. A little lift and bigger tires are fine but a big lift and huge tires will change the dynamics of the steering. 2. Be prepared to take several weeks to relearn how to steer the CJ's. Suttle turns and tweeks rather than fighting the wheel. Every New CJ driver I ever seen Over Corrected repeatable until they learned the steering "saginaw steering" . Beware most OEM steering new parts are not even close to original spec's. soft metal junk. If your jeep wanders or doesn't steer well or super hard to steer it has a problem. They don't drive like other vehicles but once you learn it not a problem at all. My wife put 10's of thousands of miles on ours same as me. She'll tell you, "you gotta learn to drive a Jeep." Sarge is looking Good. Consider a power steering upgrade. Prepare to change the shaft to. The splines on some are different and a coupler change out will solve that. Good Caving and 73,s old man.
I agree, keep it stock or very close to it, don't want to wander too far from the stock geometry. I walked away from many ragged out TJ's from rotted out frames to having 33" - 37" tires with 4" - 7" of lift. I was fortunate to find an immaculate '05 TJ Rocky Mtn with the AMC 4.0 and it's by far the best Jeep I've had. I kept the build modest since it's mostly a beach / sand hill wheeler, plus a dd. 2" Old Man Emu coils and 32" KO2's. Despite having a modest build, I had to get the Currectlync steering, Freedom Off Road front lower adj control arms, adj front track bar, M.O.R.E steering box brace, transfer case drop kit, Fox steering stabilizer and Fox 2.0 Shox. Tightened the gear box about an 1/8 of a turn. These Fox steering stabilizers are notorious for pulling left since they are pressurized, I have to get it calibrated. Overall, it's a great Jeep for local short trips, however the steering can get wonky on long trips. I have to invest in a beefier gearbox, either from a Dodge Durango or PSC. I never thought much of these Mercedes gearboxes, but not being able to handle lightweight 32" tires and 22lbs alloy baja rims for a total of 68lbs each speaks volumes on how shitty they are!
Great video, non Jeepers will never understand these are NOT cars and will never handle like one because of the solid axles and many other suspension variables. People with any Jeep common sense know to keep it stock or very close to it, don't want to wander too far from the stock geometry. I walked away from many ragged out TJ's from rotted out frames to having 33" - 37" tires with 4" - 7" of lift. I was very fortunate to find an immaculate '05 TJ Rocky Mtn with the AMC 4.0 and it's by far the best Jeep I've had. It's built modestly and more importantly wisely, since I'm an adventurer, not a darn rock crawler, sorry but thats like watching paint dry and seeing people destroying axles and every other suspension part unnecessarily. I live close to the Outer Banks, so this TJ is mostly a beach / sand hill wheeler, plus my dd. 2" Old Man Emu coils and 32" KO2's. Currectlync steering, Freedom Off Road front lower adj control arms, adj front track bar, M.O.R.E steering box brace, transfer case drop kit, Fox steering stabilizer and Fox 2.0 Shox. Tightened the gear box about an 1/8 of a turn. These Fox steering stabilizers are notorious for pulling left since they are pressurized, I have to get it calibrated. Overall, it's a great Jeep for local short trips, even with the upgraded coil spring suspension, the steering on this '05 TJ can get wonky on long trips. I have to invest in a beefier gearbox, either from a Dodge Durango or PSC. I never thought much of these Mercedes gearboxes, but not being able to handle lightweight 32" tires and 22lbs alloy baja rims for a total of 68lbs each speaks volumes on how shitty they are! Sarge is one great ole Jeep! O|||||||O 🇺🇲 Only in a 2 Dr 🇺🇸 '41 - '06
The 78 CJ-5 had the big Brake. Larger Brakes than Earlier CJ's. Adding a Vacume Booster for Power isn't a hard project.
Driving I find most older jeeps had some guy with a screw driver tighten down on the steering gear. The manual steering is fine. If you buy a CJ back the steering gear off a 1/4 turn to a half. Usually the steering shafts lower coupling or upper universal is got 10 degrees wear or play. The replacement shafts are junk and if they won't telescope in and out a bit Don't buy it unless you want to buy a new steering columb. They are colapsable but rigged. The body and frame flex and vary in the length from column to the steering gear. This movement will destroy your column. The lower Coupler can be rebuilt to remove the play.
A WORD ABOUT STEERING A CJ'5.
1. If it is jacked up and huge tires Walk Away. STOCK is much better for the highway. A little lift and bigger tires are fine but a big lift and huge tires will change the dynamics of the steering.
2. Be prepared to take several weeks to relearn how to steer the CJ's. Suttle turns and tweeks rather than fighting the wheel. Every New CJ driver I ever seen Over Corrected repeatable until they learned the steering "saginaw steering" . Beware most OEM steering new parts are not even close to original spec's. soft metal junk. If your jeep wanders or doesn't steer well or super hard to steer it has a problem. They don't drive like other vehicles but once you learn it not a problem at all. My wife put 10's of thousands of miles on ours same as me. She'll tell you, "you gotta learn to drive a Jeep." Sarge is looking Good. Consider a power steering upgrade. Prepare to change the shaft to. The splines on some are different and a coupler change out will solve that. Good Caving and 73,s old man.
I agree, keep it stock or very close to it, don't want to wander too far from the stock geometry. I walked away from many ragged out TJ's from rotted out frames to having 33" - 37" tires with 4" - 7" of lift.
I was fortunate to find an immaculate '05 TJ Rocky Mtn with the AMC 4.0 and it's by far the best Jeep I've had. I kept the build modest since it's mostly a beach / sand hill wheeler, plus a dd. 2" Old Man Emu coils and 32" KO2's. Despite having a modest build, I had to get the Currectlync steering, Freedom Off Road front lower adj control arms, adj front track bar, M.O.R.E steering box brace, transfer case drop kit, Fox steering stabilizer and Fox 2.0 Shox. Tightened the gear box about an 1/8 of a turn. These Fox steering stabilizers are notorious for pulling left since they are pressurized, I have to get it calibrated. Overall, it's a great Jeep for local short trips, however the steering can get wonky on long trips. I have to invest in a beefier gearbox, either from a Dodge Durango or PSC. I never thought much of these Mercedes gearboxes, but not being able to handle lightweight 32" tires and 22lbs alloy baja rims for a total of 68lbs each speaks volumes on how shitty they are!
Great video, non Jeepers will never understand these are NOT cars and will never handle like one because of the solid axles and many other suspension variables.
People with any Jeep common sense know to keep it stock or very close to it, don't want to wander too far from the stock geometry. I walked away from many ragged out TJ's from rotted out frames to having 33" - 37" tires with 4" - 7" of lift.
I was very fortunate to find an immaculate '05 TJ Rocky Mtn with the AMC 4.0 and it's by far the best Jeep I've had. It's built modestly and more importantly wisely, since I'm an adventurer, not a darn rock crawler, sorry but thats like watching paint dry and seeing people destroying axles and every other suspension part unnecessarily.
I live close to the Outer Banks, so this TJ is mostly a beach / sand hill wheeler, plus my dd. 2" Old Man Emu coils and 32" KO2's. Currectlync steering, Freedom Off Road front lower adj control arms, adj front track bar, M.O.R.E steering box brace, transfer case drop kit, Fox steering stabilizer and Fox 2.0 Shox. Tightened the gear box about an 1/8 of a turn. These Fox steering stabilizers are notorious for pulling left since they are pressurized, I have to get it calibrated. Overall, it's a great Jeep for local short trips, even with the upgraded coil spring suspension, the steering on this '05 TJ can get wonky on long trips. I have to invest in a beefier gearbox, either from a Dodge Durango or PSC. I never thought much of these Mercedes gearboxes, but not being able to handle lightweight 32" tires and 22lbs alloy baja rims for a total of 68lbs each speaks volumes on how shitty they are!
Sarge is one great ole Jeep!
O|||||||O
🇺🇲 Only in a 2 Dr 🇺🇸
'41 - '06
Thank you for the comments and I would love to see the TJ! Sounds like a great Jeep!
So what's it like?
It’s great! He drive straight and rides well.