Just got a call from my dad. He's found a '79 Full Size Jeep "Station Wagon" (has to be a Waggie or a Cherokee, he wasn't sure) with a fairly fresh (rebuilt 4k ago) 360. The guy selling it wants $200 (body and tranny are trash, not sure about the T-case). I'm gonna jump on it. However, besides the engine, what else do I want to snag for my '74 CJ5. I did a search as I seem to remember a similar thread recently, but couldn't find it. So here are a couple of questions:

1. The front should be a Dana 44 with Discs, right? But at 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern. Is this worth a swap for my D30? I'm pretty mild off-road, so would it be better just to swap in the discs, or is that possible?
2. Is the power steering convertible to my CJ?
3. Could I steal the power brake booster for my '74?
4. I've also got the '63 Willys. Would the rear waggy AMC20 be a good choice for swaping out the Spicer 53?
5. Anything else I should think about?

Since I'm picking up a spare tranny and t-case next weekend for the CJ, I'm thinking that the T-15 and D20 out of my CJ are going in the Willys, and I'm gonna try to find a 258 for it....or maybe rebuild the 304 after I drop the 360 in the CJ. Though everything is pretty nebulous for the Willys at the moment. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Don't forget the tilt wheel if it's got one.

good point! I'd be happier with just a smaller steering wheel and power steering, but if it's got it, hey, why not!

If you don't do any heave duty off roading than power steering is just something else to break......how about intermittent windshield wipers ,you would need the switch and the brain.and the4 wire motor ( sold at autozonerebuilt )

On a 79 it should have a D44 rearend.

the power steering stuff should all fit over, the tilt clumn is probably too long to use in a CJ5, but you might be able to use it.

the engine and all acceceries are easyily worth $200, the front axle is worth $200, the rear if its centered is worth $200 if its offset, its not worth quite that much.

keep all teh springs! they are usefull for alot fo stuff ( custom spring packs and such)
steer linkage for front axle.

its pribably a Th400 qtrack , I think most in the late 70s were, but you can sell those parts off to someone.

driveshafts, use the yokes to lengthen or make your custom length shafts.


lots and lots of parts for you

Thanks!

Ozark, I've heard you can use Knuckles out on the 44 and swap it on to the 30 for the discs....is this true? How would I go about swapping it out and still keep my 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern on the front? Thanks again!

I think the knuckles from a 30 will fit on a 44, so I guess the 44 knuckles would fit a 30, BUT im not sure about the axle shafts.

just run the whole front 44!

you have to use some Ford, and Chevy front end parts to make a wag 44 5x5.5 pattern, JeepGod has a write up on her site.

You can't just swap on the waggy outers. You would have to use the waggy stub shafts and your d30 inner shafts. 260x not = 297x ujoint so it won't work. What would work is, use the whole waggy front axle and use some spacer/adapters to widen your rear 44 and adapt it to 6 on 5.5. Or swap a 80+ waggy AMC20 HD or 86+ toy rear axle in to match the width and bolt pattern of the front. If this waggy has a centered rear axle, that's the one to use. Here's something I think you're missing. Waggy front = ~60", your stock rear d44 = ~52".

258 is hard to fit into a willys because of the length. 304 should fit fine.

Ryan, thanks for the info. The Willy's in Question is a '63 Pickup (I can't remember if I mentioned that). I didn't think the 258 was that much longer than the 226 flat head six that was in it. I'll double check though. Big reason I didn't want to go with the 304 in the Willy's is it gets kinda cramped under there for the steering! However, that whole project is a ways down the road.

Thanks again for the info on the swapping on the front knuckles. I'll probably just forget that part of it, and save the axles for another project. I don't want to go to wider axles (my CJ5 is a trail machine--I like it narrow), and don't feel like cutting these down just yet. However, I'll hang on to them and I'm sure another use will come along!

Thanks, that just made things simpler!