It's a story many Jeep owners are familiar with and for me begins a few years back when I bought a multiple-rollover, basket case CJ-5. All I thought I needed was a cheap hunting rig. I rebuilt the 304 V8 using Javelin 390 heads and a mild RV cam and was ready to do some hunting and wheelin'.

After getting it running, I met some guys from a local club, Ft. Worth Dallas - Four Wheel Drive, and started running with them. Before long, I had swapped out the T150 3-speed for a T18a with a 6.32:1 first gear, rebuilt the Dana 20 transfer case, swapped in a Six States C/V rear driveshaft and Superlift 4" lift, installed 4:56 gears and lockers in the front and rear (what a learning experience), custom-made a heavy-duty transfer case skid plate, and had spent a month repairing all of the dents and rust on the CJ-5 before painting it Corvette yellow. The result was a relatively capable little rig that was "done" (don't laugh, I know no Jeep is ever finished). However, because of the way it handled, I didn't "love" the CJ, even though I had built it myself.

No matter how good the "Rock Taxi" looked and ran, she just didn't feel as stable as I wanted her to. While life is a series of compromises, I didn't believe I should have to compromise my safety for off-road fun, so the search for the answer was on. The first thing I thought about was obtaining an aftermarket CJ-8 Scrambler frame and moving my components onto that frame. I didn't like a couple of aspects of that approach, not the least of which was the cost. I also didn't like the longer overhang that the rear of the Scrambler has, so that idea was placed on the shelf.

I kept looking for an affordable answer, and went so far as actually finding a free CJ-7 frame and bringing it home to build a CJ-7. I was disappointed to discover that it had rusted out and would be a major challenge to make trailworthy. As I was investigating how to repair the frame and describing my goal, everyone told me, "just buy a Scrambler or CJ-6 and move your parts over to it." I didn't have the cash to tie up in another Jeep that might never have been able to be resold, so I started thinking about making my own long Jeep.

Here is a picture of my CJ-5, the "Rock Taxi", a month before the work started. I didn't have the usual problem of popping a wheelie, but was having problems sliding down the wet rocks and moving into a sideways position. My mind was made up. I would not drive it again until it was fixed.

The Checklist
The following is the checklist of things I would change while the "Taxi" was torn down, and what the modification was intended to correct. I also tracked my spending to determine how much the whole project cost.

1. Lengthen the Frame 19.5" and the body 20" - Room for 2 rows of back seats (for the kids) and extended wheel base for added stability, better ride, and a longer rear driveline to allow for more lift. By extending the body more than the frame, the rear tires would fit into the wheel well better on compression travel.
2. Roll Cage - Pull the OEM roll bar and fabricate a true, DOM tubing cage from windshield to tailgate to protect the occupants. Why? Because, Darnit!, I'm worth it!
3. Repaint Tub - Fix the newly-painted tub due to the required body work.
4. Spring over axle conversion (SOA) - More lift to keep the skidplate and gas tank from being rearranged by rocks and better ride and articlulation. New front axle spring hangers would be manufactured to move the front axle forward 3 inches to increase the wheelbase even more, to a total of 106 inches.
5. Dana 60's Front and Rear - I am sick of worrying if and when I will blow up another axle stub or u-joint and want a lower gear ratio in the axles. I chose 6.17's as the best compromise between pinion size and low gearing.
6. 38.5 inch Swampers would be bolted onto the axles to allow better ground clearance than 33's on the stock axles.

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