Build The 50 Buck CJ 5

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

I decide to put together a build thread over here, originally I had a thread on the early cj5 forum. This jeep has been put together for a couple years now, we just make small changes from time to time.

lets build this 1969 CJ5 that I picked up for 50 bucks. This build was intended to be my little brothers first build and first offroad toy. He was broke college kid and I was going through the process of buying a house to we were doing this on a next to nothing budget. l parted out my beloved tj for a down payment on my house and also donated some parts to this little cj

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JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

For the running gear we decided to us some tried and true dana 44s. The front is a 70s wagoneer and the rear is a isuzu axle. The rear was already a 4.10 gear so that helped save some budget and put money to other places. We went with some 35s that i saved from my tj. For suspension we used a set of Rancho 2.5 rear cj2a springs we found used on market place and out back we ran some bds 2.5 cj5 rear springs. We ended up getting just about 10 inches of stretch without making the stance look to goofy.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

For the drivetrain we used the aluminum 5.3 that came out of my Tj with a sm426 I found for 100 bucks a dana 300 that I traded for as well. Really keeping with the budget theme as best we can here. I found some 50 dollar amazon ls swap motor mounts. Biggest expense on this was the tcase adaptor from Novak, I wish I had the tools and know how to make my own adaptors.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

Steering we used a tj box, some cheap amazon double d shaft and joint that absolutely suck but the way everything is supported nothing can come apart. I personally am really not happy with how we mounted the box and Im really pushing my brother to go full hydro. It would really clean up the front grill area and let us run the radiator centered. Brake master, clutch slave, and swing pedals are all out of a junk yard YJ

Decided to add a extra layer of sheet metal for extra support at the pedals

JayMcJay · Dec 8, 2025

Good look'n jeep!

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

At this point we made the move from destroying our parents garage to my new garage. Very big moment for me personally. Now we get to the boring stuff that most builds stop at because there is very little visual progress and a lot more frustration of finding homes for everything to live. To get the radiator to fit I ended up cutting the stub off the water pump along with cutting the headlight bucket apart.

for shocks we used some 20 dollar super duty rear shocks. These are 10" travel if i remember right. The towers are dorman 523-054 on amazon, theyre 75 bucks for a pair.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

JayMcJay said:
Good look'n jeep!

thank you, It turned out to be a pretty rad little jeep

JayMcJay · Dec 8, 2025

I miss my old CJ5......it ultimately gave way to the buggy in my avatar.
But there's something about an old '5.....

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

This is where I found out I am absolutely terrible at Sheetmetal work. Replaced the front floors and built a dog house cover.

also I had to build a new tcase shifter set up. We had to cut off the shifter mounts on the tcase to clock the case up high enough

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

little odds and ends before I dropped this old cheap jeep off to my brother to enjoy with his college 4wd club. Some cheapo headers and a pieced together exhaust. I cut down a tj front drive shaft for the rear and a yj front drive shaft for the front. Slapped together a mount to try and keep the aluminum fuel cell from cracking when this lip noddle of a frame that flex's under the smallest pebble.

I accidently let the magic smoke out of a couple wires in my rush

loaded up ready to go get a workout in the woods for a while

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

JayMcJay said:
I miss my old CJ5......it ultimately gave way to the buggy in my avatar.
But there's something about an old '5.....

Same. Im personally battling between a buggy, tj, or a cj for my next build. Living in michigan, I really dont have use for buggy but maybe a combo of a buggy style cj

JayMcJay · Dec 8, 2025

Where in MI?

A buggy is total overkill for anything in MI for sure.....but they're a lot of fun down south and out west. :smokin:

Before I had kids I had a lot more time to travel with it.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

the cj came back to live with me once the snow started flying. It performed pretty well for being slapped together in a pretty big rush. The radiator and front diff where trying to occupy the same location and was destroyed on the last club poker run for the year after beating on it in the mud and snow. I put the jeep in the back corner while I one ton swapped my buddys CJ7 low buck 1 ton swap. See this link for another budget build.

Shiny new aluminum rad and dual fan set up.

Now that my brother is out of school and in the real world we both have a bit more money to spend and started gearing this little jeep up to hopefully get onto Unreal Adventure. This was the first big road trip, 4 hours each way with weekend of wheeling drummond island in the middle. The jeep performed flawlessly

also know that this lives in my garage till my brother gets his own garage its my summer daily to work and around town. We have a big scale for for giggles I weighed it. With full tools, spare parts and 16ish gallons of gas it weighed in at 3240, pretty happy with that.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

At this point I was mainly just putting some miles on this thing and light wheeling. Changing little things here and there. I did a 6 hour round trip down I75 to go to a jeeps and coffee event at Smart Steer to meet the legend Fred Williams. Jeep handled amazing running 75-80 mph with hands off the steering wheel. I really hope Novak releases their overdrive system that they keep teasing. 3200ish rpm really kills the MPGS

Id also like to add at this point both my brother and I are north of 6 foot tall ( Im the guy in the all black next to fred) and of course had to get the dash signed.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

Back to the building of things. We both really wanted to get the fenders back on this jeep. For one I wanted them out of my attic and two I think CJs look really incomplete without those big funny fenders. I did a whole separate thread on High lining stock cj fenders that can be found here ( High line thread ) along with this went some general maintenance to prep for my favorite michigan event, Reject Run

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

If anyone noticed the very poor shackle angel in the front that has been fixed. Part of things I've learned along the way.

My brother managed to snag a full Spidertrax 9 inch steering axle set up for a steal. Sadly with this jeep being a passenger drop set up, the leaf's being so narrow, and the center section of fab 9 housings being so big there was no way to get the axle to fit and not rework a ton of stuff. With EJS coming up pretty quick this is a battle for afterword's

We finally put a real roll cage in this thing. I know the nodes and lack of triangulation aren't the best but really with this jeep all we wanted is to walk way from the first big accident that happens. I could be better but with how small the tube is more tubes start to really kill the look and take away room for head space.

at this point updates will be slow, this is the coldest December that we have had in a long time and vie grown to really dislike the cold. Next on the list is to box the frame and redo all the rear sheet metal. I think were are moving the gas tank back under the jeep to get more room for gear when we hopefully apply to UA next year

Frodo · Dec 8, 2025

I can't wait to follow this. I have a '75 that i have a '65 tub on. It looks like you're fixing all the same stuff I plan on doing this winter.

JeepinLee · Dec 8, 2025

JayMcJay said:
Where in MI?

A buggy is total overkill for anything in MI for sure.....but they're a lot of fun down south and out west.
Before I had kids I had a lot more time to travel with it.

I’m up in north east corner of Michigan. I’m starting to lean towards a very well built something on 37s. Right now I have a couple options for thing which is making the decision harder. But I feel like that would keep the hand full of parks we have here fun and challenging but also capable enough to run some of the bigger names trails down south and out east.

JayMcJay · Dec 8, 2025

I’m in the greater Grand Rapids area.
I assume your brother is/was at Tech?

If you tie the cage in well enough you’ll add a bunch of rigidity to that noodle chassis. With 37’s you can be happy with that jeep for a long time.

JeepinLee · Dec 9, 2025

JayMcJay said:
I’m in the greater Grand Rapids area.
I assume your brother is/was at Tech?

If you tie the cage in well enough you’ll add a bunch of rigidity to that noodle chassis. With 37’s you can be happy with that jeep for a long time.

Yep he was at tech. I'm planning to box the frame and try the cage in. Should be plenty for many years of fun. I've been trying to find a set of used 37" sxs rockzillas to try out with how light this little jeep is, they should work out great.

Im surprised Ive never noticed your buggy running around anywhere in the state

JayMcJay · Dec 9, 2025

I don't think I'd bother with boxing in the frame. Not sure you're going to get as much rigidity as you're after, but you will give yourself the opportunity to lock in a bunch of dirt and sand and salt and garbage that'll rust it from the inside out. I think you'll be happier if you just do a good job of designing and executing the cage, and use it as a structural member.

Having kids has put a pretty serious damper on using my buggy the last few years.....last time it was out and about regularly you might not have had a drivers license!
I was going to head up to the big 50th anniversary Alumni Run this last spring with a couple of my buddies.....but kids....... :laughing:

I might be up in Skanee this spring. There's been some talk of a trip.

Build The 50 Buck CJ 5

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