Post-Mount Suspension and thriftside filler neck

[FSBOB]

Hi all,
I'm the new happy owner of a 76 J20 with a few minor issues. One of which is the rear post mount suspension has been modified. Instead of posts, brackets were welded on in replacement. That would be fine if one of the brackets wasn't almost completely rusted off. Does anyone know a company that sells a conversion or strengthened mounts or anything I could replace the custom brackets on the truck right now?
The truck is also missing the entire fuel system aft of the fuel pump. I can find most of the replacement parts required but I cannot find the part of the filler neck that called the filler neck protector or upper fuel filler neck. It would attach to the left fender of my thriftside truck. I just can't find it anywhere online or in store and I'm not sure if my local junkyard will have what I'm looking for.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[twisted frame]

Welcome! The filler neck pieces, as far as I know, will need to be sourced from someone parting out a similar truck. There are no reproduction pieces available new that I know of. Post up in the Wanted section and someone might have what you need.

I don't believe there was ever a conversion kit made for getting away from the post-mount suspension. It sounds like someone re-purposed brackets from another vehicle and welded them to the frame of your truck or, without seeing a photo, perhaps they were custom-made. Are you trying to return the suspension to it's stock form or just trying to repair the modified bracket that a previous owner installed?

[Kaiserman]

FYI a 76 doesn't have post mount rear springs. 76 was the first year for the stamped box style hangers. The ones that like to rot off as you've found out.

There is also no such thing as a Thriftside J20, or a 1976 Thriftside period. Post up some pics of what you've got. Sounds like it's the combination of a couple of trucks.

[tgreese]

Re the filler neck, look at the MTS page for some of the parts of your filler neck. The '76 TSM has a nice diagram of the Thriftside fuel tank and associated parts. Here http://oljeep.com/edge_76_tsm.html figure 4-4. I believe you will have to find used or adapt or make the "filler pipe."

Per Thomas' comments on no Thriftside in 1976, I'm sure that is mistaken. I saw one of these trucks in 1976 in the dealership shop, to be put on the lot for sale. I remember it because I looked at it closely, since I had not seen a new Thriftside truck previously. Additionally, the parts book shows the Thriftside bed as available through 1976. Re the Thriftside J20, though there were only models 25, 45 and 46 available domestically (SWB J10, LWB J10, LWB J20 resp) , there definitely was a model 26 for export. The model 26 was a short wheelbase, high GVWR J10 version with the 44HD/60 axle combo - essentially a SWB J20. I presume this could have been delivered with either a Townside or Thriftside bed through 1976.

[FSBOB]

Here are some pictures. It could very well be a combination of a couple trucks. According to the vin on the cab it's a 1976 J20 401 Automatic with the quadratrac. What's actually in it is a 401 with a T15 manual and Dana 20 transfer case. Definitely been worked on before.
As for the fuel questions, I figured out thanks to Tom 'Ol Jeep' Collins' web site (http://oljeep.com/edge_76_tsm.html) that this truck came with an auxiliary tank hence my trouble in finding the correct filler neck. I'll have to go junkyard diving for all of those parts since having the extra gas would be nice.
As far as the suspension goes you could be right. I'll have to look into it further but the parts manual on the Tom Collins website doesn't show boxed mounts on the side of the frame hence my assumption. I'll try and get some pictures loaded of the rear suspension to show later today.
Any and all suggestions are welcome as I hope to use this truck to tow a camper next year.

[tgreese]

That's a Townside. This is a Thrtiftside truck:



I suspect you had a replacement tank sitting in the bed at one time. Your truck would have come from the factory with a hole lower down in the bed side, with a steel protective cover inside the bed, and the tank fully under the bed and inside the frame rail. You can get the rubber parts from MTS, but you will have to find the filler neck (ie the part that goes through the bed side and accepts the filler cap) used somewhere, or make a replacement. There are a couple of yards I know of that cater to these Jeeps, sp. Montana Overland (in Billings?) and Jake's in NC (PM member Tanker here). You may be able to put a working filler neck together from a pickup or whatever you find at the junkyard.

[FSBOB]

That helps clear a lot up. I really appreciate it.

Here are the pictures of the spring mounts I mentioned earlier in the thread I'm trying to figure out what to do with. As you can see, half of one of the mounts is half gone. The other three are in fair shape and don't need to be fixed/replaced. Is my best bet going to be making a new spring mount to match the old one?

[tgreese]

Well, I would make a new mount and weld it on. You have the opposite side to model from. I have a welder, but I would buy a press and press brake to bend the steel. You could tack it all together from flat pieces and weld the seams - that would work too.

[FSBOB]

That's what I'll try then. I was just hoping for an easier answer. Thank you everyone for the help.

[Kaiserman]

Per Thomas' comments on no Thriftside in 1976, I'm sure that is mistaken.

Everything I have seen, read and heard points to the Thriftside bed being last offered in 1974. Never seen them mentioned or shown in brochures from 75 on. Odd that they show up in the 76 parts book.

I would think that the one you saw in '76 was a leftover.

[Kaiserman]

If I'm not mistaken, the filler tube for the aux. tanks was nothing special. Should be easy to source after market. and make work. The rubber seal is the same as used on a CJ. I was told this by a long time Jeep dealer, and it's what I bought from him for my aux. tank in my J3800.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q ... 1163975723

[BCRAWLER]

Have you checked into any other manufacturers rear suspension system. I know the Chevy will not work due to the fact that it would move your spring mounts below the frame and outward almost 2 inches. Checked my 78 and 86 Chevys for mounting system. They would be a bolt on but because of their Dimensions they would be of no help.

[tgreese]

Per Thomas' comments on no Thriftside in 1976, I'm sure that is mistaken.

Everything I have seen, read and heard points to the Thriftside bed being last offered in 1974. Never seen them mentioned or shown in brochures from 75 on. Odd that they show up in the 76 parts book.

I would think that the one you saw in '76 was a leftover.

Mmm. Unlikely.

I have the '74-80 parts book. There is a picture page for the Thriftside bed that is labeled "74/76" in the title at the bottom. The bed is listed complete with tailgate and no fenders as 858079 for '74-75, and 5460083 for 1976. It is also listed as 5752320 for 1980, but I expect that's actually the Sportside bed, lumped under the Thriftside listing.

1976 was a while ago, and it could have been a left-over '75. Pretty sure it was in February or March of 1976. Brian Chuchua (the owner) would typically get all the close-out models that he could... my first '75 CJ-6 was one of the last two that he could get when Jeep closed out the CJ-6 production. It would not surprise me if he requested this truck in '76 because they were ending the run. I'm sure its the first Thriftside I saw on the lot there, and I had been working there part-time and going to school in '74 and '75. I quit to go back to full-time work in the fall of '75. Pretty sure about the year, because I recall I was in the shop and not working (they were repairing my wrecked CJ-6).