1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

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Glad the Impaler
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1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

It only takes about a year without a Jeep to wish you had another one! Previously I've had and built up a JK and TJ.

This time I dared to venture back into the 'pre-historic' era and abandon my comfort zone of mail delivery style Jeeps!


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Background story: I've recently started helping out with some of my friend's solid axle swaps and other 4x4 projects. Typically involving an IFS vehicle and swapping a 2006+ Ford Super Duty Dana 60 axle onto them. We usually end up throwing a Hummer H2 axle (GM 9.5, 14 bolt) on the rear because they come with an eaton e-locker from the factory and typically sell for $500. A few guys are also getting comfortable with LS swapping (LM7 typically) when the host vehicle's engine craps out. So I figured I'd combine a lot of this knowledge into a "fun" full swap and try and find a unique host vehicle. That is how I started looking into these classic jeep trucks.

I found this gem in the state north of me (Wyoming) and was immediately drawn to it for a few reasons. The price was right (~$2000), it had a blown engine (was going to swap anyways), the body looked good and the frame looked not rusty.

Well thankfully upon driving 6 hours north I was met with a very clean frame - basically no rust. The body does look good from 20 feet for sure. At 10 feet you start so see some paint runs and when you're next to the vehicle you certainly notice that this looks like a high schooler's first paint job! The body itself does have some dents and bumps and I must say, the sheet metal thickness on these things is amazingly thick! The engine was indeed VERY blown - the ad did not lie and it made me laugh looking at it for the first time.


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So with all that said - My goal is to turn this into a fun rock crawling vehicle with respectable street manners. My build decisions will be based off some of the other builds my group of friends has done and how they perform and then mashing it all together into a unique vehicle of my own.

Preliminary build goals:
  • Engine: 2001+ Chevy 5.3 (LM7) OR 6.0 (LQ4) if I can find one for a good deal, Holly Terminator stand alone engine management. Looking to use the Novak FSJ engine mounts. For the cheapest operating cost and registration fees I'll likely put Cats on the exhaust so I can register this as a regular vehicle and remain emissions compliant. There is a new radiator in this vehicle - may try and make it work but put in some E-Fans and a shroud for slow trail use.
  • Transmission: NV4500 5 speed
  • Transfer Case: NP241C
  • Drive shafts: Front will be self made, rear will likely be self made then balanced professionally.
  • Front Axle: 2006+ Ford SD Dana 60, Eaton E-Locker and re-geared to 5.13. Unit bearings / Brake discs re-drilled for GM 8x6.5 pattern
  • Front Suspension: 3 link with track bar
  • Rear Axle: 2003+ GM 9.5 14 bolt semi-floating out of a Hummer H2, with factory E-Locker and re-geared to 5.13
  • Rear Suspension: Upper triangulated 4 link, no track bar
  • Suspension: Coil overs on all 4 corners. Front I'll direct mount, rear I'm not sure yet.
  • Frame: Box rear from cab back, research how to add a little torsional rigidity and add some metal to accomplish that, trim appx 1ft or more in the rear.
  • Body: Engine and Cab kept as is. Rear of truck bed will be shortened about 1 foot for better departure angle performance.
  • Steering: PS, not 100% set on steering box but LS swap will support power steering.
  • Brakes: Vacuum boosted modern setup without ABS for sure, not 100% sure on junkyard swap to use but this will be something that will be done
  • Interior: Bucket seats will be swapped in to replace the bench seat
  • Safety: At a minimum a rear hoop will be placed behind cab. Possibly an interior cage if price is right. Better seat belts once bucket seats are in. New steering wheel is likely - would like to retain the Kaiser jeep badge if possible.
As I finish up some other projects this will remain parked. I will be sourcing the above parts for the final build and doing as much research as I can to ensure a relatively smooth assembly stage. Likely kick off for the fun stuff is July/August and my goal is to have this hitting trails in about a year.
Last edited by Glad the Impaler on Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:10 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Stuka
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Stuka »

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like another Buick V8 with oil starvation issues from the looks of the oil pan.

Sounds like a cool build.
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ
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66stepside
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by 66stepside »

That engine is toast, but the rest looks great! Welcome aboard.


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rocklaurence
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by rocklaurence »

66stepside wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:24 am That engine is toast, but the rest looks great! Welcome aboard.

I dont know? Some Mystery Oil and a can of Stop Leak would have that motor purring like a Kitten :D


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Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

Does anyone have recommendations on finding a tailgate?

That is the one thing this jeep did not come with that... well it really completes these ol vehicles haha. I have some fears that these are highly sought after and more expensive than I'm initially thinking. I got the jeep from a guy that recommended the "Jeep Ranch" up in Montana (https://www.montanaoverland.com/) - I've been meaning to give them a call - probably tomorrow.

Short of that I'm thinking of getting some sheet metal and plasma cutting and welding something that resembles the original.

rocklaurence
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by rocklaurence »

The tailgates normally take a beating and are heavily rusted. Finding a good one can cost $400-$1000.
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Stuka
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Stuka »

And the fact that they are single wall. So any dents from the inside, show up on the outside :(
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:37 pm

Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

Thanks - I figured when I couldn't find any on ebay or other places they would be out of my budget for this project. Sheet metal / rectangular tubing it is!

emillika
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by emillika »

Still have the intake, headers, HEI from the Buick 350?

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

emillika wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:55 pm Still have the intake, headers, HEI from the Buick 350?
Yessir! Let me know what you'd like. I'll be scrapping just the core if possible, the previous owner set the engine up pretty nice before the rods came a knocking!

Image

Below is what I believe is currently on top of the engine:
  • Some old buick washable air filter - possibly an old edelbrock line item
  • Stock log collector headers, not very rusty
Last edited by Glad the Impaler on Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:10 am, edited 2 times in total.

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:37 pm

Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

And so the venture down the rabbit hole begins...

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I managed to find an earlier MT8 version of the NV4500 (94 or earlier I believe) that has the "granny" 6.34:1 1st gear and external slave clutch cylinder. I'm leaning towards re-gearing my axles to 5.13, so that will give me a 32:1 "crawl ratio" in 1st, 2WD-Hi which I'm gonna love! I enjoy seeing how far I can get on tough rock crawling trails before going into cheat mode haha.

Mated to this will be the venerable NP241C.

I'm in the research phase of clutch kits/parts to adapt the NV4500 to either an LM7 or LQ4. My goal is to avoid using an off-the-shelf kit like advance adapters and go with more of a factory setup merged from the 92/93 era of chevy 2500s and the 2001+ era of LQ4/LQ9 engines that came with this tranny from the factory. There's lots of info and even more misinformation scattered out there so I won't go into detail until I've purchased the parts.

One entertaining part of the MT8 is the shift knob - very suggestive of the granny gear's purpose in life. Not sure if the later MW3 had the same layout - the few that my buddy has in his garage for other swaps certainly don't!

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One other good bit of info I found out today is how to better work the emissions and registrations rules in Colorado to get this registered as a classic vehicle. This is good because it will allow me to remain emissions exempt and run the new LS as straight piped as possible :evil:

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

More parts are now being acquired to start the meat of this build. Some things have changed to try and keep the budget ~$10k not including the initial purchase (yea... good luck right?).

I found a ~100k mileage LM7 5.3 today that I will be using as the new power plant.
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I'm shifting paths on the suspension side of things to keep the budget and build timeline within reason. Below is what has been purchased additionally to get the ball rolling on this project:
  • Front and rear axles have been acquired from a 2007 Ford F250 super duty, both ends are geared at 4.10 (giving me a 70:1 crawl ratio)
  • Front axle will remain open
  • Rear axle will get the Ford factory E-Locker which is a good deal @ $500 new - I'll throw in new carrier bearings and call it a day
  • Front suspension will be a radius arm setup with 14" remote reservoir coil overs from FOA
  • Rear suspension will be a 63" GM leaf setup with skyjacker 14" travel shocks
Not yet acquired:
  • Engine management - would like to use the Howell EFI stand alone kit - basically a reprogrammed (simplified) ECU and stand along harness for $600
  • Goal is to find a used ford 8x170 wheelset with 37+" tires
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Yeller
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Yeller »

Your clutch issues are simple. Get a flywheel and pilot bearing for a 2000 Chevy 2500 with a 6.0 then run the stock clutch for the transmission. It will work perfectly.

Looks like a fun build. I’m doing a similar build but with a d44/60 combo and 33’s. Jealous of the stick, but a 4l80 came attached to my lq4 so there’s that lol
The bus I ride is so short it is a yellow Smart Car full of squirrels, monkeys and clowns.

1970 J2500 Resto Mod
https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewt ... 12&t=21395

1974 Bronco “Broncno”
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threa ... st-3411909

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

Yeller wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 5:30 am Your clutch issues are simple. Get a flywheel and pilot bearing for a 2000 Chevy 2500 with a 6.0 then run the stock clutch for the transmission. It will work perfectly.

Looks like a fun build. I’m doing a similar build but with a d44/60 combo and 33’s. Jealous of the stick, but a 4l80 came attached to my lq4 so there’s that lol
I just ordered that clutch combo after far too many hours of research haha. I also got the 0.4" GM flywheel shim and extended bolts as extra insurance but it doesn't sound like I'm going to need them.

The LQ4 will be fun! Plenty of power if you keep it sealed up. I'm going to run the LM7 as-is for a year or two and then maybe look into a rumble stick and freshen it up. Durability is the name of the game here and the iron block LS's are awesome for it.

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

Axles secured!

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They are without calipers so I need to decide if I want to hunt down take offs or get some cheap ones from RockAuto.

I'd like to throw a dana spicer companion flange (1310, 1350 and 1410 compatible) on the front axle - it seems that it can be done without redoing the pinion bearing torque so long as I'm careful not to mess with the crush sleeve too much. The goal with that is mainly just to avoid having yokes in the rocks.

The rear axle is getting the Ford factory E-locker. It's a $500 steal of a deal that has been proven to be pretty strong.

The rear frame rails are 44.88" from outside to outside so probably around 42.5" on center. The current perches on the sterling 10.5" axle are 45.625" on center. My plan is to shave the existing leaf mounts and perches off the frame and rear axle respectively and then french in the 63" GM leaf mounts directly on the frame centers and use some antiwrap perches I bought from ruffstuff to make the new perch width a little narrower to match the FSJ frame rails. I 'feel' like the FSJ rear frame rails are wide enough for the full size sterling rear axle at ~70" WMS-to-WMS and it seems 42.5" is more than adequate compared to some Toyota builds I've seen and read about.

This build will start with 37" tires. I've got a few good leads on used Ford super duty wheels with 37s mounted but that will have to wait until I return to Colorado in 10 days!

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Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

NP241C Transfer case has been split - I'm going to be installing the Tom Woods SYE kit with the rear companion flange.

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I'm going to throw new seals and a new oil pump while I have it split. The chain looks great and overall wear and tear looks extremely low. Pretty happy with this $100 purchase!

I've figured out that a front drive shaft from a Ram 2500, years 2010 to 2013.5 should work for my setup perfect (length will need to be fine tuned of course!) give than the TCase side has the appropriate companion flange mount with a 3.125" male pilot - which matches the chevy front drive output flange. The Ram shaft will also have a 1350 UJoint up front (which mates to the super duty dana 60 factory pinion yoke) - once you remove the ram flange. It's a CV style shaft so it will work well for the articulation it will experience with 14" coil overs!

For the rear shaft I should just be able to use a 2005+ F250/F350 rear shaft as the Tom Woods SYE Flange supports 1410 Ujoint companion flanges with a 2" male pilot diameter - which I believe the super duty's came with.

The reason for hunting out these bastard shafts is just to try and keep the budget within reason - of course a custom shaft can be crafted for any situation (and may end up being the route I take!).

Planning to pull the engine/trans/tcase this weekend from the J3000 - front clip almost removed as well so hopefully the weather holds up!

Topic author
Glad the Impaler
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Glad the Impaler »

The weekend I've been waiting for finally arrived - Engine pull time! :evil:

I'm at the demo stage on this chart I made... might give some a laugh!
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Pulling the engine, trans and t-case was pretty straight forward. The engine drained most of it's own oil when it put the rod through the block so that step was already done for me! I drained the coolant then started snipping gas, coolant and electrical lines to free the engine up with a set of compound shears. I pulled the whole front clip as a unit and from there things started to seem possible!

This truck, at 52 years old, has WAY less rust than almost any vehicle I've ever worked on - with the worst being my most recent car project, a 2002 Subaru Impreza (basically a game of Russian roulette with regard to snapping rusty bolts).

After the front end was ready I crawled underneath and dropped the drive shafts and supported the trans to drop the cross member. After this there was only one job left... Engine removal time!

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This all went surprisingly quick. I started taking bolts out of the front clip a few days ago but a majority of the work was all done on this day in about 4 hours with an extra set of helping hands for the tricky front clip bolts!

I'm not 100% sure what transmission I have - It doesn't look like a T-18 so I think it's a T-15? The T-Case is a Dana 20 I'm pretty certain.

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To put some icing on the cake and relish in the excitement of this stage of the build, I finished the NP241C re-assembly with the Tom Woods SYE kit. I through in new input and output seals and a new oil pump while I had the T-Case split for good measure. RTV all around and it's ready to be thrown on the Engine/Tranny assembly for mock up sometime in the next week or two!

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My 14" coil-overs for the front should arrive shortly - with that I'll have all the suspension components I need to start mocking that up after the engine is in and settled!
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Yeller
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Yeller »

Progress is always a happy feeling lol.

I’d be right there with you but mine is still running and driving, and I’m enjoying that so it’s not a priority just yet
The bus I ride is so short it is a yellow Smart Car full of squirrels, monkeys and clowns.

1970 J2500 Resto Mod
https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewt ... 12&t=21395

1974 Bronco “Broncno”
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threa ... st-3411909
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Stuka
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by Stuka »

That OE trans is definitely not a T18a which is much larger and has a PTO cover on the driver side. Jeep used the T150, and the T15. That being a '69, and the two bosses on the driver side makes me pretty sure its a T15. Which is really strong, but only has three gears.
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ

rocklaurence
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Re: 1969 J-3000 Crawler/Cruiser Build

Post by rocklaurence »

My '67 had a Transplanted Buick 350 and it had the T90/Dana 20. It lasted fine under the foot of a 16 year old for years. Single wheel burn-outs etc. Until I dropped the clutch in reverse/4x4 in the sand--The reverse gear, Idler gear and counter gear all Gave up the Ghost that day. And Rocky, learned how to rebuild a transmission.
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