CJ10a - Short bed or long bed?

[gavan]

I am working on my new project and I am looking on how to go forward with the bed size.

The frame now fits a shortened M101 trailer perfectly, but lengthening the frame and mounting a full length trailer would be pretty friggin cool, too.

Poorly chopped picture references:

Long Bed:



Short Bed:

[dustyglyde]

What wheelbase are you looking at running? If you plan on wheeliing this thing, I wouldn't leave the overhang at the rear. My .02

[jscherb]

Just for comparison's sake, this one has a 113.5" WB. Also the cab is about 2.5" longer than the CJ-10 cab.

[mudskipper4x4]

Long bed with a bob.

[saddis]

Short bed looks much better and will be more trail worthy but if you plan to make it a work truck then long is the way to go.

[gavan]

I don't really plan on wheeling it hard, I have a CJ buggy for that. It is already to short bed length, at 127 inches of wheelbase. I would have to att 17 inches to the wheelbase to run it long bed... it would be longer than my Excursion!!

[jeepinwilson]

long beds are cool. I wanted longer for mine but I will work with what I built for now.

I still need to finish it, but it is getting there. The bed is almost 6 feet long, and the wheelbase is 114" with the front axle in the stock location.

[gavan]

Looks like it is going to be a short bed.

The M101 trailers are essentially the same front and rear, so welding the two rears together makes a nice, easy bed. The front of the trailers are pretty rusted, but the rears are in pretty good shape. I am sure they were stored tongue down for many years.

nother crappy chop



I got the 14b in today.

[jeepinwilson]

what is your wheelbase going to be? looks really long....

[gavan]

Originally Posted by jeepinwilson

what is your wheelbase going to be? looks really long....

about 124".

Not much shorter than my Excursion...

With the 10b front, I am looking at this thing more of a drive around town/dd/snow and mud wheeler than a hard core wheeler. I have a locked/caged/beadlocked/pirate special to go hardcore wheeling.

The wheelbase should help with the ride. It still seems long for a short bed standard cab pickup, though.

[gavan]

Some pictures of the nearly completed bed







46 inches from midline to front, 36 to tailgate

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by gavan

Some pictures of the nearly completed bed...

46 inches from midline to front, 36 to tailgate

Looks great... how wide is the bed? Is it wider than the body tub?

[gavan]

It is just a little wider than the cab, but about the same width as the front fender flares, so it looks pretty decent.

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by gavan

It is just a little wider than the cab, but about the same width as the front fender flares, so it looks pretty decent.

Here's a few photos I've found, you may find them interesting.

The top two photos, it seems someone used the same bed that you're using, although it looks like they've used a shorter wheelbase than you're using.

The bottom two photos show the factory CJ-10 pickup (not converted CJ-10a's), notice how the bed sticks out wider than the cab.

[gavan]

That olive drab green one is a great reference pic for me. That is a m101 trailer mounted backwards, it is just what mine looked like when I picked it up. Mine is a hair longer, maybe 5-6 inches to have a little more gap between the cab and bed, and to fit the factory front lip of the trailer, and to center the wheel in the wheelwell.

Mine will look a lot like that, but the bed will be bobbed about 2 feet. I think the H1s help the look a lot too.

Any front shots of the green one?

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by gavan

That olive drab green one is a great reference pic for me. That is a m101 trailer mounted backwards, it is just what mine looked like when I picked it up. Mine is a hair longer, maybe 5-6 inches to have a little more gap between the cab and bed, and to fit the factory front lip of the trailer, and to center the wheel in the wheelwell.

Mine will look a lot like that, but the bed will be bobbed about 2 feet. I think the H1s help the look a lot too.

Any front shots of the green one?

[gavan]

Got the bed placed on the CJ! Getting there!

[gavan]

In trying to get the 10b knuckles to fit in the H1's, it quickly came apparent I would need offset arms.

No big deal, rockstomper has the arms and I got them just fine.

When I went to put them on, I took out the old arms and went to use the old hardware to put in the new arms. It had been awhile since I have installed steering arms on a D44 type knuckle, and I had no history on this axle, so I just ASSumed that the hardware would work.

WRONG.

Someone had used non standard studs and taper washers in a bastardized hole setup.



Needless to say, the rust colored taper washers came no where close to seating the new arms.

I saw on rockstompers web site that the have arms for 9/16 and 5/8 holes, so I figured I just got a set of the 5/8 holes to use on my 9/16 stud.

So I PM'd Scott@rockstomper to inquire about them, figuring I had just ordered the wrong piece. On a Saturday, because that is when I was working on it.

I figured he would get back to me Monday.

He actually PM's me back that Saturday, explained that the 9/16 and 5/8 studs use the same machining process, and offered several other reasons for them not to fit. Some quick measuring saw that I had some weird stud/washer setup, and Scott had the correct stud/nut/washer in the mail Monday morning.

to Scott for figuring out my problem on a weekend and putting the right parts in the mail Monday morning. I really appreciate it!

The arms look great and clear the H1's with room to spare.



Now I just need to get the steering measured and made, the offset arms threw off my toe measurements just a little bit