1962 Jeep CJ5 - Mellow Yellow

The tubular front fenders fend off jagged rocks, and the lower hoop tells you that this is a CJ-5 and not another flatfender wannabe.

The rolling stock consists of 36-inch bias-ply Irok Super Swampers that are big enough to offer reasonable ground clearance without scattering drivetrain components. The tires are mounted on modified Hummer rims. The stock Hummer rims use an internal mechanism that locks the inner and outer beads, but they leave the vulnerable hubs exposed because of excessive backspacing. Performance Cryogenics recentered the rims, and Shawn added a reinforcing ring to keep the rims from bending when they encounter rocks. A Saginaw power-steering box from a Wagoneer turns the Swampers. The box connects to a host of Rockstomper components, including the drag link, tie rod, and steering arms.

Although early Broncos and FJ40 Land Cruisers have exploded in price in recent years, you can still buy a clean CJ-5 for a few thousand dollars. The money saved on the initial purchase can be used to make a more capable trail vehicle for the same overall investment. All it takes is some vision, talent, and hard work. Just ask Shawn Kelso.

The front axle is a Dana 44 out of a Wagoneer that has been upgraded with 4.88 Yukon gears, a Great Lake Offroad diff cover, an ARB Air Locker, and Warn hubs and chrome-moly axleshafts.	Suspension duties in the front are handled by Wagoneer springs and Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir shocks on custom tubular mounts. The shocks still need to be properly valved for high-speed fun, but they work fine at rockcrawling speeds.	The fuel cell was sunk into the tub for a lower center of gravity and more storage room. Shawn plans to add a rack to the rear of the Jeep to safely stow tools and camping gear in the future.
All of the lights on the CJ-5 are controlled individually by an M-Series military light switch that was installed in the dash. The switch eliminates the need for a dozen different flesh-tearing toggle switches littering the dash.	The rear axle is an offset Dana 44 from a Wagoneer that has benefited from the addition of 4.88 Yukon gears, an ARB Air Locker, Moser chrome-moly axleshafts, and Mitchell Differential full-floating hubs.	The rear suspension is similar to the front, with Wagoneer springs mounted above the axles and Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir shocks on custom tubular mounts. Shawn set up the suspension for only a few inches of uptravel but several inches of downtravel for a low center of gravity without sacrificing articulation.
Shawn made his custom frame longer than stock to allow the rear axle to be pushed back and still utilize leaf springs. A custom traction bar keeps axlewrap to a minimum with the spring-over.	The seats are tied into the cage with crossbars and simple-angle iron mounting brackets. The harnesses are also tied into the cage at the rear hoop, but we would prefer to see a crossbar behind the seats.