Topic: CJ frontend swap??

[donut]

 
hey y'all, new to the forum, and was wondering, if anyone out there has done, or has info on doing a CJ grille/hood/fenders(?) swap.  i think you can re-use the fenders, im not sure.  ive heard you have to use a 1" body lift, but some forums dont mention it.  has anyone done this swap?  or can someone point me in the right direction?  im just tryin to get info right now, im waiting for that glorious day i can work on my jeep again, when i get home from this darn sandbox.  thanks!

[Jeffy]

There have been a bunch of people who have done it.  You can reuse your existing fenders which will give you a bit more room then with the CJ fenders.  The only issue is that the CJ hood and grill combo are about 1" shorter then the holes on the YJ fenders so you'll have to drill a few more holes.  Then the only other difficult part is mounting the radiator.  Oh and you could go with a older 80" CJ5 hood, fenders and grill for an additional 6" of room between the front of the bumper and the grill.  This allows you to also use a Jeepster hood if you wanted also.  It will make the Jeep look really short on the long frame.  1" body lift is necessary since the grill is 1" taller then the YJ.

[Bounty Hunter]

Like Jeffy mentioned, I believe you need a 1" body lift and leave the 1" BL spacer off beneath the grille.

[chrisfranklin]

Rectangles are the shape of good things:  sports fields, hdtv screens, cash money.   

The classic round headlights are nice (on the classics).  But if the CJs, YJs, TJs and JKs all had the same grill, Jeeps would start looking a little inbred.  So, what I am basically saying is:  don't f%^& your sister (so to speak)   

[donut]

 
awesome, awesome guys- thanks.  just confirms and adds to the info im gathering.  im still thinking about the swap, but those darn headlights are growing on me.  cheers!