Front drive shaft line up

Hello to everyone, I have just purchased my first jeep. It is a 67 cj5 with scout front and rear, 340 727 dana 20 drive drain. I have swaped in the front and rear from a 75 cj5 that I picked up I believe it is 44 in the rear and a 30 in the front. Here is my problem the front drive shaft won't line up.It hits the tranny pan. I have the 304,tranny and t case from the 75 but the tranny I have been told is a weak point. I want to keep it as jeep like as posible, which is why I swapped out the front and rear. Any advise on my front drive shaft would be great. Or would it be easier to swap in the 304.

 

So right now you still have the Chrysler 340 and the 727 Torqueflite, What transmission
did you get with the drivetrain of the 1975 Jeep, is it the t15 three Speed. The t15 while not an awesome transmission is not that bad, it will hold up decently with the 304, I don't know if you can hook it up to the Chysler 340 though and if it did it probably wouldn't last long with the HP output of that motor.

 

Assuming you want to keep the 340...

The 727 was used in Wagoneers, but the driveshaft was on the driver's side. As you discovered. the 727 is too wide on the passenger side to clear the driveshaft in a CJ. You should be able to substitute a 999 for the 727 and the driveshaft will clear. The 999 was used with the Dana 300 behind the 304 in CJs for several years. Build a good one and it'll last.
<edit> The 999 is the smaller Mopar transmission; the 727 is the big transmission.

The Dana 20 has the "texas" pattern. You'll have to make the 999 fit whatever transfer case you use. If I were going to the trouble of changing the transmission, I'd substitute a circular pattern transfer case, either the Dana 300 or one of the many New Process chain-driven transfer cases. The D20 is strong enough, but the low range is only 2:1, and all these other cases offer much lower gearing. Plus. it'll probably be easier to find a 999 that accepts a New Process-style transfer case than a texas style case.

I hate to contradict Mike again, but the T15 is an excellent transmission, for a 3-speed. I don't know of any 3-speeds that are stronger. They tend to wear out the blocking rings pretty fast, so you can't shift them fast like a passenger car transmission. They have a wide gate and need slow, deliberate shifts. T15s also came behind the Buick 350 and AMC 360 in the Wagoneers and J-trucks, where they held up very well.

The T15 bellhousing will not mate with the 340. There may be an easy way to adapt a Chrysler small-block pattern, but I don't know of it. You either need to pick a transmission that bolts up to the 340 (say, a Dodge NP435 or a 999/727) or else buy an aftermarket adapter (may or may not be available).

hth

BTW Welcome from Boston!

 

BTW - you need the case and torque convertor from a Mopar 727 or 999 to match the 340 bellhousing pattern. You then mix the Mopar case and Jeep transmission parts to build a 727 or 999 that bolts to the Mopar small block and also connects to a transfer case.

 

Thanks for the help. The 304 trany is a T 15. Do you think it is a good choice for a trail/street jeep. Also is there a direct swap you can make down the road from the T15 to another I am just thinking that the 2.97 first gear might be to high? I plan on running 33s.

 

The Ford T18 is probably the easiest swap for a T15 that's widely available. Jeep offered a close ratio T18 (4:1 1st) from '72-76 behind the 258 inline 6. That would bolt in mostly, except for the driveshafts. There was a wide ratio T18 (6.32:1 1st) offered from '77 to '79, and that would mostly bolt-in... almost unobtainium though.

 

Install an a drive shaft with a carrier bearing in the front. Jeepsters had front dirveshafts with carrier bearings in them from the factory when they had th-400's behind the v-6 in some models. Any good driveshaft shop should be able to build this type of a shaft and show you where to mount the carrier bearing.