Wide Track Frame?

[joe21228]

I am doing a frame off restoration. Just going to buy a new frame. Trust me, it works better for me. Looking at different magazines, the want to know if it is "Wide Track"

How do I know? It is an 86 CJ7.

This is what I know:
Chevy 350 - Motor
T-176 - Trans
Not sure what axles. How would I know this?

Any help is appreciated.

[CJ8Ted]

Its a widetrack,  they were widetrack from 82 to 86 on the 7s and 8s pre 82 and 5s were narrow.


Ted

[CJ8Ted]

As for the axles it could have a 30 in the front and 44 in the rear (some had 44s in 86) may also have an AMC 20 rear, it is round like a basketball w/ 12  bolts holding the cover on. Two piece shafts were starndard in CJ 20s (big nut sticking through rear wheel center hole).  The 44 is more of a hex shape cover with ring gear bulge (one piece shafts, no big nut). As for the front 30 you can look at 95% of the Jeeps on the road  (CJ YJ TJ XJ) all came with a verson of a D30 in the front.

This being said the PO may have put anything in it.


Ted

[Rick_Bear]

Most axles have "tags" placed between the cover bolts which will tell you the gearing, but NOT which axle it is.
Your front axle is 99.9% a Dana 30. The rear axle has (if not swapped out) either a Model 20 or a Dana 44 like Ted stated. The Model 20 is perfectly round, if it isn't then you probably have a 44...google it....you'll find photos and recognize it immediately.

The Model 20 has a bad "rap" but carries a larger ring gear than the 44. It's those people running heavy throttle that gave the Model 20 a bad rap. Yes it also has thinner axle tubing, two piece shafts, but I've known people running them many, many years. I ran one for eight years hard, I think the shafts might have been "rust welded" together... Locking the Model 20 is where shaft seperation happens most (but not all) of the time.

Too bad you have a wide track. I have some sweet narrow track axles available with beafy axle shafts.