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6 Little-known Facts about the Jeep CJ-7

  • The CJ-7 as well as the rest of the CJ series of Jeeps can trace their roots back to the famous Willys Jeep used by the Allies in World War II. In fact, the CJ series was intended to be the public version of the military Jeep - the initials CJ stand for Civilian Jeep.

  • The introduction of the CJ-7 in 1976 coincided with the 200th anniversary of American Independence as well as the 35th birthday of the Jeep.

  • The Jeep CJ-7 is basically a longer version of the 1954 CJ-5, which in turn is a version of the Korean War-era M38 Jeep. The CJ-7 featured a longer wheelbase with 10 inches added behind the front seats to provide space for the automatic transmission system. Flatter doors, a stepped-out chassis and road springs and dampers mounted closely to the outside of the body also differentiated the CJ-7 from the CJ-5. In turn, the CJ-7 itself was later used as basis for the CJ-8 Scrambler, a 2-door pickup truck produced between 1981 and 1984, and the Jeep Wrangler SUV.

  • In the classic Dukes of Hazzard TV series, the character Daisy Duke drove a white 1980 CJ-7 named Dixie. The Jeep was introduced on the mid-second season of the series and was characterized by its trademark Golden Eagle emblem and the name Dixie affixed on the sides of the hood. The CJ-7 was later replaced by the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon in the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard film.

  • There have been diesel-powered versions produced for the CJ-7, but these were not made available in the US and were meant for export. The diesel CJ-7s were manufactured in Ohio in between 1980 and 1982 and were fitted with an Isuzu Diesel C240 engine, a Trenec 4-speed manual transmission, and 4.1 ratio narrow track axles.

  • The main feature of the CJ-7 that distinguished it from previous CJ-series Jeeps is its Quadra-Trac four-wheel chain drive transmission system. The QuadraTrac system had a differential that shifted torque between the front and rear that can be locked in a vacuum, enabling the CJ-7 to operate in high range and optimum traction in virtually any driving situation without requiring any input from the driver.

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  • 3 Common Jeep CJ-7 Problems

    17 January 2013

    One of the more popular generations of the Jeep CJ series, the Jeep CJ-7 provides the same ruggedness and reliability of its legendary ancestor, the famed Willys Jeep of World War II. However, the CJ-7, as tough as it may seem, also has some flaws. Some of the common hiccups in CJ-7s include:


    Body

    A usual problem of the CJ-7 and other Jeep CJ vehicles is that their design makes them highly vulnerable to rust. Lapping over one another, the steel panels of the CJ-7 are welded on one edge, leaving the other edge open and without paint in between to protect it from the elements. Eventually, moisture builds up between the two panels, leading to rust and deterioration of the affected piece.

    A common telltale sign of a rusted CJ-7 panel is swelling on one or both pieces that overlap, as the rust is bigger than the steel it originated from. Normally, minor rusting can be remedied by sanding, grinding, and painting over the affected area, but a badly rusted piece is hardly worth the effort to fix because any attempt to repair the damage is only temporary.


    Transmission

    CJ-7 Jeeps tend to jump out of gear, which is usually attributed to excessive end play in the main shaft gears and worn-out engagement dogs, shift forks, and detents. A common solution to this is to replace the gears and other worn components. There may also be cases when rebuilding the transmission will be necessary in order to fix the problem.


    Steering

    Some CJ-7 owners have also reported problems regarding the Jeep's steering and handling. These problems include pulling due to uneven tire pressures or improper front-end alignment; vibration due to loose lug nuts and steering gear and worn or damaged idler arms and ball joints; and stiffness due to lack of lubrication in the ball joints and steering linkages, as well as low power steering fluid levels. There have also been cases of loose play and the failure of the steering wheel to return to center, which are often due to worn wheel bearings, steering linkage, or bushings and a misaligned steering column or steering gears, respectively.

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