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opinions on fiberglass one piece front ends.

craveman85

craveman85

CJ-8 Member
City
Dolgeville
State
ny
I'm contemplating a 1 piece front clip on my 81 rebuild. Do they require any permanent modifications to the tub or frame? Any pros/con's? I haven't seen too many pictures of them.
 
I have one on my CJ-5. I installed it back in 1993 and loved it for about 10 years. Now I can't stand the damn thing and cannot wait to swap over my other front clip next summer. I attached mine by the factory hood hinges and made a radiator support mount out of sheet steel. All the front end wiring needs to lengthened for when the nose is raised with the lights as it stretches out the wiring. The windshield reservoir, coolant overflow, starter coil and ignition module need to be relocated. A new ground needs to be run from the lights to the body or frame. Sometime tires will hit the lower portion of the fenders when raising the nose up you cannot have one wheel stuffed up in the fender on a trail and expect to to lift the nose. It is very nice to work on my motor with the whole clip lifted out of the way but in my eyes that is the only positive about them. Even when they are raised I am constantly smacking my head on the lower fenders trying to work around them. Also it sucks not having the extra real estate to mount items on the inner fenders. Alot of people like them and I did for along time but it has worn off on me and now I just want to do without.




 
Here is another Jeep (not mine) that has it tilting forward for another reference.

 
I always lay mine all the way back to the windshield, makes for a lot of room. There's just enough room to clear the 8274 up front, but as Kane says, the tires have to be straight ahead and level to clear them. I just put rubber latches on to hold it down because the original holder rod across the bottom would freeze up in the winter, and drop its nut and creep out in the summer. Then all those other things Kane says... Mostly I like it, but the tan Scrambler is all metal and I like that better.
 
Well that seems like enough reason not to get one... The added benefit of being able to work on the motor easier would be null in my application because I'm pretty sure I'm going with a Ford 300 i6 and from my experience they never seem to need working on...
 
I flip it back all the way as well but this was just propped for a Jeep show.
 
I helped install one on my buddy's CJ7 years ago. I hated it from the start, for all the same reasons stated above.
Also, not really related to the full front clip, my buddy was driving it on the highway shortly after installing the front clip. He forgot to attach the latches that hold the whole thing down. At speed, the entire front clip flew up and smashed into his windshield.. he pulled over safe(ish)ly and no one was hurt. Scary...
 
craveman85 said:
Well that seems like enough reason not to get one... The added benefit of being able to work on the motor easier would be null in my application because I'm pretty sure I'm going with a Ford 300 i6 and from my experience they never seem to need working on...
Click to expand...

Yea but it's going in a CJ. So it will def need worked on! That being said the fiberglass one piece front ends cause more problems then they are worth IMO.
 
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