1976 Jeep CJ-5 and CJ-7 Renegade Test: A Virtuous Pair
From the June 1976 issue of Car and Driver.Use at Own Risk said the bullet-riddled sign at the edge of what appeared to be a firebreak through the dense brush. The search for this parcel of scrub-pine forest ha...
From the June 1976 issue of Car and Driver.
Use at Own Risk said the bullet-riddled sign at the edge of what appeared to be a firebreak through the dense brush. The search for this parcel of scrub-pine forest had begun at sunrise. As we stopped a pair of somewhat unusual C/D test vehicles—a 1976 Jeep CJ-7 Renegade and Jeep CJ-5—we were hopeful that our dawn patrol had not been a waste of time. After all, this was going to be the payoff, like taking a Turbo Carrera for a couple of hot laps at Lime Rock or aiming a hemi Road Runner down through the lights at New York National. We were about to enter the proper environment in which to test the capabilities of our two Jeeps.
The CJ-5 could be considered the purist amid today’s growing crowd of four-wheel-drive vehicles, much as the MG has held on for a quarter of a century in the face of innumerable variations on the sports-car theme. The CJ-5’s short wheelbase (83.5 inches) paved the way for a sports/utility 4WD category that now offers wheelbases up to two feet longer. GMC’s Jimmy, Chevy’s Blazer, the Dodge Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailblazer as well as the Jeep Wagoneer and Cherokee are all within three inches of one another, and all can be tailored to a variety of applications. The Ford Bronco and Toyota Land Cruiser fall into the CJ-5/7 segment (94 inches and shorter). Which leaves the International Scout somewhere in the middle (100 inches), exactly where International’s marketers apparently want it. Summed up, it depends just how tough the terrain you regularly traverse really is—and just how serious you are.
An element common to all enthusiast automobiles is that they embody a purpose and prowess that is outside the realm of everyday transportation. They also have qualities that are almost always implied by appearance, tested only under special circumstances and demanding of a certain degree of tolerance when the car is used as mere transportation. A traditionalist might not accept a Jeep as a piece of enthusiast’s hardware, but it certainly meets those basic criteria. Its tall, narrow body and rudimentary styling set a CJ apart from just about everything on the road; and even to the most casual observer, the CJ’s live axles, Conestoga-wagon suspension, rollbar and multiple shift levers suggest something other than boulevard and Interstate travel. As for practicality . . . well, after two days of driving this pair of Jeeps around, we already were calling the Spartan little CJ-5 “the Penalty Box.”
Initially, the CJ-5 was considered the more desirable to drive because it was quick. Though both our test vehicles were equipped with identical 304-cubic inch two-barrel V-8s, the -5’s standard three-speed manual transmission allowed it to come away from signal lights like a little red bear, leaving assorted sedans and sports cars slack-jawed. At New York National, it turned the quarter-mile in just a tick under 17 seconds and almost 80 mph, which is a performance worthy of today’s crop of “performance cars” and both quicker and faster than a Porsche 912E.
The heavier automatic-transmission CJ-7 was about a second and a half and seven mph slower in the quarter, but although the novelty of the CJ-5’s acceleration never really wore off, the relative civility of the -7 soon made it the plum. This is not to say the CJ-7 is any Sevllle, for things like sound insulation and suspension isolation obviously are not prime concerns of AMC-Jeep engineers. Engine, drivetrain and road noise came through the uncarpeted floor (and our CJ-7 was equipped with the $869 Renegade trim package) as if it were a speaker cone and reverberated through the hard-edged interior. It produced a constant song-of-the-road background score as one traveled along, seated bolt upright, towering an awkward two feet above the majority of fellow motorists. But the body and optional fiberglass hardtop of our CJ-7 were remarkably tight and rattle-free. In a CJ Jeep, you’re constantly reminded of its toughness, the heavy-handed use of exposed hexhead bolts and blacksmith-simple angular fittings assuring you that nothing is going to fall off.
While the basic body of the CJ-5 is undoubtedly as solid as the -7’s, neither a hardtop nor solid doors are available from AMC for the CJ-5. The “optional” (a top of any description costs extra on both the CJ-5 and -7) soft top and vinyl doors on our CJ fluttered and rattled so heartily that it was impossible to hear creaks, rattles, the radio or even the heater, which roars like a departing 747. Under full-throttle acceleration, the CJ-5 came close to pegging our sound-level meter—recording 96 dBA, which is well into the discomfort zone. Under the same conditions, the hard-topped CJ-7 peaked at 86 dBA. But on the highway, it was more than just its assault on the driver’s eardrums that earned the CJ-5 its nickname.
Jeep CJ-7
Outwardly, the CJ-7 appears to be simply a -5 stretched 10 inches. Technically, it would be more accurate to describe the 1976 version of the venerable CJ-5 as a CJ-7 with 10 inches chopped out of the middle. A rugged new wide-rail box frame designed for the CJ-7 is now common to both vehicles, the only major difference being length. A longer chassis was necessary to accommodate AMC’s Turbo-Hydramatic/Quadra-Trac unit, which became available for the first time in a CJ model with the creation of the CJ-7. Previously, this combination automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel-drive system was offered only in AMC’s Wagoneer/Cherokee station wagons and Jeep pickups; the CJ-5 chassis was, and still is, too short to accommodate it. The extra beef in the new chassis provides torsional rigidity and strength to compensate for the added length and weight of the -7. Fully dressed, with hardtop, doors, Renegade trim and automatic transmission/Quadra-Trac, our test CJ-7 outweighed our -5 by 635 pounds (3835 versus 3200).
It doesn’t take an engineer to understand that sawing more than 10 percent out of a vehicle’s wheelbase and lightening it by more than 15 percent will produce some dramatic changes. Compared to our CJ-7—even though it was equipped with the optional heavy-duty suspension package—the pavement ride of our standard-suspension CJ-5 was just plain harsh. In the -5, every negative characteristic of the -7 seems amplified. Its lighter weight and abbreviated length conspire to give the little Jeep a far choppier, generally less stable ride than that of the big one.
Subjectively, the only plus that our CJ-5 exhibited over the -7 on the highway was in the way it steered. The -7 was equipped with power steering, which on CJ models is a constant-rate system with a ratio of 17.5 to one (3.6 turns lock-to-lock). That might not sound superfast, but to keep the CJ-7 going straight down a crowded expressway took a gentle hand to keep from over-correcting for wind wander, bump steer and vagaries induced by the giant off-road tires that it was wearing.
Jeep CJ-5
Considering the extra weight of a fully equipped CJ-7, it might seem that power steering is a must. However, the effort required on our manual-steering CJ-5 was extremely low, thanks to the mechanical advantage of the much slower 24-to-one ratio. This translates to one extra turn lock-to-lock and makes the CJ-5 a lot less twitchy.
Meanwhile, back at our patch of scrub-pine forest, we were about to discover some of the most important attributes of our Jeeps.
Since the CJ-7 was equipped with Quadra-Trac, there was no need for it to stop or shift before plunging off the pavement into the rough stuff. The CJ-5’s two-speed Spicer transfer case needed to be shifted manually into four-wheel drive, but this also could be done without stopping since the selective front hubs were already set in the “lock” position. (Turned to the “free” position, they eliminate the rotation of the front-drive components—axles, differential and propeller shaft—that normally would continue even when the vehicle is being operated in two-wheel drive. This reduces unnecessary wear on the entire train of front-drive parts and also makes steering a lot easier.)
Jeep CJ-7
As simple and as painless as this shift is, the novice Jeep driver will undoubtedly find themself bracing for the worst the first time they aim a CJ-5 off the road and into the woods. But what should follow is a pleasant surprise.
Head off into the dirt, gather enough momentum to shift into third and you’ll suddenly find that all the droning and drumming sounds seem muffled—as though you’ve roller-skated onto a cork floor. You’ll gingerly saw at the wheel, because it too takes on a different feel. On pavement, the steering wheel seems almost alive, pulsing with the vibrations of the coarse snow treads and minor imperfections in the road. But the tire buzz disappears and even ruts and holes feel much smoother than they look. What’s more, most of the tooth-rattling harshness of the suspension vanishes, and the CJ-5 becomes almost buoyant.
The transformation is amazing, and I actually began to think that I’d won by losing the last who-gets-what-to-drive foot race for the CJ-7. The -5 is capable of outrageous yet perfectly controllable velocities on primitive surfaces. In hot pursuit of the CJ-7, it was rocking along at almost 70 mph on one broad, sandy stretch when the big blue CJ-7 slowed abruptly and headed into a narrow trail that climbed steeply into the woods.
Jeep CJ-5
It had been a long time since a bulldozer blade had touched the eroded surface of the CJ-7’s trail. Deep washouts, exposed roots, and occasional boulders forced me into low range behind him. Changing down into low range is slightly more complicated than going from two- to four-wheel high range. Speed must be no more than a walk (under five mph) and the clutch must be used, which makes it a bad idea to try shifting into low on a grade because you can easily end up stopped or rolling backward before the shift is complete. But once in low, which produces a reduction of 2.03 to one, a V-8 powered CJ-5 feels as if it could climb a cliff. There’s no doubt that it’d run out of traction or fall over long before it ran out of power.
The narrow track—which allows a CJ passage through gaps that would otherwise be closed to anything but a packhorse or a motorcycle—combined with solid axles and stiff semi-elliptic springs doesn’t allow for much side-to-side suspension compliance. The result is a lot of rocking and rolling. And a novice trailbreaker’s constant fear that he’s about to tip over.
The CJ-7, with its optional low range engaged on the Quadra-Trac, was grinding along just as confidently as the -5. The Quadra-Trac unit, with its “limited-slip” inter-differential, directs power to whichever axle has the greatest resistance or traction, which distinguishes AMC’s Quadra-Trac from all other full-time systems, which have a normal “open” differential between the axles. Because the axle differentials themselves are of the open variety, it is possible—barely—to get stuck, so the Quadra-Trac has a lockout for the inter-differential (an electric switch located in the glove box) that turns the system into a direct drive.
When you get out of the backwoods and onto the “high range” trails, the Quadra-Trac really comes into its own. No matter what the surface, the CJ-7 ran straight and true, and its cornering attitudes were predictably neutral. It wasn't hard to imagine how a giant, box-stock Jeep Wagoneer, a four-door station wagon equipped with the same Quadra-Trac, had humbles some of the world’s best two-wheel-drive rally cars by winning the 1972 Press On Regardless Rally on the firebreaks and logging trails of northern Michigan. And the automatic transmission . . . well, it just frees your left foot for the brake so your right foot can work at making the most of the Quadra-Trac’s high-speed advantages.
As good as the CJ-5 had seemed, the -7 with Quadra-Trac was better, and even without the Q-T the improved ride and stability of the -7, due to its longer wheelbase, more than justify the $100 difference ($10 an inch) in the base price of the two. Still, driving either Jeep off road was an exhilarating experience—they simply work and work right. Even if you don’t especially like blasting through the woods, you have to admire this rare virtue.
But admiration and appreciation are different commodities. It would seem that blissful ownership of a CJ Jeep as one’s sole source of transportation demands a real appreciation of its special powers and abilities. Yet high ground clearance, transfer cases and mud-and-snows on all four corners might be just as exciting a prospect to some as spoilers, five-speeds and Blue Streaks. Perhaps someday cowboy hats and Marlboro-man jackets will outstrip stringback driving gloves and wraparound sunglasses in popularity even on the hill at Lime Rock.
Specifications
Specifications
1976 Jeep CJ-5
Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $4199/$4993
Options: Goodyear Suburbanite Polyglas XG tires, $89; 304
CID V-8 engine, $132; convenience group, $39;
free-wheeling hubs,
$90; draw bar, $31; AM radio, $69; heavy-duty
cooling, $32; front stabilizer bar. $25; roll
bar, $62; soft/top/doors, $225
ENGINE
pushrod V-8, iron block and heads
Displacement: 304 in3, 4983 cm3
Power: 150 hp @ 2500 rpm
Torque: 245 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: live axle/live axle
Brakes, F/R: 11.0-in drum/11.0-in drum
Tires: Goodyear Sub. XG
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 83.5 in
Length: 138.4 in
Width: 68.6 in
Height: 71.4 in
Curb Weight: 3200 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
30 mph: 3.0 sec
60 mph: 8.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 17.0 sec @ 79 mph
90 mph: 37.0sec
Top Speed (observed): 91 mph
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1976 Jeep CJ-7
Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $4299/$6955
Options: 304 CID V-8 engine, $132.; Renegade package, $869; Hydra-Matic w/Quadra-Trac, low range, $455; draw bar, $31; power steering, $157; AM radio, $69; extra-duty suspension, $59; heavy-duty battery, $19; heavy-duty alternator, $36; hardtop w/doors, $495; tachometer/rally clock, $69; rear bumperettes, $21; front stabilizer bar. $25; driving lights, $69; 8x15-in wheels/off-road tires, $150
ENGINE
pushrod V-8, iron block and heads
Displacement: 304 in3, 4983 cm3
Power (SAE net): 150 hp @ 4200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 245 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: live axle/live axle
Brakes, F/R: 11.0-in drum/11.0-in drum
Tires: Concord DB Special
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 93.5 in
Length: 147.9 in
Width: 68.6in
Height: 70.5 in
Curb Weight: 3835 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
30 mph: 3.4 sec
60 mph: 11.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 18.4 sec @ 72 mph
90 mph: 48.0 sec
Top Speed (observed): 90 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 247 ft
Roadholding: 0.66 g
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED