Willys speed

I quickly did a search and what I saw were cars that had longer wheel bases, lower center of gravity  and possibly wider too. They are more aerodynamic the Jeeps also. Weight wise I don't know. Gear ratios is probably more friendly then 5.38's

Just my thoughts

My thoughts and take it with a grain of salt....they are a small capacity long stroke motor and were designed more for low rpm, bottom end of the rev range work.

What they will do and what they are comfortable at is too different things.

The low gearing suits the work they were designed to do, certainly higher gearing, overdrives etc will get you more speed but with only 60HP on tap you are going to be changing gears a lot if you have hills, strong head winds etc.

At the other end of the scale in 1996 I brought a new TJ, 4.0litre motor, 3.07 ratio diffs and a five speed box, its was geared for economy and was really over geared, the slightest hill meant you were always changing down to 4th to keep it moving.

The likes of Jpets V6 set up with 5spd box, higher ration diffs etc gives you power and speed.

The open road speed limits are higher now than 70 years ago when the Jeeps were built, here its 100kmph, our roads are bad, with a stock Jeep I am always letting faster traffic pass.

Having done a long trip as mentioned in another post a stock early CJ is great fun to drive, its just not fast.

Adrian

Agreed, horses for courses!. If I want to do a long trip quickly I use my MB......sorry not a Jeep, its German, funny enough its also a 2.2litre, but twin Turbo Diesel does about 150Mph, gets 55mpg and eats up the miles.

Its actually quite boring to drive, nothing rattles, never needs fuel, can do over 1000km on a tank.

Now the Jeep is much more interesting, loves Gas stations, takes twice as long to go the same distance, the dog loves riding in the back, can't say the same for my kids! Smile factor the CJ wins hands down

If you read the fine history of early civilian jeep production, "Preproduction Civilian Jeeps" by Frederic Caldwell, you would find that the CJ series was envisioned by Willys-Overland as an agricultural vehicle that could be employed on the farm or ranch as a substitute for a tractor. Hence the 5.38 gearing and options for PTO's and winches. It could also be used to haul or tow goods from farm to market or market to farm. Most farming operations in the mid-forties were very small family operations and Willys felt that one vehicle could be marketed to serve both farming operations much like a tractor, as well as a vehicle to make occasional trips to town.

If you examine the design, there is nothing fancy about the CJ-2A outside of the chrome trim rings around the headlights, and even these were initially painted. The 2A was a strictly utilitarian vehicle that was built for off-road use and some highway driving.

As owners and drivers of 2A's we make a lot of concessions to the modern driving experience. Speed is limited. The seating is cramped. If not equipped with a top, you are at the mercy of the elements. By the simple act of driving a 2A, you are sacrificing some safety, as there is little room for error in an accident situation. The brakes are marginal and in need of adjustment on a regular basis. Mechanically, the little truck needs regular attention to keep it in tune. It has its own particular noises it makes during operation, some of them almost a trademark...the horn, the fan noise at high rpm, the four cylinder exhaust sound, the squeal of the brakes...it is not a quiet ride by any stretch of the imagination.

All of these attributes are collected into one little truck that we as flatfender drivers would for the most part not trade for anything. Later model Jeeps do have many creature comforts and will drive at highway speeds, but simply do not have the cachet and soul that a 2A has. Who really gives much of a glance at a TJ? On the other hand, driving a 2A anywhere involves waves, loads of questions from the public, and requests for pictures and even rides.

The 2A today may not be serving the purpose that Willys-Overland originally envisioned, but it is now an American classic in the truest sense. Whether your 2A is concours-de-elegance quality or a true off-road trooper with loads of patina, it had its beginnings as a agricultural vehicle. It was never designed to go down the road at 65-70 mph, even with all of the aftermarket overdrives and other gee-gaws that have been invented and sold though the years.

Each to his own, but Ol' Red knows where she belongs...exploring back roads and terrain in Kansas and if I need to get her to Colorado for some off-roading there, she knows it will be by trailer to get her there and back home to Kansas...and the old gal knows and appreciates that fact...after all she is for the most part 70 years old.   

Just my $.02 and keep on Jeepin'   

Edited by SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A - 03 Dec. 2016 at 9:04pm

oldtime wrote: Consider that Willys Overland is the sole and the final authority on such matters. It is clearly printed upon the dashboard placard. MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SPEED is 60 MPH !

Seems odd that the max speed for a WW2 Jeep with 4.88 axle ratios is the same for a CJ with the lower 5.38 axles......really the dash plate should have been changed for the civilian models??

A 39 Ford pickup is a NASCAR compared to the jeep. It's not hard to understand the jeep wasn't meant for interstate driving. I think the new jeep wrangler driving 75 mph on the highway is crazy when you look at the golf cart wheel base. Just a three speed 5.38 gear, that sounds like an 1/8 th mile drag car now.

LOL I knew this would be fun. No one said anything about driving a Willys 70 mph. What I wanted to know is what is it that makes so many people think it can or should only go 40 mph (which by the way you can do on a bicycle if your in good shape) A Willys Jeep is safer then a motorcycle when in a wreck. And yet those scream down the hiway all the time.

A comment was made earlier about the speed limits were lower back in the day BULL the road in front of our house in 1960 was posted 70 mph it was almost 1/3 narrower and had no real shoulders compared to what it is now. 1975 the posted speed limit was changed to 55 to save fuel, no other reason. Until 1975 the speed limit on the freeway here was also 70 mph dropped to 55 and then later raised to 65 car and 55 trucks.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to drive faster. I'm just trying to find out why some drive so slow or infer that its not possible to drive faster then they do.




Edited by Mark W. - 04 Dec. 2016 at 6:23am

Mark W. wrote: .   I'm just trying to find out why some drive so slow or infer that its not possible to drive faster then they do.

Because given the characteristics of the vehicle in question most people would say it was safer.....something we don't normally consider in our high school years.