In March 2018, Nate Bolduc posted his adventures with a 1956 CJ5 and the restoration of a Stratton Hydro-Implement Lift on the EarlyCJ5 forum. The complete story is available at http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/i-cant-leave-well-enough-alone.129527/
Nate’s pictures and descriptions of the restoration have been extremely helpful in our research of the last of the “‘Jeep’ Approved” hydraulic lifts. We are presenting a summary of Nate’s restoration story, taken from the longer post.
Nate’s story
“I picked up the last piece of the puzzle today. It’s a 63 cj5 with a Stratton 3 point hitch. Last month I scored a complete rear PTO setup with a front ag weight.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStratton63CJ53-1.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStratton63CJ54-1.jpg)
It has new arms, all the heavy duty rear springs, helper coil springs and new decals.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStratton63CJ55-1.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStratton63CJ56-1.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStratton63CJ57-1.jpg)
Now I just have to debubbafie it, clean it up and put it in my cj5.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild1-1.jpg)
Put the hydraulic tank for the stratton hitch in.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild2-1.jpg)
Cleaned the old paint off the control valve and discovered it was originally red. I put it all back together and painted it like it was originally done, paint on bare steel.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild16.jpg)
Got the hitch on tonight! It was quite the battle, but its there. Now to make it work…
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild4-1.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild5-1.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild6.jpg)
I got the hydraulic pump installed. Tomorrow I hope to get the valve in and try it out!
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild8.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild9.jpg)
This arm is adjustable just like on a tractor.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild10.jpg)
Got the 3 point hitch working today! I need to either get a smaller plow or remove one of them. I don’t think a CJ5 can pull a 16″ two bottom plow on the plow day I’ll be doing.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild11.jpg)
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild12.jpg)
And I mounted the control valve between the seats. It is supposed to be further forward, but I have the 60/40 seat.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild13.jpg)
Major progress made today. I found a smaller 2 bottom plow. The Jeep doesn’t squat so bad now.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild14.jpg)
I added some helper coil springs from a trencher jeep.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild15.jpg)
After installing the springs. It sits MUCH better now. It rides really hard now with no weight hanging off the back and seems more bouncy now.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild17.jpg)
Last year, the hydraulic cylinder for the Stratton lift started to leak internally. The lift would drift down and I could pick it up by hand too. I figured the plunger seal had blown. Yesterday, I tore into it.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild18.jpg)
After degreasing it, I found there was a big snap ring holding the gland on. I was also happy to see some original red paint, so I know this is the original cylinder to the Stratton lift.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild19.jpg)
After removing the gland, there was the same snap ring inside to keep the plunger from coming out. It is a very simple cylinder, just a bunch of O-rings. The O-ring for the plunder had torn, which I knew.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild20.jpg)
The eye of the cylinder had to be cut off in order to remove the gland and replace the O-ring seal on the shaft. The rod is staked in place to the plunger.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild21.jpg)
The old rod seal (right) was very hard and pretty worn. I replaced it with a standard O-ring from my kit.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild22.jpg)
I installed the new seal with some white lithium grease.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild23.jpg)
I checked the dust seal and it seemed to be okay, so I decided to leave that. I did scrape out the gunk that had built up around it.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild24-1.jpg)
Then I sanded the rust off where the gland was. I was careful to not hit the bore of the cylinder.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild25.jpg)
I tig welded the eye back on the end of the rod, keeping it straight and aligned. Of course, I put the gland back on too. Monday morning, I’ll go to my local rubber supply company and get the two large O-rings I need for the plunger and gland.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild26-1.jpg)
I picked up my O-rings today to finish the rebuild. I put the weird plastic spring? behind the O-ring on the plunger. The gland had no backing washers.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild27.jpg)
Lubed up the bore so the O-rings wouldn’t cut when sliding them in.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild29.jpg)
Gland and outer snapring reinstalled.
![](https://www.farmjeep.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NateStrattonRebuild31.jpg)
Prior to putting the cylinder back in the jeep, I air tested the cylinder to make sure there were no leaks.
And …. the results
Nate followed up his restoration by creating a Stratton Lift Registry at http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/stratton-lift-registry.135158/ If you are an owner, we encourage you to add your lift to the list.