Episode 394 – Jeep Talk Show Storms Area 51
This Week In Jeep:
RECALL NOTICE
FCA is recalling 81,165 model year 2014 Jeep Cherokees equipped with the 3.2L engine. The reason why is that In the event that a clutch becomes stuck in the transmission, the transmission software may automatically shift the transmission to neutral. An unexpected shift to neutral would result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of crash, which could possibly KILL YOU. What to do – FCA will notify the registered owners of these vehicles, who will have to schedule a service appointment with their local dealer. All FCA JEep dealers have been instructed to update the transmission software free of charge. The recall notices are expected to begin going out August 2, 2019. If you are currently experiencing any transmission issues in your 2014 Jeep Cherokee, or if you’re concerned your Jeep may be part of this recall, then you may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
And we will of course have that number in the show notes for this episode at Jeeptalkshow.com.
All for show?
Most of the time when we get spy photos of a Jeep or other vehicles, it’s a heavily camouflaged version, draped in dizzying patterns of paint, and wrapped in puffy, body-line-altering blankets. But one thing is common between virtually every vehicle spy photo published… its of a vehicle that is being prepped for production. It’s almost an unwritten rule. Occasionally we’ll see early production models getting a real world test in traffic around any other ohio assembly plants. However, it was this week, that on Jeep’s official testing grounds, a spy photo was taken that has many of us in the Jeep world scrambling to figure out what it means.
The photo that was leaked earlier this week shows a couple of FCA workers, running thru some diagnostics on a laptop inside of a 2019 (or so we’re assuming) Jeep Wrangler, that has no disguise whatsoever. It has rather extensive off-road modifications, and the prevailing rumor thus far is that it’s just a one-off custom for this fall’s SEMA show. The one thing that draws your attention more than anything in this pic is what is definitely not the stock roll bar. This thing is sporting a full rock crawler cage, and it looks beefy as all get out. You also notice that the windshield is completely gone, not just folded down…. as is any driver sheltering elements of any kind, and that includes doors and the top. Although there are some form of tube doors being used, they are pretty open and have no sheeting. In fact, the only thing keeping the occupants shielded from the elements is a fabric sunshade stretched across the roll cage tubes.
It appears to have a black and gray rendition of the American flag on it, too.
The stock flat cowell in front of where the windshield SHOULD be, has been removed and in its place is a higher sweeping angular spoiler almost, that wraps into the A-pillar of the cage. Oh, and the tailgate is completely gone too. The rear seats have been removed in favor of the roll cage and (get this) a big aluminum racing fuel cell.
The driver and passenger also get harnesses and Sparco racing seats. The fenders have been modified, and raised up to offer extra clearance for the (what seems to be) at least 35″ tall BFG all-terrain tires mounted on beadlock wheels.
One of the more surprising modifications to the truck, though, is the suspension. At the back, the Wrangler’s stock shocks and springs have been swapped for massively long King Off-road coilovers. Seriously, these things probably have two feet of travel.
The front also features large King shocks with extra reservoirs. It definitely looks like this suspension should allow for extreme travel that would be ideal for serious rock crawling.
Naturally, all these modifications, particularly the lack of a windshield, pretty much disqualifies this from being what many were hoping was a fully offroad inspired production vehicle. Instead, this is likely just one of Chrysler’s many heavily modified concepts (or the base for what will eventually become one of those incredible concepts) that Jeep shows off at events such as SEMA and the Easter Jeep Safari every year.
This Jeep looks pretty close to being finished, and the next event where Chrysler could show stuff off is SEMA, so I’m betting that’s where we’ll see it.
And if you want to see some of these spy photos for yourself, we’ll have a few shots on the Jeep talk show website in the show notes for this episode.
Wrangler Talk:
Tammy’s Rust Update
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:
You’d be hard pressed to find a facet of the automotive industry that has not benefited in some way from the technologies and practices that come out of racing. Here is another trail hack picked up that way. Once you’ve properly torqued hardware like a nut or bolt, especially when it comes to suspension and steering system hardware, It would be nice to see if said hardware has backed out at all, or come loose in any way. Jeeps aren’t always a smooth ride, and there’s been a lot of talk lately about people’s nuts coming loose, and nobody likes loose or missing nuts. So even if you’re using cotter pins or safety wire on some of your hardware, here is a tip straight off the race track that you can apply to your Jeep to see if a recently torqued nut or bolt has worked its way loose. Simply procure a brightly colored paint pen to mark your nuts. The ones on your Jeep Cletus, pull your pants back up please. Make a line that comes from the top of the bolt, down the head, and onto the surface it goes thru. To mark a nut, follow the same principle. Starting as high as you can on the nut, draw a straight line down and onto the surface it’s cinched up against. Now, so long as that painted line doesn’t separate, you’ll instantly know at a glance whether or not something has loosened up a bit, at all. Even something as small as a 1/16 of a turn out will show up, notifying you that it’s no longer torqued to spec.
Must Have Stuff for your Jeep:
Adjustable Roll Bar Fire Extinguisher Holder for Jeeps – $21.99 – Manufactured in the USA, and proven on the trails for over 10 years. Skip the cheap plastic Chinese buckles, and go for something that uses true high grade powder coated steel hardware. For use on the roll bars of any Jeep Wrangler. This works on Rubicon, Sahara, X, Sport and Unlimited models, and all model years https://amzn.to/2XNdztv
Nicky G:
Green Side Down!
Camp Fire Side Chat:
Tony shares his adventure at Nexen Extreme Rock Crawling
Wheeling Where:
Trucks Gone Wild
Aug 2nd – 4th
Barnyard All Terrain in Livermore, Maine
More Info http://www.trucksgonewild.com
4Wheel Parts – Truck & Jeep Fest
Aug 4th – 5th
Cobb Galleria – Atlanta, Georgia
More Info https://www.4wheelparts.com/e/truck-jeep-fest_events
Links Mentioned in Episode 394:
The Jeep 4×4 School – https://www.jeep4x4school.com/
Nexen Offroad Tire – Roadian MTX – https://www.nexentireusa.com/tires/roadian_mtx