1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee BDS Suspension Long-Arm Installation

Your Jeep’s ride quality and handling characteristics are two critical areas that Jeep engineers spend countless hours fine-tuning. You and I, being the Jeep enthusiasts that we are, tend to unravel all of the OEs hard work by making the Jeep work better for our needs. By our needs, I mean the want for more off-road performance, of course.

In 1992, Jeep launched the Grand Cherokee ZJ. Looking back, it was an extremely groundbreaking 4x4. After all, it came standard with a multilink suspension, solid axles, and could be optioned with a V-8. Unfortunately, the aftermarket in the mid-’90s wasn’t as fast moving and observant as it is today. This left the ’93-’98 ZJs with a somewhat lackluster variety when it came to suspension upgrades for many years.

Sure, you could get a short-arm lift, but with the stubby-length factory control arms, anything over three inches often equated to poor handling and performance on- and off-road. Today, there are a plethora of quality suspension options for the ZJ platform. With our ’98 ZJ progressing into a more competent backwoods explorer, we were longing to upgrade the Grand’s suspension from the basic budget boost that it had been running for some time. After getting fit with a new Dana 44 rear axle at East Coast Gear Supply (“An Ox Out Back,” Oct. ’14), we decided to use our time and ECGS team’s expertise and upgrade the ZJ with a 6 1⁄2-inch long-arm suspension from BDS Suspension.

Although, we did do a little welding (more on that later), the BDS long-arm system is designed as a completely bolt-on kit. That said, it requires a fair amount of cutting, drilling, and adjusting. While this is completely doable in your driveway, we wouldn’t suggest the install for a novice wrench. Compiled here are some of the highlights from the kit and what we had to adjust to make it work on our slightly modified ZJ.

Once we removed all of the stock frame side lower control-arm mounts, we began the install process out back with the new link brackets. The BDS rear mounts are bolt-on and use sleeve inserts to keep the sheetmetal from collapsing. Securing the brackets in place is a system of Grade 8 through-bolts and self-tapping hardware.

BDS offers poly bushings and flex joints for this specific long arm. For our intended use of the Jeep, BDS recommended the company’s standard series arms with poly bushings. It’s possible that they may wear more rapidly with off-road use, but the polyurethane tends to survive well in the humid and sandy conditions we frequent in the coastal Southeast. Another bonus, the poly bushings are extremely cheap and easy to replace.

The BDS kit makes provisions for reusing the stock rear track bar, but the bushings in ours were shot. We upgraded to a JKS Manufacturing adjustable track bar, which is designed specifically for the ZJ. We would have liked to have the bar a little higher on the axle to increase the roll center (stability) of the Jeep, but for now, this setup will work fine.

Out back, BDS includes a new set of coils and Fox 2.0 series shocks. Depending on your rear axle, you may need to extend the isolator perches or add limiting straps to keep the rear coils from popping out at full droop.

Up front, new bumpstops, sway-bar disconnects, and steel-braided brake lines work in conjunction with 6 1⁄2-inch-lift coils and Fox shocks. Our front axle and steering system were a wreck, so we’ll show you more on how we upgraded that part of the Grand next issue.

The one-piece BDS crossmember bolts in place of the stock unit. The 1⁄4-inch-steel belly plate integrates the upper and lower link mounts. We like that the front uses four independent links, as it allows the suspension to move more fluidly and tends to bind less over radius-style control arms. We did find that we had to remove some material on the back of the crossmember to allow room for our NP242 transfer case. This kit is not suggested for those running a NP249 T-case.

A right-angle drill and a set of quality drill bits will be used frequently for the install. The additional tie-in plates use self-tapping bolts, along with the stock crossmember hardware to support the rear portion of the belly plate. We’re not huge fans of self-tapping bolts, but the Unitbody doesn’t offer a lot of options.

One area we ran into a little trouble was with the front of the crossmember. The forward portion had a sizable gap between the crossmember and the Unitbody. This was worse on one side. To overcome this hurtle, ECGS’s lead fabricator, Nick “TD” Koupiaris, made a couple of 1⁄4-inch plates with nuts welded to the top. Nick then welded the plates to the Unitbody rail, and we bolted the crossmember up.

Originally, our Jeep was equipped with the CV/Rezeppa-style factory front driveline. We knew it wasn’t going to work with the newfound travel of the suspension system. We decided to swap out the yoke on the front Dana 30 to a traditional 1310 U-joint and ordered a heavy-duty replacement ‘shaft from Tom Wood’s. The 0.120-wall DOM ‘shaft came with Wood’s gold-series serviceable U-joints and a 1310 CV that bolted up with no issue.

BDS uses 1 3⁄4-inch, 0.250-wall DOM tubing for the lower control arms, which has traditionally been a great balance of strength and size. Each adjustable lower is fit with 11⁄4-inch fine threads and jam nuts. The arms offer a fair amount of length adjustment, so you can adjust your axle placement to clear larger tires.

The upper link and mount on the passenger-side front required us to modify our exhaust. This is an added expense but one of the challenges when running a four-link front suspension in such tight quarters.

At 6 1⁄2 inches of lift, our ZJ is a touch on the tall side for 33s. The meaty front and rear bumpers, along with the sliders, bring the Jeep down a bit from the projected height and also aids in the surprisingly plush ride on- and off-road. The Grand’s fenderwell openings are tight, but we could easily squeeze 35s with a little trimming.

From: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/suspension-brakes/1411-1998-jeep-grand-cherokee-bds-suspension-long-arm-install/#ixzz3IyeiI6XZ 

Springs and shocks and what they do

They come together in suspension kits. They go hand in hand. But do you know what springs and shocks really do and what characteristics for each that you’re looking for? Usually these aren’t things you care about unless you’re doing a custom suspension and ordering springs and shocks separately or there isn’t an off-the-shelf lift kit for what you’re doing. But even for common vehicles, understanding the job of each of these suspension components can help you diagnose suspensions issues or optimize a suspension for your vehicle and how you use it.

Springs

The springs are the foundation of a suspension system. They are what allow the up and down movement of the wheels with minimal impact on the chassis and the rest of the vehicle. The primary job of springs, though, is to hold up the weight the vehicle and its cargo.

The most common measurement of a spring for an off-road vehicle is its rate, typically expressed in pounds per inch (lbs/in). In simplest terms, this tells you how many pounds it takes to compress the spring one inch. Spring frequency is the other measurement of springs, but you rarely see aftermarket springs with a frequency rating, so it’s not as useful for us.

Getting the correct shock and spring combination to provide the desired control and ride quality you want can be tricky business. Understanding what the key job of the spring, as well as the shock, in a suspension system is the first step. Most lift kits come with some combination that the manufacturer feels is matched. In this case, AEV Conversions provides custom-tuned Bilstein 5100 shocks with its Nth Degree suspension system for JKs

As the spring rate increases (higher numerically), the more weight it takes to compress the spring, and thus the more weight the spring can hold up. Spring rates can vary greatly for the same application and the same amount of lift. For example, YJ front spring rates can range from 165 lbs/in to 300 lbs/in. A higher spring rate does not necessarily mean that it will add any height, and in most cases, it won’t. It’s there to handle more weight. However, using a spring with a much higher rate than needed will contribute to a harsh ride, and using one with a rate that is lower than needed will result in the spring being partially compressed at ride height. The latter situation will reduce ride height (that’s why your 4-inch lift spring only added 3 inches of lift to your Jeep), and the spring isn’t designed to manage the weight so it will compress more easily, leading to excessive and abrupt contact with the bumpstop. 

Spring rate is primarily dictated by thickness of steel used for the spring. For coil springs, the thicker the diameter of the coil, the higher the rate. And the thicker the individual leafs in leaf spring pack, the higher the rate. The type of steel also impacts the spring rate, but using anything exotic isn’t common in lift springs. 

The best way to order springs is to know the vehicle’s weight. Ideally, you’ll be able to use a set of racing scales to measure the weight at each individual corner. That’s not likely, though, so a cost-effective way to get sufficient weight info is to go to a landscape supply yard and use their scale. You’ll want the total weight and then measure just the front and then the rear. This info, combined with the desired installed height, will be enough to have a high-quality spring manufacturer create some springs that are exactly what you need.

Shocks

While the tech behind springs is relatively straightforward, understanding shocks is more challenging. This is because most of the voodoo of how a shock works is hidden inside the tube. Also, most shock manufacturers won’t share their valving specifications. Getting the best shocks for your application may mean ordering them from companies who will build them specifically to meet your specs or by sorting through the off-the-shelf offerings to find something that comes close. Another option is an adjustable shock, but even with these you have to be close with valving to start with or it will never be optimized.

Rock Krawler RRD external bypass shocks provide more volume for better heat dissipation, which the fluted aluminum bodies also help with, and the ability to offer a broader range of valving. The company custom builds every shock it sells, and the customer can get one revalving for free if they aren’t happy with the performance.

The most important thing to remember, though, is that shocks do not hold weight. The purpose of the shock is to control or dampen the motion of the spring. If you’ve ever driven a vehicle with completely worn-out shocks, you know that the body of the car will keep going up and down for a very long time after hitting a bump. A high-quality shock will bring the motion of the spring back to ride height in one oscillation.

Shocks are essentially hydraulic pumps. A piston is attached to the shock rod. As the shock compresses and extends, this piston moves up and down inside hydraulic fluid. Orifices in the piston dictate how easily the piston moves by varying how much fluid is allowed to transfer from one part of the chamber to another. This converts the kinetic energy of the spring into heat, which is then dissipated through the shock fluid. The variables that affect how much dampening there is are the volume of the chambers, the diameter of the piston, the size of the orifices, and the type of fluid and gas used. And that’s in the simplest design. Most shock manufacturers in our market have advanced piston design with progressive valving that allows different flow rates at high velocity (hitting a big bump at high vehicle speed) compared to slow velocity (a small bump at slow speed).

Shocks can be either twin-tube or monotube design. Twin-tube shocks hold the hydraulic oil and gas (usually nitrogen) in the same chamber. As the name implies, there are two tubes, and the mixture of fluid and gas moves from one into the other as the piston moves up and down. These are simple, lower-cost shocks. One drawback is that they can overheat when used in heavy vehicles or ones with very heavy axles and tires. There are gas-charged versions of twin-tube shocks that have a small chamber filled with low-pressure nitrogen gas to minimize aeration, reducing overheating issues.

If you take one thing away from this article, it should be that knowing the weight of your vehicle at the front and rear axle and working with spring and shock manufacturers who can make custom components for your vehicle and how you use it will result in the best combination of off-road performance and on-road ride quality.

Monotube shocks are considered high-performance. They separate the hydraulic fluid from the gas, significantly reducing the opportunity for aeration. They do this by introducing a floating piston in addition to the piston attached to the shock rod. The gas charge under the floating piston is at high pressure.

A variation of the monotube shock that is very popular for off-roading is one with a remote reservoir. This locates the gas charge and floating piston in a separate canister. This provides more capacity for fluid and gas for better heat dissipation and the potential for different tuning options.

Within each of these designs, the tech that sets one shock apart from another is the specific valving. Custom shock builders can configure the valving for the weight of your vehicle, the weight of the axle, wheels and tires (unsprung weight), and how you use the vehicle. High-speed desert racing requires much more attention to shock tuning than rock crawling does.

From: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/suspension-brakes/1408-springs-and-shocks-what-they-do/#ixzz3IyaIV9Ev 

My favorite Jeep Wrangler design in SEMA part 01

November, Las Vegas has become the "Mecca" city in all off-road fans' mind because the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) auto salon held here. This worldwide modified vehicle manufacturers trade organization founded in 1963, has now been absorbed 5,222 members. SEMA Auto Salon is sponsored by the Association, held each year in early November in Las Vegas. At this time the convention center for a variety of modified cars and related products flourish on the big stage, bustling scene dazzling, modified fans they can be had enough of the addiction. 

On the SEMA Auto Show, vehicle manufacturers also not neglect the massive show of passionate interpretation of their products, but took the opportunity to show off their cutting-edge technology and the latest research results. But they are the biggest winners anyway,  because these modified car manufacturers prototypes are the source of all modified vehicles. 

Now, let's see some brilliant design of those manufactures. This lemon yellow wrangler has nice scale percentage and nice tires. Lemon yellow and black color make the entire jeep looks sharp. The half door and rack on the top is good extension.  

Poison Spyder: another famous manufacture focus on high-end design. They brought two wranglers this year: JK and TJ long version.

Another Poison Spyder, rear bumper is not that attractive but perfect manufactured. Front bumper, fender, side rock indicate their talent on wrangler modified design and perfect taste. All parts look so beautiful on this black wrangler. BFGoodrich KRAWLER tires are so wide on this SUV. 

This red wrangler has very tasteful design, fender is very narrow. this tiny look fender makes the entire SUV very aggressive. However, a more wide tire will make it looks better. 

This white wrangler equipped with EVO rear bumper and two spare gas tank.

MOPAR is another famous manufacture. This black wrangler is also very tasteful. Tire size and total height has perfect scale percentage with each other. Another thing worth to be mentioned is the KRAWLER tire. Seems the NO.1 rating product in off-road world. But only 37 and 39 inch size and 17 inch inner diameter missed many good rims. EVO front bumper with stinger looks so aggressive. Rear bumper is also EVO. 

Smittybilt is a brand has its own characteristic, always provides their customer some unique design and products. I like the entire look and the color. Fenders also looks good.

The famous tire supplier Mickey Thompson's show car is not as good as we expect. They did not bring the most violent BAJA CLAW TTC Series tires and the most popular BAJA MTZ RADIAL series. But a lot of other violent show cars are equipped with its BAJA CLAW TTC, especially BIAS PLY.

Famous brand TeraFlex brought its show car equipped with perfect suspensions products and sharp side rack. This show car is military rescue team style. Entire look is so beautiful that indicates the king manner of TeraFlex.

What to expect from common bolt-on Jeep power adders?

One of the more commonly asked questions we get from most Jeep owners is: “How can I make more power?” It seems like a simple enough question, however with so many different Jeep engines used over the years, there is no one silver bullet. Also, what one person considers a power increase may be a waste of time and money to another person. An interesting thing we’ve noticed is that it’s very common for speed-part companies to be confused about the power needs of the typical Jeep enthusiast. The companies often try to focus on power and torque in increasing off-road performance, where in reality, that’s where low gearing is generally more important. Increased horsepower off-road isn’t needed unless you frequent mud, sand, and steep, slick climbs. Most of us want engine mods to help maintain highway speed on the road, get up a steep grade, or pass an 18-wheeler with at least a little bit of dignity and respect. For over a decade and a half, we’ve driven on, tested, and dyno’d more than enough parts to fill an entire Jeep speed shop. Aside from adding a turbo or supercharger, combining any number of these bolt-on performance parts will typically result in about a 20hp increase. And while 20 hp will be noticeable from behind the wheel, the dollar per horsepower ratio can be unusually high. For that reason, we recommend you consider the other benefits of the many bolt-on power parts available. We have compiled information about some of the most common Jeep engine modifications. You’ll be able to identify the right power adder, or combination of power adders that will work for you and your Jeep.

Cold Air Intake

Dollar for dollar, there is no better modification you can make to your Jeep to increase power output. Test after test that we have done has proved that no matter what Jeep engine you have, an aftermarket cold air intake will make more power than stock, and in many cases, even increase fuel economy. Why is that? Well, the OE manufacturer has other things to consider that the aftermarket companies generally do not, such as noise and water resistance. Sealed air boxes and baffled intake tubes make less noise and keep water out, but they also impede airflow. Most aftermarket cold air intakes will make your Jeep slightly louder than stock, partly because of the freer-flowing open element. And even if they have some sort of shielding around the filter, they generally are not as deep-water friendly as the stock air box found on most newer Jeeps. Also, look for filters made with synthetic media. The synthetic filter media traps the dirt particles far better than oiled cotton filter elements.

Additional Power: 5-10 hp 

Pro: Dollar for dollar, the best power mod you can make

Con: Increased noise and most kits make your engine less water resistant

Throttle Body or Carb Spacer

Ever heard the term “snake oil”? It could just as easily be replaced with “throttle body spacer.” Of course, you will see some gains with a spacer on a carbureted or throttle body engine with a wet manifold. However, all Jeeps since about 1991 have modern multi-point injected engines where the spacer is insignificant. Of all the MPI engines we have tried spacers on, none of them have made more power on a dyno. Is it possible that the spacer does make more power in some narrow unmeasurable rpm range? We suppose so, but if it’s only making more power under specific conditions that rarely occur, why waste your money?

Additional Power: 0-2 hp for MPI and 5-8 hp for carb spacer 

Pro: Colorful anodized aluminum looks cool under the hood

Con: Basically a waste of money on any multi-point fuel-injected engine

Electronic Tuner

Jeep spends years and millions of dollars developing engine management systems designed to provide the most reliable power output while still maintaining fuel economy. Most electronic tuners or “chips” have far less research and development done on them. Aside from the diesel market, it’s been our experience that many aftermarket gas tuners do more harm than good. They often trigger check engine lights or cause the vehicle to go into limp mode, depending on the application. But, many of these electronic tuners have other useful features, such as the ability to reprogram the electronic speedometer for tire size and axle gearing alterations. This feature alone is worth the purchase price because it will correct automatic transmission shift points, and ultimately improve performance both on- and off-road. Another feature many of these controllers have is the ability to change the parameters for the tire pressure monitoring system. Larger aftermarket tires generally don’t require the same pressures as the small stock tires, so this feature eliminates the annoying TPMS light on the dash and the incessant chime warning on ’07 and newer Jeeps. Other functional features are also common and some controllers are designed to simply give you access to these features and don’t mess with the engine management at all.

Additional Power: 0-17 hp

Pro: Most electronic tuners offer off-road worthy features

Con: As for making more power, they frequently cause more pain than glory

Headers

In the past, restrictive cast iron manifolds robbed power from some engines. Today, as mentioned earlier, the OEs, including Jeep, spend millions of dollars developing modern powertrains. If there are any fuel or power efficiencies to be had, you can bet the company has looked into it. Older Jeep engines will see more power gains from the addition of a quality set of headers. On modern Jeeps, it’s been our experience that it’s best to simply buy headers to replace cast-iron exhaust manifolds that are known to crack, such as the exhaust manifolds found on the Jeep inline-sixes. When choosing a header, look for thick, high-quality materials like stainless steel. If you can’t swing the coin needed for thick-tubed stainless steel headers, look for steel headers with the thickest tubes and flanges that you can find. These will last longer, especially if they have a special heat-resistant coating to keep them from corroding. 

Additional Power: 5-10 hp

Pro: A great alternative for stock cast manifolds that are known to crack

Con: All by themselves, a negligible increase in power without other modifications on modern engines

Cat-back Exhaust

If it’s loud, it must be making more power right? Not always. In some cases, we have seen a loss of power on the dyno with the installation of an cat-back exhaust kit. Ultimately, if you like your Jeep loud, find an exhaust kit that has a tone you like. The power gains will be negligible in most cases. If you live in the rustbelt, you can upgrade to a system that is 100 percent stainless steel for longer life. 

Additional Power: 0-10 hp

Pro: Makes your Jeep sound cooler than stock

Con: Makes your Jeep louder

Larger Throttle Body

All by itself, a larger throttle body does little to increase the power under the hood of your Jeep. But when you combine a larger throttle body with a turbo or supercharger, intake, exhaust and so on, now you really have something. We would generally steer away from a larger throttle body unless some sort of forced induction is planned and you are looking to reap the maximum benefits. 

Additional Power: 0-5 hp

Pro: Lets more air in, great for turbos and superchargers

Con: Negligible power increase on a stock motor

Bigger Fuel Injectors

Similar to the addition of a larger throttle body, you really don’t need larger injectors on a mostly stock engine. The benefits will be hard to justify given the purchase price and loss of fuel economy. New larger injectors are typically supplied with turbo and supercharger kits, so if you ultimately plan to add forced induction, hold off on purchasing the injectors separately; it will save you money in the long run.

Additional Power: 0-5 hp

Pro: Unneeded on stock motor, necessary addition for most turbo and supercharger kits

Con: Decreased fuel economy and no significant power increase on stock engine

Ignition

Older Jeep engines such as the AMC V-8 and carbureted inline-sixes can benefit greatly from the addition of a more modern and reliable ignition system with a hotter spark. These engines are notorious for having weak and unreliable ignitions. The hotter, more precise spark will make the engine burn cleaner and more efficient, ultimately making the Jeep more drivable on- and off-road. Newer fuel-injected Jeep engines will see far less return with the addition of a high-performance aftermarket ignition.

Additional Power: 0-10 hp

Pro: Some older engines will benefit greatly

Con: Newer engines will see less return

Supercharger

Of all the bolt-on power adders available, the addition of a supercharger kit is the closest you will get to match the performance of a swapped-in engine. From behind the wheel, a four-cylinder will feel like a six-cylinder and a six-cylinder will feel like a small V-8. However, like an engine swap, or any power adder for that matter, a supercharger does have some drawbacks. Supercharger kits generally cost more than $5,000 and require a labor-intensive installation by an experienced mechanic. Many people incorrectly believe that a supercharger will provide better fuel economy. It’s been our experience that they do not. We saw a significant loss of fuel economy on a Jeep 4.0L inline-six and on a 3.8L V-6. Also, most supercharger kits will require the engine to run on premium fuel, which is an additional cost to consider. Engine life will typically be shorter than on the same engine without a supercharger, and the supercharger itself will likely need rebuilding every 100,000 miles or so. 

Additional Power: 60-100 hp

Pro: Very noticeable increase in power

Con: Can be complex, expensive, and unreliable

Turbo

A turbo kit has many of the same power output advantages of a supercharger, as well as the high cost, reduced fuel economy, and less-than-OE reliability. A turbo can also make underhood heat management a little more difficult. To combat this, some turbo kits mount the turbo far downstream of the engine and under the chassis. However, we think the turbo lifespan in this location would be very limited, especially if it is frequently quenched during deep water crossings or when it builds up excessive heat after being caked with mud.

Additional Power: 60-100 hp

Pro: Very noticeable increase in power

Con: Can be complex, expensive, and unreliable

Gearing

Larger diameter tires move your Jeep’s engine rpm lower and out of the sweet spot where it makes the most efficient power for a given road speed. Hands down, the biggest increase in performance and drivability on- and off-road will come from a gear swap that matches the bigger tires on your Jeep. Technically, a gear swap does nothing to increase your engines output, but it significantly improves how your Jeep will put power to the ground. Deeper gears can also be used to help push the added weight of a fullsize spare tire, off-road worthy bumpers, body armor, a winch, and so on. If you have a modern Jeep with an overdrive gear and 33-inch tires, you should be running at least 4.10 gears, with 35s at least 4.56 gears, and with 37s at least 5.13 gears. Older Jeeps without an overdrive transmission will typically benefit from slightly less gearing. How deep you go with your gear swap will depend on the engine and transmission in your Jeep, overall weight of the vehicle, and your driving habits. 

Additional Power: 0 hp

Pro: Most cost-effective and reliable increase in performance and perceived power

Con: More expensive and more difficult to install than simple engine bolt-ons

What Comes In, Must Go Out

When deciding to purchase performance parts for your Jeep engine, think of it as an air pump. It sucks air in the intake and blows it out the exhaust. If one side of the pump is restricted, you’ll be limiting your horsepower potential. Say, for example, you install a supercharger on your engine. You can bet that the stock exhaust and air box isn’t up to the task of the increased airflow. So if you make a modification like this, you’d also want to consider an free-flowing air filter assembly, headers, a high-flow catalytic converter, and a cat-back exhaust, at least if you want to reap the full benefits of the supercharger.

From: http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1411-what-to-expect-from-common-bolt-on-jeep-power-adders/#ixzz3IuzW5Dt8 

What's New For The Future Wrangler?

If you thought the only thing significant happening in 2017 was the inauguration of a new president, think again. Rumor has it that a new Jeep Wrangler is set to replace the current JK as a 2017 model in mid-to-late 2016. With Jeep currently able to sell pretty much every Wrangler that rolls off the assembly line—to the tune of nearly 13,000 a month in the US alone for 2013—you might think the company is reluctant to make significant changes. So far, Jeep peeps have been pretty tight-lipped about what features this new Wrangler might have. Unfortunately, it’s still probably many months before we get a chance to see spy shots of the JK-replacement rolling around under a camo-wrap cover. Luckily, there is still time, and maybe some Jeep heads will read this very article and incorporate some of the features we want to see on the next Wrangler.

Solid Axles Out

As enthusiasts, of course, we all want to keep the solid axles under our beloved Wranglers. Solid axles are simple, durable, and allow the suspension to be easily modified. However, it’s an antiquated design with some known flaws and assembly line difficulties that most of us overlook because of the many advantages. Word is that solid axles may not be in the plans for the 2017 Jeep. Don’t act so surprised, we know for a fact that there were IFS test mules built during the design phases of both the TJ and JK. Don’t take it so hard. The rumored IFS suspension would be a long-travel system, meaning the IFS Wrangler would likely handle bumps much better than its solid-axle counterpart. An IFS Wrangler would also provide more refined on- and off-road handling characteristics. These specific attributes would likely be at the cost of less low-speed articulation, the area where Jeep has been primarily focused for many years with its Rubicon model. It’s said that, in order to maintain the same general off-road performance as the current solid axle design, the IFS system would need at least 12 inches of wheel travel. Imagine a pair of long lower A-arms that nearly meet in the middle of the Jeep, like on the Jeep Hurricane concept (pictured above).

We did bump into an especially interesting design possibility thought up many years ago by Jeep engineers. Some of the major drawbacks of IFS are the decreased ground clearance as the suspension compresses and the limited angularity available with traditional CV halfshafts. The 2017 Jeep Wrangler could be built with a sort of floating front differential that moves up and down with the lower A-arms as the suspension cycles, alleviating both of these known issues. It seems like the design introduces a lot more moving parts when you consider the steering, halfshafts, and driveshaft. All we know for sure is that if the new Wrangler has IFS, it won’t be long before an aftermarket company offers a solid axle swap kit.

Three-Speed T-Case

The Jeep Rubicon is the most capable factory 4x4 offered to date. No one can argue that. True to its namesake, its proficiencies tend to be more skewed to the slower rockcrawling crowd. However, the current JK is a great platform for many terrain types. As such, we think the top-tier Rubicon model should be able to master more than just the rocky Rubicon. It could easily be awesome at everything. All it needs is one more speed in the transfer case. Currently, the Rubicon’s 4:1 low range is too low for any sort of high-speed mud or dune running that requires wheel speed. It maxes out at about 25 mph. The standard 2.72:1 low range found in every other Wrangler derivative is a more well-rounded ratio. It’s functional in the mud and sand, as well as on technical trails. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t want to give up the 4:1, and we don’t want to give up the 2.72:1 either. So how about a combination compromise? Imagine a three-speed transfer case, able to shift on the fly with a 2.72:1 gear, a 1.5:1 gear, and a compounded 4.10:1 gear. This would give you all the gearing options needed to attack almost anything off-road. The 1.5:1 gear could be useful on-road around mountain and snow-covered roads and could even help compensate for the addition of larger-diameter tires.

Diesel Envy

With the 3.0-L EcoDiesel success in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and now the Ram 1500 under Chrysler’s belt, it only makes sense to turn the Wrangler into an oil-burner too. The 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of the 3.0L EcoDiesel is probably a little too much to be considered for the small Jeep. However, the VM Motori HR428 DOHC 2.8L pushing 161 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque or the A428 2.8L punching out 197 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque could be the perfect

match for the Wrangler. Or, rather than reinventing the wheel, how about offering a version of the same VM Motori 2.8L four-cylinder that everyone outside of North America enjoys. We already know it fits under the hood. This overseas-available Jeep CRD turbodiesel punches out 200 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque for automatic transmission models and 302 lb-ft for Wranglers with manual transmissions. Ultimately, we hope for at least one optional engine in 2017 Jeep.

Seat Retention

OK, fine, we get it. With a take-rate of only about 30 percent, the two-door Wrangler isn’t as popular as the four-door Unlimited model. However, that’s no reason to overlook the need for a rear fold-up seat detent. For eight model years, two-door Wrangler owners have had to deal with the flipped-up rear seat inadvertently folding back down and crushing things during hard acceleration. And speaking of rear seats, wouldn’t it be cool if there was a rear-seat delete option for both the two- and four-door? We’d also like to see a much flatter floor on the four-door with the back seats folded forward.

Boost It

The number-two most asked question about the Wrangler is likely how to make more power, especially with the ’07 to ’11 Jeeps featuring the 202hp 3.8L V-6. The ’12-up JKs with the Pentastar V-6 make 83 more horsepower, but more is always better right? For far too long, the Wrangler has not enjoyed any optional engines. We’re sure that a version of the current Pentastar V-6 will make its way into the 2017 Jeep Wrangler. It’s pretty well known that this engine can be easily modified and upgraded for a turbo with factory reliability. Imagine your Pentastar-powered JK punching out somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 hp with a factory warranty. Yes, please.

Air Under There

Aside from 12- and 120-volt power outlets, what’s the one thing that almost every outdoor enthusiast can make use of? How about factory-offered on-board air? It could be used for filling tires after an off-road outing, inflating lake floaties and camp mattresses, and blowing the dust off of gear. If we had our way, there would be an optional central tire inflation system too, allowing the tires to be inflated or deflated on the fly from the comfort of the driver’s seat. We think the on-board electric air pump output should be at least 3 cfm at 90 psi. A 2.5-gallon tank would be an added bonus.

Legal Locks 

Beadlocks allow the tires to be run at lower pressures off-road for improved traction and a smoother ride without the worry of losing a tire bead, causing the tire to deflate quickly. The precedent for the OEs has been set, and Mopar has been dabbling with aftermarket DOT-compliant beadlocks for several years. Ford took the first leap of faith and began offering DOT-compliant beadlocks as an option on its Ford Raptor. The Ford wheels can be used as a traditional non-beadlocked wheel with an “accent” ring, or you can dismount the outer tire bead and clamp it in place with that same accent ring, technically making the assembly no longer suitable for street use. We’ve seen several prototype Mopar wheels with a similar design. It shouldn’t be long before they surface on the Wrangler Rubicon and Moab models, although we suspect that the Ram Power Wagon will be the first Chrysler vehicle to get the optional factory beadlock treatment.

Swoopy 

For years, Jeep has had the misguided belief that people want boxy based on the success of the ’84 to ’01 XJ Cherokee and all of the Wrangler models. Well guess what, the Commander was just as boxy and Jeep couldn’t even give them away fast enough to keep the rotors from rusting at the shipping yard. It’s all about the content, it can still be cool without being boxy. As sure as government fuel-mileage mandates increase, we think you’ll see the 2017 Jeep Wrangler loose a bit of chub and gain a swoopier grille and overall body design in general. It might not be too far off of what you see here on the Jeep Hurricane concept introduced in 2005.

Fold-Down Free

We pretty much expect the fold-down windshield to disappear for 2017. Jeep has prepped us all for it since the introduction of the ’07 Wrangler. The curved JK windshield frame looks like a banana sitting on the hood when folded down. In fact, it looks so silly that almost no one ever utilizes the feature, not to mention how difficult of a job it has become. At this point, all we can hope for is that the Wrangler will at least have a removable windshield frame that can be unbolted for trail use or easy repair/replacement if needed, but don’t hold your breath for that. We’re actually skeptical if the new Wrangler will even have a removable top anymore. It’s possible that it will be replaced with an extra-large sunroof, similar to what is found on the ’15 Jeep Renegade. You can thank your friendly local government crash standards if so.

Sans Frame

The Jeep Wrangler is one of the last 4x4 SUV holdouts in the industry with a body-on-frame design. We’d love to believe it will stay that way, but from a manufacturing standpoint, the cons outweigh the pros. A modern-day Unitbody Jeep chassis can be built more rigidly, lighter, and for less money than a traditional ladder frame and body design. At the end of the day, the dollar could call the shots on this one. Aside from the possibility of a Unitbody, we also believe the next generation Wrangler will be significantly lighter and smaller. We expect Jeep to shrink the porky Wrangler and diet off somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-1,000 pounds. The lighter weight will in turn improve fuel economy, acceleration, braking, handling, and on- and off-road performance. A plus-side of going with the Unitbody design would be the ability to decrease the overall height and center of gravity compared to the outgoing model, yet retain the large wheel openings for tires that could potentially be larger than what is currently.