Outfitting Your Jeep® 101: Bumpers

Outfitting Your Jeep® 101: Bumpers

Posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 10:00 am by Alan and Jackie Ellis in Models

In a previous blog, we talked about the most popular modification to your Jeep® brand vehicle – tires and wheels. The second most popular modification is probably a change to your vehicle’s bumper. While the standard equipment bumpers on the all-new 2011 Jeep models are sufficient for most everyone’s off-roading needs, some Jeep 4×4 enthusiasts have a practical need for a specialized bumper – or maybe they just want a different look for their Jeep brand vehicle. Regardless of the reason, aftermarket bumpers from Mopar® can be both practical and aesthetically pleasing, and can be installed on almost every Jeep Wrangler.



Why do people want to change the bumper on their Jeep brand vehicle? While the main purpose of a bumper is protection of the engine, grill, and front of the vehicle, a change to the front or the rear bumper can greatly modify the entire look of your Jeep 4×4. The front bumper helps with protection, but you can also get front bumpers that have additional tow hooks/rings, winch mounts, light mounts, and brush guards. On extremely modified rigs, bumpers are much narrower for rock crawling; plus, some designs provide the vehicle with increased approach angles. Rear bumpers are just as important as front bumpers, but for different reasons. They can help protect the vehicle from damage and include integrated hitch mounts, while providing a platform for mounting a swing-away rack for oversized tires.



One popular style of aftermarket bumpers are tube bumpers. Tube bumpers have been very popular for years on older Jeep Wranglers and are available to fit both the front and rear of the vehicle. Although a tube bumper is primarily added to change the style and look, most people try to find practicality in their new bumper by adding one that serves multiple purposes.



Most bumpers are fairly easy to install, but some may require special tools or modifications, which require professional installation. Either way, changing bumpers on your Jeep 4×4 is a great way to enhance the look or to increase the off-road ability of an already-capable Jeep brand vehicle. Mopar offers a huge variety of bumpers to fit most models, so check out the specific accessories suggested in this article by visiting http://www.facebook.com/mopar or http://www.twitter.com/officialMOPAR. While there, ask a Mopar Specialist about the great selection of bumpers we offer for most Jeep Wrangler vehicles.

Jeep® Off-Roading 101 – Rocks and Rock Crawling

Jeep® Off-Roading 101 – Rocks and Rock Crawling

Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 10:00 am by Alan and Jackie Ellis in Adventures, Community, Models

RockCrawling 1 494x370 Jeep® Off Roading 101 – Rocks and Rock Crawling traction rock crawling performance offroad Off roading Jeep capability 4x4 2011 adventures photo

In previous blogs, we talked about all types of terrain and obstacles like snow, mud, water, and sand. Today, we’re going to give you some tips on what most people consider their favorite off-roading obstacle: rocks, and especially….rock crawling. Knowing how to get around, or sometimes over, rock obstacles is a valuable off-roading skill that, if done right, can really show what your Jeep® 4×4 can do. Rock crawling is similar to driving over rocks on the trail, but on a much larger scale. Although modifications to your vehicle can help with rock obstacles, it is usually the skill and ability of the driver that is the key to successfully running that part of the trail.



Rocks on the trail can be fun, but can also cause damage to your Jeep 4×4 if not negotiated correctly. Any rock taller than the vehicle’s clearance can wreak havoc with the undercarriage of your Jeep vehicle. So if negotiating a rock obstacle is unavoidable, the correct technique is to drive on top of rather than to straddle the rocks. High centering can be the result of trying to incorrectly straddle large rocks. Before starting, air your tires down to about 15-20 PSI. This puts more rubber on the rock, allowing for greater gripping ability of the tires. Next, always survey the obstacle ahead, especially with larger rocks or boulders. If possible, stop your vehicle, get out, and take a close look at the obstacle to decide the best course to take. If necessary, use a spotter to help with tire direction. Use 4-wheel drive in low gear, then approach and negotiate the rock slowly.



RockCrawling 3 370x494 Jeep® Off Roading 101 – Rocks and Rock Crawling traction rock crawling performance offroad Off roading Jeep capability 4x4 2011 adventures photo



Rock crawling can be one of the great pleasures off-roading, and there is nothing more exciting than negotiating a steep slab of rock and watching your Jeep 4×4 do things you never thought it could do. Places like the Moab, Utah Jamboree or the Texas Spur Jamboree are considered rock crawling heaven, and thousands of people a year converge on these places to test their vehicles on some of the most difficult rock terrain in the United States. As said, rock crawling is similar to negotiating rocks on the trail but on a much bigger scale. Sometimes, the entire route is nothing but solid rock and knowing how to drive on a rock trail is a valuable (and fun) skill to acquire. Again, remember to air down your tires to about 15 pounds or so. Crawling slowly up or down the rock is not only safe but can help prevent vehicle damage or roll-overs. Although rock crawling is fun, it is also the easiest way to get dings and scrapes on the lower sections of the vehicle. Fenders, undercarriages, and bumpers are the usual victims. Luckily, some Jeep brand vehicles have skid plating and rock rails to help minimize damage. Check out www.Mopar.com for a great selection of rock crawling accessories for your vehicle.



Naturally, we want to rock crawl in 4-wheel drive low gear. This allows the engine power to control the vehicle ascent and descent rather than using the brakes or clutch. A helpful modification to your Jeep brand vehicle is the Sway Bar Disconnect. Sway bars keep your vehicle stable at normal highway speeds, but on the rocks they can prevent your Jeep 4×4 from properly articulating the rock obstacle. Articulation is the ability of the vehicle’s suspension and tires to stay on the ground. Without disconnecting the sway bars, one side of the vehicle could possible lift off of the ground causing an unsafe condition or loss of traction. Luckily, the all-new 2011 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon comes standard with an electronic sway bar disconnect. Just push a button on the dash and your sway bars are disconnected! Do you have a different model than a Rubicon? You can get manual sway bar disconnects on most Jeep brand vehicles for about $150.



RockCrawling 41 494x370 Jeep® Off Roading 101 – Rocks and Rock Crawling traction rock crawling performance offroad Off roading Jeep capability 4x4 2011 adventures photo



Rock crawling is just about our favorite type of off-roading and it takes patience, skill, and some nail biting. But there is nothing is more exciting than negotiating a section of difficult rock obstacles, then thinking, “Wow! Did my Jeep 4×4 really do that?”



Tell us your favorite place to rock crawl. How have you modified your Jeep brand vehicle to better negotiate rocks?

Toledo, OH OKs Plant Expansion

Panel greenlights Toledo Assembly expansion plans
BY DAVID PATCH
BLADE STAFF WRITER

The Toledo City Plan Commission has approved the tentative site plan for Chrysler Group LLC's proposed expansion of its Toledo Assembly complex on Stickney Avenue.

The 5-0 vote Thursday followed a brief presentation from Michael Serdiuk, vice president for architectural services at NSA Architects, Engineers, and Planners of Farmington Hills, Mich., and representing Chrysler. Mr. Serdiuk said Chrysler had no objections to any of 27 approval conditions recommended in a staff report that otherwise supported the site-plan application. The conditions applied to such areas as traffic management, on-site utilities, and fire protection.

The proposal includes a large addition to the assembly complex's body shop and smaller additions to its trim, chassis, and finish shops that totals 290,000 square feet, Mr. Serdiuk said.

Chrysler has not yet committed to the plant expansion, but decided to proceed with the plan commission application "to save time" and to identify any regulatory obstacles that might complicate the proposal.

"We're very pleased when anything gets approved by the plan commission," Mr. Serdiuk said after the vote. "Now we just have to have the business case move forward."

"I think it's very exciting," commission member Catherine Hoolahan said, summarizing the sentiments of several commission members who spoke before voting.

The plan commission's endorsement sends the site-plan proposal to Toledo City Council for final approval.

Chrysler is considering spending $365 million to expand and re-equip Toledo Assembly and add a second shift, with 1,105 new jobs, to the complex.

The Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools both have approved tax-abatement plans to support the proposal, and last week the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a $10 million job-creation tax credit offer as part of a $16 million state package to support both the Toledo Assembly expansion proposal and improvements at Chrysler's Toledo Machining plant in Perrysburg Township.

Mr. Serdiuk told the plan commission that once Chrysler decides whether to expand the Toledo Assembly complex or go elsewhere, construction is expected to take about a year to complete.

Why You Take Jeeps Off-Roading, Not Subarus