Each year, Jeep rolls about a variety of project SUVs showcasing the latest Mopar parts and accessories for the Easter Jeep Safari. These are trail-ready machines built by professional engineers with a deep parts bin at their disposal, and the results are always enough to make enthusiasts grin like children in a toy store.

Among the many such vehicles this year is the JK-8 Independence, a pickup truck derived from a Wrangler Unlimited that owners can build themselves.

Some off-roaders have long craved a modern remake of the Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 from the 1980s, essentially a CJ with a small cargo bed. It looked cool and was prime for adventure, but the limited carrying and towing capacities made it a poor substitute for a traditional pickup truck. Jeep has played with the idea in recent years of bringing something like this back, producing concept vehicles for auto shows and even offering a version for foreign militaries, known as the J8.

For American civilian consumers, the closest Jeep is coming to offering a production pickup is a kit to convert a current-generation, four-door Wrangler. Jeep says a handy owner could do the conversion in a busy weekend; there also will be professional shops that can also do the work.

The upcoming kit includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead. The bed measures 50 inches, with 44 inches between the wheel arches. Inside, a converted Wrangler is a two seater, with slim behind-the-seat storage.

The bright-yellow truck is outfitted with a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, both featuring 4.88 gears. Linking the axles to the frame is a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit, and 37-inch tires are at each corner.

This offering should satisfy the most hardcore enthusiasts, but it certainly isn’t turnkey for casual consumers. It will likely be expensive, especially given the cost for the donor vehicle that will be heavily stripped down. But, credit goes to Jeep for finding a way to make it possible. One thing is for sure: I’ll never look at the “Build my own” button on the Jeep website in quite the same way.

Jeep has explored creating a new pickup truck with several concept and project trucks in recent years, including the Gladiator show truck and the recent JK-8 Independence shown at the recent Easter Jeep Safari. Due to keen interest from enthusiasts, Jeep now offers a do-it-yourself conversion kit, available for $5,499.

The transformation is extensive, with a bed floor, inner/outer body panels, removable fiberglass hardtop with a sliding rear window, and a new bulkhead. The bed measures 50 inches, with 44 inches between the wheel arches. Inside, a converted Wrangler is a two seater, with slim behind-the-seat storage. Jeep says a handy owner could do the conversion in a busy weekend; professional shops or dealerships can also perform the work.

The real cost for a Wrangler pickup truck is significant, with the Wrangler Unlimited starting at about $26,000 and easily climbing to near $30,000 when popularly equipped. For a professionally installed kit on a new model, the total cost would easily be in the mid to upper $30s. But, it may be the only such Jeep in town or on your favorite trail.

As the prices of used Wrangler Unlimiteds come down , there may be more appeal in the future for creating a modern take on the classic Scrambler. For now, it remains a pricey novelty for well-heeled off roaders.

The standard Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Special Edition is an impressive piece of machinery by any standard, but if you’re looking for something with a little more bite, Xtreme Outfitters may have what you’re looking for. The company has created a custom Wrangler just for the Army Rangers. The stock drivetrain was pulled in favor of a Burnsville 5.7-liter Hemi V8 conversion paired to a five-speed automatic transmission while the standard axles were scrapped for a Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear from Dynatrac. A TeraFlex four-inch long arm kit with provides a little extra lift, while Fox 2.0 performance shocks ensure that this Wrangler can soak up whatever terrain you decided to conquer.

Smittybilt provided a set of XRC armor fenders, an SRC stinger bumper and a rear XRC bumper with an adjustable tire mount, some of which have been decorated with shots from a 9mm pistol. Xtreme Outfitters also worked with BMF for a set of pre-production Novakane 17×9-inch wheels.

Inside, the Wrangler uses custom lighting from Rigid Lighting and Katzkin custom two-tone leather seats embroidered with the Ranger logo. Xtreme Outfitters has donated the Wrangler to the Army Rangers to be auctioned off to benefit veteran Rangers. Xtreme Outfitters says that the total build tallies up to around $150,000, though all of the decommissioned firearms spread around the cabin aren’t part of the deal. Head over to the Rangers site for more information.

Image Credit: Copyright 2011 Zach Bowman / AOL

Written by: Zach Bowman

Showtime – Test drive any Jeep on the day and stand a chance to win a trip for 2 to the New York Auto Show 2012 plus tickets to a Broadway show

Come and experience the New enhanced 2012 Jeep Wrangler Diesel.

Fund Day Activities for the whole family – Jumping Castle, Popcorn, Food Stall, Face Painting and loads of 4×4 Competitions

So come along and join in the Fun.

Tiger Wheel & Tyre will be there with specials and give aways.

Maniac4x4 Accessories will be there to show off there New Off- Road 4×4 Trailer

Fire Stryker

And lots more.

After a late Saturday evening packing everything but the kitchen sink into my little KK, I was off to bed.  Which seemed like ten minutes later, I was awakened by my six year old son pulling at my arm.  “Wake up we going to miss the snow”, yea right, my thoughts it’s not going anywhere.   However I was up in a flash maybe more excited than my son.  He was a six year old who has never seen snow, but I topped him, a 42 year old who has never seen snow in real life.

After loading everybody including my sleepy one year old daughter, we were off.  As we drove to the, One Stop drinking coffee,  I was wondering if the KK will actually make the pass.  You see I read the previous post about Matroosberg the night before and the words “Wranglers bouncing over rocks” and “ we were committed and could not turn back”  played over and over in my mind.  Adding Craig’s words that the KK should, not will,  but should, make it left me a bit uneasy.  I eventually drew some confidence in the fact that my KK was fitted with a  2” lift courtesy of Maniac and this should at least assist me in getting half way up the mountain.

Well things got worse when I pulled into the Engen garage on the N1, our rondevu  point,  I was  surrounded by Wranglers, some with specialized tyres and suspension lifts, which in my mind would put any monster truck to shame. Ten minutes later we left the Engen One Stop following Vaughn who was leading the convoy to Matroosberg.

After completing the compulsory admin, paying the necessary fees and brief from Vaughn we started preparing our vehicles, well the only prep we did was reduce the tyre pressure and then we were off.

It wasn’t long before we came across the first loose rock obstacle and as the KK managed to find its way through the rocks I become more and more confident in her capability. We were about half way up when we started encountering snow and after many compulsory stops, taking pictures, we were suddenly in at least 30 cm deep snow.  Slipping, sliding and bouncing we made our way to the top and were met with picture perfect snow on the plateau.

We all spent a couple of hours up there doing the compulsory snow ball fighting, snowman making and meandering up the slope before we started heading down. I forgot to mention, I had a couple of anxious minutes when I saw Arrie in his Commander attempting to drive further up the mountain.  Luckily he did not make it, for there was no way I was going to even attempt to go further. So with dignity in tact we started the drive down.

Well this should be the end, but the drive down was far more nerve wreaking than the drive up.  Vehicles in front of us started sliding on the ice and touching the brake pedal, as I quickly discovered, made things worse. In one particular area I had to act quickly, follow Vaughn’s advise to drive into the embankment, nope don’t have steel bumpers or push the “Please help me button” you guessed it, I used the “Hill Decent Control”. Ok, it was not that easy, in my mild panic I pushing every button even the seat warmers, however my wife came to the rescue and managed to engage the right button. Thereafter things started to calm down as the traction control slowed us down to a crawl and brought the Jeep under control, all I had to do is steer.   Well done to Jeep for designing this feature, just don’t hide it.

Enjoy the pictures mainly taken by my wife as she is 100 times better than me.

Cheers, Andre

Wheels for Kids 2011

This is an annual event sponsored by Chrysler Jeep Century City and Newlands, where they sponsor a specialised wheel chair for the physically disabled in less economically affluent areas. The Club members are offered the opportunity to be involved by sponsoring a new wheel chair by Shonaquip (PTY) Ltd costing approximately R8500 – R9000 each based on the special needs of the individual. Or the Club members are invited to assist with the delivery of the wheel chair to the recipient. Delivery is planned for 19 November 2011. Details will follow nearer the time.

Last year we delivered 17 wheel chairs in the Montague Area and surrounds.

For 2011 Chrysler Jeep decided to focus closer to Cape Town and the following venue was identified:

LONWABO DAY CENTRE based in Mfuleni on 04/07/2011 managed and run by Thandeka Mafila

Thandeka Mafila heard an appeal on the radio for the establishment of day centres in the community for disabled children. Thandeka felt that this was something she should do, as there were no facilities for children with disabilities in the Mfuleni where she stayed. In 2008 she opened her centre in a flat behind her house. Her husband collects the children in their own vehicle every morning. The 18 children are provided with breakfast & lunch. The centre receives no government subsidy and the fees paid by the parents do not cover all the running costs.

Number of children attending centre: 18

Number of children in devices: 13 (for use only at the centre)

Number of children receiving donated wheelchairs: 7

An infrastructural assessment was done:

Wheelchair accessibility in and out of the schoolroom is a problem. The doors are standard sizes and the parents/carers find it difficult to move in and out through them, with the devices.

The environment is sandy and not completely paved therefore not allowing for easy pushing and transporting the children to and from the centre.  The children are carried across and open carport and during the winter months this becomes very unpleasant.

I attended a site visit in August to Lonwabo Day Centre  to see how the Jeep Members could assist with this years wheels for kids event. I identified the need to close in the carport and repair the font gate to the premises. This would allow the children to enter the venue and remain dry at all times as well as be able to play in this area on warm days.

The budget for building this Carport which is approximately 30m square is R10 250.00 this excludes paving the 30m square or laying a cement platform where needed.

My Request

I am asking club members to dig deep into their pockets and see what they can contribute to financing the R10 250.00 and so fund the building of the Carport Roof. We have over 550 members in our club and if each one could contribute R50 – R100 we should be able to raise the required funds. I have elected to appoint a builder to do the work to ensure we have all safety standards being met.

The work to be performed is as follows:

Steel Posts and roofing for 30meter square, all bolts and nuts and roof screws, cement work for ramps, fully installed, clear roof sheet (to allow for natural light), all timber materials, gutters and downpipes and repairs/repaint gates to secure and make safe for the children.

If you can contribute to this worthy cause please will you make the appropriate deposit to:

Active Online Media

ABSA Bank

Branch : 632005

Account : 4073083401

Reference: Lonwabo and your Surname

Please email or fax proof of payment to info@offroad4x4.co.za or 0865809575

I will confirm receipt and add your name to the donor list we will engrave on the cement floor.

All amounts will be greatly accepted. If you can afford more it will also be greatly appreciated.

For further details please contact me Craig Parsons on 0218018346 or 0825570060

Look forward to your positive response in this annual event and worthy cause.

I have attached a PDF if the email did not come out clearly.

Regards

Craig Parsons

Offroad 4×4

http://www.offroad4x4.co.za

021-8018346

082-5570060

Do you drive a Wrangler 2dr or 4dr? Well if you answered yes and you go out and play regularly, I have to ask the question, do you have a diff guard on the rear differential?

The picture above gives one a good idea what it looks like and how it protects the differential when playing on the weekend on your favourite 4×4 route.

What is the Differential?

Axles are fitted with a differential gear device that splits engine power between the left and right wheel on the same axle. It allows differential rotation of the left and right wheels on a driven axle travel when going around a corner. This mechanism allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds, while maintaining drive to the wheels.

If you catch the diff case on a rock while 4×4, stop and check no oil is leaking from it. If so attempt to stop it from leaking, if no luck call a flatbed truck do not continue driving it as you will damage the differential. A new one may set you back as much as R40 ooo.00

So if you dont have diff cover maybe now is the time to invest in one.

Contact : info@offroad4x4.co.za for more details.

Each kind of terrain requires its own specialist tyre and selection. This is where the delema steps in, which tyre can I purchase that will give me the best overall capability, weat and tear and grip over various terrains

All Terrain

This is a cross between the road pattern and the mud pattern tyre. The central band will be a closer tread for road use and the edges will have aggressive lugs for better grip-off road.

Road

This has a close traed optimised for road use.

Mud

This has a very aggressive tyre tread with wide open grooves to allow for easy self cleaning.

Rock

There are limited tyres made specifically for use on rock. 4ply tyres or cross-ply tyres with a harder sidewall will be more resistant to punctures, but no tread pattern can substitute the place of driver experience on rocks

And then theres tyre pressure, we will cover this another time.

I am often asked this question? Which air jack do you recommend? Well the one that has stood the test of time is Takla

The Takla Air Jack is the quick and easy way to jack a 4×4 vehicle. The Takla Air Jack is a PVC bag that can be inflated using exhaust pressure or a compressor / pump. It is the only one available with an overpressure safety valve and locking exhaust fitting method. This is the safest and most versatile jack on the market.

Quick and easy to use, it will work on soft sand, mud and almost any surface. No special jacking points are required. No special mountings are required for the jack, this making it the lightest and most convenient expedition jack.

Key Features

• By incorporating heat and abrasion resistant jacking surfaces the jack is robust and suitable for expedition use.
• The insertion exhaust adaptor and heavy-duty industrial hose connector is important to make the product easy and reliable to use.
• A separate tyre valve inflator is built into the Jack for emergency use in case the vehicles exhaust is damaged.
• Safety is enhanced by the inclusion of a pressure release valve that makes the Jack difficult to over inflate.

The Air Jack is required when off road on the beaten track and you puncture a tyre or get bogged down. If you you dont have Hi-Lift points and plastic bumpers then you will require an Air Jack. Pricing is around R1800.00 to R2500.00 but always go for the cheapest. Remember it has to lift your vehicle usually when its loaded so ensure you purchase one that can lift your vehicle.

Check out the comparison:

During my weekly training sessions I am always asked what is the Basic Recovery equipment one will require?

It is always an outlay upfront but once you have your basic recovery equipment and know how to use  it correctly it can last a long time.

There is a wide range of product available on the South African market and I always advise purchasing your recovery equipment from reputable suppliers. Most have realised the importance of packaging a reasonably priced recovery kit.

This would consist of:

Recovery Bag – contains all the equipment in a water proof carry bag

Fold up spade – ideal for digging you out of those tricky spots

Leather Gloves – important you wear them while conducting a recovery exercise

Bow Shaped Shackles – used to connect the recovery rope to the vehicles recovery point – remember never tighten the shackle pin too tight

Kinetic Strap – or snatch strap is used to pull a stationery vehicle out of thick sand or mud

Static Pull Strap – is used to tow a vehicle which may have broken down

Tree Protector – this strap is used to protect the tree when it is used as an anchor point

Always consult with your 4×4 accessory specialist to ensure you purchase the correct equipment suitable to the type and weight of the vehicle you are driving. Learn how to use all the various types of equipment mentioned above. Remember when its you in need of recovery take charge of overseeing the recovery process and ensure all bystanders are out of the way no matter how much spectator value you are providing and leave your ego at home.