Mopar just announced a 2010-2018 Jeep Wrangler Gorilla Glass replacement windshield! No more rock chips that turn into long cracks that make you fail your inspection. Hopefully, no more $25 insurance premiums down in Moab either!

If you aren’t familiar with Gorilla Glass, it’s the same technology on modern cellphones which I think is a bad example since I manage to break my iPhone screen yearly. Luckily I found a cool video from Ford where they developed Gorilla Glass for the Ford GT and fired iceballs out of a cannon at a windshield.

Mopar is very confident the Gorilla Glass will protect you from the following:

Magnaflow and aFE have both released exhaust systems for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL. These Jeep exhaust systems will give your new JL a throatier and deeper sound as well as up to 9 extra horsepower. Let’s take a closer look at each one and you can decide which is right for you!

This Magnaflow MF Series exhaust system for the Jeep Wrangler JL is made in America and is built to last. Whether you are hoping to conserve fuel or utilize the extra horsepower, this Jeep JL exhaust system will allow your engine to operate more freely and give you the performance or economy you desire. But let’s be honest, when you hear a throatier exhaust, it’s hard to go light on the go pedal. The M/F19385 exhaust system is available at Nomadic Offroad Supply with free shipping. Here are a few specs:

• 18-Current Wrangler JL, 2 & 4 Door
• 3.6L V6 engine
• Dual 4″ polished exhaust tips
• All mandrel bent tubing
• 409 Stainless steel construction
• Increased horsepower and torque
• 2.5″ diameter pipe
• Straight through muffler
• Dual split rear exit
• Lifetime warranty on construction
• Made in the USA

Next up we have the aFe Jeep Wrangler JL exhaust system. The main difference between this one and the Magnaflow is clearance. aFe calls their exhaust system a “high tuck” and when you look at the tail pipe on the aFe compared to the Magnaflow, you can see a real clearance difference on ascent/descent angles. Plus, aFe comes right out and tells us that their system will give you an extra 9HP/8 lb-ft of torque.  The only downside of the aFe system is the act that you can’t really see the mod. That’s the entire point of this system because it’s built for true offroading, but some still might prefer the Magnaflow because it’s fun to see the dollars you put into your rig. Whichever you choose, you will experience more power and a better sound in your Jeep Wrangler JL. Here are some specs on the aFe Jeep Wrangler JL exhaust system.

• 18-Current Wrangler JL, 4-Door
• 3.6L V6 engine
• Exhaust tip not included
• 409 Stainless steel
• +9 HP and +8 lbs. x ft. Torque max gains
• 2-1/2″ mandrel bent, 409 stainless steel tubing
• High-quality stainless steel band clamps
• Hi-Tuck design for long travel clearance and greater approach and departure angles
• 100% hand MIG-welded for strength and durability

The all-new Jeep Wrangler JL has a towing capacity between 2000lbs and 3500lbs. If you have the 2-Door model, it doesn’t matter which engine you have, the 2.0L turbor or the 3.6L V6, either one can tow up to 2000lbs. If you have the 4-Door model, it can tow up to 3500lbs, again, no matter which engine you choose. This is so much simpler than Wranglers past where gearing and engines and number of doors all created different towing outcomes. It’s nice to see Jeep listened to their customers and upped the towing capacity for the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler.

You might need to scroll the chart below to see all the fields.

If you’d like to see the Jeep Wrangler towing capacity for 2007-2018, visit this page.

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The guys over at JCR Offroad are playing with putting 37 inch tires on their 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JL. They are rocking the 2 inch Mopar lift kit with bump stop extensions and 37 inch Nitto Trail Grapplers on Mamba M14 Intel wheels with 5.47 inch backspacing. The wheels were from another build JCR is working on but they are pleasantly surprised with the fitment.

From most of the forums and internet chatter I’ve heard, a 2 inch Mopar lift is not going to be awesome offroad with 37 inch tires and 35 inch tires would be a better choice for that lift if you want to keep articulation and disconnect your sway bars. But, JCR Offroad came out and said they would wheel this setup all day and the clearance is similiar to a Jeep Wrangler JK with a 3.5 inch lift.

So, anyone else out there have any experience on this? I’d like to hear of someone else attempting this setup.

This article explains the different types of Jeep lift kits, what they do for your Jeep and which one is best for your performance and budget.

There are a few kinds of Jeep lift kits: budget lifts, suspension lifts and body lifts.

1. A budget lift kit involves spacer or shackles that lift your stock suspension.
2. A suspension lift kit consists of new suspension components and actually increases the distance between your axles and your frame.
3. A body lift kit lifts the body above the frame.

If you want to increase articulation and true off-road performance, you want a suspension lift.

The first thing you want to decide before installing a Jeep lift kit is what do you want to do with your lifted Jeep? If you just want to have a better-looking Jeep and don’t expect to do any serious off-roading but you do want bigger tires, you might be able to get away with a budget lift, which consists of spacers that go under your springs and sometimes some upgraded shocks. If you want to tackle the rocks or do some serious overlanding you will want a suspension lift which will give you better ground clearance, longer suspension travel, and increased flex. With either option, you usually will want larger tires as well, so keep that in mind when you are purchasing a lift kit.

Budget Jeep Lifts (1-2 inches)

If you want a cheap lift kit that will allow you to retain the factory ride quality and run slightly larger tires, check out a budget lift. These are usually made of spacers that sit under your coil springs (2006 Wranglers and up) or they use larger shackles (YJ Jeep Wranglers) and raise your Jeep 1-2 inches. It’s smart to buy new shocks with a budget lift so you retain decent down travel and don’t bend your shock mounts.

Pros:

• budget lifts are cheap
• easy to install
• consist of very few parts
• retain factory ride quality
• allow for larger tires
• increase clearance

Cons:

• only lifts 1-2 inches
• can’t get huge tires
• doesn’t increase wheel travel

True Suspension Lift Kits – 2.5″ – 6″ and beyond!

This is when you know you want to have better off-road performance. You’ll have more ground clearance, better articulation and the room to fit much larger tires: 33’s, 35’s or even 37’s! This is when your Jeep will really start to surprise you and it’s a must for the harder trails of Moab and beyond. Some of these lifts can make your daily drive a little more tedious because your Jeep is designed to be off-road more than on, so keep that in mind if you have a long commute. Also, your gas mileage will decrease if that’s an issue for you. 

With a suspension lift, the higher you go, the more expensive your build. If you want to go with a 3.5” lift kit or higher, there are a variety of parts that may need to be upgraded or extended to keep your Jeep in safe operating condition. For instance, you might need longer lower control arms, upper control arms, extended brake lines, an extended emergency brake cable, and a track bar replacement. If you aren’t an experienced mechanic or DIY superstar, this might increase the cost of your build as well since you’ll need a few more hours of labor for your install. But, don’t let that scare you because your Jeep will look and perform AMAZING!

Pros:

• serious clearance
• increased suspension articulation
• room for huge tires
• aggressive look

Cons:

• more expensive
• might need to upgrade other components
• rougher ride
• lower gas mileage

Body Lifts – 1″-3″ and more

A body lift is a very cheap way to lift your Jeep in order to fit larger tires. A body lift kit is composed of spacers that lift the body a bit higher off the frame. Usually, you can get 1-3 inches of lift with a body lift without changing any major components, but if you go bigger than that you might need to upgrade your radiator brackets, shifter, fuel filler tube and possibly your steering linkage.

Pros:

• very cheap Jeep lift
• fit larger tires and wheels
• less of a change in the center of gravity
• keep stock driveline angles
• no need for a slip yoke eliminator ( a part that extends your driveshaft)
• goes well with a suspension lift for added clearance

Cons:

• can look like a body lift – you’ll know it when you see it
• minimal to no ground clearance gained
• no increase in wheel travel
• must remove the fan shroud which could cause cooling issues
• may require engine mount lift if you go big
• may require new brackets and extensions for larger lifts
• lifts above 1.5 inches could reduce ride quality

We hope this helps break down the different options of lift kits for your Jeep Wrangler. Essentially if you plan on being a street queen and just want bigger tires then go ahead with a budget lift or a body lift. If you plan on getting into the exciting world of off-roading, then get a suspension lift – but you will have to decide between a long-arm and a short-arm lift which we will discuss in a later article.

If you want a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with the 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder, expect to pay $1000 more than the base Pentastar V6 engine. The 2.0L Turbo comes with 268 horsepower vs 285 horses in the Pentastar, but has more torque at 295 lb/ft vs the V6’s 260 lb/ft. Now the catch is you have to get the automatic transmission with the new Jeep 2.0L turbo motor, so you are actually paying $3000 more for the turbo motor over the base V6/manual transmission combo. However, I assume most Wrangler buyers these days are opting for the automatic transmission anyways and frankly, I prefer an automatic when rockcrawling even though I personally drive a manual Jeep – it’s just more fun for everyday driving in my opinion.

So Jeep STILL HASN’T RELEASED the official MPG rating of this motor! Why Jeep? Enquiring minds want to know! My guess is it will only be a few more MPG’s than the V6 due to aerodynamics, but what will be REALLY cool is when aftermarket tuners get their hands on this motor. Think about Ford’s Ecoboost line…there’s at least 100HP hidden inside that truck that can be unlocked with a simple tune and higher octane fuel. Imagine throwing forged pistons and a bigger turbo on this new Jeep! You might be able to hit 400HP or more!

I really feel like a kid at Christmas right now and I don’t even have a new JL. There are just so many options and with the new Jeep Truck launching next year with a diesel it’s going to be an even more exciting and customizable platform! What a great year this is becoming!

Wow. The guys at Bruiser Conversions have been working day and night to bring you this 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL LS V8 swap kit. Can you imagine being the guy who not only has a brand new 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL but you also have a Chevy LS3 in it?!?! I want to be that guy. On their Instagram where they announced this conversion they said this is a complete conversion kit with a GM crate motor pushing 450 lbs of torque through the factory Jeep 8-speed automatic transmission!

That should save their clients some cash not having to put in a new performance transmission with the motor swap. On top of that, Bruiser claims the factory Chrysler computer runs the new motor which means you don’t lose the cool new features such as cruise control, tap start, etc! Man, we can’t wait to see this thing tearing up some dirt roads and mud and rocks.

This is unbelievable seeing a brand new crate LS motor dropped into a Jeep that hasn’t even really hit most showroom floors yet. If you’re wondering about price, it hasn’t been disclosed yet, but I’d expect it somewhere in the $25,000-$30,000 range. Not having to swap the transmission should save everyone a lot of cash though. Awesome job Bruiser Conversions!

As most of you know by now, the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL has an optional power sliding roof which they call the Sky One-Touch Power Top. As we noticed today on the Jeep website they finally added pricing at $3995 with the addendum: “late availability.”

The power-sliding top is a very cool option – especially for people who don’t want to take a hardtop on or off or more importantly for those who can’t. I imagine there are a lot of older people or handicapped people who would love to go offroad and exploring in an open-air Jeep but just couldn’t manage the soft top or hard top removal. With the Sky One-Touch Power Top, they can get an open roof experience in a matter of seconds. On top of that the rear quarter panels pop out very easily and all you have to do next is roll the windows down!

I’m excited to try this top out myself and see just how close it is to an open-air Jeep experience. The technology is only going to get better from here and the construction will become smaller and sleeker and there might be a day where we all choose this option over a fully removable top. Time (and money) will tell.

If you haven’t see the power sliding roof in action, watch this video.

Want to see some videos of Jeeps driving over cars? This is a cool event thrown by Mac Haik car dealership down in Temple, Texas. They grabbed 2 beater cars and assembled a Jeep club and anyone who wanted to drive over some forgotten cars got the opportunity. Here’s a word to the wise though – never go first. You’ll see this Jeep truck rip apart his driveshaft as he tackles the mighty Mercury Sable beneath, and all he is left with is a sad Jeep boner. Check it out!

This video shows a brand new 2018 Jeep JL Rubicon pulling up on the hood of this old Mercury Sable.

Next up we got a beautiful Jeep Wrangler JKU on 40-inch tires going right over these two cars like they are a simple hill in his backyard. I’m trying to figure out what the other car was – I think maybe a Chrysler Sebring? I like how the helper puts some tires down there for the departure angle – I don’t think this Jeep Wrangler needed that.

So here’s a question. Would you drive over some cars in your Jeep if you had the chance?

There will be no diesel engine option in the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, but, it has been announced that the 2019 Jeep Wrangler will offer a 3.0L Ecodiesel option with the release of the new 2019 Jeep Truck, called the Jeep Scrambler or Jeep JT.

So what do we know about this engine? It will be connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and will pack 260 horsepower and 442 pound/feet of torque. That’s an awesome amount of torque for rock crawling, mudding, or towing big loads in this mid-size vehicle and it should be good for getting up to highway speed and cruising through the mountains with ease. It will also include the engine start/stop feature so it will shut the motor down at stoplights and in heavy traffic to conserve fuel as well. My guess is the aftermarket will have a field day with this new engine option and I bet the people over at Banks are already licking their chops with excitement!