LAS VEGAS — You'll no doubt be able to plow up some ground in the Mopar Jeep Lower Forty. But Chrysler didn't stop at the 20-inch Mopar forged aluminum wheels and giant-size 40-by-13.5-inch tires.
To boost ground clearance on the two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Chrysler flared the fenders and opened up the wheel wells to accommodate the 40-inch rubber. It also chopped the windshield frame by 3 inches and raked it 10 degrees, then added a one-piece domed carbon-fiber hood, a drop-down tailgate, a cargo rack and a custom-made Bestop bikini top shrouding the integrated roll cage.
Power is supplied by a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 equipped with an AEV conversion kit and mated to a Getrag 238 six-speed manual gearbox. The Dana 44 front axle and Dana 60 rear axle are fitted with ARB air lockers and 5.38 gearing. Revalved Bilstein shocks provide additional cushioning.
Passengers are treated to Katzkin two-tone leather-covered seats, along with a color-matched center console and instrument panel. The carpet has been replaced with a spray-in truck bedliner topped with Mopar floor mats.
Inside Line says: More powerful than a team of oxen — and just a little bit better-looking. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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viol8or says:
10:11 PM, 11/23/2009
No, no.... this is no Ford Raptor with its "stupid" straight axles and "stupid" 40 inch tires, and I can't take the family out to eat in "comfort" with every feature imaginable. But style... you went overboard saying that Helen Keller. There is nothing more beautiful in engineering or nature than functionality. Great navigation ? A compass is all anyone really needs city boy. As far as audio.... again what great music an V-8 Hemi emits. Comparing the raptor and the "40" is like comparing a peach and a 5 pound sledgehammer. Are you serious desert boy ?..... better stay there ..outta the mud, snow,rocks, and swamps.
O.K.- I took offense, sorry I went off on a tangent. Well its almost perfect..... We need these changes and then who can fault it ?
1.) Get rid of the Dana 44 front and give us a Dana 60 ( high pinioned, cut for clearence and trussed front and back).
2.) Change the 5.7 and put in the SRT 6.1 at 425hp, a Cummins diesel shoehorned in would be a great second option with a lower gear change for the 1 ton axles.
3.) Lightbars, substantial winch mountable bumpers, rock skid bars and optional beadlock wheels.
4.) Removable hardtop with fastback and squared rooflines available as is a full soft top.
5.) Since it is "Mopar" bring back the Hi- Impact colors from 1970-71, feel free to add new ones !
6.) Put a real frame under it or built into the unibody
7.) Don't apologize, don't speculate, don't wimp out...... just build it...
I'd imagine that all the guys and girls across the country that have building their trucks for serious off road dri.... uh... beating, will finally see something that they have wanted since the mid 70's, but not one manufacturer this side of A.M. General has ever offered. Jeep is a legendary name in off-road as it is, if they build this with these specs... stock........... they will be off road Gods !
Previous brand loyalty will wither and die in this machines shadow.
and2222rew says:
09:14 AM, 11/06/2009
Hey briankravitz Raptor vs Wrangler? I don't think so they're too different. One's a racer the other is a crawler.
briankravitz says:
08:53 AM, 11/05/2009
This Jeep is pretty cool looking but honestly, for the cost of turning your Wrangler into one of these "Lower40" things I would buy a Raptor every day of the week and twice on Sunday. It's far more sophisticated than the Jeep and would frankly crush the Jeep off road as well as on road. Want proof? Look at what it did in the Baha1000. And F150 guys are saying the Raptor has a better ride than the regular 150. This is incredible. I've never heard of a hard core off road vehicle that has a good ride on road. But Ford has done it. I shudder to think what the ride is like in this Lower40 on asphalt with its stupid straight front axle and even more stupid 40" tires. And I don't mean to pile one but the Raptor also has a back seat, is roomy, comfortable, and is fully decked out inside with every feature imaginable including a great nav system and high end audio. Oh, and it can tow and haul too. So you can go flat out in the desert, powerwash it, and take your family out to dinner that night in style and comfort. Can you do that in this Lower40? Hmmmm NO. Never. This Lower40 is totally one dimensional. It does look cool. But that's it.
smithbarbula says:
08:24 PM, 10/20/2009
blown away. that is one awesome jeep. i want to add that to our other jeeps. now i have a dream
runrickeyrun1 says:
03:18 PM, 10/19/2009
I love Jeeps