Power Soft Top For Your Wrangler Unlimited!

Ever wanted to have a powered operation for your Wrangler Soft Top? Well now you can with a new product about to be launched in the USA by  Rugged Ridge®. They have just released details of the first ever electric Power Top for the JK Jeep® Wrangler. No more struggling for minutes to get your soft top up when the occasional thunderstorm catches you off guard. Rugged Ridge’s patent pending design allows the top to be lowered or raised in seconds with the simple push of a button. The Power Top Kit fits all 2007-2012 four door Wranglers and comes complete with sailcloth top, power top frame, hydraulics, wiring harness and installation packet. Its in pre-production phase but apparently you can pre-order.

Check Out The Video HERE

Jeep Appreciation Day Only Weeks Away - 28th August

Its only a few weeks away now so if you can make it to Jeep Appreciation Day check out the details Here

Hosted by the Sunshine Coast Jeep Club its an event for Jeep Owners to socialise, show off and have fun.
Events include Show'n'Shine, test track, Trade Alley and lots of fun Jeep stuff.
Its being held at  530 Rutters Road, Caboolture, QLD. 
Sunshine Coast Jeep Club

Jeep Wrangler Production To Stay In USA

Chief Executive Officer of both Chrysler and Fiat, Sergio Marchionne has stated that despite his company's plans to push the Jeep brand around the world and a requirement to one day build Jeeps in China -- the Toledo-made Jeep Wrangler will remain a U.S.-made vehicle.

"I think we need to preserve some cars as not being produced there, and I think that the Wrangler, in all likelihood will continue to be sourced and manufactured here in the United States. It's too important of an iconic model within Jeep to be made elsewhere."

Mr. Marchionne made the statement as the automaker considers a potential investment into its sprawling Toledo Assembly complex, where the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Liberty, and Dodge Nitro SUVs are built in two assembly plants. 

Jeep brand president Michael Manley said last month that he was concerned that the automaker's Wrangler plant, which can make about 155,000 vehicles per year, might not have enough capacity to meet global demand.

Indeed, through the first half of this year, Chrysler has sold 75,257 Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimiteds worldwide, including 22,021 outside of the United States. Mr. Marchionne said this week that Jeep brand sales outside the United States had increased 54 percent so far this year to 148,000 units, up from 94,000 units during the same period in 2010.

Keep 4WD Tracks Open In Australia

Join the Facebook Cause KEEP 4WD TRACKS OPEN IN AUSTRALIA and make sure you show your support for this cause. 4Wheel Drivers need to unite against those who want to lock up our great recreation from accessing 4WD tracks and mountain trails.
Go to http://www.causes.com/causes/141207

Talking Jeep OZ On Facebook - Changes To Our Pages Tonight

We made some changes to Facebook tonight so we can be more interactive on the social media.
Check Us Out and become a friend of Talking Jeep Oz!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001374598128

Wrangler 2012 To Get New Colours and Leather Option For Oz

A Bright new range of colours are destined for Australia in the new 2012 Wrangler. It seems the main changes are just new colour palette and the all new Pentastar 3.6L V6 petrol engine.

The Dark Saddle Leather (US Model Shown)

Australia will get most of the new colours including Sahara Tan (beige), Black Forest Green Pearl (very dark green), Crush (orange), Deep Cherry red Pearl (dark burgandy), Dozer (yellow/gold), Gecko (kermit green), Wniter Chill Pearl (ice blue). The other colours are the familiar Bright Silver, Flame Red, black, White and possibly Cosmos Blue. 
It also seems Rubicon buyers will be able to order Black/Dark Saddle Brown Leather as an option. It also looks like the 2 Door model will not have the option of a diesel engine.
The new colours will gradually make their way into production as they are all listed as late availability. The new 2012 Wrangler will start to arrive in Australia around December.

Wrangler JK8 Pick Up Kit For Australia

Word is that the 'do it yourself' Wrangler JK8 Pick Up Kit is destined for Australia. No word on pricing or ETA yet but the kit should be available soon through your local Jeep Dealer as a Mopar Accessory.

Fiat Stake Now 53.5% Of Chrysler LLC,

Fiat SpA have just purchased the remaining US and Canadian Government stake in Chrysler LLC. and now hold a 53.5% majority shareholding in Chrysler.
Fiat SpA paid $560 million for the government's remaining 98,000 shares of Chrysler Group Llc, the U.S. Treasury Department said Thursday. Fiat has run the company since it emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2009.
U.S. taxpayers gave $12.5 billion to Chrysler and its financing arm after the recession hampered auto sales and brought Chrysler and General Motors Co. to the brink of collapse.
Under a bankruptcy deal Fiat received a 20 percent stake in Chrysler for taking over management of the Detroit carmaker. The Italian automaker has gradually raised its stake in Chrysler, and yesterday's purchase of the last U.S. shares, along with a small stake held by Canada, means Fiat owns 53.5 percent.
After cutting costs and reviving sales of Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram vehicles, the company earned net income of $116 million in the first quarter. It is forecasting profit of $200 million to $500 million this year.
Of the original Chrysler bailout, $11.2 billion has been repaid. The U.S. Treasury Department says it likely won't recover the remaining $1.3 billion. Chrysler has also repaid $5.1 billion in other loans from the government.
Fiat's stake in Chrysler is likely to rise to 58.5 percent later this year when it begins making a small car in the United States that gets 40 mpg on gas, a benchmark set by the U.S. government when Fiat took over Chrysler.

Jeep Support Alex Bellini in Trans-American Ultra-Marathon

For 70 years, the Jeep brand has embodied a spirit of freedom and pride. From our founding in a world at war, through long years and countless miles, we’ve been battle-tested, weathered elements, and defied gravity. Behind the iconic seven-slot grille has always been a vehicle made well, with pride, by people who care.

The legendary American brand that stands for freedom, adventure, authenticity, passion and uniqueness sports along with Alex Bellini in his new challenge: to run a 5,000 km race across the United States. Alex Bellini is participating in the LA-NY Footrace 2011, the trans-American ultramarathon that is taking place between Los Angeles and New York over 70 days and will cover in 70 stages fifteen different U.S. States over a distance of 70 km per day: the authentic adventure of a unique athlete who challenges himself through the land of freedom with a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited by his side in the year of the 70th Anniversary of the Jeep brand. The challenge began on June 19 th.
 The adventure of Alex Bellini will be online at www.jeep-people.com

Jeep is the Main Sponsor of the new adventure of Alex Bellini.
Alex is an athlete that keeps pushing himself to the limit and he is now trying to run across the United States of America from LA to NY. It will be an extremely tough challenge, more than 3'100 miles with an average of 45 miles per day for 70 days. At this very moment Alex has already run about 1300 miles of the 5,000 mile marathon in just 30 days.

Mopar Nudge Bar For 2011 Grand Cherokee Added To Jeep Bull Bar Gallery

We have added the part numbers and photo of 2011 Grand Cherokee Nudge Bar to the Jeep Bull Bar Gallery HERE

Grand Cherokee "Most Awarded SUV Ever"

Jeep Must Be Doing Something Right!
Since its introduction, the 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee has captured 30 awards from an array of opinion-leading publications, television and on-line media outlets, journalist associations and industry organizations making it the most awarded SUV ever. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee continues to evolve and carve out a refined and unique place in the automotive marketplace, the numerous awards and claims are proof that this legendary icon only continues to improve.
The all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has captured the following awards:
4x4 Australia Magazine: 4x4 of the Year 
Auto123.com: Mid-size Utility of the Year 
Auto Bild allrad: Best Imported 4x4 (between 40,000 and 60,000 Euros) 
AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards: Premium Mid-size SUV category
AutoWeek: Best of the Best 2011 Truck 
Car and Driver: 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards/Mid-size SUVs 
Car and Driver: Best Performer – Interior Sound Level 
Car Middle East Magazine: Family Car of the Year 
Consumers Digest: Best Buy 
Decisive Media: Urban Wheel award – 2011 Urban Truck of the Year 
Detroit News: Truck of the Year 
Four Wheeler magazine: Four Wheeler of the Year 
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS): Top Safety Pick 
Internet Truck of the Year (2011) 
Kelley Blue Book: 2011 Top 10 Family Cars 
Motoring 2011: 2011 SUV/SUV Over $40,000 award 
Motorweek: Drivers’ Choice Award 
msn.Autos: Safest Cars in America/Safest Sport Utility Vehicle 
New England Motor Press Association: Official Winter Vehicle of New England 
Northwest Automotive Press Association: Best SUV 
Northwest Automotive Press Association: Best Off-road SUV 
Playboy: Best SUV 
Popular Mechanics: Automotive Excellence award – Off-road Ability 
Ruedas ESPN: Best SUV 
Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association: Best SUV 
Society of Plastics Engineers: Environmental Innovation award 
Texas Auto Writers Association: SUV of Texas 
Texas Auto Writers Association: Full-size SUV of Texas 
Ward’s: 10 Best Interiors 
Utah Rides: 2011 Truck/SUV of the Year
Source: Chrysler LLC

70 Years of Jeep - What Came After WW2? The CJ2A!

In our 70th Anniversary series of articles we have been concentrating on the original WW2 Willys and Ford Jeeps in action in the Pacific with Australian and Allied forces, but what happened as the war ended?
Well as the war was ending during 1945 Willys started production of the Civilian Jeep (CJ) version of the trusty military Jeep,.the CJ2A.Production started July 17, 1945 with the CJ2A sharing production with the MB. Production on the MB continues on through September 1945 with roughly 9000 being produced. Since the CJ2A used many MB parts---they looked very much like a civilianized MB with a column shift, larger headlights, tailgate and side mounted spare tire!

Few people realise that the CJ2A had two civilian ancestors:  The CJ-1 and the CJ-2.  By 1944, the Allies were confident the war would be won.  This allowed Willys to consider designing a Jeep for the post-war civilian market.  Documentation is hard to come by, but it seems that a CJ-1 (for "Civilian Jeep-1") was running by May of that year.  The CJ-1 was apparently an MB that had been modified by adding a tailgate, drawbar, and a civilian-style canvas top.  None of the CJ-1s built have survived, and it is not known how many were built.
The CJ-2s, also known as "AgriJeeps", were a further evolution of the design and appeared sometime in 1944 or 1945.    They had tailgates, Power Take-offs ("PTO"s), engine governors, column-shift T90 transmissions, 5.38 gears, 2.43:1 low-range transfer cases, and driver's-side tool indentations.  The earlier models had brass plaques on the bonnet and windscreen that read "JEEP".  Later models were stamped "JEEP" a la the familiar "WILLYS" stamping that appeared on the CJ-2A and later models.  Some CJ-2s had "AgriJeep" plaques affixed to the dash.  The spare tyre was mounted forward of the passenger-side rear wheel on the earlier models and aft of the rear wheel on later ones. It seems that CJ-2s were distributed to "agricultural stations" for evaluation purposes. 214,760 Willys CJ2As were produced between 1945 and 1949. 
source http://www.thecj2apage.com/

JK Wrangler Door Chimes Driving You Mad? Get A Chime Buster -

This product works a treat. Have just installed it into The Talking Jeep Oz JK and what a difference it makes. No more annoying door chimes when you open the door with the key still in the ignition. You can program how long the chime goes for (mine is 5 seconds) and then silence at last! 
Installation instructions are easy to follow and you just need a soldering iron and some basic mechanical or electrical know how and your set. 
Available from Double Black Off Road.

Chime Buster allows you to control the door chime from a single "chime" to an adjustable period or continuous period.

Key Features

• Easy Installation - 4 wire connection to Fuse Box
• Very compact - 25 x 25 x 15mm (1" x 1" x 0.5")
• Teachable: choose a quick single "Chime", a time period of your choice or continuous (Factory Default)
• Designed for serious Off Road use / Fully sealed
• Originally designed for all Jeep JK Wranglers & now available to Jeep TJ, Chrysler PT Cruiser & Dodge Avenger.
  • 2 & 4 door
  • Petrol & Diesel
  • Left and Right Hand Drive
• Fitment instructions are both specific to Jeep JK & TJ Wrangler and generic to adapt to other vehicles
• Cost is just $65

Check out Chime Buster and all the other great gear at Double Black Off Road

Brisbane Bombers NRL Expansion Bid Supported By Jeep

Chrysler Australia and the Jeep brand are proud to support the Brisbane NRL expansion bid and their Battle for Brisbane.

The Brisbane NRL Bid Team have announced their name, ‘the Brisbane Bombers’ coinciding with this was the announcement of Jeep as the automotive supporter of the Brisbane bid.
The Jeep brand’s support of the Brisbane Bombers builds on their growing portfolio of sponsorships including the AFL’s Richmond Tigers, Greg Crick in the Australian GT Championship and world-leading kite surfer Ben Wilson.

Sydney 4WD Show On Soon.

Sydney 4WD & Adventure Show 26th - 28th august 2011 At Sydneys Eastern Creek Dragway
Building on the success of its launch in 2010, the Show will be even better, with everything to do with four wheel driving and the great outdoors.
Presented by the 4WD Clubs of ACT and NSW in association with 4 Wheel Drive Australia, the Show is designed as a one-stop place for outdoor enthusiasts to find all the products, information, advice and entertainment they need to get equipped for their next offroad adventure. With exhibits covering new release vehicles, 4wd accessories, 4wd clubs, offroad caravans and camper trailers, fishing and boating, camping accessories, electronics, tourism and destinations, and lifestyle products - there really is something for everyone!
MORE INFORMATION

Australian 4WD Gathering 2012

Calling All 4 Wheel Drivers To The 9th Australian 4WD Gathering

When:    28th, 29th , 30th September, 1st October 2012

Where:   Mt Ive Station – Gawler Ranges S.A.

The 9th Australian 4WD Gathering 2012 brings together four-wheel drivers from across the nation to participate in four-wheel driving, the opportunity to meet new 4WD friends and enjoy a brilliant long weekend in South Australia’s stunning Gawler Ranges.

The National 4WD gathering includes some meals, 4WD tours, demonstrations, guest speakers, workshops, bush dance, happy hours and much more...

Whether you are in a 4WD Club, prefer to travel alone or with friends, you are invited to be part of this memorable 4WD Gathering event.

 Its just unfortunate that it clashes with the National Jeep Jamboree in Sydney

More Information 

Marchionne Says Fiat and Chrysler To Merge Management

MILAN -- Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC will have a single management structure soon, Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of both companies, said Wednesday, as he takes another step toward merging the two car makers.
Mr. Marchionne plans to announce a unified structure "in terms of leadership pretty quickly," the executive told reporters in Zurich after a speech at the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Marchionne, 59, declined to say whether the announcement would come along with Fiat's quarterly earnings report on July 26.
Mr. Marchionne is working on management changes as he steps up the integration of the two companies. He plans to merge the carmakers to reduce costs and achieve a target of more than $140 billion in combined revenue by 2014. The executive said in May that the timing of a merger hasn't been decided yet, adding that a combination isn't likely this year.
Fiat, which was initially granted a 20 percent stake in Chrysler by the U.S. government, aims to hold 57 percent of the third-biggest U.S. automaker by the end of 2011.
The United Auto Workers union's trust will have 41.5 percent of Chrysler at that time, Fiat said.
Fiat agreed June 3 to pay $500 million for the U.S. government's remaining 6 percent stake in Chrysler, boosting its holding to 52 percent. The CEO expects to receive an additional 5 percent stake in the fourth quarter in return for developing a fuel-efficient car for Chrysler.
Source Toledo Blade

Jeep Cherokee Goes Soft! 2WD Cherokee For Australia In 2012

Looks like the Jeep Cherokee is going soft. Jeep Australia are likely to bring in 2 wheel drive versions of both the KK Cherokee Limited and Sport in 2012 model year.
In what looks like a softening of core Jeep values Jeep Australia seem to think that there is a market for 2WD Cherokee in Australia.

Only time will tell if they are correct, the 2WD Cherokee could appeal to those buyers who only ever use it in the city and they could also appeal to some 2WD Ford Territory buyers looking for the looks of a tougher 4WD wagon without the full 4WD terrain capability. The decision is most likely price driven to acheive a lower entry price into the the "SUV" market which would be acheived with a 2WD Cherokee, coming in at a much lower price than 4WD versions. Expect much lower resale value on 2WD versions than equivelant 4WD models. Lets hope 2WD buyers dont try take them into 4WD terrain. The Cherokee has been available in 2WD form in US markets for many years.

Should Off Road Trailers Be Banned?

Should Off Road Trailers Be Banned?  
Robert Pepper ponders this question on his blog.

"Every time we head off into the outback the percentage of 4WDs towing something has increased. This year we reckon over 70% of vehicles had a trailer behind them, and the growth shows no sign of abating."

"There are good reasons for the trailer-mania; modern vehicles have power to spare and make excellent towcars, people need (want) to take more stuff on holiday and there’s a thriving trailer manufacturer industry which has spawned an equally active rental market too. Trailers can make a campsite sufficiently civilised to tempt recalcitrant partners out into the bush, and for those with children the extra space and liveability is a godsend. But the offroad trailer trend could be curtailed. More and more outback tracks are being closed to trailers, and if this continues trailer owners will be more limited in their touring destinations. Now there are some tracks which should be closed to trailers, but nowhere near as many that are currently classed as ‘no go’"

Check out the full story here Robert Peppers Blog

Photo Courtesy of GoJeep

No More 2 Door Diesel Wranglers For Australia In 2012

Word is that Jeep Australia are no longer going to import the 2 Door Wrangler with the Turbo Diesel engine. They will only be importing the 4 Door Unlimited in both manual 6 speed and Auto 5 speed versions. In a move that appears to be against the strong market trends to the cleaner and more efficient diesel fuel, the Wrangler 2 Door has only been selling in small volumes compared to the very succesfull 4 door version.

Maybe Jeep see the new Pentastar V6 as a more price effective power source than the expensive ($5000) option of the Diesel. The Pentastar V6 engine is certainly less thirsty than the current 3.8L V6 engine that is long past its use by date. Diesel buyers will need to look elswhere or buy one of the few remaining 2011 current 2 door Wranglers. Check out Talking Jeep Oz for more updates soon on the 2012 Jeep models heading to Australia.

Wrangler JK-8 Pick Up Kit Now Available In USA (UPDATED)

Mopar USA have released the JK-8 Independence Kit introduced at the Moab Jeep Safari in April and it is now available through US dealers.
Estimated price for the kit is $5499.00 (US$) plus installation and an expert enthusiast working quickly can do the conversion over a weekend, though most owners will need little longer. The kit  is shipped in JK-8 and Mopar-stamped wooden crate (85.25-inch by 62.25-inch by 30-inch), instructions included and with a single part number (77070049).
Its not yet known if it will be available through local Australian dealers. If you are keen to convert your Wrangler Unlimited to a pick up and have contacts in the shipping business it might be worth buying online and shipping to Oz.

The kit is designed to convert a Wrangler Unlimited with the full hardtop to a two-door, two-seat pickup with a 50-inch long by 44-inch wide (between the wheel wells) bed. The JK-8 Independence Kit contains all the necessary parts, including the bed floor, inner and outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead. source - allpar.com

Off Road Trailers Cause Damage To Canning Stock Route

Four Wheel Drive Australia have advised that off road trailers are causing substancial damage to the canning stock route. They suggest travellers along this remote track to use your swag or tent and leave your camper trailers at home. More than the usual wear and tear caused by travellers towing trailers is of great concern to our fraternity and the locals. Part of the attraction of this route is the challenge of driving through such a vast wild natural area. The track is not maintained and for the few who drive it each year this great experience is being lessened by track and roadside damage caused during attempts to haul trailers over dunes in particular. Nobody wants a highway through this area but it does need suitably set up vehicles to traverse its challenges. With improved durability in camper trailer design, the track is now the weak link rather than the equipment. The damage caused by towing trailers highlights that these are not appropriate for this route.   

Further information http://www.anfwdc.asn.au/index.php

Resolution of VSI 50 NSW Suspension Modifications - Update

There is a general belief in the 4WD community, possibly as a result of some media claims, that the proposed regulations to apply to vehicle suspension modifications (VSI50) were dead.
However this is far from reality. The 4WD Industry Representatives (AAAA) and the Peak 4WD User Group (4WD NSW & ACT) have been in ongoing discussions with the RTA on proposals that meet the desired objectives of both organisations. It is hoped that a mutually agreed position can be reached in the near future.
In recent discussions the Minister for Roads, the Hon. Mr Duncan Gay, gave an undertaking to work as quickly as possible to resolve the issue and take into account, the views of the peak user group, the 4WD Industry and the previous commitments given by Andrew Stoner as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
For further information, please contact: president@4wdnow.com
Peter Fenwick,
President
Four Wheel Drive NSW & ACT
Contact: 1800 646 630
July 2011

Jeep Wrangler Production Update - 2012 Model Changes

As we have previously mentioned, the popularity of the Jeep Wrangler is causing production stress. The factory is struggling to keep up with world wide demand to the point where the US factory may have to off-load production, to Europe.

The Jeep Wrangler sales so far this year are up 13 per cent in the US alone and reports say that the Fiat-Chrysler alliance may have to use a Fiat plant to meet demand in Europe.
The popular CRD Turbo Diesel models are currently in very short supply in Australia with most dealers quoting 2 to 3 months delivery times. The introduction to Australia of the Pentastar V6 petrol 3.6L engine is also expected to increase sales demand of petrol versions. Chrysler Australia are adjusting the specification of 2012 models to try and keep the price close to current levels. The new 2012 models will start arriving later this year and will have changes to Australian versions including the Renegade Pack having just a Hardtop Roof (no soft top) as standard and with the option of Dual Top (soft and hard top) as an additional cost ($3000 est) option. An increase in price on the petrol models will also take effect over the current 3.8L V6 of around $2000 for the "more expensive" Pentastar V6 engine.
If they need to build outside of the US it is thought that Fiat would take up the production overload as they are already tooling up to build other Jeep models. The globalisation of Jeep products may lead to new models for the US, especially diesels. Maybe! ..... just maybe ....!  this could see right hand drive Turbo Diesel production increase which might give us some hope of seeing a Rubicon Diesel in Australia in the future . But according to Jeep Australia they dont see this happening in the forseeable future.

Laredo CRD With Quadra-lift and Off Road Pack - The Ultimate Off Road Grand Cherokee

The new 2011 Turbo Diesel CRD Grand Cherokee's are starting to arrive at Australian dealerships. The 3.0L V6 CRD engine is available accross the range but the vehicle most likely to appeal to the more adventurous buyer is the Laredo model which can be ordered with both the Quadra-lift air suspension option and the Off Road Adventure Packs.

The Laredo equipped with the CRD Turbo Diesel, Quadra-lift, Off Road Adventure Pack will be equipped to tackle very serious terrain, although the Kuhmo "All Terrain" tyres are pretty tame by most Jeepers standards.
The Off-Road Adventure II Pack includes — Fuel tank, transfer case, underbody and front suspension skid plates. Quadra-Drive™ II 4WD system, rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential (ELSD), 3.45 axle ratio, 230mm rear axle, 265/60/R18 Kumho Solus KL21 all-terrain tyres, 18 x 8-inch polished aluminium wheels.
It is not available on the petrol Pentastar V6.

Grand Cherokee Quadra-Lift Flex On RTI Ramp!

One of Australia's most well regarded 4x4 Journalists and 4WD Guru, Robert Pepper, has just tested the latest Grand Cherokee with Quadra-Lift Air Suspension on the RTI flex ramp and compared it to the Discovery 3 & 4 with similar suspension on the same test. Interesting comments about the Jeep and Disco systems and their overall abilities.

"Both overall scores are pretty low for an offroad vehicle, but flex is not the whole story of offroad capability and the Grand's traction control system is, so far, just about the best I've seen and yes that includes the Discovery 4.  In other words, don't write off the Grand as a softroader just because it has a pathetic RTI score because it is more than capable in the bush.  In fact, it's a very, very good bush machine indeed and has by a country mile the best hill descent control system I've seen, and I think I've used them all."
Check out the full story at http://www.4wdhandbook.com/rmp/blog/jeep-grand-cherokee-2011-flex-rti-suspension