I was eager to open the October '06 issue of Jp, but I stopped my initial browsing at a photo of the Gladiator concept truck and article on the future of diesel engines (Trail Head). I read through, expecting to be enlightened by the wisdom of Jeep experts along with exciting news about the coming of the CRD. Instead, I found comments about heavy engines with no practical use in a Jeep.
I recently took my first Rubicon Trail trip during the '06 Jeeper's Jamboree, where I witnessed hundreds of Jeeps revving up and stalling out simply in an effort to climb the rocks. Our 4.0L spent several days below 2,500 rpm, while much of the rockclimbing was done below 1,500 rpm. I have some knowledge of diesel engines, and I believe that we could've idled through most of the trail with the low-end torque of a diesel. I happened to meet a YJ owner who had installed a Frito-Lay truck four-cylinder diesel, and his report of the trail confirmed my thoughts-diesels idle and don't stall.
The Jp article stated that diesels don't do much in the mud and sand, but we're talking about Jeeps and not those overgrown, overhorsepowered, suburban pickups that can't fit on the truly challenging trail. I believe that you bozos will have to eat your words in the future when the diesel is king of the trail, especially once I take over as the new Jp editor and return you poop-throwing primates to thejungle, where your intellectual abilities are better suited for eating bugs out of each other's fur.Stephen KutchkoBerkeley, California
Hey, easy there. I keep my fur pretty clean, Christian is bald, and Pete, well, I wouldn't eat anything off of him.
Yep, a diesel will out-idle a gas engine, hands down. This is perfect on a boulder-strewn trail, where low-rpm torque is king. However, most of our Jeeps spend time on the road, where that particular diesel wouldn't be quite as fun.
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