Every year, we head to Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, for several days of wheeling. Usually, our rigs are pretty busted up by the end of the week, so we walk the Safari show at the arena and scour over and under Jeeps, countertops, and displays looking for the coolest, newest, must-have trinket. Here's what we found in the stash this year.
Jeep Corp. has decided to up the ante over the Rubicon-model Wranglers. The new program is called ORT (Off Road Technology). It will be to the off-road industry what the SRT program is to the street guys. This four-door JK is just an idea of what an off-the-lot Jeep could be. This concept version includes a winch, heavy-duty bumpers, painted flares and top, and a few other doodads to set it apart from the standard lot Wranglers.
Information: Visit www.jeep.com or wrestle your local dealer for more details.
Meet the new BFGoodrich Mud Terrain that should be available this fall. It looks kinda like the Krawler, only it's said to be more streetable. It should also perform better in ice and snow, thanks to the small groves in the tread blocks. It's rumored to have an even tougher sidewall, and word on the street is new sizes--as in bigger. We should be rolling an early set through some brutal testing right about when you finish reading this sentence.
Information: BFGoodrich; 877/788-8899, www.bfgoodrichtires.com
JKS combined its ACOS adjustable coil spacer and a hydraulic bumpstop to get this cool widget. You can adjust your TJ's ride height and bumpstop location independently of each other with this item. Plus, it helps absorb the heavy hits better than a factory solid bumpstop. Installation requires no welding, just some trimming and hole drilling.
Information: JKS Manufacturing; 308/762-6949, www.jksmfg.com
If your factory Jeep powerplant isn't enough, Burnsville Off Road offers complete Hemi 6.1L swaps. You'll also find the 5.7L Hemi, 4.7L Jeep V-8, and both the 2.8L CRD and 3.0L CRD diesels in the realm of Burnsville's vocabulary. And if none of those suit your needs, you can have Burnsville Off Road stuff a 505hp, 8.3L Viper V-10 under the hood!
Information: Burnsville Off Road; 952/890-3990, www.burnsvilleoffroad.com
Stage 8 Locking Fasteners specializes in keeping all sorts of automotive hardware tight. The company redesigned the spindle nut system to do away with the problematic jam nuts and came up with the X-Lock. It's made from laser-cut 4130 chromoly and maintains wheel-bearing preload. Kits are available for Dana 44 and 60 front axles.
Information: Stage 8 Locking Fasteners; 800/843-7836, www.stage8.com
Poly Performance is stepping way out of the trinkets and widgets biz and is now punching out sleek and durable yet lightweight JK rockers, bumpers, and other sick metalwork--even full bolt-on and custom weld-on suspension kits for TJ and JK Jeeps.
Information: Poly Performance; 805/783-2060, www.polyperformance.com
Jp Magazine's own dyno tests showed no change with a filter swap alone, but there were noticeable increases with an improved intake tube on the 4.0L. You can't deny the Banks Power Ram-Air system comes with the largest intake tube in the industry. Smoother airflow means more power potential for your Jeep's inline-six.
Information: Banks Power; 888/294-4977, www.jp.bankspower.com