3.6 power loss at elevation

[Zandcwhite]

The folks arguing this the most, rarely drive above sea level so I am not sure why they care. Those of us that live in Denver or above 6,000' don't notice because we are already at a much higher altitude and everything else we drive is as well. Going from 6,000 to 10,000' which is where the bulk of the trails are is a 15% or so further reduction. Once we get up there, we are generally going slow again and do not really notice the change. On the way up, the guys that want to go above 65 mph might feel it more (hard to do most of the time with the amount of cars on the road going over the pass).

Rarely does anyone immediately jump from a car at sea level into the same exact vehicle at 10,000'. You have to drive to the mountains so the reduction is more gradual. I drove the Jeep over Estes (11,500) on a Friday and then hooked it up to my RV and was in Brownsville (sea level) on Monday. Jumped in the Jeep and did a 100 mile drive. Then drove it regularly for the next month at sea level. I noticed the difference, but it was not night and day nor did it matter as everything else on the road was also at sea level and flat so the engine was never pushed. Furthermore, most places outside Utah and Colorado do not see really high elevations on a regular basis so the argument over which engine and how much loss should not matter to anyone else...

Typical CO resident, forgets that the Sierra Nevada's exist I live at 102' above sea level and I'm frequently at 9k ft+ within 5 hours of home. All while still in California. Yes climbing from a few hundred feet to 10k feet in a few hours is normal for me and the performance loss is glaring with the 3.6L. It wasn't nearly as noticeable with the 2.0t. Fortunately the JL and the 8 speed are good enough I don't end up in the slow lane climbing grades at 40mph like the old 4.0L but it's still obvious.

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[Ratbert]

So you consider that little side note as big enough of a deal to write mini-novels on? You gotta be kiddin me dude. You were going to drag out a horse that's been beaten repeatedly for years with no resolution ONCE AGAIN for another round, just because of two lines out of everything I said?

A simple one line reply would have been more than sufficient to state your disagreement. Now that you've explained your thinking, i've changed my mind - i'd like to apply this meme ALSO to this subject:

That doesn't mean that I don't care about that subject at all, it means that I don't care to get into an argument with Stuart Minkus over it.

Four sentences is now a mini novel? Maybe from some people's perspective

 

[Ratbert]

Did no one tow or wheel at high altitudes with those NA Wranglers? OF COURSE THEY DID! They still are! It's just not that big of a deal!

You're the one making those claims as if we've been making them, but we haven't. I'm sure that's a fallacy of some form, but hmmm, I can't seem to remember the name.

Completely different topic, but did I ever mention that my house is made out of straw? Man, if I could only remember what the name of that fallacy was.

 

[TheRaven]

I love the looks I get from people who think a lifted Jeep will fall over in a corner. Passed an entire mustang "club" coming down 58 out of tehachapi and some of them looked embarrassed as they slowed way more than necessary for corners that I drove right through...on 39s. Our Jeeps see triple digits in the dirt in the desert so no, I'm not afraid of a turn on the highway.

My base-engine-equipped Cadillac CTS would absolutely murder both mine and your Wranglers on any given windy (or windy) road. Not even close - even with my completely average driving. Those Mustang drivers were pussies apparently.

I don't want to make it sound like you can't have fun driving a Wrangler...but it's a completely different kind of fun

 

[roaniecowpony]

When does the straw man get introduced? That’s when the thread will get even more off the rails…

I'm thinking this thread could drive me to Burning Man.

 

[Remorseless]

I'm thinking this thread could drive me to Burning Man.

Only if Burning Man is held under 5000' elevation

 

[Zandcwhite]

My base-engine-equipped Cadillac CTS would absolutely murder both mine and your Wranglers on any given windy (or windy) road. Not even close - even with my completely average driving. Those Mustang drivers were pussies apparently.

I don't want to make it sound like you can't have fun driving a Wrangler...but it's a completely different kind of fun

As they say, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I've passed more sports cars and even super cars in every vehicle I've ever owned, not because the Jeeps, trucks, or even shit box commuter cars were fast, but because there's a lot of non-driving morons on the road in all types of vehicles. The CTS and the mustangs are clearly faster, but the drivers not so much.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Only if Burning Man is held under 5000' elevation

Well, you could always run a "huffer".

 

[Remorseless]

Well, you could always run a "huffer".

So what if OP's mom is a little big, there's no need to compare her to livestock

 

[AnnDee4444]

Typical CO resident, forgets that the Sierra Nevada's exist I live at 102' above sea level and I'm frequently at 9k ft+ within 5 hours of home. All while still in California. Yes climbing from a few hundred feet to 10k feet in a few hours is normal for me and the performance loss is glaring with the 3.6L. It wasn't nearly as noticeable with the 2.0t. Fortunately the JL and the 8 speed are good enough I don't end up in the slow lane climbing grades at 40mph like the old 4.0L but it's still obvious.

Agreed. I've driven to Haleakalā (volcano on Maui) in a rented 3.6 JK. Over 10,000' elevation change In under 38 miles...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tMbgzeTT5gRnicRM9

 

[Remorseless]

Agreed. I've driven to Haleakalā (volcano on Maui) in a rented 3.6 JK. Over 10,000' elevation change In under 38 miles...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tMbgzeTT5gRnicRM9

Oof, so you would've had the Merc trans if an auto... my condolences.

 

[yokramer]

Only if Burning Man is held under 5000' elevation

But if you can manage to get over 20k that turbo is gonna start doin somthing

 

[Zandcwhite]

Agreed. I've driven to Haleakalā (volcano on Maui) in a rented 3.6 JK. Over 10,000' elevation change In under 38 miles...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tMbgzeTT5gRnicRM9

That's one of the drives I bring up when east coasters want to talk about "mountains". Even Hawaii has real mountains. Nothing east of the Mississippi is over 7k feet which is barely out of the foothills in the sierras and rockies.

 

[AnnDee4444]

Oof, so you would've had the Merc trans if an auto... my condolences.

Nothing's faster than a rental car though, so it balanced out. FWIW: it's claimed to be the "longest, steepest paved road in the world". Also it meets the criteria of being a windy windy road.

 

[AnnDee4444]

That's one of the drives I bring up when east coasters want to talk about "mountains". Even Hawaii has real mountains. Nothing east of the Mississippi is over 7k feet which is barely out of the foothills in the sierras and rockies.

Mauna Kea (on the Big Island) is considered to be the largest mountain in the world when measured from its base (which is underwater) at 33,500'. It's under 44 miles to climb over 13,800'. https://maps.app.goo.gl/GMA5znc9S6ddERjK9

Unfortunately we'll never be able to test the power output there since the roads aren't open to the public...

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