Australian JL to get improved shocks and springs

[Rockmaninoff]

The JL is being tested in the Australian Outback and article speaks of the first updates the new JL is going to get:

https://www.drive.com.au/motor-feature/jeep-wrangler-outback-testing-117152.html

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[BillyHW]

Only 3.2L? You guys are getting the Cherokee engine in the JL?

 

[Rockmaninoff]

Only 3.2L? You guys are getting the Cherokee engine in the JL?

Further down it says 0L... the car journalists ("journos") here are clueless when it comes to anything American other than Ford.

 

[BillyHW]

Further down it says 0L... the car journalists ("journos") here are clueless when it comes to anything American other than Ford.

So are Jeeps not very popular down there?

 

[Rockmaninoff]

So are Jeeps not very popular down there?

Traditionally, no. It's mostly Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols and only recently Jeeps have started getting awareness... not too different from situation in the middle east. Land Rover Defender and Discovery models also have earned a sweet spot here but that's because of the colonial past because they have poor reliability.

 

[DanW]

Check out Ronny Dahl's Youtube channel. He takes off-road expeditions in Western AU. He shoots some amazing video in places I can only dream about. They mostly run the Land Cruisers, an occasional Patrol, and I think sometimes a Hi-Lux pickup or two. His Dad has a green JK that is in on almost every trip. Ronny has told me his Dad loves his JK and that they all respect what it can do. It just can't carry the cargo that many of these guys like to haul around.

Anyway, I'd love to go down there and ride along with them. If I ever hit the Powerball, I'll buy and keep a JLUR down there to go on a bunch of trips with him!

There is a TON of information to learn from this guy, and others like Dan Grek (theroadchoseme.com). They do FAR more miles of serious off-roading in some of the most remote places in the world. They have vast experience.

Btw, wait until you see Bell Gorge, to which they hike in this video. Beautiful! (I would have said Gorgeous, but that would have been a terrible pun, and I simply won't subject my friends to that kind of humor!)

 

[BillyHW]

Well I've never seen the Patrol over here, and the current Land Cruiser seems more like a luxury big SUV than an off-roader to me. And of course the Defender has been discontinued.

Maybe this is an opportunity for Jeep to make some inroads into the Australian market.

It's true that payload is a weakness of the Wrangler...can payload be increased with a suspension mod?

 

[maguro]

Well I've never seen the Patrol over here, and the current Land Cruiser seems more like a luxury big SUV than an off-roader to me. And of course the Defender has been discontinued.

The Australians get the real land cruiser - the 70 series with the front and rear diff locks. Sadly, we only get the soccer mom variety.

 

[DanW]

Well I've never seen the Patrol over here, and the current Land Cruiser seems more like a luxury big SUV than an off-roader to me. And of course the Defender has been discontinued.

Maybe this is an opportunity for Jeep to make some inroads into the Australian market.

It's true that payload is a weakness of the Wrangler...can payload be increased with a suspension mod?

Payload may be less, but that Brian Dahl's Jeep (Ronny's dad) seems to have not had any trouble haning with all those Land Cruiser trucks. I've not seen a video where he had any issues or break downs. Ronnie told me they have great respect for that JK and that it has been pushed very hard. I can't remember how many he said, but he told me it has LOTS of miles on it, too. It is the 3.8 in that JK, by the way.

 

[Rockmaninoff]

Well I've never seen the Patrol over here, and the current Land Cruiser seems more like a luxury big SUV than an off-roader to me. And of course the Defender has been discontinued.

Maybe this is an opportunity for Jeep to make some inroads into the Australian market.

It's true that payload is a weakness of the Wrangler...can payload be increased with a suspension mod?

Nissan Patrol is almost the same as the Infinity QX80 that you get there. I also heard Nissan Armada somewhere but not sure. Fantastic vehicle though...



As for JL/JK payload, you'd also need bigger brakes and maybe tweaks to ESC to make it properly legal.

 

[BillyHW]

The Armada is nice but a little on the big side.

 

[Gavin]

Bad news, the JK had multiple failures in the recent series by Ronny Dahl - but they even managed to crack the chassis of a Landcruiser pickup...

I recommend watching his channel, it’s entertaining...

 

[DanW]

Bad news, the JK had multiple failures in the recent series by Ronny Dahl - but they even managed to crack the chassis of a Landcruiser pickup...

I recommend watching his channel, it’s entertaining...

I missed that! What problems did they have? They really taxed the equipment on that trip!

 

[Jeepcity]

Brian has had to have his engine rebuilt,cooling issues, and on last run, front sway bar link brackets on diff broke.Other than that,it does well for open diffs against hie brothers locked cruizer. Do enjoy his videos.

 

[DanW]

Brian has had to have his engine rebuilt,cooling issues, and on last run, front sway bar link brackets on diff broke.Other than that,it does well for open diffs against hie brothers locked cruizer. Do enjoy his videos.

I am pretty sure he had LOTS of miles on that old 3.8. Sounds like he'll fix it up and get it back on the trails. That Jeep has been through a lot. I'm not sure what year it is, but it might be an 07.

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