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Each year, thousands
of diehard off-road enthusiasts descend upon Moab, Utah,
for the Easter Jeep Safari and a week of fun on some of
the country’s best and most rugged trails. Jeep and
Mopar are marking the occasion by returning to the
annual event – which takes place April 16-24 – with six
new customised vehicles.
“The annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari provides us a
perfect opportunity to interact with our most loyal fans
in a true Jeep setting,” said Mike Manley, President and
CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group. “We are able to
demonstrate and test new potential Jeep production and
customisation ideas at our away-from-home proving
ground, while getting instant feedback from our
customers.”
More than 30 percent of the people who are in the market
for a new vehicle are influenced by the breadth and
availability of aftermarket accessories and Mopar comes
to the party with a vast selection of accessories that
will fit a variety of lifestyles.
“From full engine packages to slush mats, Mopar has
everything for the avid off-roader,” said Pietro Gorlier,
President and Chief Executive Officer – Mopar, Chrysler
Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “In
fact, Mopar covers the spectrum with more than 280,000
proven quality-tested parts and accessories that allow
customers to personalize their Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge,
Ram and Fiat vehicles.” Over the past decade, a
dedicated group of engineers, designers and fabricators
from Mopar and Jeep have customised more than two dozen
vehicles and a host of off-road parts and accessories,
and showcased them to the enthusiast crowds in Moab.
“Moparized” Jeep vehicles for the 2011 Moab
Easter Jeep Safari
Jeep Wrangler ’Pork Chop’
The primary focus in the development of ‘Pork
Chop’ was to increase Jeep Wrangler’s off-road fun and
performance even more through extensive weight savings.
The project started with a new 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport.
Weight savings began with removal of a long list of
items, including: doors, top, tailgate, bumpers, carpet
and sway bars. Body modifications began with removing
the rear tailgate hinges and latches and creating a
custom surround. The inner fender panels were reshaped
and the taillamps relocated closer together. A custom
roll cage was crafted and the windshield height was
reduced two inches. Hanson Bumpers provided a set of
unique aluminum bumpers and QMC contributed their
prototype aluminum/carbon fiber hood, held in place with
Drake aluminum hood latches. Mopar added an aluminum
cold-air intake kit, lightweight fender-flares, slush
mats and mirror re-location brackets.
The interior was updated with bright red lightweight
Sparco ‘Chrono Road’ reclining bucket seats. Gale Banks
added a unique set of long tube headers and dual-exhaust
with an integrated H-pipe to replace the stock system.
Further weight savings was recognized courtesy of a
Gen-Right-fabricated, prototype rear-mounted 20-gallon
fuel tank and aluminum skid plate.
A smaller evaporation canister for the emissions system
was borrowed from a 2012 Fiat 500. The massive weight
savings actually lifted the suspension, which was
combined with a moderate Mopar lift to clear Mickey
Thompson 35-inch Baja Claw radials mounted on
lightweight 17x8 E-T Vintage V wheels. The suspension
includes Bilstein 2-inch shocks with reservoirs and
TeraFlex air bumps at all four corners. Dynatrac Axles
designed lightweight ProRock 44 front & rear axles
fitted with 4.88 gears, ARB air lockers and prototype
aluminum differential covers. The axles are located with
unique aluminum control arms provided by Full Traction.
The result is a weight savings of more than 850 lbs.
Jeep Compass Canyon
For 2011, the team has built up its first Jeep
Compass. The project began with a new 2011 model
equipped with Freedom Drive II drivetrain. The Compass
Canyon features a 2-1/8-inch lift kit provided by Rocky
Road Suspension, making room for Mickey Thompson Baja
ATZ 225/75-R16 tires with 16-inch alloy wheels from a
Jeep Liberty. To gain additional wheel articulation,
front and rear sway bars were removed. Select items from
the Mopar catalog include a cold-air induction kit,
cat-back exhaust system, slush mats and a sport pedal
trim kit. To protect the underbody, the team installed
an extensive set of front and rear skid bars, sill
guards and longitudinal skid plates to fend off the
harsh rocks on the trails of Moab.
Jeep Cherokee Overland
The mission for the Jeep Cherokee Overland was
to create a small, light adventure platform alternative.
The template is a built-for-export 2011 Jeep Cherokee
(Jeep Liberty in the U.S.) equipped with a 2.8-liter CRD
4-cylinder turbo diesel and Selec-Trac II 4x4 system.
ARB offered their steel roof rack, awning, compact
refrigerator and prototype rock rails to set the
Overland’s mood. To increase off-road capability, an ARB
3-inch suspension lift and Old Man Emu shocks clear the
way for Mickey Thompson 265/75-R16 MTZ tires mounted on
steel wheels. Traction is increased with the addition of
an ARB air locker in the rear differential and on-board
air compressor. Mopar provided a host of underbody
protection including skid plates for the front
suspension, transmission and transfer case. Additional
items from the Mopar catalog include front and rear tow
hooks, slush mats, cargo tray liner, sill guards and
sport pedal kit. To blend in with the wildlife, an
update of the classic zebra safari pattern paint scheme
is added to the exterior.
Jeep Wrangler Renegade
At the heart of the Jeep Wrangler Renegade is
the all-new 475 horsepower, 6.4-liter HEMI™ V-8 from
Chrysler Group LLC’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT)
engineering team. Harkening back to the 1972 Jeep
Renegade, which was offered with a V-8, Jeep and Mopar
mated the HEMI to a 6-speed manual transmission feeding
a Dynatrac prepped ProRock 44 front axle and ProRock 60
rear axle, both equipped with ARB air lockers and 4.10
gears. To clear the 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw
radials mounted on AEV Pintler wheels, an AEV/Nth Degree
4-inch suspension lift was installed.
Mopar added a heat dissipating hood and a new
winch-mount front bumper. Other Mopar accessories
include: fuel door, sill guards, bikini top, rock rails,
slush mats and a half-door kit. Warn provided their
all-new 9.5 CTi series winch and AEV finished off the
Renegade with their rear bumper/spare tire carrier
combo. The interior was treated to a Katzkin seat trim
kit sourced from the Mopar catalog and the exterior was
finished in a black and gold paint scheme that recalls
the early 1970’s CJ5 Renegade model.
Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence
Taking cues from the popular Jeep Scrambler
CJ-8 from the 1980’s, Mopar has designed a kit for
do-it-yourselfers that converts a Jeep Wrangler
Unlimited into a pickup truck. The bed length is 50
inches and the width between wheel wells is 44 inches.
The team created body panels to cover the second-row
entrance and removed all of the interior parts behind
the front seats—transforming the vehicle into a
two-seater with just enough room for gear inside, and a
pickup style bed to be used for outside cargo.
The JK-8 drivetrain is fitted with a Mopar/Dynatrac
ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, both
spun with 4.88 gears. Linking the axles to the frame is
a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit and 37-inch BF
Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires make the connection to
the ground. A fresh coat of yellow paint and Mopar’s
off-road bumpers for the front and rear were utilized
along with a new fuel door and slush mats. The JK-8 kit
includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard
top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead.
Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush
Inspired by the King of the Hammers race in the
deserts of California, the Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush
combines high-speed off-road racing and rock-crawling
capability. At the core is a Mopar 426 cubic-inch HEMI
with 540 horsepower. The all-aluminum V-8 is paired with
a 545RFE performance transmission and a gear-drive
transfercase. To help the suspension keep up with the
engine, Mopar added a high-speed, performance off-road
suspension system with internal bypass shocks, front
stabilizer bar and full hydro-steering. Gigantic 39-inch
tires are turned with the help of custom driveshafts.
The Wrangler Blue Crush also features a baja-style full
cage, race seats, fuel cell and short aluminum bumpers.
“Moparized” Ram Truck: Mopar Ram Runner
The available Mopar Ram Runner kit was inspired
by high-speed desert off-road racing. The rigors of
off-road racing require large tires, additional ground
clearance and a sophisticated suspension system capable
of withstanding tremendous impact. These features are
combined with the proven HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 into a
package that is stable at speed and rock-solid in the
corners. Inspired by trophy trucks, steel front fenders
and rear bed-sides are replaced with fiberglass layered
in the Liquid Metal Mopar racing scheme. The
high-clearance wheel wells allow suspension articulation
with zero tire-to-body interference.
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