Colorado B.S. Thread

that would have taught you the true meaning of "wonky'

 

some of us have actually tried replacing the entire pack first, as the stock stuff is meant more for holding up the truck in the dealer lot, then started loading it up with recovery gear and stuff. That seems to work out good for the most part.

 

But I dunno if that's true, either. Emissions laws have certainly neutered their lineup, but with the Patriot and Compass and Cherokee, they've got the little 2.4L 4 banger. They sell enough grocery getters to 20 year old girls that surely they could've salvaged the Grand and regular Cherokee. But they put all their eggs in the JK basket, and literally turned the Grand and Cherokee into cars.

Meanwhile Toyota offers the Taco, 4R, and Tundra all with lockers and upgraded suspensions. Once Toyota builds a real 3/4 ton or 1 ton Tundra, I think domestics are dead in the water. Japanese cars are better, Japanese SUVs are better, Japanese minivans are better, and Japanese light trucks are better. If they lose the heavy duty truck race, what could they possibly cling onto? The American attempts to mimic the other segments are laughable. Who's taking a Dodge Dart over a Corolla?

 

Yeah, I think I've just always had a ton of stuff in there, so even after I put the OME on.. it didn't really look lifted. I wanted to do the Alcans.. but that didn't happen so I figured the AAL would help a little. Mainly just wanted it to stop bottoming out, which it would do on some bumps if I hit them with downward momentum.

 

there is actually a very simple reason why trucks are morphing into cars here in the US. It's been happening for decades.

The housewife. They fucked it up for everybody.

The scenario:
You buy a new truck. You like it the way it is, that's why you bought it.
You let the wife drive it a few times.
She discovers it's hard to get in and out of with female things on. Sits too tall
It's too loud.
Getting out to lock in the hubs? ain't gonna happen.

So the dealer calls your home number, remember this started decades ago, and you aren't home, you're at work of course, this is what we do as the breadwinners.
You're working away, to pay for that brand new truck, and keep a roof over the little womans head.
The dealer starts to ask survey questions, your wife is happy to answer them, after all she has driven the truck at least once or twice, her opinion matters too.

And she states that it sits too tall, it's too loud, what are hubs? what can't there just be a button or dial to turn? etc.....you can see how that ends up looking on the final consumer report.

And now we are given what we have today. Anemic v6's with crappy gas mileage and nanny systems that refuse to let us drive like we were meant to.

 

On thing I'm not sure on is if the average is based on what you sell or what you offer. If it's what you sell, I can't imagine Jeep sells anywhere close to what they sell in Wranglers in any other line. Which means all those other lineups need to be as economical as possible to offset the wrangler. The grands are probably #2 in their lineup for sales, so hence the grands become efficient cars while the wranglers take the 4wd segment.

Dodge has the Power Wagon, but the damn things are so big and heavy and expensive that they aren't a mainstream choice, although the Dana 60's, solid axles all around, 2" lift, and front and rear lockers, make a nice package. They really needed to build that into a Durango or bring back the Dakota to make it really useful.

I'm really eager to see what Chevy does with the Colorado ZR2. They've got the lineup to offset any emissions argument, and upgraded 4wd specific shocks, a diesel option, front/rear lockers, and 2" lift over stock are a good start. Don't know what the rear axle is and I think the front is IFS so we'll have to see how that plays out. If they end up making a good product, it'll probably steal sales from the Wrangler, but it might cause toyota to up their game and it might prod Ford and Dodge to get back into the midsize market with something worth offering. I'm already hearing that Ford is bringing back the Ranger for 2018.

 

This, 1000x this. The wrangler was in danger for a while there because of this back when the JK first launched with their 4dr. Too many soccer mom's bought the wrangler thinking it was a cool bad-ass alternative to a minivan. Then they drove them for a bit and found out they drove like trucks, and were loud and unrefined, and bam suddenly all kinds of talk about neutering the wrangler because too many new ones were hitting the used market. Fortunately as the only domestic offering for serious offroading, there were enough voices to stop the madness, but they still want to take the wrangler IFS every few years.

 

I still see more chicks driving mall-rated Wranglers than dudes these days.

 

"Just as they do today, the rules will allow automakers to average their fuel economy across a number of models. A guzzler that doesn’t meet the standard can be “canceled out” by one or more vehicles that better the mpg standard."

 

I'm going to pick up my Prius. That has bald tires on it.

How apropos

 

Yeah and look at the Wrangler of today. Unless it's a Rubicon is all short, D30 up front. Dual climate control. Hard tops almost standard. Heated leather seats, ok this one I can work with. Otherwise, ick.

 

Be sure to be "that" guy and walk past the sign that says, "don't walk out on the log" as you walk out on the log.

 

Thankfully I havent seen that happen any of the times I was there.

 

Helloooooooooooooooo Colorado!!

 

@aero3685 your moutain is calling

It's a cool 44 here right now

 

Time to go have some good pizza.....toodles!

 

Expecting Choo choo updates then

 

Or birds swimming.

 

You out there now?