Tire Rack is currently running a $50 mail-in rebate promotion with the purchase of a set of four Goodyear tires. Offer expires 2/28/2009.
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Loading ...There’s a new kid on the block in the world of off road tires. Pitbull Tires (a division of Missouri-based Tire Mart) are one of the latest offerings in the off road performance tire category. Pitbull offers three different models including the Rocker–their extreme off road tire, the Maddog–their mud terrain tire and the Growler–their all-terrain tire.
I’ll be the first to admit I like their style. Their website states “Our Tires kick ass…period!” And you gotta love that kind of bold confidence.
But what’s the real scoop? Are these tires any different than the dozens of other choices currently on the market? Or are they just another funky tread design with a tough-sounding name?
Pitbull’s website doesn’t shed much light on the matter. Their copy reads ” We’re not going to tell all of our secrets so our competition won’t find out why our tires work so well. Pit Bull Tires® have many distinguishing features that are proprietary.” Um…ok. That’s absolutely no help.
So I decided to put my ear to the ground and see what I could find on these K-9 krawlers. The overwhelming comment I heard was they’re great off road tires, very capable in mud and snow and very sticky–great for rock crawling. Cool, that’s what I like to hear.
Unfortunately the flip side of the commentary was “they wear like soap.” I talked to guys that were getting as little as 12,000 miles from a set of these tires. I guess it’s no surprise since these are bias-ply tires which typically wear much faster than a radial.
The reviews seemed pretty consistent no matter who I talked to, but I wanted to get one more opinion. So I used the dealer locator on the Pitbull site to find a distributor in my area. I called the shop and asked what they’d heard about these tires. Same exact story. Great off road, severely lacking in the treadlife department. In fact, when I asked him if he’d recommend these on my daily driver, he steered me to a Super Swamper Radial.
So I guess the moral of this post is, if your rig is a daily driver and you want a longer lasting set of meats, Pitbulls probably aren’t for you. But if you’re simply looking for a good all around off road tire that won’t hit the streets very often, you probably can’t go wrong with a set of Pitbulls.
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Word on the street is the Wrangler’s current whimpy 3.6-liter power plant is slated to be replaced by a motor called the Phoenix V-6. Preliminary tests on the new motor show the 3.6-liter Phoenix V-6 producing 280 HP while achieving 6-8% better fuel economy thanks to the MDS cylinder shutdown system.
According to Chrysler “The new Phoenix of V-6 engines will feature cylinder deactivation (MDS)…the engine will operate efficiently on three cylinders when less power is needed, and in V-6 mode when more power is needed.”
To assist in ramping up production of the new motors, Chrysler is constructing $2 billion worth of dedicated factories in New Jersey and Mexico. Chrysler expects the first Phoenix engines to start rolling off assembly lines as early as 2009.
At almost 80 HP more than the current 3.6-liter V-6, the Phoenix would receive a warm welcome from Wrangler owners near and far.
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With so much of today’s consumer attention surrounding on a struggling economy and exorbitant fuel prices, it’s no surprise auto makers are focusing on fuel efficiency and making vehicles that are easier on the American pocketbook. So it’s no coincidence hybrid vehicles are taking the auto market by storm. Used to be, those that drove a Toyota Prius were looked upon as tree hugging liberals, but more people every day are turning to hybrids like the Prius as an answer to skyrocketing fuel costs and environmental responsibility.
It’s no surprise either that with the increased demand for hybrid cars, auto makers are scrambling to produce their entry into this lucrative market. No longer are consumers limited to one or two choices. Now there are a myriad of hybrid vehicles ranging from luxury models like the Lexus 450h sedan to 4-wheel drive options including the Ford Escape and full size Chevy Tahoe.
So what’s missing from this green picture? You guessed it—a Jeep. Be it a Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Liberty or any other Jeep model you’re partial to, you won’t find a hybrid version. It’s a shame really. When you think about auto makers that cater to outdoor enthusiasts you think Jeep. The name itself conjures images of traversing narrow mountain trails or navigating washed out desert back roads. But Jeep hasn’t answered the call.
Aside from the fuel economy and environmental considerations, electric engines are perfect for off road travel. These motors are not only quiet, providing a pleasant wheeling experience, they also have gobs of low end torque. In fact, no gas or even diesel engine on the plant can provide the on-demand torque of a comparable electric motor. What an advantage that would be on the slick rock of Moab, Utah.
I did a little digging, looking for news about if and when Jeep would release a hybrid vehicle and found limited news. According to Ridelust.com, Jeep introduced a 2008 Renegade concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. “Powered with a diesel engine that gets assistance from front and back electric motors with their combined output of 114-hp (the horsepower and torque ratings for the diesel engine have not been released yet), the Warthog-esque Renegade is designed to achieve 110mpg.”
Beyond that, mums the word on any kind of hybrid from Jeep. So, for now, we’ll be not-so-patiently waiting for Jeep to join the rest of the world and release a hybrid electric. In the mean time, maybe we can find a way to throw a transfer case and lift kit on a hybrid car like the Prius. Hey, it could happen.
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I always keep an eye on my local classifieds website for good deals on Jeep parts, accessories, etc. Invariably I wander into the Jeeps for sale section. I’m consistently amazed by the crazy project vehicles people build—I’m not talking a little crazy either. From custom fabricated bodies to home-built tube frame vehicles, these vehicles are out there.
I thought it would be cool to make an ongoing post of the wild and wacky vehicles I come across in my travels. If you’re reading this and you either own a crazy rig or have seen one, please post pics/descriptions. For this post, the vehicle doesn’t have to be a Jeep, it can be anything weird or out of the ordinary. I’ll start off with a few that caught my eye this week.
Scout Monster – This rig looks wild and it’s built wild too. Custom 4-link suspension up front and 3-link in the rear. It’s set up for 44s, but the pic shows it with 33s…maybe that’s why it looks a bit off. This rig is for sale at ksl.com and can be yours for just $3250. The seller will also throw in a winch for $100.
Custom Crawler with Injected 454 – This wacky ride features a home-made aluminum body complete with removable soft top, windows and doors. Other features include a fuel injected 454, TH400 auto trans and dual transfer cases.
’53 Willeys with 44′s – This wacky Willey’s features 44” Dick Cepek Fun Country mud tires on alum rims and is powered by a Ford 302 with chrome package and 4BBL. Don’t know that I’ve ever seen a Willey’s with 44s…pretty cool.
1988 Suzuki Samurai – This crazy little rig is custom built with all Toyata parts. The owner has lengthened the wheelbase to 91″ and put a set of 33″ mudders under it.
Super Sized Rock Crawler – This crawler is a custom “Bummer” kit built on a ’74 3/-ton Chevy frame. It rides on 2 1/2 ton Rockwell axles with 6.72 gears and 46″ Mickey Thomson tires. A fuel injected Chevy 350 powers this monster.
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It’s the new year and January is a popular time for many of us to review financial information including bills, bank statements and car insurance…or more appropriate to this site…Jeep insurance.
Let’s face it, many insurance companies love to penalize Jeep owners for a variety of reasons. So it’s important to shop around for best deal possible. If you’re looking for a good deal on insurance and you happen to be a Canadian citizen, you might want to check out Belairdirect.
Belairdirect offers competitive rates on car insurance for all makes, models and drivers. In fact, you’ll save 5% right away, simply by purchasing your policy online. They offer no-obligation quotes and will even provide you with competing quotes so you can make sure you’re getting the best deal.
One feature I like is their Crash Proof Policy. For $5 a month you’ll get a bunch of benefits including a guarantee that your rates won’t go up—even after your first at-fault accident. There’s even a $0 deductable offer that allows you the freedom to make a claim without going out of pocket.
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When you think Super Swamper, you think big, gnarly hunks of rubber churning through mud and rock like an electric blender through cake batter. Boggers, Iroks, TSLs and now the Vortrac. Sounds meaty right? Ummmm….nope.
The Vortrac is Interco’s entry into the kinder, gentler tire market. It’s an all-terrain tire designed for daily drivers that require long tread life and a versatile tire design for snow, rain, dry roads and the occasional off road adventure.
The tread pattern is a tight design that integrates a series of siping grooves for surprisingly good performance in wet conditions. There’s also a series of sidewall lugs, bear in mind these are nothing like a Thornbird, but I guess they’re better than nothing.
So the next time you’re looking for a new set of rubber for your wife’s Ford Exporer or your work truck, check out the Super Swamper Vortrac. It’s not a Bogger, but at least you’ll still be sporting swampers.
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I recently had a buddy get transferred to Hawaii for work. (rough assignment, huh?) This guy has spent just about every weekend for the last few years tweaking and tuning his 1978 Jeep CJ-7. So there was no way he was going to part with it.
Needless to say, shipping a Jeep to Hawaii sounds like a daunting task, but if you find the right auto transport company it’s not too big a deal. We did some research on the web and came across National Car Shipping. If you can drive it, these guys will ship it…anywhere. They do car shipping across every state in the U.S. (including Hawaii and Alaska) as well as international car shipping to any destination overseas!
Many of us just can’t bear to part with our rigs when we move or get transferred and shipping it is a good option. Plus, with the popularity of eBay and other online car buying sites, many Jeepers are saving money by finding rigs hundreds or even thousands of miles away. So rather than haul it yourself, a service like National Car Shipping is a good way to get your Jeep delivered without all the hassle.
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Constant fuel combustion results to the heating up of vehicle engine. Because of this, the coolant present in the engine expands. This is especially true with the grueling condition of terrains that all-wheel drive vehicles, like the Jeep face. For this reason, Jeep Expansion Tanks are needed. Jeep’s expansion tank, also known as overflow tank, coolant reservoir, or overflow canister, is a chamber that supplies storage space for the coolant when it expands. Jeep Expansion Tanks are usually linked to the radiator’s overflow tube. How do Jeep Expansion Tanks function? When a Jeep engine cools down, a vacuum is produced in the vehicle’s cooling system. This process, in turn, results to the sucking of coolant in the Jeep expansion tube back into the system. The coolant can move between the system and the expansion tank as it expands and contracts. This is because the cooling system that contains a Jeep expansion tube is a sealed system. As a result, no coolant is lost. A lack of a Jeep expansion tank may cause the coolant to flow out of the overflow tube and the cooling system, spilling onto streets or roads.
Another crucial job of Jeep Expansion Tanks is to get rid of air bubbles from the cooling systems of Cherokee, Compass, Commander, Liberty, and Wrangler. Coolant without air bubbles absorbs heat much faster, and thus, far more efficient than coolant with air bubbles. The basic difference between a Jeep radiator and a Jeep expansion tank is that the former is always full, while the latter’s level of coolant constantly changes – increases and decreases. Replacing Jeep Expansion Tanks can be done fairly simply. Installation involves mounting the expansion tank adjacent the radiator, connecting it to the overflow tube, and replacing the radiator cap. A few aftermarket part manufacturers, such as IK Multimedia and RC2, offer quality replacement Jeep Expansion Tanks. Maintaining the Jeep expansion tank is needed to make sure that the radiator holds up in demanding situations that may require temperature control.
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