Auto news on Youtube Apr 30 2018

When you lift your Jeep and stick bigger tires underneath your fenders, you're gonna lose

some acceleration, performance, and fuel economy.

Re-gearing will regain those numbers lost making for a more comfortable and a more tolerable

ride in your JK.

This ring and pinion combo that I have here is by Yukon and will be a 4.88 gear ratio for

the '07 to '18 Rubicon owner looking for both the front and the back ring and pinion gears.

Because the Rubicon and the non-Rubicon have different size differentials, the kits do

differ so make sure you get the right one for your JK.

The Rubicons will have a Dana 44 in the front as well as in the back, and this kit has gear

size for those specific differentials.

Choosing the right gear ratio will depend on your year, your transmission, and your

tire size, and you can find tools and charts on our site in our learning center.

The charts will be underneath our drive train section for when and why you should re-gear

your Wrangler.

I would also like to mention that this is definitely a three out of three wrenches on

the difficulty meter, and unless you are a professional, I would definitely take your

Jeep to a trusted shop for installation.

Yukon is a very well known brand for its gears and axles and its proven in the construction

of their gears.

They're manufactured with designs to handle high torque and high-stress situations, as

they definitely should, being one of the main components of your driveline.

A lot of times when you get new gears, they can whine after some wear, but Yukon has designed

these to be one of the quietest gears yet as well as being super smooth.

This 488 gear kit will come with the ring and the pinion for both the front Dana 44

and the rear Dana 44.

I would like to mention that this just comes with those ring and pinion gears and it does

not come with any of the hardware to install them.

We do offer minor install kits with shim kits and basic bearings, as well as master overhaul

kits with all of the bearings, gaskets, and seals.

I always, usually, recommend a master overhaul kit because when you're in the differential

its always good to maintenance those bearings and replace those parts.

However, if you only have a few miles on your JK or its brand new, a minor install kit will

do just the trick.

I did mention before that the gear ratio will depend on what transmission, what engine,

and what tires you have, as well as the performance that you're looking to achieve.

The charts will show you which range you would want to be in whether it would be the minimum

ratio allowed for your setup with okay performance and mild trail use, a very good daily driving

gear with full-time overdrive and moderate trail use, or if you're looking for a gear

set that's still a fair daily driver but will have higher performance and torque for rock

crawling and higher elevations.

As long as you know what tire size you have, or what tire size you're looking to run, the

conversion will be fairly easy to figure out what gears are right for you and your JK.

The price on this is pretty fair because it's usually a higher priced modification at right

around $485.

In the 488 category, this will be your most expensive option for a kit with just the ring

and pinion gears.

Other brands like Alloy USA and G2 will about $80 cheaper, however like I mentioned, Yukon

is a very well known brand for all of their quality.

Now, with all of these kits, you will have to keep in mind that you will need an install

kit for the front and the back differential, so that will jump up the price depending on

what you pick between a master overhaul kit or a minor install kit.

We have those options if you want to take a look at them underneath our install kit

sections on the ring and pinion page.

But do keep in mind that all of those kits will differ depending on if you have the Rubicon

or the non-Rubicon as well as your year.

If you didn't want to go through all of the hassle of getting different install kits for

the front and the back and wanted a one-stop-shop, we do have options on the page for 488 gears

with the included master overhaul kits.

Overall, if you didn't mind paying a couple extra bucks for a brand you can trust with

quality components, Yukon has you covered.

Install will be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, and I highly recommend

going to a professional to have your gears installed properly.

Installing gears is very in-depth and having the right gear tolerances is crucial to have

them last a long time.

Installing them improperly can lead to faster wear, so I would definitely take it to a Jeep

shop that you trust.

To give you a little bit of insight into what goes into installing these, you'll need to

drain the diff, remove the diff cover and the axle so you can get to the carrier.

Once you remove the carrier, then you can get to the nitty-gritty.

There's honestly a lot of numbers involved with gear tolerances, including measuring

your backlash, pinion depth and carrier and pinion bearing pre-load.

Backlash is the clearance between the gear teeth that let the gears mesh without binding

and provide space to lubricate the gears with oil preventing tooth damage or overheating

from friction.

Measuring pinion depth is also very important and its how far the pinion gear extends inside

the differential to help create a good backlash.

And lastly, your pre-load on your bearings is also very essential, which will maintain

the correct amount of stress for the meshing of the gears to create accurate displacement

of gear movement and increase your bearings' rigidity overall, especially with being the

force of your driveline.

All of that measuring will take place with, essentially, trial and error, shimming the

components and making sure that they are in tenths of each other.

After everything is shimmed and put back into the differential housing, it's just a matter

of putting those components that we took off in the beginning back on and filling up with

the right amount of gear oil.

So if you're looking to upgrade the performance in your JK, this 4.88 gear set by Yukon will

be a great option to check out.

This is Merideth with XT, and you can find these gears and everything else Wrangler,

right here at extremeterrain.com

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Yukon Gear Dana 44F/44R Ring 4.88 Gear and Pinion Kit (2007-2018 JK Rubicon) Review - Duration: 5:52.

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Jeep Wrangler Rightline Gear SUV Tent (1987-2018 YJ, TJ, JK & JL) Review & Install - Duration: 3:03.

This Rightline Gear SUV Tent is for those who have an 1987 all the way through the most

current model year of Wrangler and like to do some camping, you want to have a tent that

allows you to still access the inside of your jeep from the inside of the tent, and that's

exactly what this is going to provide you with.

This is going to be something that is a very easy installation.

Of course, it's a tent, it's designed to come up and down very easily like any other tent.

Definitely a one out of three wrench installation, and we will talk a little bit more about that

in just a second.

So when you are camping you have your standalone tents, of course, you have your rooftop tents,

those are going to be nice if you are somebody who likes to drive your jeep right out to

your camp site, be able to flip that tent up, it's a very easy setup, and it keeps you

off the ground.

However, you do not have access into your jeep from a rooftop tent or from a standalone

tent, and that's where this is different.

This actually attaches on to the back of your jeep.

So you can open up the tailgate, you can open up the glass, you can have full access into

that back cargo of your Wrangler while still having the tent on the ground so you still

have that completely enclosed space.

So this is going to be a little bit unique when you compare it to rooftop tent or your

more traditional standalone tents.

In the world of tents I think this is the very fairly priced option for you, especially

given all of the functionality.

This is going to be a four-person tent, so you can sleep a total of four inside of the

tent.

And then of course if you have a big four-door JK, you have that cargo area, you have your

seats flipped down, you have some room for maybe some kids who want to hang out in the

back of the Jeep there or just for some gear that you can easily access without having

to go outside of the tent.

This is going to be made out of a nylon waterproof material.

It's also going to be mildew resistant and it is really going to be a hybrid of a regular

standalone tent and then something that attaches to the vehicle.

So you have your tent poles, you have your tent stakes, in that way it's going to be

much like a traditional tent, but that one open side you're going to open up and put

over top of the jeep, giving you that access to the interior of the vehicle.

As I said, getting this installed or really assembled is a very simple one out of three

wrenches.

A tent is designed to come up and down very quickly and very easily and this one is no

different.

You'll simply set it up as you would a normal tent, lay everything out, stick it to the

ground, set your tent poles in place.

The only difference here is that on one of the sides of the tent, it will have the opening

that you can pull over the jeep, so back the jeep into place, pull the opening over top

of the jeep, and you can open the tailgate and the tailgate glass.

This tent is going to run you right around $280 and I think for the quality of the tent

that you get and also for the functionality of being able to access the inside of the

vehicle from the inside of the tent, I do think that that is going to be a pretty fair

price.

So if you are looking for a tent that allows you to go camping but still access the inside

of your jeep from within the tent, I think this is going to be an excellent option for

you Rightline Gear, and you can find it right here at extremeterrain.com.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Rightline Gear SUV Tent (1987-2018 YJ, TJ, JK & JL) Review & Install - Duration: 3:03.

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Jeep Wrangler Mudclaw M/T Tire - 31" to 35" Diameters (1987-2018 YJ, TJ, JK & JL) Review - Duration: 5:16.

This Mudclaw MT tire is for those of you that have a 1987 all the way up to the current

model year Wrangler that are looking for a mud-terrain tire that's still going to be

a high-quality tire.

It's just going to be a little bit less expensive than some of the other options out there.

This tire is going to come from a 31 to a 35-inch size, and fitting a 15 up to a 17-inch

wheel.

Now, this is the Mudclaw MT.

There's also the Mudclaw MT Extreme.

The Extreme is going to have a three-ply sidewall.

This is going to be a two-ply sidewall.

So this tire's gonna be a little bit less expensive than some of the other ones out

there for, really, two reasons.

One, that it's a two-ply and not a three-ply sidewall, and two, the fact that it's Mudclaw

and not one of those more well-known names.

You are going to save a little bit of money because you're not buying something that has

that well-known, household tire name.

That being said, I still think this is a very high-quality tire.

As far as the tread goes, it's still going to have the same large lugs with large space

in between, designed to give you maximum traction off-road.

However, with any mud-terrain tire that has this setup, they're going to be a little bit

louder on the road and wear a little bit quicker than an all-terrain tire, but that's just

what you get on the road.

When you're off-road with any mud-terrain tire, this one included, you're going to get

maximum traction because of the way these lugs are designed.

The tread does work its way down on to the sidewall a little bit, giving you some additional

traction, some protection for the sidewall, and giving you that tell-tale MT look also.

Now, if you are somebody who does a lot of off-roading on the rocks, you're in the mud

where there's sticks, roots, different things sticking out, you want a little bit of a stronger

sidewall, you can go with the Extremes, you go up to a three-ply, still with the Mudclaw

brand, and still save some money over some of those other brands out there, while still

having a very high-quality tire with a little bit of the thicker sidewall.

Again, this is going to have that two-ply sidewall, saving you even more money, which

is great as long as you're not going to be using the benefits of that additional sidewall

thickness.

A mud-terrain tire in general is going to look very similar to this one.

Again, it's going to have these nice large lugs with spaces in between, and the spaces

are designed so that when you're in the mud, and mud gets stuck onto the tire, the tire

can essentially become a slick.

If you get up a little bit of wheel speed, and you have these nice big spaces, that mud

can be ejected from the tire, giving the tire its claws back, giving it its bite again,

and allowing you to get some traction and get out of whatever hole you're in.

Now, these large lugs do have some siping in them, right from the factory, and that's

going to be those cuts in the lugs.

And what that's designed to do is give the lug a little bit of flexibility so, especially

when you air this tire down off-road it's going to be a little flexible, it's going

to give you maximum contact patch when you're running over some rough terrain, which is

going to give you the maximum amount of traction.

That tread that is on the...facing the tire, of course, is going to extend onto the sidewall

just a little bit.

And this area is going to have some protection, also give you some traction, because of that

tread on the sidewall.

And, again, this is just going to be a two-ply sidewall, not a three-ply sidewall.

If you are looking for a little bit more sidewall strength, something a little bit thicker,

Mudclaw does offer their Extreme with the three-ply, or you can step up to another brand

that has one of those two-ply sidewalls as well.

Of course, with a tire, you're going to want to take your wheels and tires to a mount and

balance shop and have them do that work for you.

Don't be surprised if the shop doesn't wanna balance your tires right off the bat.

A lot of rubber is going to sling off of a big mud-terrain tire in that first 500 miles

or so, so some shops won't even waste their time mounting and balancing right off the

bat.

They'll have you come back after about 500 miles and go ahead and balance the tire out

at that point.

So, just something to note.

Not all shops, but some shops will do that.

Now, I know we've all seen the videos of people mounting tires on wheels using some sort of

explosive, some sort of combustible.

That's something that should be used as sort of a last-ditch effort, a worst-case scenario,

as a trail fix, not to mount up five brand-new wheels and tires.

You can do this at home if you're installing these tires on a three-piece wheel, something

that has a bead lock, but if you're mounting it on a traditional one-piece wheel, do yourself

a favor, take it to a mount and balance shop.

These tires are gonna run about $145 to $240, and that is going to depend, of course, on

the size of the tire and the size of the wheel.

In general, the larger the tire, the more expensive, and the larger the wheel you mount

it on, the more expensive as well.

It's a little bit counter-intuitive because there's actually less rubber required if you're

mounting this on a larger wheel, but that's just the way the tire prices break down.

If you do step up to the Extreme, of course, it's gonna be a more expensive tire, having

a three-ply sidewall.

And if you step up to one of those other brands that have the three-ply sidewall and a little

bit of a better-known name, of course, you're going to be spending more for that as well.

But I do think this is still a very well-built tire, I think it's going to work and wear

very, very well for you, and you're going to save some money over some of those other

brands.

So if you're looking for a tire that's going to be a little bit less expensive than some

of the other options out there, but still give you something that's going to wear and

work very well, I would definitely recommend taking at look at the Mudclaw brand, and you

can find them right here at extremeterrain.com.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Mudclaw M/T Tire - 31" to 35" Diameters (1987-2018 YJ, TJ, JK & JL) Review - Duration: 5:16.

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Jeep Wrangler 4.0I 6CIL HARDTOP/SOFTOP - Duration: 1:06.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler 4.0I 6CIL HARDTOP/SOFTOP - Duration: 1:06.

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Jeep Wrangler Axial LED 3rd Brake Light - Bermuda Black (1997-2006 TJ) Review & Install - Duration: 2:22.

This Axial LED third brake light in Bermuda Black is for those of you that have a 1997

to 2006 TJ that are looking for a way to swap out that factory third brake light for one

that's going to look a little bit different and also perform a little bit differently.

This one's going to be nice and bright and give you that crisp, clean, on-off look of

an LED that's going to give your Jeep a little bit of a modern look.

So whether this is part of a full LED exterior light makeover you're doing or this is a stand-alone

item, this is going to be a nice option and a little bit less expensive than some of the

other options that you can find.

This is going to be an easy one out of three wrench installation, and we'll talk a little

more about that in just a sec.

This is a completely plug and play third brake light so all you have to do is remove the

existing one, pop this right into place.

This will plug into your existing wiring harness so there's no splicing, cutting, or anything

like that involved, which makes this very, very easy.

Now, Axial does make a couple different versions of these third brake lights.

Of course, they are all going to be red when they're on, but some of them will give you

a different look when they're off.

Some will be a little bit more white.

This one being the Bermuda Black is gonna give you a little bit more of that muted,

stealthy look.

So again, if you're trying to match some other lights that you have on your Jeep, you have

a couple choices.

So getting this installed is a one out of three wrench installation that shouldn't take

you more than a half hour to complete.

There are gonna be a couple of screws that you'll remove to get your factory third brake

light lens out of the way.

Once that's gone, you'll remove the third brake light bulb.

Then you can plug in your new Axial light and attach it using the factory screws in

the factory location.

This light's gonna run you $130, which might seem like a little bit much when you consider

the size of what you're getting; however, I do think this has some features going for

it that do make it worth those additional dollars.

This is going to be completely plug and play.

It's going to match a couple of Axial tail lights, so if you're going for a whole theme

you can do that.

And, maybe most importantly, this is going to give you a very bright and very crisp,

clean on and off.

So, this is also going to add to your safety.

So if you're looking to change up the look of the rear of your Jeep as well as the function

of your third brake light, I would recommend taking a look at this option from Axial and

you can find it right here at extremeterrain.com.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Axial LED 3rd Brake Light - Bermuda Black (1997-2006 TJ) Review & Install - Duration: 2:22.

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Jeep Wrangler Yukon Gear Dana 30F/44R Ring Gear and Pinion Kit - 4.88 (2007-2018 JK) Review - Duration: 6:33.

When you're lifting your Jeep and you stick bigger tires underneath your fenders, you're

gonna lose some acceleration, performance, and fuel economy.

Re-gearing will regain those numbers lost, making a more comfortable and tolerable ride

in your JK.

This ring and pinion combo that I have here by Yukon Gear will be a 4.88 gear ratio for

the '07 to '18 Non-Rubicon owner looking for a front and a rear ring pinion kit.

Because the Rubicon and the Non-Rubicon have different size differentials, the kits do

differ, so make sure you get the right one for your JK.

The Non-Rubicons will have a Dana 30 in the front and a Dana 44 in the back and this kit

has gear size specifically for those differentials.

I would like to mention, in your front differential, your stock gear size will matter.

If you currently have a 3.21 from the factory, you need to upgrade your carrier in order

to fit the larger ring gear.

If you have a 3.73 gear ratio or numerically higher currently, your carrier from the factory

will be able to hold the larger ring gear.

Also, choosing the right gear ratio will definitely depend on your year, transmission, and tire

size.

You can find tools and charts on our site in our learning center, and the charts will

be underneath our drive train section, for when and why you should re-gear your Wrangler.

I would also like to mention that this will be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty

meter, and unless you are a professional, I would definitely take your Jeep to a trusted

shop for installation.

Yukon is a very well-known brand for their gears and axles, and it's proven in the construction

of these gears.

They're manufactured with designs to handle high-torque and very stressful situations,

obviously, an important requirement since they're one of the main components of your

driveline.

A lot of times you can get new gears and after a little bit of wear, they can start to whine,

but Yukon has designed these to be their quietest gears yet, as well as being super-smooth.

This 4.88 gear kit will come with just the ring and pinion gear for both the front Dana

30 and the rear Dana 44.

I would like to mention that this will not come with any of the hardware required to

install them.

We do offer minor install kits with shim kits and basic bearings, as well as master overhaul

kits with all of the bearings, gaskets, and seals.

I usually always recommend the master overhaul kit, because when you're already inside your

differential, it's always a good time to maintenance and replace those parts.

However, if you have a few miles on your JK or it's brand new, a minor install kit will

just do the trick.

Like I mentioned before, you will need a carrier that will accommodate a ring gear that is

3.73 or numerically higher.

If you have 3.21s, you need a new open differential carrier, or you can take this opportunity

to upgrade your front carrier to a locker.

You'll only need to do this for the front Dana 30 because the rear carrier in the larger

Dana 44 will be able to accommodate the larger ring gear.

I did mention before that the gear ratio will depend on what trans, engine, and tires you

have, as well as the performance that you're looking to achieve.

The charts will show you what range you wanna be in, whether it be the minimum ratio allowed

for your set-up with okay performance and mild trail use, a good daily driving gear

with full-time overdrive and moderate trail use, or a gear set that is still a fair daily

driver but will have a higher performance and torque for rock crawling and higher elevations.

As long as you know what tire size you have currently or what tire size you're looking

to run, the conversion will be very easy to figure out what gears are right for you and

your JK.

The price on these gears is pretty fair, since this is usually a higher-priced modification,

at right around $485 at the moment.

In the 4.88 category, this will be your most expensive option for a kit with just the ring

and pinion gears.

Other brands, like Alloy USA, and G2 will be about $80 cheaper.

However, like I mentioned, Yukon is a very well-known brand for their quality.

Now, with all of these kits, you will have to keep in mind that you will need an install

kit for the front as well as the back differential, so that will jump the price up, depending

on what kit you need, between a master overhaul kit or a minor install kit.

We do have those options underneath our install kit sections on the ring and pinion page but

do keep in mind that all of those kits will differ depending on what year you have, as

well as if you are a Rubicon or a Non-Rubicon owner.

If you didn't want the hassle of going through all of those kits and wanted a one-stop shop,

we do have options on the page for 4.88 gears with included master overhaul kits.

Overall, if you didn't mind paying a couple of extra dollars for a brand you can trust

with quality components, Yukon has you covered.

Install will be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, and I highly recommend

going to a professional to have your gears installed properly.

Installing gears is very in-depth, and having the right gear tolerances is crucial to have

them last a long time.

Installing them improperly can lead to faster wear, so I would definitely take it to a Jeep

shop that you trust.

To give you a little bit of insight into what goes into installing these, you'll need to

drain the diff, remove the diff cover and the axles so you can get to the carrier.

Once you remove the carrier, then you can get to the nitty-gritty.

There is honestly a lot of numbers involved with gear tolerances, including measuring

your backlash, pinion depth, and carrier and pinion bearing preload.

Backlash is the clearance between the gear teeth, that let the gears mesh without binding,

and provides space to lubricate the gears with oil, preventing tooth damage or overheating

it from friction.

Measuring pinion depth is also very important, and it's how far the pinion gear extends inside

the differential, to help create a good backlash.

And lastly, your preload on your bearings is also very essential, which will maintain

the correct amount of stress for the meshing of the gears to create accurate displacements

of gear movement and increase your bearing's rigidity overall, especially with being the

force of your driveline.

All of that measuring will take place with essentially trial-and-error, shimming the

components and making sure that they are in tenths of each other.

After everything is shimmed and put back into the differential housing, it's just a matter

of putting those components that we took off in the beginning back on, and filling up with

the right amount of gear oil.

So, if you're looking to upgrade the performance in your JK, this 4.88 gear set by Yukon will

be a great option to check out.

This is Merideth with XT, and you can find these gears and everything else Wrangler,

right here at extremeterrain.com.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Yukon Gear Dana 30F/44R Ring Gear and Pinion Kit - 4.88 (2007-2018 JK) Review - Duration: 6:33.

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Jeep Wrangler Rugged Ridge 3-Piece Door Handle Recess Guard (2007-2018 JK 2 Door) Review & Install - Duration: 2:44.

This Rugged Ridge three-piece door handle recess guard kit in chrome is for those of

you that have a 2007 to 2018 JK that are looking for a way to change up the look of your Jeep

a little bit, but also add some protection to those painted surfaces.

This is something that's going to install very easily.

Definitely a one out of three wrench installation, less than a half hour to get this done, and

we'll talk more about that in just a second.

So the area in the door handle recess is prone to scratching.

You're grabbing it as you're opening the door.

You're either grabbing it from the top or the bottom, your nails can scratch it.

If you have your key in your hand, that could scratch it.

If you have any jewelry on, you do have to be careful in that area and on some of the

older JKs, you will notice a lot of scratching in that area.

So whether you wanna cover up any light scratching that you have, you want to protect that area

from additional scratching, or you just like the look of these door recess guards, these

are going to be a great choice for you.

These are going to be an easy to add on, stick-on plastic pieces that's going to be inexpensive

and do exactly what it's supposed to do.

Like I said, these are going to be a plastic piece that come with pre-applied 3M adhesive

on the backside for a very installation.

This kit is the three-piece kit so this is for your two-door JK and also includes a recess

guard for that tailgate.

If you have a four-door, it'll come in a kit of five.

These are also available in a couple different colors.

If you choose to go with a more blacked out look versus the chrome look, these of course,

if you have some other chrome accents, are gonna look really good.

This is a one out of three wrench installation.

Less than a half hour to get this done.

All you need to do is make sure that the painted surface of your Jeep is good and clean before

installing these.

So you can go ahead and do a test to it.

See the area that you need to clean and use an alcohol-based cleaner to clean that paint

thoroughly.

Once that's done, you can remove the 3M adhesive backing, get this in place, and with just

a little bit of pressure, they're going to be installed.

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that you wanna do this when temperatures are moderate.

Right around 70 degrees is usually best.

That's going to help that 3M adhesive really set up and stick properly.

If you try and do this when it's very cold outside or very, very hot, the 3M might not

have as long of a life.

So do keep that in mind during this installation.

These are gonna run you right around $40.

I do think that's a pretty good deal.

It's gonna change the look of your Jeep, add some protection, cover some scratches.

It's gonna do exactly what it's supposed to do and hold up for a good long time.

So if you like this look or you want this functionality, I think $40 is a fair deal.

So if you're looking to change up the look of the exterior of your Jeep, cover some scratches,

or protect those door recesses, I definitely recommend these guards from Rugged Ridge and

you can find them right here at extremeterrain.com.

For more infomation >> Jeep Wrangler Rugged Ridge 3-Piece Door Handle Recess Guard (2007-2018 JK 2 Door) Review & Install - Duration: 2:44.

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JEEP WRANGLER JK PRODUCTION ENDS THIS WEEK - Duration: 5:29.

The Jeep Wrangler JK and Wrangler Unlimited JKU,

the latter a great product move for a doomed company, go out of production this week.

They represent the bookend of a game-changing, if initially flawed, vehicle that was successful

beyond anyone's wildest dreams and completely unmatched by rival automakers.

So how best to mark its passing?

I guess we'll find out Friday.

That's when the last two-door Jeep Wrangler JK and four-door Wrangler Unlimited JKU are

scheduled to roll down the assembly line in what was initially known as Toledo Supplier

Park, ending a production run that began in 2006 and was only interrupted for an extended

period by Chrysler's 2009 bankruptcy.

For the Jeep faithful, Friday is the delayed end of an era that's already been actively

replaced by the next one.

The redesigned -- and much improved -- "JL" Wranglers have been rolling off of the assembly

line on the North end of FCA US' massive Toledo assembly complex since November.

The south end of the plant, the old Toledo Supplier Park, is set to be retooled starting

next week to begin building the Wrangler-based pickup next year.

In some ways, the end of the JK is like the child of a thrice-married woman mourning the

death of his first stepdad: He was a great guy who did great things in the day, and he

definitely helped get mom back on her feet.

He made us all a bunch of money, and we're grateful, but mom's found someone better now,

so it's time for him to go.

It may seem an ignominious end for what is easily the greatest single product call of

the entire DaimlerChrysler era — the decision to add two more doors to the Wrangler and

create the Wrangler Unlimited, enhancing the iconic nameplate's popularity globally — but

it comes after what can best be described as a product life well lived.

The story begins with the JKU's miracle birth.

DaimlerChrysler President Tom LaSorda was tasked with building a product with great

commercial potential but which wouldn't fit in Jeep's current Toledo factory.

Oh, and he had no money to build it.

So LaSorda turned to suppliers, who built Chrysler a factory adjacent to the one turning

out unibody Jeep Libertys at the time, with Chrysler paying back suppliers with a "wheel

tax" funding mechanism.

It's also remarkable to recall that when the 2007 Wrangler Unlimited arrived, its popularity

was about half that of the traditional two-door, short-wheelbase Wrangler.

Early on, assembly workers here built a pair of two-doors for every four-door produced.

Now production of the four-door versions outnumber the two-doors by more than 2-to-1.

Before the arrival of the JK, the Wrangler -- and the CJs before it -- sloshed around

in kind of a fixed sales range year to year, not really venturing too far from 70,000 units

a year.

Though it had the longest pedigree of any Jeep, its heavy off-road niche limited Wrangler's

usefulness to a narrow consumer demographic.

Adding the two extra doors, as well as other long-overdue product improvements, made the

Wrangler a passable daily driver for a whole new range of potential customers, and thrust

a plant intended to produce a maximum of 160,000 units a year into overdrive, cranking out

230,000 units a year or more just to keep up with domestic demand and largely without

incentives.

All of that new popularity also brought with it problems from people who didn't recognize

that the Wrangler wasn't -- and isn't -- a car or truck in the traditional sense, but

a toy that you can take on the highway or up a mountain or through a mud pit.

The JK and JKU have the aerodynamics of rolling bricks with windows, along with the accompanying

wind noise.

And all those new customers were shocked to discover that their new Wranglers' drag-link

steering — which gives it the ability to climb over boulders like a mountain goat — sometimes

didn't track straight and true at 70 mph.

All these issues meant that despite its popularity, the Wrangler always landed at or near the

bottom of Consumer Reports' and other vehicle quality measurements, whether it deserved

to or not.

The Jeep Wrangler JK and especially the JKU Wrangler Unlimited were remarkable vehicles

when they were introduced, and remained so even as they grew more and more obsolete over

the ensuing decade.

When the last one rolls on Friday, Jeep fans everywhere should raise a glass to its passing.

A mudslide seems appropriate.

Cheers.

For more infomation >> JEEP WRANGLER JK PRODUCTION ENDS THIS WEEK - Duration: 5:29.

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Jeep Wrangler Yukon Gear Dana 30F/44R Ring 5.13 Gear and Pinion Kit (2007-2018 JK) Review - Duration: 6:36.

When you lift your Jeep and stick bigger tires underneath your fenders, you're going to lose

some acceleration, performance, and fuel economy.

Regearing will regain those numbers lost making a more comfortable and a more tolerable ride

in your JK.

This ring and pinion combo that I have here by Yukon Gear will be a 5.13 gear ratio for

the '07 to '18 non-Rubicon owner looking for both the front and the back ring and pinion

gears.

Because the Rubicon and the non-Rubicon have different size differentials, the kits to

differ so make sure you get the right one for your JK.

The non-Rubicons will have a Dana 30 in the front and a Dana 44 in the back and this kit

has gears sized for those differentials.

I would like to mention that in your front differential, your stock gear size will matter.

If you have a 3.21 stock gear, you will need to upgrade your carrier in order to fit the

larger ring gear.

If you have a 3.73 gear ratio or numerically higher currently, your carrier from the factory

will be able to hold the larger ring gear.

Also, choosing the right gear ratio will depend on your year, transmission, and tire size.

You can find tools and charts on our site in our learning center.

The charts will be underneath our drivetrain section for when and why you should regear

your Wrangler.

I would also like to mention that this will be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty

meter and unless you are a professional, I would take your Jeep to a trusted shop for

installation.

Yukon is a very well-known brand for its gears and axles, and it's proven in the construction

of their gears.

They're manufactured with designs to handle high-torque and very stressful situations,

as they should, being one of the main components of your driveline.

A lot of times you can get new gears and they can whine after some wear, but Yukon has designed

these to be the quietest gears yet, as well as being super smooth.

This 5.13 gear kit will come with the ring and pinion for both the front Dana 30 and

the rear Dana 44.

I would like to mention that this just comes with those ring and pinion gears and does

not come with any of the hardware needed to install them.

We do offer minor install kits with shim kits and basic bearings, as well as master overhaul

kits with all the bearings, gaskets, and seals.

I always usually recommend a master overhaul kit because when you're already in your differential,

it's always a good time to maintenance and replace those bearings and parts.

However, if you have low miles on your JK or it's brand new, a minor install kit will

do just the trick.

Like I mentioned before, you will need a carrier to accommodate a ring gear that is 3.73 or

numerically higher and if you have 3.21s, you'll need a new open differential carrier

or you can just take this opportunity, like I did with my JK, and upgrade your front carrier

to a locker.

You will only need to do this for the front Dana 30 because the rear carrier in the larger

Dana 44 will be able to accommodate that larger ring gear.

I did mention before that the gear ratio will depend on the trans, the engine, and what

tires you have, as well as performance that you're looking to achieve.

The charts will show you which range you want to be in whether it be in the minimum gear

ratio allowed for your setup with okay performance and mild trail use, a good daily driving gear

with full-time overdrive and moderate trail use, or for a gearset that is still a fairly

daily driver but it will have a higher performance for torque and rock crawling at higher elevations.

As long as you know your tire size you have or what tire size you're looking to run, the

conversion will be fairly easy to figure out what gears are right for you and your JK.

The price on these is pretty fair since this is usually a higher priced modification at

right around $485.

In the 5.13 category, this will be your most expensive option for a kit that just comes

with the ring and pinion gears.

Other brands like Alloy USA and G2 will be about $80 cheaper, however, like I mentioned,

Yukon is very well known for their quality.

Now, with all of these kits, you will have to keep in mind that you will need an install

kit for the front as well as the back differential, so that will jump the price up depending on

what you need between a master overhaul kit or a minor install kit.

We have those options underneath our install kit sections on the ring and pinion page but

do keep in mind that those kits will differ depending on if you have a Rubicon or a non-Rubicon

as well as your year.

If you didn't want to go through the hassle of all of those kits and just wanted a one-stop

shop, we do also have options on the page for 5.13 gears with included master overhaul

kits.

Overall, if you don't mind paying a couple extra bucks for a brand that you can trust

with quality components, Yukon has you covered.

Install will be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, and I highly recommend

going to a professional to have your gears properly installed.

Installing your gears is very in-depth and having the right gear tolerances is crucial

to have them last a long time.

Installing them improperly can lead to faster wear so I would definitely take it to a local

Jeep shop that you trust.

To give you a little bit of insight on what goes into installing these gears, you'll need

to drain the diff, remove the diff cover and the axles so you can get inside the differential

to the carrier.

Once you remove the carrier, you can get down to the nitty-gritty.

There's honestly a lot of numbers involved with gear tolerances, including measuring

your backlash, your pinion depth, and carrier and pinion-bearing pre-load.

Backlash is the clearance between the gear teeth that let the gears mesh without binding

and provides space to lubricate the gears with oil preventing any tooth damage and overheating

from friction.

Measuring pinion depth is also very important and it's how far the pinion gear extends inside

the differential housing to help create a good backlash.

And lastly, pre-load on your bearings is also very essential which will maintain the correct

amount of stress for the meshing of the gears to create accurate displacements of gear movement

and increase your bearing's rigidity overall, especially with being the main force of your

driveline.

After everything is shimmed and put back into your differential housing, it's just a matter

of putting those components that we took off earlier back on and filling up with the right

amount of gear oil.

So if you're looking to upgrade the performance in your JK, this 5.13 gearset by Yukon will

be a great option to check out.

This is Merideth with XT, and you can find these gears and everything else Wrangler,

right here at extremeterrain.com.