BLOG CATEGORIES

Page 4 - Jeep

  1. Prepare for Adventure - Catch Can R&D, Part 2: Design

    Prepare for Adventure - Catch Can R&D, Part 2: Design

    Imagine driving your brand-new 3.6L Jeep Wrangler JL up a
    steep, rocky grade. Your tires struggle to grip the rocks and loose soil, but
    you persevere, steadily making your way to the top. You look back to see the
    faces of your friends, hoping they'll be amazed and thinking the same thing you
    are, "Wow, this Jeep can take on anything!" But you can't see them, because
    they've been enveloped in a plume of blue-white smoke that's still billowing
    from your exhaust. Instead of impressing everyone and selling at least four JL Wranglers in the
    process, all you've manage to do is drive up a hill in a James Bond-esque smoke
    screen.

    Before you start worrying about piston rings and head
    gaskets, you might want to investigate your CCV system. Blow-by accumulation
    can wreak havoc on your intake and upper engine (and the lungs of anybody
    spectating). Even a properly functioning CCV/PCV system can allow a large
    amount of blow-by to pass

    Continue Reading »
  2. Breathing Fresh Air  - Intake R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Breathing Fresh Air - Intake R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    There's something about hitting the road, leaving the smog and haze of the city, and breathing in the crisp, fresh air of the wilderness that brings a person to life. The Jeep Wrangler JL, like all Wranglers before it, was built to take you there. To let you escape those everyday boundaries and breathe fresh air. And for the JL equipped with the new 2.0L turbo engine, breathing fresh air is more important than ever.

    While you're taking a deep breath in and enjoying the view, your Wrangler's two-liter engine is using that same air to drive you both forward. It breathes air in through its intake, compresses it with the turbocharger and even more in the cylinder, ignites it with fuel and a spark, then breathes out through its exhaust. In this never-ending cycle, air is as vital to your Jeep as it is to your lungs. And it all starts with the intake system.

    Continue Reading »
  3. Off-Road to Recovery - Coolant Filter Kit R&D, Part 1: Start to Finish

    Off-Road to Recovery - Coolant Filter Kit R&D, Part 1: Start to Finish

    This 2012-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Coolant Filter Kit is now available! Click here to check it out!

    For an automotive enthusiast, caring for your vehicle is tantamount to caring for yourself. An enthusiast's vehicle is part of the family and it's treated as such. When that vehicle happens to be a Jeep Wrangler, maintenance and modification can become nearly ritualistic. Check tire pressures, coolant level, and engine oil. Hit the trail, break something, upgrade the broken part so that it doesn't break again. Rinse, and repeat. From the outside, it looks like a constant battle of man against machine, but the enthusiast knows that it's more like a conversation among friends. You tell your Jeep what you want to do, it does it and then tells you what it needs in return.

    But not every Wrangler/enthusiast relationship is so amicable. For many 2012-2018 JK Wrangler owners with the 3.6L Pentastar engine, that relationship is contaminated from the beginning. Literally.

    If

    Continue Reading »
  4. Prepare for  Adventure - Catch Can R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Prepare for Adventure - Catch Can R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    "What's the point?" A question commonly asked by those who see cars and trucks solely as a means to get from point A to point B, from where they are to where they want to be. Those people look at a Ferrari and a Camry the same way. There are speed limits and traffic, so what's the point of having a fast car? They look at off-road capable vehicles and ask, "What's the point?" We have roads and highways that get you wherever you need to go, why would you ever want to leave them? What those people miss, however, is that with the right vehicle, every inch of Earth is your road, and any drive can be a journey. No vehicle better embodies that idea than the Jeep Wrangler.

    _MG_4553

    Any Jeep owner knows that one of the greatest rewards of driving a Jeep is that it can turn a simple journey into an adventure. But adventure

    Continue Reading »
  5. Evolution In Cooling - V2 Performance Radiator R&D

    Evolution In Cooling - V2 Performance Radiator R&D

    At Mishimoto, we're constantly striving to improve our products and bring more value to our customers. That's why we've developed an update for our 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK radiator. Our V1 Jeep Wrangler JK radiator has served as a substantial upgrade over the stock plastic radiator, but after hearing feedback from our customers, we wanted to push the limits even further.

    MMRAD-WRA-07V2_2

    With the off-road enthusiast in mind, Mishimoto has developed our V2 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK radiator. This new radiator incorporates several updates that bolster the performance and durability of the Wrangler's cooling system.

    As with many of our cooling products, this updated radiator provides a substantial size increase over stock. An 18% greater core volume, fin area, and external tube area, along with

    Continue Reading »
  6. Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL 2.) - Catch Can R&D Part 2: Gunk In The System

    Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL 2.) - Catch Can R&D Part 2: Gunk In The System

    Our engineering department has made some great strides in completing this catch can design as they have reached the final R&D stages. Overall strength and can rigidity were primary design goals for the kit, as we are aware of the rough and tough off-road lives many of these Wranglers live. We want to be sure that once you install this can on your car, it will stay put, no matter what rigorous environment you take your JK Wrangler through.

    Bracketry starts with precise design and component fabrication. Our engineers had to be sure that our bracket would effortlessly hold our 2oz catch cans without any damage-inducing stress. In our last update, we left off with some of the cool tech we planned to use. The first tool we used was our FARO Design ScanArm.

    Scanning the area where the bracket</body> " width="600" height="400">
    Continue Reading »
  7. Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 1) - Catch Can R&D Part 2: Designing The Final Product

    Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 1) - Catch Can R&D Part 2: Designing The Final Product

    Jeeps are built to be rugged, all-terrain vehicles. We can bet that most of the aftermarket parts you purchase for your Jeep are designed to make it tougher. There's no reason for our upcoming catch can kit to be any different. Our engineers have made this can nearly indestructible and will be able to handle any abuse your 2007-2011 3.8L Wrangler can throw at it.

    In our last update, we discussed our plans for how we wanted to mount this catch can. We determined that the best location for a bracket was right behind the ECU. We could use the stock bolts that are already there, and the components can attach to the chassis, making it a solid and sensible location.

    3D scanning on our intended area for bracket design
    3D scanning on our intended area for
    Continue Reading »
  8. Reviving a Legend - Radiator R&D: Design & Build

    Reviving a Legend - Radiator R&D: Design & Build

    This radiator is on pre-sale! Check it out on our website!

    When AMC first began designing the XJ Cherokee as early as 1978, I doubt they knew that almost 40 years later their design would still be coveted by off-road enthusiasts as one of the greatest rock crawling and trail forging vehicles of all time. The engineers at AMC also probably didn't think that many of those XJ's would still be running with their original radiator. Between daily driving, fording rivers, and the occasional large rock or two, the effects of time and mother nature have taken their toll on these radiators.

    Once solid and reliable, the plastic end tanks have begun to crack, leaving evidence of their frailty as puddles in parking lots and driveways. The robust metal fixtures have given way to the persistence of rain and salt, becoming nothing more than crumbling rust. Carefully designed fins and tubes have been battered by rocks

    Continue Reading »
  9. Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 2) - Catch Can R&D Part 1: The 3.6L Stock System

    Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 2) - Catch Can R&D Part 1: The 3.6L Stock System

    Before you think you're seeing double, yes; we have two catch can projects in the works for Jeep's JK Wrangler, the first one being for the years of 2007-2011. I could have jammed both projects into one long series, but it would just be a disservice to you if I took that easy route.  The more research I've done for this project, the more I realize I'm talking to two, very different markets. I'd rather each project's focus be on that specific model-year Jeep, that way, you know that I am making these blog updates specifically for you 2012+ JK owners. Ok, the cat is out of the bag now - why don't we get into this project?

    _MG_1422r
    Our other Jeep has the 3.8L engine

    The 3.8L and the 3.6L engines are just two different engines to non-Jeep folk,

    Continue Reading »
  10. Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 1) - Catch Can R&D Part 1: The 3.8L Stock System

    Got Trucks, Got Jeeps (VOL. 1) - Catch Can R&D Part 1: The 3.8L Stock System

    Do you know the origin of the term Jeep? Some say that during WWII, these vehicles were referred to as General Purpose vehicles, and soldiers began slurring the acronym, G.P., into Jeep, hence its name today (there's a similar story behind the term Humvee). Others say that the name was derived from the popular cartoon character, Eugene the Jeep, from when the Popeye show aired back in the 1940's. Eugene the Jeep was a "go anywhere, do anything" type character, and interestingly enough, the US government had a contract sent out to several automotive manufacturers requesting a vehicle to replace the horse that was able to go anywhere and do anything. Are we going to try and debunk this once-and-for-all? No, I'm no historian. While there is still a lot of background I can go into there, this is a blog about awesome vehicle product development, so let's get to it.

    We already know that the Jeep name is synonymous with utility. Their notoriety soared for being the go-to service

    Continue Reading »