JL Wrangler! Discuss!

[Jeepin Jason]

FOUR WHEELER actually has a great write-up on the new JL Wrangler:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/news/1711...ngler-rubicon/

There are a ton of press release photos from Jeep at the bottom of the article if you're just interested in seeing what it looks like.

Here are some highlights of the "little changes" made to improve the JL over the JK:

- HVAC vents in the center console for rear seat passengers

- The Sport Bar is now full length and body colored, looking great when the top is off. It is made from high-strength blow-molded steel and exceeds all current roof crush standards. Long gone is the padding covered in grey fabric that would turn purple after a season in the sun, replaced by durable plastic panels.

- The Jeep team did their best to ensure every bolt the owner of the JL touched was the same size.

- The windshield still folds down and it only takes four bolts and about five minutes. Removing two hinge pins allows the windshield to be removed from the Jeep completely! Jeep also uses better corrosion protection on the hinges, and paints them in a way that folding down the windshield won’t break any paint. When the windshield is folded down, the sun visors stay with the Jeep.

- JL doors are self-closing and come with check straps and detents that are easily disconnected when removing the doors. The doors, now made of aluminum, are 30 percent lighter than a JK door. The hinge pins are now different lengths to aide in reinstalling the doors after a day on the trail.

- When the check straps are removed, the doors will no longer swing all the way open and dent your cowl with the mirror.

- The cowl panels now have two fasteners that solely exist to bolt on aftermarket accessories. Behind the cowl panel, these bolts are supported by body structure. We are excited to see what the aftermarket does here.

- The hard top is still composite, but the Freedom panels are now 20 percent lighter than the ones found on a JK, making them easier to remove.

- The hard top now has full-length drip rails to support a variety of roof rack systems without having to drill any holes in your top. With a rating of 100 pounds, we bet you could even use the rails to lift the top of your Jeep if you have a winch or pulley system in your garage.

- Soft tops come standard in vinyl, but have a premium cloth upgrade that has to be seen and felt. It truly gives a new meaning to the term soft top. Black and tan colors are both available.

- Soft tops are now zipper-free and can be operated by one person. The channels make sliding the side and rear panels out incredibly easy, and the soft tops offer different configurations, such as a factory Sunrider position, full down, or removing just the side and rear panels, but keeping the roof up for shade. The floating roof design has no corner structure, opening up outward visibility and cargo access.

- A power top is also available for those that just don’t want to mess with a manual top. Full removal is not recommended.

- Rock rail strength has been improved.

- There are now 75 safety features available on the Wrangler, ranging from side airbags and rear park assist to blind spot sensing and rear cross path detection.

- The vacuum accumulator is no longer mounted at the front of the Jeep and doesn’t need to be relocated to run a winch.

- When installing a lift, the front driveshaft no longer interferes with the exhaust.

- The call button on the steering wheel has been moved inboard, closer to the horn so that you don’t accidentally make calls when wheeling.

- Steel bumpers are optional on the Rubicon.

- Designers, wanting to cleanup the JL’s outward appearance made sure all of the hinges and door handles line up and are no longer offset.

-The hood latches have been redesigned with a gap to hold a remote winch controller cable out of the way when winching from the passenger cabin.

-The larger steering stabilizer has been relocated to better protect it from rock hits.

-Say goodbye to the obstinate twist knobs on the Freedom panels, as they've been replaced with quarter-turn latch mechanisms.