New Mopar Off-Road Parts Launching with Jeep Wrangler V-8 Conversion Kits and Portal Axles

When Jeep unveiled the six concepts it's bringing to the 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari earlier today, it also announced that Chrysler's Mopar parts division is gaining a new off-road unit to produce Jeep-specific parts. You may be asking, "but hasn't Mopar been selling Jeep parts for years?" Yes it has, but the new division, called Jeep Authentic Parts and Accessories, will push into previously uncharted performance-parts territory. First up are new Hemi conversion kits for the Wrangler, one of which was previewed on the Wrangler Apache concept (above) and allows owners to install a Hemi V-8 without any cutting or chassis surgery. Kits to install either a 5.7-liter or 6.4-liter engine into a Wrangler are coming this summer and will include new engine mounts that bolt to existing fixtures on the chassis, a V-8–compatible wiring harness, and the Hemi V-8 of choice. Packages for automatic Wranglers will be available first and include an upgraded torque converter for the 2012 model's five-speed auto; Mopar is working on kits that will bolt up to the six-speed manual. A spokesperson told us final pricing is still being worked out, but wouldn't speculate as to how the number will compare to what Jeep specialist AEV charges for a Hemi engine swap. Next up is a pair of super-cool portal axles, also for the Wrangler, which debuted on the Mighty FC concept (above). The axles feature reduction gears at each hub that enable the center of the wheels to be offset from the axle's centerline for better ground clearance. (The original Mercedes-Benz Unimog and the German Pinzgauer both featured similar portal-axle tech.) The portal bits are available now, and they aren't cheap: The front axle retails for $12,500 and the rear runs a cool $11,000. But they just might lend your Wrangler some of the Mighty FC's mojo. While a V-8 conversion kit and portal axles may seem hard to top, they do only represent Jeep Authentic Parts' first efforts. What's next? The Apache concept also showcased a set of Fox Racing Shox's remote-reservoir shocks, which we're told are undergoing testing by Jeep. (Similar pieces are already found in Mopar's Ram Runner kit for the Ram 1500.) Of course, Mopar will continue to offer a veritable truckload of accessories for Jeep models. To reinforce the point, a fully kitted-out Wrangler Rubicon (right) made an appearance as one of the six Moab-bound concepts at Jeep's Easter Safari preview event. As for Mopar's third Jeep act, may we suggest putting a Mighty FC conversion kit into the catalog? First up is a new Hemi conversion kit for the Wrangler, which allows owners to install either a 5.7-liter or 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 without any cutting or chassis surgery. There will be both 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter-specific kits for 2007-2011 Wranglers coming this summer; those for the 2012 model arrive in the fall. Each kit will include new engine mounts that bolt to existing fixtures on the Wrangler chassis; a V-8-compatable wiring harness; torque converter, and the respective Hemi V-8 engine. The conversion kit was previewed this morning on the Jeep Wrangler Apache concept. A Chrysler representative told us final pricing was still being worked out, but that wouldn't speculate as to how the number might compare to what Jeep specialist AEV charges for a Hemi engine swap in a Wrangler. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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