Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (JL 2-door) - Rancho Diff Slides / Steering Damper design is no bueno
We had taken the JL Rubicon and JL Unlimited Rubicon up to Gilbert, MN to visit the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area - Gilbert. You can get the details by following the link, but the Iron Range Off-Highway Rec Area is fairly great resource that:
- reasonably priced
- well outfitted (outhouses, wash station, compressor for airing up)
- wide variety of trails and difficulty
- nearby camping access (you cannot camp at the Rec Area)
During my visit I was trying to become familiar with some of the nuances of the JL Rubicon. In particular, break-over, where wheels line-up versus my perspective in the cab. One obstacle I misjudged a bit - and in the process, I discovered a fairly significant design flaw in the JL Rubicon front axle: the steering damper shock.
So - for whatever reason, FCA had modified the mount positions on the new JL. It's definitely a regression from previous models. As you can see in the photo I provided for the diff slides, the shock (lower object near passenger front, with the white sticker on it) used as the damper is the leading component with the least amount of clearance on the front axle. Curious what the reasoning would be for this. Anyhow - sure enough, I hit that shock and punctured the chamber-side - which, curiously dumped the fluid which ended up on a body mount by the rear tire and over the rear axle/suspension components. Finding the fluid in the rear of the Jeep (before I realized I had wrecked that shock up front) was extremely perplexing: I was *positive* that nothing in the rear could have been leaking to cause the fluid to end up where it was (and it turns out, I was correct).
So - for whatever reason, FCA had modified the mount positions on the new JL. It's definitely a regression from previous models. As you can see in the photo I provided for the diff slides, the shock (lower object near passenger front, with the white sticker on it) used as the damper is the leading component with the least amount of clearance on the front axle. Curious what the reasoning would be for this. Anyhow - sure enough, I hit that shock and punctured the chamber-side - which, curiously dumped the fluid which ended up on a body mount by the rear tire and over the rear axle/suspension components. Finding the fluid in the rear of the Jeep (before I realized I had wrecked that shock up front) was extremely perplexing: I was *positive* that nothing in the rear could have been leaking to cause the fluid to end up where it was (and it turns out, I was correct).
After managing to damage the item which caught me off guard, I started to wonder what else might be susceptible to damage - and the diffs came to mind. However, after installing the guards, I realized that the new Dana diffs are a LOT better than some of the older Jeeps I have had, and would probably stand up to quite a bit of off-road challenges. No regrets having installed the guards though.
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