JT Wrangler Truck Testing on Public Roads, Shows Spare Tire Mount

Looks weird. The bed extends too far beyond the rear wheels.

 

Guess this answers where the spare is going

 

Yep, but the aftermarket will provide plenty of options there.

Kudos to the Admin for being ahead of the rest of the press on Wrangler updates. Seriously.

The JT looks like the Wrangler of pickups, for sure. I'd be all over it except for the fact that I like to be able to access the rear cargo compartment from the inside of the vehicle if need be instead of having to jump out all the time.

 

Spare location looks clean and doesn't take up room in the bed so that's good.

Also noticed this is either a mule or they are going to recycle some current parts. The windshield with the Jeep grille decal which is not even on the JL prototypes and the interior (rearview mirror mount, air vent rim) all look like JK.

 

I wonder if the bed on this mule is still not the final design or a more refined mock-up made from Ram parts. If you notice the rear bumper is from a Ram.

 

Agreed. It almost looks like you could lift the front wheels if you put a heavy load towards the rear of the bed LOL. Gotta wonder if this is the production version. The very first set of pics showed a Ram bed so maybe they are still testing different configurations.

 

Does it look to anyone else like this mule is running an inverted-T steering linkage (similar to the Ram 2500's) instead of a crossover design like the JK's?

The overhang doesn't look that much more/different than a Tacoma.

edit: Also note the rear swaybar mounted on the axle instead of the chassis.

 

If this is the final bed, departure angle gonna be a bear.

 

Looks pretty close to the AEV Double Cab Brute dimensionally. No big surprise on the rear overhang - no other way to really do it unless you have a super-duper long wheelbase...

 

Holy Cat5 cable Batman !!
Looks like lotsa sensing going on there.

Would be nice to get a view of the diff in this picture without the JL logo blocking it to confirm the variant, from the last photo which is at an angle/off-axis, it looks like the more gradual rise bolt pattern of the D44 rather the more acute angle of the D60. Though looks flatter at the bottom than the more rounded new upgraded D44 on the Recon, could be the regular Rubi/Sahara D44 especially since there's so much other basic JK stuff there as note by AWD, or.... there was mention of an update to the axles going into the JL to allow for greater lift without needing greater modification, so could be yet another variant of the D44.

 

Yeah, but it kinda has to in order to keep parts fairly consistent between platforms, and allow space for a full sized 32" spare (even if it's really 30.8).

It's going to be a compromise in many ways. hopefully as a whole it's better than expected, to which.

*sarcasm to follow*

Hey, did you notice the tester is a Girl... this is gonna be a wussy Chick Truck !!
JK

 

Well it's damned if you do damned if you don't for the engineers. If they shorten the bed for less overhang then the bed becomes less useful. If they lengthen the wheelbase for a shorter overhang, then the break over angle takes a hit.

 

Mule; near-production builds are still quite a ways out.

 

Designers have to find room somewhere to have a bed that's useful... otherwise you're stuck with a Subaru Brat lol.
For example... comparing a CJ7 to a CJ8 Scrambler it's easy to see where extra room for a bed was found by the AMC designers...
A bit more wheelbase and a lot more overhang.

 

Good example and like mentioned above, they have to modify it from the existing body/frame and doesn't make sense to have a crazy long wheelbase. I'm just glad they went with a usable bed. To me it looks even slightly bigger than the AEV Brute bed, but it could just be the extra padding and camouflage.

 

I'm a bit behind the times on this JT thing... has it been said whether this crew cab version is all there will be, or is there a possibility of a shorter, more off-roadable, Scrambler-like cousin? I probably wouldn't go for one regardless (in the foreseeable future, at least), but I'm just curious.

 

I know this is a mule but this seems like a pretty big difference in suspension height between the back and front.

 

I think I've spotted the Link-Coil hardware similar to the Power Wagon (only with a D44 instead of AAM 9.25) in the rear.

Would need clearer front photos to see if there's an Articulink front, could be just be wishful thinking and a standard setup similar to the JKU sits up front, but would be nice to see Articulink hiding under there.

At the very least the Link-coil setup should improve hauling capabilities, and if they add air suspension the option for load leveling and improving depature angles compromised by the added length.

Notice the shock placement is different in the JT rear than on the JKU which face backwards not forwards like in the photos.

I've tried to highlight the matching components to hopefully make it easier to see.

 

Can you explain in simple terms what the difference is between the current JK suspension and the Articulink set up?