BLOG CATEGORIES

Jeep

  1. Coronary Graft - Thermal Bypass R&D - Concept and Design

    Coronary Graft - Thermal Bypass R&D - Concept and Design

    The transmission in your JK Wrangler is practically the essence of what makes it a Jeep. The sturdy gear sets housed inside, transferring power from the engine, give the Wrangler its go anywhere, do anything attitude. Jeeps pride themselves on being ready for any situation, from the dusty trails to mall parking lots, but are they in it for the long haul? Where the transmission is the soul of the Jeep, keeping it cool can sometimes pose a challenge. True, there are plenty of means of maintaining transmission fluid cool with external coolers, but they won't do you any good if the fluid never makes it to the cooler. That's why a sturdy thermal bypass valve is essential for the Jeep JK Wrangler, along with a myriad of other Mopar products.

    Before we dive straight into our new design, let's take a look at the who, what, and why of the thermal bypass valve. First, your automatic transmission is a collection of planetary gear sets, clutch packs, shafts, and other wizardry suspended in a slurry

    Continue Reading »
  2. 10 Ways To Start Winterizing Your Jeep

    10 Ways To Start Winterizing Your Jeep

    Proper vehicle preparation and maintenance can ensure your Jeep survives the low temperatures of winter. We put together a list of 10 checklist items you can complete to give yourself peace of mind as the temperatures drop. We recommend starting this list around October if you're in the Northern Hemisphere and May if you're south of the equator. Follow this checklist to make sure you're ready for the season ahead.

    1. Test Your Battery

    If possible, have your battery tested prior to the cold weather snap and replace if it's testing

    Continue Reading »
  3. Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Design

    Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Design

    Despite its simple appearance, improving upon the stock 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL transmission cooler will take some clever engineering. In many cases, the solution to extracting more efficiency from a heat exchanger is to make it bigger, but with the cramped cooling stack of the JL, the size of our cooler would be limited.

    In our last post, we looked at the stock 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL transmission cooler and its home in the 2.0L Wrangler. Our performance trans cooler will fit all of the available engines and the 2020+ Gladiator, but the complexity of the 2.0T's cooling stack makes it the perfect R&D vehicle. That complexity also restricts how much we can change the dimensions

    Continue Reading »
  4. Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 3: Production

    Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 3: Production

    This Borne Off-Road Snorkel for the 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL and 2020+ Jeep Gladiator is now available! Click here to check it out!

    There's something about the outdoors that lets us reconnect with our youth. Maybe it's the memories of playing outside with our friends, or the simplicity of nature reminding us of simpler times. Whatever the reason, we could all use a little more time outside. Your Jeep Wrangler JL is marketed as a go anywhere, do anything machine, but sometimes it needs a little help to live up to that persona. Here at Mishimoto, we've been working on parts to help it do just that, including our latest project: the 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL/2020+ Gladiator snorkel.

    In the last post, we began the design process by 3D scanning our JL inside and out. We also discussed our options for routing the snorkel. In the

    Continue Reading »
  5. Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 2: Design

    Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 2: Design

    When we were kids, we had Legos, Erector sets, Lincoln Logs, and K'NEX to satisfy our need to tinker. But as we've grown, so have our toys. Modifying cars and trucks is the adult (ish) version of our childhood pastimes, and vehicles like the 2018+ JL Wrangler are as close to Legos as you can get. The latest brick in our JL Wrangler build is a snorkel to help keep the intake clean while you're reconnecting with your youth on the trail.

    In the last post, we looked at the stock intake and discussed why you might want to add a snorkel, even if you're not fording four feet of water. To recap, we explained that your JL's intake utilizes a fresh-air inlet in the fender area

    Continue Reading »
  6. Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 1: Introduction

    Youth Elevated - Snorkel R&D, Part 1: Introduction

    When we were 16, our cars were our tickets to freedom and endless possibilities. For many of us, those early days of driving were the basis for a lifetime of automotive passion. It didn't matter if we were driving our dream car or our grandmother's 1991 Buick Regal, as long as we were behind the wheel with our friends in the back.

    Somewhere along the road from 16 to adulthood, we lost that sense of freedom. Room for friends has been replaced by space for the kids and their bikes. Gas mileage now supersedes a killer sound system in the hierarchy of features. "How comfortable will this be on my 45-minute stop-and-go commute," has taken the place of "Will my crush think I'm cool in this?"

    But growing up doesn't have to be all car seats and MPGs. Many vehicles, like the 2018+ Jeep Wrangler

    Continue Reading »
  7. Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 3: Testing

    Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 3: Testing

    When we last saw our 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL performance transmission cooler, it was nothing more than a box, constructed from aluminum u-channel, with plastic end tanks glued to it. This time, however, we'll be getting our hands on a fully functioning production sample.

    In our last post, we began the design process for our performance transmission cooler and created a prototype. Thanks to the JL's cramped cooling stack, our ability to enlarge the transmission cooler was severely limited in the vertical and horizontal planes. However, we were able to significantly increase the thickness of the core from 19mm to 32mm. This 68% increase

    Continue Reading »
  8. Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Steal the Limelight - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Engines get a lot of press these days. Every manufacturer wants to flaunt their latest, most fuel-efficient, technologically advanced, or powerful engine yet. The hype is even more prominent when manufacturers make drastic changes to a long-standing model, like the 2018+ Jeep Wrangler.

    When FCA announced the 2018+ Wrangler JL in late 2017, all the journalists were clamoring for headlines on the new 2.0L, turbocharged, mild-hybrid engine. How would the mild hybrid perform offroad? Would the turbo lag make it a dog in stop and go traffic? What about that 24-volt power system? Everybody forgot about the 3.6L Pentastar that's powered the Wrangler, and over 20 other models, for almost a decade. But the 3.6L Pentastar wasn't the only thing forgotten in the fanfare over the new 2.0T.

    Continue Reading »
  9. Breathing Fresh Air - Intake R&D: Simply Power

    Breathing Fresh Air - Intake R&D: Simply Power

    As automotive technology advances and manufacturers try to squeeze more power out of every drop of fuel, forced induction (specifically turbocharging) is becoming increasingly prevalent. But, while forced induction can make a 4-cylinder as powerful as an engine twice its size, nothing compares to a naturally-aspirated engine's linear powerband. Natural aspiration is power in its purest form - a one-to-one connection of right foot and forward motion.

    For many Jeep enthusiasts, the simplicity of natural aspiration has kept them loyal to the 3.6L Pentastar V6 in their 2018+ Wrangler JL or 2020+ Gladiator. That simplicity also makes modifying an N/A engine straightforward. Unlike modern turbocharged systems that usually require a tune to gain power from bolt-on modifications, N/A powerplants benefit tremendously from anything

    Continue Reading »
  10. Nearly Perfect - Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Radiator R&D, Part 1: Prototype to Production

    Nearly Perfect - Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Radiator R&D, Part 1: Prototype to Production

    The 2012+ Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a nearly perfect sleeper. With four doors, enough room for the kids and the dog, and a 475 hp 6.4L Hemi V8 under the hood pushing it to a sub-five second 0-60, there's not much the Grand Cherokee can't do quickly. But all that capability and power comes at a cost. 475 hp moving 5,200 lbs. around generates a massive amount of heat. It's not uncommon for engine coolant temps to hit 220°F or more, especially in modified Cherokees.

    The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is certainly capable, but if it overheats, it's useless. That's why we decided to develop a performance aluminum radiator to put the finishing touch on your 2012+ Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

    We started development on this radiator as we do with most of our projects by measuring the stock components.

    Continue Reading »
Page