Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
Chapter 5: Willys Jeepster, Kaiser Jeepster, and Jeepster Commando
Legend and Lore
Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
Chapter 6: Jeep Wrangler YJ and TJ
Legend and Lore
Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
Chapter 7: Jeep Wrangler JK and JL
Legend and Lore
Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
Chapter 8: Jeep Cherokees, Comanches, and Wagoneer XJs
Legend and Lore
Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
Chapter 9: Jeep Grand Cherokees
Legends and Lore
Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes
Numbers Crunching and Press Commentary
DEDICATION
To the greatest Jeep men of all time: designers Bob Nixon and Vince Geraci. These two men led teams that were responsible for creating some of the most legendary vehicles ever produced, and I’m proud that they are among my best friends as well. God bless you both!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One of America’s best-known automotive journalists is Patrick Foster, a dedicated historian/author who has been writing for more than 25 years. Patrick is a feature writer and columnist for Hemmings Classic Car.
Patrick has written 27 books and contributed material to several others. He has won numerous writing awards including the AACA’s prestigious Thomas McKean Memorial Cup Award, an Outstanding Periodical Article for the year by the Society of Automotive Historians, and numerous International Automotive Media Council (IAMC) Awards. In 2011, Patrick was honored with the Lee Iacocca Award, perhaps the most coveted award in the car hobby, for excellence in automotive writing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Bob Wilson of CarTech Books for giving me the opportunity to author this book. I’d especially like to thank legendary Jeep designers Jim Pappas, John Sgalia, Bill St. Claire, John Starr, Jack Kenitz, Eric Kugler, George Krispinsky, Thelma Sibley, Susan Tassi, Phil Payne, and the late Jim Angers and Claude Trambley for their insight and for always being there when I needed them.
Thanks also to my good friends Frank Pascoe, Ron Konopka, and Jack Wildman of AMC/Jeep Styling; Joe Cappy and Gerald Meyers, both former CEOs of American Motors; Dean Greb; and the late Chuck Mashigan and Cruse Moss. I also want to thank Dan Clifford and Jay Cowperthwaite for suggesting some good facts. Special thanks go to Steve Magnante for all his help. You guys are the best!
A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THESE FACTS
I’ve been involved with Jeep vehicles for decades; first as a mechanic, then as a successful salesman, and finally as a journalist. In my time with Jeep I’ve accumulated one of the largest collections of Jeep literature in the world, which I consulted while writing this book. However, having noted all of the above, I have to tell you that you may find a few errors in the text. It’s practically inevitable when you spend a year writing more than 80,000 words that your fingers accidently type 1962 when you really meant to type 1963, used the wrong word to describe a component, or just plain made a dumb mistake. I’ve written four previous Jeep books and hopefully am getting better as I age (like a fine wine?). So, if you find any errors, please accept my apology now, and send me a letter in care of the publisher so I can correct any future editions. Thanks!
Chapter 1
Military Jeeps
Legend and Lore
1 Until the first Jeep was created, there had never been another vehicle like it. Sure, the army had earlier used four-wheel-drive trucks; the first of them was during the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916–1917 when it brought a fleet of Jeffery four-wheel-drive trucks to Mexico to chase Pancho Villa. The trucks proved to be sturdy and capable but were heavy, and their small engines limited the top speed to about 18 mph! The big trucks found their place in the battlefields of World War I France, where they hauled ammunition and guns to the front lines. However, the army knew it needed something smaller, lighter, and more agile for the coming war.
Here, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reviews troops from a Jeep MB.
2 In the years prior to World War II, the army also tried two-wheel-drive Ford Model Ts, but they proved to be unacceptable. When the cars were stripped down, with fenders, tools, and spare tire removed, their performance was decent, but with a heavy machine gun and other equipment along with passengers and ammunition, the Ford cars got stuck in sand and mud. The army also tried motorcycles, but not surprisingly they got stuck worse than the cars.
3 Two soldiers even built a platform vehicle called the Belly Flopper, which had a machine gun mounted up front and room for two men to lie on their stomachs as they drove forward during the attack. The thing was uncomfortable to use and couldn’t be driven on the road for any length of time (they had to be trucked to the battlefield), so although they were a decent assault vehicle, they didn’t make the cut. The army was looking for a scout car that could be used for many tasks, not just as an assault vehicle.
This three-man crew appears to be on reconnaissance with a hefty machine gun in case of trouble.
4 Most people know that Jeep Corporation didn’t invent the Jeep; neither did its forerunners Willys-Overland and Kaiser Jeep. The first such vehicle was produced by