in akxj's thread about his one tons he mentioned strengthening his frame -
which was the second thought I had after thinking "cool" to 1 tons under an xj.
Which brought me to lead his thread off topic - so I am moving it here:
I asked:
Which lead Kyle to respond with :
DISCLAIMER: I like XJ's. I know several people that have made thes into very serious wheeling vehciles. I have owned several in the past, but mostly as DD family vehicles which thee unibody handles very well. This is not a slam on anyone for owing or building an XJ.
However, I don't like Jeep engineering on several points. The unibody on a vehicle that has the Jeep name - which is fairly synonymous with off-roading is one of those engineering designs I think are questionable. I'd like this thread to discuss the use of unibodys - pros and or cons. Don't even get me started on bolts requiring E-sockets!:pissed:
which was the second thought I had after thinking "cool" to 1 tons under an xj.
Which brought me to lead his thread off topic - so I am moving it here:
I asked:
ChevyKev Wrote:WHY A UNIBODY IN THE FIRST PLACE??? (Not you, JEEP) What, if any, is an advantage to unibody? Expecially from a company like Jeep that has their trail rated logo and off-road roots? Does it really cut down on costs? Weight? Handeling charateristics?
Not meaning to thread jack, but I see no substancial benefit. And if no benefit, then why not a solid frame? And if a solid frame - you wouldn't have to be reinforcing it.
So is there a substancial positive characteristic to unibody vehciles? I'm not trying to put down the company, the vehicle, or anyone's choice to build one - I honestly want to know if there is an advantage that I haven't thought of.
Educate me!
Which lead Kyle to respond with :
Advent Wrote:Lighter, more ground clearance and cheaper all come to mind.
Solid frames need to be reinforced too. Go flex out your plow truck and measure how much the cab and bed move relative to each other.
By the time you brace up a standard frame SUV with a roll cage and by boxing the frame, you end up remarkably similar to what you have in a braced XJ. If the end result is the same anyway, what's the problem?
DISCLAIMER: I like XJ's. I know several people that have made thes into very serious wheeling vehciles. I have owned several in the past, but mostly as DD family vehicles which thee unibody handles very well. This is not a slam on anyone for owing or building an XJ.
However, I don't like Jeep engineering on several points. The unibody on a vehicle that has the Jeep name - which is fairly synonymous with off-roading is one of those engineering designs I think are questionable. I'd like this thread to discuss the use of unibodys - pros and or cons. Don't even get me started on bolts requiring E-sockets!:pissed:
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