#unofficialuseonly

This Week In Jeep

Don’t Call It a Comeback… yet.

The codeword is “GMET6 HO” It actually IS a codename and it stands for “Global Medium Engine Turbo 6 High Output” … but where did it come from? And what does it mean? Or… Is it just a rumor? Or is it a planned leak? Or… is it all fake news just to get some publicity? There are lots of questions surrounding the recent online buzz that has been created by the discovery of some “official” Stellantis documents. The documents in question contain lists of applications of various engine parts, identifying several domestic models by their internal codes: DT (Ram 1500), JL (current Wrangler), JT (Gladiator), WL (Grand Cherokee), and WS (Wagoneer). These models are all slated to use a high-output version of the new Tornado engine, a 3.0-liter inline-six engine with turbocharged assistance, possibly with mild-hybrid integration. So what’s that mean? Well, we have drawings and licensing or patent requests for the design, and a list of models. So…… not much. What everyone wants to know is just how much power this new engine will produce. Right now the consensus is that in two potentially different tunes of the powerplant, it will replace both the 303-horsepower Pentastar V6 and the 375-hp Hemi V8. The latter generates up to 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque in the Ram 1500 with the eTorque mild-hybrid motor. So the train of thought is that the high output version of this new Tornado engine could put out numbers close to or exceeding those. Right now the benchmark for a replacement engine for this class would be the one currently set by Ford with their 3.5L twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine which is producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. So according to the drawing, we have a straight-six configuration with, what’s this? Why do its twin turbos produce an unknown amount of raw horsepower! Wish we knew what the potential is for this engine… What we DO know is that according to the Stellantis Press Site, the engine is being produced at the Saltillo Engine Plant and that the high output version entered production on November 22, 2021. The engine is believed to be based on the four-cylinder architecture used for the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio, and all Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe models. Which makes sense, just add two more cylinders onto the end of it, and change the cam and head, and bam! Simple right? One would think. So with Ford standing behind But as Ford stands by its twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engines, why has Stellantis gone with an inline configuration on its new engine line? It’s simple: smoothness and torque. Ask any 4.0L fan and they’ll tell you, an inline-6 can be smooth as silk and oh-so-torquey. Straight-six engines also tend to be simpler and cheaper to produce compared to their V-shaped siblings, thanks to having only a single cylinder head. Now finding room for such an engine certainly has its challenges, especially in smaller vehicles because inline sixes tend to be quite long.

However, if a vehicle can accommodate an inline-6 like the Tornado, for instance, it’s generally going to be the superior choice. And here’s another big advantage of using a turbocharged configuration of an inline-six. It gives you the flexibility to extract more power, like say for a Hellcat replacement for instance. All one would have to do is crank up the boost, and maybe upgrade the springs in the head and tune the fuel and cooling system components to support the increased grunt. But the way I see it, a super-high-output version of the Tornado engine could be the engine of choice for vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk or a new Wrangler variant moving forward. Again, all speculation. Regardless, this is big news. Or is it? Just hours after the information was published on Jeep’s Press Site, the Stellantis press release was updated to remove references to the GMET6 HO engine. This may be because the 2022 model year information and options list has already been published for the Wrangler, Gladiator, Wagoneer, Grand Cherokee, and Ram 1500, with no mention of the new Tornado engine. So this means one of a couple of things. This is much to-do about nothing, and it’s all fake news, (seems awfully well orchestrated if that’s the case)

Or… this WILL come to fruition, the release WAS all accurate if not ill-timed, and the return of the inline-six engine to Jeep will be introduced in a mid-year update, or as part of the model year 2023 updates, shortly before Stellantis switches over to electrification, with fully electric or hybrid versions of all the aforementioned vehicles on the way.

Utah Jazz Player Spends $330K To Build Jeep

I’m not a huge basketball fan. I mean I’ll keep an eye on what the Portland Trailblazers are doing sometimes, and I may watch the finals just to see some good game, but that’s about it. But when I heard that an NBA player spent over $300,000 on a Jeep build, I had to know more, especially when I heard the name at the center of all this. Whiteside.

Back in 2019, Hassan Whiteside was playing for the Blazers here in Portland when he began this six-figure Jeep build. Two years and a ridiculous amount of money later, and “Big Shirley” was born. A conglomeration of efforts by a number of different auto-modifying shops. What started as a 2020 model year Wrangler Sahara, was stretched and modified to the 6×6 structure we’ve talked about here on the show before. And it was done by none other than SoFloJeeps. You’ll recognize the name South Florida Jeeps from Episode 512 where we talked about them modifying a set of Wranglers and Gladiators for various Police Departments in the Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood areas of Florida, and on Episode 434 where we featured a six-figure 6×6 build of theirs that sells for $150K. By the looks of it, that’s where this ballplayer started.

After the complete physical transformation from SoFloJeeps, America’s Most Wanted to have their turn with it and dropped a modified and tuned, 900HP Hellcat crate engine into it. Obviously with a Dana 80 front axle, and twin 60’s in the rear, all rolling 40-inch tires, not to mention the extra frame needed for the stretch and all the extra steel on this thing, it has to weigh like 5 tons and get horrible gas mileage, so an additional gas tank was added bringing the total capacity up to a whopping 34 gallons. In all, it took over 1,800 man-hours to build this guy’s creation. One of the more unique mods of this insane machine?

The seat was lowered as far as it would go, with bracketry custom-made so that the seven-footer can actually “fit” into the Jeep. When asked why he named the Jeep, Whiteside said “Because she’s big and good lookin’, like a country mama.” guess that means Big Shirley where he comes from. Either way, you can see this behemoth rolling around the streets of Salt Lake City, as Hassan Whiteside actually uses it to drive to practice and back any given week.

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: Speaker Selection For YOUR Jeep (series)

How To choose the right speakers for your Jeep, you, and your music. That’s at least what we’re going to try and accomplish in this series. The goal by the end of this is for you to have a better understanding of what speakers are, how they work, and what makes a good speaker, well…good. We’ll take a look at the size, power handling, clarity, efficiency, the whole gambit. And in the end, you will be armed with a ton of knowledge that will help you not only find the right speaker for your Jeep, but the right speaker for the kind of music you listen to, and more importantly, how to avoid some common traps, and how to get the most bang for your buck. One of the first things you should consider when making the decision to upgrade the audio in your Jeep is the size of speaker you need. Ordinarily, the idea would be the bigger the better right? Unfortunately, there isn’t “one size fits all” when it comes to speakers. Every Jeep is different, and they all have different sizes of speakers that go in specific locations. Trying to put a larger, or smaller speaker into a location that wasn’t meant to house that size of speaker will either be impossible, or will oftentimes require modifications, or special adapters that can quickly add to the cost of the upgrade.

There are a ton of resources online to put in-vehicle information and see WHAT speaker size goes WHERE in YOUR Jeep, so just start a search and pick one, maybe two to compare the information you get to ensure it’s accurate. Now as I stated earlier, not all Jeeps are the same, and some Jeeps may have come with upgraded or premium sound systems from the factory. These types of systems generally have better quality equipment, built-in or external amplifiers, and sometimes even a subwoofer for some low-end bass. If your Jeep has a premium system from the factory and it hasn’t been modified, then this whole process may be a bit more challenging. In some cases, there will be a speaker pod in the door. An actual plastic enclosure that may be riveted into the door. This may or may not have its own built-in amplifier, and the speaker itself, may or may not be riveted or glued into place. Aftermarket speakers may not fit, or may not have the right resistance to work with the amplifier correctly. You may also find that the problem you’re having isn’t with the speaker at all, and there’s something else going on.

I know, it’s like Pandora’s box. Hence why a lot of times, simpler is better. Dealing with everything that goes into repairing a premium sound system in any vehicle makes the entire process of something as simple as replacing a speaker much harder and can get expensive depending on the route taken. If you fall into this category, I recommend talking with a TECH at the stereo shop in your town or drop me an email, and maybe we can work through it together. BUT…IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, avoid talking to any car audio salesman until you are absolutely sure what the game plan is. So ask to talk with an installer first, and pick their brains about some options. Not only are they going to know a lot more than the nicely dressed chap upfront, but they’re also going to be a lot more likely to steer you in the right direction vs. someone working on points and commissions.

Once you have that information and know what size speakers are right for your Jeep, there are a few other things to consider. And we’ll start to get into all that in the next tech talk.

Jeep Talk Show Interview

Greg Henderson – Unofficial Use Only

If you don’t know what Unofficial Use Only is, you probably have already seen some of their iconic builds and didn’t even realize it. The owner is Greg Henderson, known as the Jeep Doctor. He’s a judge on Motor Trend’s new TV Show Super Jeep Challenge, and he’s been part of the industry for a long time.