06 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited / Liberty CRD Swap

[BLACKRAM]

I have been looking for this exact vehicle for over a year. At the 2004 SEMA show, someone had a diesel jeep, but I neglected to get the name of the company.



Do you want to sell it? What trans will it be matched with? How is the weight on the front end?

 

[nickleinonen]

I just bought an '06 Wrangler SE with the 2. 4 Neon motor and Mercedes 6-speed. I was wondering when someone was going to do this swap, because I plan on doing it eventually. I will be watching this thread close! Thanks for taking the initiative!Oo.

how's that new 6 speed like? i haven't had a chance to drive one yet [no local dealers have them, and i don't really feel like driving an hour to testdrive a new 6 speed]

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Very cool.

In the first shot - it looks like there's another white Rubicon in the background. Do you work for (or own) some kind of Jeep-specific shop?

Matt

I guess this question got passed over? Looks like an accessory shop possibly? Nice project, I can see a huge market for this conversion. All we need to do is target car carrier transporters nationwide and start vandalizing the bodies on the the liberty diesels for donoir parts. just kidding. I can see a large theft index for these in the near future if this thread bleeds over into the "Heep" forums enough.

I would actually consider buying a new car again if jeep marketed this exact vehicle as equipped when finished. If priced under $30,000. 00 it could bring some life back into the market I bet.

 

[SBertelson]

I'll have some more photos in the next day or two. We just finished the 5" long arm suspension lift and are fabricating the motor mounts now... .....

 

[hammersley]

What are your thoughts regarding

fuel, i. e. does the Rubicon have a fuel tank mounted fuel pump???? Won't you also have to have a return line back to the tank - or is this a different system?????

 

[SBertelson]

Yes, the Wrangler has a tank mounted pump. The Liberty CRD does not, so I will just remove it and install a return line since the Wrangler did not use one.

 

[Dieselnut59]

SWEET!!! This is exactly the vehicle I have been waiting on Jeep/Daimler-Chrysler to build! I would want a 5 or 6 speed though. I test drove a Liberty CRD and loved it but prefer the Wrangler with the removable top, soild axles and manual transmission. A diesel would be the perfect option in a Wrangler. Anyone listening at D-C???

 

[SBertelson]

Putting this on the side burner for a week or two. Have to take care of some actual paying customer work first... .....

 

[MBreyer]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



LOL

We'll be excitedly waiting for ya to return with new pictures. I hope your paying work goes well.





~Matt

 

[DKarvwnaris]

SWEET!!! This is exactly the vehicle I have been waiting on Jeep/Daimler-Chrysler to build!



A diesel would be the perfect option in a Wrangler. Anyone listening at D-C???

Doubtful, you didn't write it Deutche. They haven't listened to the market's demands with the Jeep line in years. Aren't they still planning (or did for next year) to drop the Rubicon line?

A Rubicon Unlimited with the manual transmission and the CRD diesel would be an "overwhelming" leap of faith for them Rigtht up there with actually putting their money where their mouth is and building the Jeep Rescue on a Dodge Diesel chassis.

Oh well, time will be the only proof on this one. I'll be the next in line whenever either of these vehicles hit the streets.

 

[Dieselnut59]

Heck, I would go for a Liberty with a manual transmission! Why put the most fuel efficient engine with the weakest and least fuel efficient transmission?? I bet the Liberty CRD would get close to 40 MPG with a 6-speed like the gassers offer!

They have the engine, now lets see that thing in a Wrangler, J/D-C!!!!

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Heck, I would go for a Liberty with a manual transmission! Why put the most fuel efficient engine with the weakest and least fuel efficient transmission?? I bet the Liberty CRD would get close to 40 MPG with a 6-speed like the gassers offer!

They have the engine, now lets see that thing in a Wrangler, J/D-C!!!!

The only reason I can see DC not putting a manual behind the CRD is a concern that it will be subjected to loads it might not be able to handle. Most all automatic transmission's of recent years are designed to protect the engines from drivers who are either too aggressive, or demanding too much out of the vehicle.

I understand why GM does this with the Durahack , but I really had hoped DC had more faith in their CRD ald liberty vehicles to allow a manual transmission option. Time will tell, until they offer a manual transmission for it, I consider it a waste of time and engineering to outfit the Liberties with a diesel. It will ne nice for an in town commuter not having to shift at the lights, but I haven't owned a vehicle without a clutch (besides my ol' '90 Suburban, which is hardly driven and also has a 4bt/nv-4500 waiting for it this winter) in over 15 years. Personal preference?, yes, but I don't think unreasonable?...

 

[SBertelson]

They offer the manual behind European Jeeps with the diesel. I have seen Cherokees with one. Could it be some sort of emissions deal?

 

[DKarvwnaris]

They offer the manual behind European Jeeps with the diesel. I have seen Cherokees with one. Could it be some sort of emissions deal?

Maybe, but I'm betting that most European's don't typically subject their vehicles to the loads most Americans do pulling ATV's and dead animals out of the woods ;D. Up until recently, we would visit family in Germany every summer and visit different parts of Europe, the biggest trailer I saw most cars pulling was the size of a gardening trailer for a Snapper lawn mower. Germany in addition to several other European countries are dominated with Manual transmission vehicles. Automatics just aren't that popular there, all our rental cars etc. were manuals, without asking for it.

In the States, there seems to be a mistique around the Jeep name that regardless of its size, dimension etc, it is going to be expected to handle anything put to it. A status that I think fell from their lineup with Chrysler's buy out of AMC.

Regardless of the reasons, it must be a strong one, countless people I talk to are biting at the bit hoping that the CRD will find itself in front of a clutch in the next year or two.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Wow

I've been whining about a jeep with a four banger diesel for quite some time.



Not long ago there was a 4bt conversion that was on ebay for $18K.



Thumbs up on a great conversion. Once upon a lifetime I stuffed a V6 in a Willys Wagon. Don't know if I have the patience and expendible time to tackle another project like that.



What transfer case is in the jeeps nowadays? I've been eyeing the Saturn (formerly Warn) overdrives on ebay that go behind T18 or T20s.



Installed a Warn overdrive in the Willy Wagon. Plus had a LandRover with a chevy iron duke four banger and a Warn overdrive. REALLY like rowing through the gears with the planetary style lever activated OD.

 

[Canadian Cummins]

Why wont DC sell this in North America?

Look at what you can get in Europe

"New 3. 0-litre diesel engine debuts for new Jeep® Grand Cherokee in Geneva"

It has more tourque than the hemi Oo.



3. 0L V6 CRD:

160 kW @ 4000 rpm

510 Nm @ 1600-2000 rpm :-laf



5. 7L Hemi V8:

240 kW @ 5000 rpm

500 Nm @ 4000 rpm



http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dcco...0-0-466468-0-0-243-7145-0-0-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Look at what you can get in Europe

"New 3. 0-litre diesel engine debuts for new Jeep® Grand Cherokee in Geneva"

It has more tourque than the hemi Oo.

I wonder if they'll use the fat little ugly kid in the Hemi commercials to say, "DIESEL!!!!". I bet the Geneva models will be be excudede from the US market as usual. Can't wait for the EPA to grow a spine and not cater to the Libby's and tree huggers propaganda.

 

[MBreyer]

Badda Bing, Badda BUMP!



~Matt

 

[benhall]

Here is a translated message from earlier:



SÜSS!!! Dieses ist genau der Träger, den ich an gewartet habe Zu errichten Jeep/Daimler-Chrysler!



Ein Diesel würde die vollkommene Wahl in einem Wrangler sein. Jedermann, das an DC hört???



Originally Posted by Dieselnut59

SWEET!!! This is exactly the vehicle I have been waiting on Jeep/Daimler-Chrysler to build!



A diesel would be the perfect option in a Wrangler. Anyone listening at D-C???



Originally Posted by DKarvwnaris

Doubtful, you didn't write it Deutche. They haven't listened to the market's demands with the Jeep line in years. Aren't they still planning (or did for next year) to drop the Rubicon line?





Ben

 

[SBertelson]

Currently working on the wiring for this. We are hoping to be able to offer a direct "plug and go" harness for Wranglers in the future once it is all figured out.