What was jeep thinking?

[ChiefRudy]

so i was looking around jeep.com today at the Renny KK. I think it looks pretty sweet specially with those blacked out head lights. As I was searching the options i realized the new Renny KK only comes with a Selec Trac II. ](*,)

How could jeep make a model "designed" (and i'll use that word loosely) for off roading with an all-wheel drive setup. I understand the Selec trac II also has for 4Lo but still... It's doesn't make sense.

It's like a slap in the face to renegade name.

What is everyone's thoughts on this.

 

[JeepINgeek]

Well, typically Chryslers R scheme ( RT R/T Renegade Rubicon) merely means the most loaded version of whichever car its on. With Stratuses that meant a spoiler two less doors and a v6, for chargers and challengers this means much more.. so for them to downgrade the new KK i guess im not entirely surprised since it seems to me that the KKs are pretty much just a step closer to the Dodge Nitro... IMHO..

basically im not surprised..

 

[Jeepman56]

I am pretty disappointed personally, but not surprised. I would have liked to see a lightbar on a KK, some different wheel choices, better tires, etc. going into a new Renegade model.

 

[67Customs]

So, Selec Trac II dropped the 4-Part Time selection? It only has 4-Full Time and 4-Lo?

I really like having all three options on my KJ.

 

[ChiefRudy]

So, Selec Trac II dropped the 4-Part Time selection? It only has 4-Full Time and 4-Lo?

I really like having all three options on my KJ.

Yup, No more part-time. There's not much selection on the selec trac II

 

[tibby]

I think it is a bad direction jeep is going losing the part-time option. The SUV market is already overloaded by "grocery getters" and such. More and more SUVs are becoming urbanized, leaving few options for a "out of the box" off road SUV (Jeep wrangler for example). (banghead)

 

[67Customs]

Yup, No more part-time. There's not much selection on the selec trac II

Dude, that *****.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Reason enough to get a Limited with Command Trac II...

 

[Dave]

I would guess that one reason for that new electronic selec trac t/c could be that when you shift it you can't make a mistake and go into part time while on pavement since there is no part time, just full time. You can't hurt anything then.

I prefer a manual shifter with a cable. I had several and no problems. I had one with a push button actuated t/c and it stopped shifting into 4wd so I thought it was the push button switch on the dash but noooooooo. It was the actuator in the t/c for $400 just for the part. I got one at a junkyard for half of that and installed it and it went out again in a year. Had to replace it again. I like my manual shifter.

Dave

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Agreed, prefer the lever of the KJ.

 

[jnaut]

Market research. They found that most liberty drivers were nail technicians driving to and from their Pilates class.

It's a disappointment but when you have a niche market who demands real 4wd, but the larger market just wants stability on an occasionally snowy road, that's what you get.

I can't find the quote but there was an executive from one of the big three automakers who once famously said "There's no consumer need for four wheel drive".

Add into that the fact that eventually every ORV park will be closed down or so restricted in this country that the only off-road availability left will be those of us that don't go to ORV parks, but stick to forest and logging roads, this activity is gonna be strangled off in the next 20 years.

Enjoy it while you can, boys and girls, your time is limited.

I'm all smiles and sunshine today.

 

[ChiefRudy]

Market research. They found that most liberty drivers were nail technicians driving to and from their Pilates class.

It's a disappointment but when you have a niche market who demands real 4wd, but the larger market just wants stability on an occasionally snowy road, that's what you get.

I can't find the quote but there was an executive from one of the big three automakers who once famously said "There's no consumer need for four wheel drive".

Add into that the fact that eventually every ORV park will be closed down or so restricted in this country that the only off-road availability left will be those of us that don't go to ORV parks, but stick to forest and logging roads, this activity is gonna be strangled off in the next 20 years.

Enjoy it while you can, boys and girls, your time is limited.

I'm all smiles and sunshine today.

My dislike with All wheel drive is that for those few seconds it's take the computer to notice wheel slip and transfer power to the other wheels it's already too late. I've seen countless all wheel drives stuck in the snow b/c they try to go from a plowed road to a non plowed road that has 9+ inches on it and get stuck b/c the AWD didn't kick in fast enough to keep them going. I agree it's nice to have it kick in automatically specially with small amounts of snow/ patchy areas of snow but at time's a true 4x4 is what's really needed.

 

[JeepINgeek]

when i bought the libby i also looked at a wrangler unlimited ( shoud have gotten that) and a commander.. the salesman said id be a fool to get the commander because of the all-wheel drive ( that is labled as 4x4 even though its not really in the strictest terms)

 

[Dave]

Market research. They found that most liberty drivers were nail technicians driving to and from their Pilates class.

It's a disappointment but when you have a niche market who demands real 4wd, but the larger market just wants stability on an occasionally snowy road, that's what you get.

I can't find the quote but there was an executive from one of the big three automakers who once famously said "There's no consumer need for four wheel drive".

Add into that the fact that eventually every ORV park will be closed down or so restricted in this country that the only off-road availability left will be those of us that don't go to ORV parks, but stick to forest and logging roads, this activity is gonna be strangled off in the next 20 years.

Enjoy it while you can, boys and girls, your time is limited.

I'm all smiles and sunshine today.

This is sad but true I think jnaut.

Dave

 

[onefofun]

I have a 2010 KK Renegade and the Select trac II. It has 2wd, 4H and 4L I think some may be mis informed on this transfer system. So far so good. Really like this Jeep.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

I have a 2010 KK Renegade and the Select trac II. It has 2wd, 4H and 4L I think some may be mis informed on this transfer system. So far so good. Really like this Jeep.

Yeah, that.

This isn't some stupid AWD setup. When it's in 4AUTO, it works all the time, just like a KJ's SelecTrac. The "Auto" is just the traction control routing power to the wheel that needs it most. And it works very quickly.

 

[05kj6spd]

From what I saw on Jeeps site the two systems work like this.

Command trac II is a eletronic shifted transfer case. It has 2 wheel drive, 4 hi lock which can only be used in slippery conditions, and 4 lo lock which can only be used in slippery conditions and preferred offroad for use.

Select trac II has 2 wheel drive, 4 hi auto which can be used under all road conditions and is preferred for winter driving where the roads are some times dry sometimes not, and 4 lo lock which can only be used in slippery conditions and is preferred choice for off roading.

Personally I like the select trac II and under stand why they did away with the full time, part time choice of the 242. It just wasn't practical anymore, not enough people know or understood the difference and didn't use the system right. As for off-road use I don't see a difference between the two really since you should be using the 4 lo setting offroad. As for a strength diffence in the two I don't know, the command trac I vs. select trac I the was a difference and it was based on the shaft size in the 242. But these systems use different transfer cases and I haven't looked into the ratings to see if there was strength difference or not.

 

[hyde]

It is another reason why I never went the way of WK. I like the new WK, but I still cannot get it because it doesn't come with real 4x4 unless you spend over $40k. The lease price is very good but it is useless since it doesn't even have low range, it is just like a AWD sedans. Anyway, no matter what anyone says, the last of the mohicans was KJ, after 4x4 mechanism took a nose dive.

 

[Clyde Frog]

I think the thing to remember too is that the different Jeep models target different consumers. The Wrangler is really their flag ship ORV. The Liberty is sort of the mid-size "I can go off road if I need/want to" and the Grand Cherokee is their luxury with the smaller models in between. It would be nice if all Jeeps had "true" 4WD that off roaders love but the reality is that the market for a lot of the Jeep models (outside of the Wrangler category) isn't off roaders or those who want a true off road SUV.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

when i bought the libby i also looked at a wrangler unlimited ( shoud have gotten that) and a commander.. the salesman said id be a fool to get the commander because of the all-wheel drive ( that is labled as 4x4 even though its not really in the strictest terms)

I disagree with the whole being a fool to get a Commander just because of the 4WD system. Most of the time when I have wheel slip the transition is so instantaneous I only notice it because I see the warning light going off.