[Johnson]

We knew the Wrangler would be lighter than the prior generation. Just read an article from Left Lane News that pretty much outlines where you'll find the weight savings.

In a nutshell, aluminum inner doors while the exterior may be out of steel still, the hood will be completely aluminum however. That may not be all, so we may hear more about other weight saving areas.

What other parts do you think they'll sub out for lighter materials ?

 

[Jeepernator]

Maybe the rear bumper panels? I don't mind aluminum for the inner doors but not sure I want it as the hood material. Sure it may be light but it's also softer, easier to dent and more expensive to fix.

 

[Johnson]

That's definitely a big thing. Dents. It'll flex extremely easily as well. Thankfully the exterior of the doors are still out of steel so they'll hold up. I'm wondering what the floor pans are ?

 

[Gina]

Wouldn't aluminum inner doors affect the safety of the Wrangler? I took a look at the crash test rating of the current four door wrangler and it scored Marginal in side crash worthiness test.

 

[Mangler]

Maybe they upped the reinforcement bar inside of the door?? Like the cross beam bar that goes from one corner to the bottom opposite corner?

 

[gladiator]

It will largely depend on how they construct it. Not always is it the material but how its constructed. You can make a door entirely out of steel but have such poor construction and application that it just fails in every way.

 

[HighRider]

Wranglers are more likely to roll over from taking on rugged terrain than get hit from the side. I'm sure the main support struts will be made of sturdy materials. Safety isn't my main concern as much as paint scratches that needs fixing. Installing something like Xpel is just a small price to pay for the weight savings.

 

[Mangler]

You can never go wrong spending the money on Xpel or any sort of PPF. It's just smarter overall. Not only preserves the paint "sheen" but it provides that protection against the elements that could lead to rusting and what not.

Rolling over is an issue, but I'm not going to be going that crazy so I'm not concerned over that. Worst case scenario, get a basic cage installed?

 

[Johnson]

I don't think we can have any sort of roll cage in my area. I think they're "illegal" or something. Heard of people getting into issues with them.

 

[Gina]

Didn't think of Xpel or PPF as a sort of rust prevention. Should have realized that after seeing a bit of rust form where my old car's hood was chipped. I heard that aluminum was more prone to rust, is that true?

 

[Johnson]

Apparently aluminum doesn't actually rust, it just corrodes. Rust is relative to iron and steel.

Googled it

 

[gladiator]

Didn't think of Xpel or PPF as a sort of rust prevention. Should have realized that after seeing a bit of rust form where my old car's hood was chipped. I heard that aluminum was more prone to rust, is that true?

Well think of it as another layer that keeps the elements away from penetrating your paint and getting to the metal. The better you can keep those elements away the better off you are. Just look up videos of rock chipped films being removed and you'll be surprised at what they stop.

 

[Johnson]

Better yet, check out this video of Xpel saving paint from rocks flying at it at 70 mph

 

[Gina]

Xpel seems to be the best way to keep those aluminum panels looking new and avoiding the expensive future paint job to make the Wrangler JL look new again. Just have to find a trained installed in your area or else I don't think it's covered under the company warranty.

 

[Johnson]

Definitely needs to be installed by a certified and trained "installer" to reap the benefits of the warranty, and that's where it gets real pricey. Regardless if the vehicles brand new or not, it'll still have to undergo paint correction and prep to get it installed and that's a timely process.

There's always the option of going 3m or other brands, but I'm not too sure how they fair against conditions like Xpel does.

 

[Jeepernator]

Xpel does have a few do it yourself products, but they're for smaller areas and not for full panels. It's not going to be a cheap option so be prepared to hand over around $1 or more depending on what you want to have covered.

 

[Mangler]

Not a cheap option at all, but if you care about the condition of your paint (which affects re-sale value), then it's something worth it for you. If you don't and you aren't afraid of those love marks, totally skip out on it and you can go with a paint sealant to have it shiny and some degree of protection on it.

 

[gladiator]

Best of all it won't change the tone of your paint even years down the line much unlike when clear bras first showed up on the market. They use to make your paint look dull, and even yellow after enough exposure to the typical elements.

Spend once for this and it lasts you years. Just make sure you do the proper maintenance and follow up.

 

[Johnson]

A lot of people think it's just an apply and forget thing. You still have to clean it and maintain it. The older variations of ppf were definitely horrendous, after 3 years, good luck getting it off lol. But you just gotta ensure you don't leave anything on there so long to the point where it's coming off in pieces.

 

[Jeepernator]

Older wraps were prone to turning yellow and peeling in places after a few years, but the newer wraps shouldn't have that problem. You still need to wash a vehicle that's been wrapped, but everything should easily slide off without much rubbing, even tree sap.

If I do wrap the Wrangler, it'll probably only be on the bumper, hood, and maybe the front doors. Those seem to be the most likely panels made of aluminum.