Fixed Roof Coming to Jeep Wrangler?

We know that Jeep enthusiasts having been waiting some time for a fixed-roof version of the Jeep Wrangler. Believe it or not, their dreams may actually be realized.

A recent report from AllPar.com anticipates such a change coming to the 2018 model. Sure, this rumors should always be taken with a grain of salt. However, the website aggregates whispers from reputable sources, so it’s not like the report is total speculation. As I always like to say: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

_To learn more about the changes coming to your favorite vehicle, keep reading below. When you’re finished, you may be inclined to go looking for a * four-door Jeep Wrangler for sale * … _

Before we start discussing the potential changes coming to the Jeep Wrangler, we have to first focus on some essential background information. Jeep had reportedly tried to include an independent suspension (taken from the popular 1963 Jeep Wagoneer) in their upcoming 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL, but the engineers ultimately decided to opt for the floating solid axle system. If the intended plan had gone through, AllPar.com believes the configuration of the vehicle would have changed, although not as drastically as you may think. Now instead, aftermarket companies will be allowed to continue selling the same modifications that would have been available through the brand.

Still, even though the previously-mentioned plan was trashed, the company was still looking to drop some weight from the Wrangler. The engineers considered switching to an aluminum tub and hydroformed steel frame, but the group soon understood that they could produce a lighter Jeep without having to include aluminum.

However, if the company is truly looking to shed some weight, AllPar.com recommends revamping the basic design of the top of the Wrangler, although this would require “a great deal of body bolstering to maintain torsional rigidity and to avoid falling apart.” Considering the anticipated new safety rules, Jeep has been proactive. The brand had reportedly been contemplating a redesign that would feature a safety bar with a “stronger set of permanent tubes over the top of the vehicle.” If this whisper proves to be true, and if Jeep’s sales continue to be strong, the website believes a fixed-roof version of the vehicle could be produced with little “retooling.”

A source told AllPar.com that “the traditional soft top is gone. It appears to have removable soft panels over the substructure. The sport bar design gone. It even appears to have built in grab handles.” The website also passed along a previous prediction by engineer Bob Sheaves: “The taillight design will change (my guess with an “x” design, such as the one used in the Renegade), bumpers are mostly the same as current (good for the aftermarket), as well as the tailgate construction [and] 5×5 wheel bolt pattern.”

The website doesn’t anticipate the Wrangler as a whole to change much, noting that the “fixed rear ‘roof replacement’ structure” could certainly be the big alteration, as well as the inclusion and refiguring of the “windshield angle, side mirrors, underbody covers, and gearing.”

Exciting news, right? We’ll probably find out sometime in 2016 whether this rumor has any life, but the whispers certainly make us excited for the time being!

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