New Jeep Owner -2011 WK2
 

Hi All,

Just put an order in on the new 2011 Grand Cherokee (WK2 as they call it in the US)

Limited V6

Options:

Quadra-Lift
Mopar Skid Plates
Mopar Side Steps


I am an ex 80s landcrusier owner and look forward to taking this offroad as well as enjoying the drive around the city, which was always a chore in the 80..

I was disapointed the quad drive 2 was only on the v8 model as I wanted that option, so will have to see how it affects it offroad and see what options they are.

I have the stock 20" rims but will be getting some 17" or 18" to equip for the offroad adventure.

any advice assistance would be great :) Should pick it up in 2 weeks.

kFc

Cool.

Will be keen to see what you think of it once it arrives.

Yeah, I'd like to hear some feedback after taking it offroad. WK2 has IFS front and rear, so tha's why I'd like to know. Sure isn't flexible at all ;)

I would be interested in feedback, particularly the performance of the V6. We have pretty much decided we will pick up a new Grand Cherokee V6 or diesel in the next few months, we are just to decide whether to go the Laredo or Limited and V6 petrol or wait for the diesel.
Congrats on the purchase.

Will certainly let you know, coming from the 80s live axel that was my biggest worry, but the trade off was the city driving experience..

Does anyone if diff locks / ox lockers able to be fitted to the wk2?

Nearly bought one myself man, they are a very nice truck and awesome value especially when you compare it to a jk!

Congrats on the order!

No doubt the first ausjeep user to do so I'd reckon? :)

Good on you mate. I would find out if the Quadra lift is working at high speed as well. If not, I would rather wait for an OME lift kit, (and lockers and bars) when they become available. The other very necessary piece of equipment will be sway bar disconnects. Without it there will be very little wheel travel.

The new Nissan Patrol is tested in the latest Aus 4x4 mag and it works well off road with full IS because it has hydraulic dampers (rally car style) and no sway bars. Same with the LC200 with its hydraulic sway bar disconnects (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS)).

Certainly will see what there is in terms of accessories, I guess it always take a few months for them to reach aus? The disconnects sound good. I like the KDDS and was seriously considering a prado but just couldnt justify the toyota tax.

I will get myself a set of offroad tyres, the dealers said they would sell me a set of the 18's but maybe 17's with MTs are a better option? I found a few pics on the web, with a few options.

The blue one has 255/75/17 BFG MT and the black one 275/65/18 BFG AT

Congratulations on your purchase, make sure you buy extended factory warranty, they're expensive beasts to repair out of warranty! -

Very nice, I would like one too!

Did you or has anyone else done any research as to the impact a suspension upgrade would have on the Quadra Lift System???

[QUOTE=johnv;1164633]make sure you buy extended factory warranty,

What does an extended warranty cost and actually cover out of interest?

Correct me if I'm wrong - same as what you currently have with Jeep Assist except it excludes batteries and a few minor things (wiper blades, globes etc)

I believe it is for an additional 70,000 Km 2 year.

Just waiting for them to send them my extended warranty offer over the next few months.

Cost is around $2,000 not cheap - a holed intercooler (not warranty, off road rock)cost me around $1,200 supplied and fitted 18 months ago!

From what I've seen on the US forums, 17's typically won't go over the brakes.

I am most interested how easy it is to live with the handbrake in the footwell, as in the WG at least there isn't much room there already, particularly if you are in the bush with boots on?

Mehhhh. i dont like it.

Looks Fabulous. But....

I can almost guarentee that same as the WK/WH there will be no accesories readily available. and seeing as it is 5 star rated, that clearly means to me that the car is designed for onroad safety, not for the offroad. The plastics come right down to the bottom of the front wheel, (How long will they last)
and same at the back.

If Jeep is serious about the GC, i believe that they should release the model with a series of off road mods available for it.
I.e a decent lift kit that works, and a bullbar (NO NUDGE BARS) and spare wheel carrier for the rear.
Again. Looks wicked, looks fabulous, looks awesome.
But its never going to be a serious 4wd.
I am so impressed with my Hemi 09 WK. I love it as a family wagon, but do you think i can get accesories that i like? i wont buy another as a 4wd tourer.

I don't know, my WG 4.7 has been a great tourer bought new in 2001 and the only mods are OME 2" lift (new model won't need with air suspension), driving lights (maybe not needed with HID headlights) and a roof cage (will still need this for spare but probably not for jerry cans any longer with larger tank). Haven't needed a Bullbar yet on any vehicle. I personally think a lot of accessorisation is simply "He who has the most toys" syndrome.

Just my 2 Bob's

I really want a new toy, but I think I'll wait for the second series to come out before I consider a WK...

It's ALWAYS the first series that has the teething problems and you are ALWAYS fighting the dealership for supposedly 'unknown' problems.

Look at the crap we go through with the JK's now.... and most of the bugs are ironed out!

(part quote)

Hear Hear !!!!!

I have stated many times in this Forum, Jeep should have addressed this years ago and have the aftermarket parts available for common mods AND THEY WOULD MAKE HEAPS OF MONEY FROM IT!

I have similarly spent many, many hours chasing upgrades for my vehicle, other manufacturers have these items readily available.

These include cargo barriers, roofracks, bullbars, snorkels etc.

No my vehicle is not a "lair's truck" it is a sane tourer that is a brilliant tow vehicle, I have many friends who contribute to this website who have similar setups!

how does a 5 star safety rating mean it's not designed for off-roading??? I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. To get that rating you just have to have good cabin strength, lots of airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, stability control etc - nothing that I can see reducing off-roadability.
As for the lift kit: isn't that what the quadra-lift is all about? I don't know of any other 4wd company that offers aftermarket lift kits either.
Are plastics around the bottom of the front wheel actually a bad thing? They're a hell of a lot cheaper to replace and more forgiving than metal!!
Never going to be a serious 4wd? True. That's what a JK's for. However if you want to go touring, up the beach, do some fun 4wding (but not rock-crawling) in luxurious, stylish comfort, then drive round the city in that same comfort - great car. And I'm fairly certain that's what Jeep had in mind with their design brief.

I would put my 2 bob on it that the bean counters at Jeep would have an#lysed it and know that there is no money to be made.

You'll need to buy a vehicle that sells worldwide in huge volume if you want all the add on accessories available in my opinion.

Interesting to read a write up from a Journo that drove them in Tassie - Quote - "characteristically soft, wallowing feel designed to suit the tastes of the American market."

PS Johnv - all the typing in colour may be fun but it's harder to read.

The WGII (2011 Grand) website


http://www.wk2jeeps.com/wk2menu.htm

Impressive!! Looks good in and out.

I also like how the rear seats can recline and looks like the leather quality is that of the WG's. IMO, WG's leather seats are more comfortable than WH's.

I don't know how good it is offroad considering independent suspension all around.

I was thinking I would wait for the Diesel but heck I'm not a pensioner yet. Judging by your avatar you know, how is the Hemi Offroad/Touring?8-)

The front skirt my be a problem off road? I looked at one in the dealers I like them alot.

I am pretty sure its removeable

Where do I start?

As stock, bear in mind it's a bit lower than the WG's (around 1 inch at the diff and 1.5 at the crossmember).

Depending on what type of 4WDriving is to be done. If touring, including gravel, sand and desert corrugations, it's good the way it is.

If there are ruts and mud, then, if you have side steps, remove them and also unclip the bottom part of the front bumper. If it's like that and doing medium to light ruts and mud, it is performing well. Hey, with 5.7L and over 500 Nm of torque, you can't get stuck considering the new Quadradrive II, mate, this beast pulls.

I'm not a serious 4WD person but for what I do on the weekends and then wife using it weekdays (kids, shopping and that), can't be better. I basically travel everywhere (in Australian states) during holidays and try to drive through bushes (including deserts) more often than highways. :D

Sounds spot on, and then if you add the air suspension...... As an aside how many kms do you get out of a tank touring?

Ahh but its not like our old WH Quadradrive, as the new one only had a rear ELSD, not front and rear like the previous model.

That's the only complaint I have.

Touring highways = 400-450km per tank (around 17L/100km)
Touring bush and/or city driving = 300-350km per tank (around 23L/100km)

I know the figures look steep. It should be around 15L/100km and 18L/100km respectively.

I have to do a major service and tune (new spark plugs, etc.) and see what happens after. If the fuel economy doesn't improve much, then I'll have to investigate and see if the MDS works properly or if any "sensor" is playing up (O2, CKP, IAT & MAP). All of these can affect the fuel economy and I don't think that my mechanic ever suggested or replaced these.

Oh no! I didn't know that. Seeing it had the QDII, I assumed it would have the same setup of locking front & rear diffs. It seems like it will be less capable (offroad) than ours then, especially with the missing LSD and independents all around.

You too could be so lucky as to be a grey nomad, or is that crazy nomad, like me, then you would need a Diesel?:rolleyes:

But yes if you don't need a diesel.:lol:

Seriously, they are the best and most economical tow vehicle, I read (petrol) fuel consumption rates in this thread and was horrified, my CRD gets 18.5 L/100 Km towing a 2800 Kg caravan (loaded) and I think that is quite reasonable, relative to what other vehicle brands with similar towing capacities get from their rigs.

Lets hope that the new model has some aftermarket products available very soon, because as a "stockie" they lack the stability for serious towing and that applies to most 4WD vehicles, with primary design function being highway comfort.

Not flash but not much worse than my 4.7 over my 10 years of ownership. My highway figures are slightly better, at best getting 550k per tank (78l).

Mopar has a bunch of stiff available, but as per, you'd be better off importing yourself.
Here's a guy's how-to on installing WK2 Mopar rock rails;

http://www.jeepgarage.org/showthread.php?t=18429

The "QDII" that they call it doesn't have the front E-Lsd of WK1 as you've ascertained, but instead uses a rear E-Lsd and the front is brake based TC. We have a hour long chat with the ACTUAL engineers responsible for developing the new platform and they guaruntee the WK2 outperforms the WK off-road. A big call given the lack of travel but they swear its true.

The entire driveline save the gearbox is all new. Most guys are reporting they're really quite good off-road (esp with the air suspension), though no -one is yet to mod hard core.

Yep, I am getting the rock rails, and under body skid plates installed on my limited. They were available as part of the factory accessories.

You can also get extra tire pressure monitors to install on your new set as well.

Yes this is removable (apparently easily) and in the brochures actually quotes approach and departure angles with it on or off.

Good stuff :)

I'm 95% sure I'll be getting a new one too.

I'm uncertain whther to opt for another 5.7, or await the new diesel. The Hemi is proven, the diesel, hmmm, it's not.

I tow a car trailer quite a lot, so the V6 petrol isn't for me.

The hemi has been awesome, is quick, sounds fantastic, is a 'sportier" drive than a diesel, but likes a drink. Highway it's fine, but around town very short trips like I do, not so flash.

The value for money aquation with the new model is outstanding, particularly Laredo, though I'm keen on an Overland, a spec we've not had here, and is absolutely loaded with kit, although as you can see with the price structure, is a BIG ask (though, not really in comparison with the "old" model)

Laredo $45k
Limited $55k
Overland $70k

Wow, :0= I guess you've never seen this then.

Mate, I nearly fell of me feet seeing that :eek: and thought 'how the heck can he get so much out of his HEMI?' :D

Then I realised and saw that you have a CRD. Whew! For a moment I thought I was really getting done by these mechanics (probably still am, hahaha).

you will be lucky to pickup in 2 weeks

as jeep are not importing cars with off road adventure kit unless ordered, so 4-6 weeks on an ordered car

Its already arrived, got a call from the dealer today :) Just waiting on my lease to be processed.

I cant get off-road adventure with a v6, so I have ordered the skid-plates and mopar side steps as accessories and that will come in shortly.