Some AMAZING new Jeep pics, name the place!

[Aaron]

And what else does one do after taking an SRT8 on a road trip?

[crzyone]

Should have bought a car.

[Aaron]

I did, and it's a fucking BMW.

[crzyone]

No, I mean a real car.

You bought yourself an suv that can't offroad and a car isn't fast and can't really race. You did it backwards!

Buy a fast car that can race, and buy a daily driver jeep that can offroad if you want it to lol

[Aaron]

My Jeep can offroad. In fact, it is not on a paved roadway in a single one of those pics!

I know I'll never convince you of it, but after owning it for over a year, I'm still completely happy with it, and glad I bought it. I don't have any regrets, nor have I needed/wanted a different car for a purpose it can't fulfill. My next car is either going to be an M3, or a TJ Wrangler. There were some roads that I wish I could have driven on on this trip that a Wrangler would have done well on, but on all of the rest of the roads, the TJ would have been miserable. My SRT8 felt down on power enough north of 7,000ft, a TJ wouldn't have been able to do the speed limit.

Here's a couple more from the trip home. The first pic was the highest elevation I reached, and probably the highest Nav-photographed on the SRT8 forum. It should be noted the SRT8 is pathetic at 7,000ft and climbing. It took forever to redline 3rd. A hard climb from about 7,000 to 11,000ft resulted in the following oil temp (I actually hit 260, but didn't get the camera out in time). I was cornering hard, and WOT damn near the whole trip up the pass. I never did get into 4th, none of the straights were long enough. Normal oil temps are 225-235 on my Jeep, and I've only seen higher than 240 once or twice. I'm guessing the SRT8 does not have a water/oil cooler, seeing as the coolant temps are barely over 200 (Which is just a bit higher than normal for me, I'm normally glued at 200.

[crzyone]

I wouldn't consider gravel roads "off road" haha.... That's a fact of life up in the sticks up where I am.

A supercharger would def be good for the elevation, and a heavier weight oil if you decide to keep it at wot for any length of time with those oil temps. Does the Jeep have an oil cooler?

[Aaron]

I wouldn't consider gravel roads "off road" haha.... That's a fact of life up in the sticks up where I am.

A supercharger would def be good for the elevation, and a heavier weight oil if you decide to keep it at wot for any length of time with those oil temps. Does the Jeep have an oil cooler?

It isn't on road, that's for sure!

So would twin turbochargers, that's the plan if I ever get the money. I run 0W40, and as far as I know the Jeep does not. I may invest in a water/oil one though. It'd have to be custom fabricated.

[The Dark Side of Will]

It isn't on road, that's for sure!

So would twin turbochargers, that's the plan if I ever get the money. I run 0W40, and as far as I know the Jeep does not. I may invest in a water/oil one though. It'd have to be custom fabricated.

Lol... isn't it, though? It is called a gravel *ROAD* after all...

An oil/water HEX would be a very good investment if you want that engine to last. Exposure to high temps gradually breaks down oil, so that it doesn't lubricate as well. Also, when the thin oils get hot, your oil pressure drops a lot, which isn't good for your engine either. Especially when you're WOT forever trying to run out third gear at 11,000 feet.
Also, you should have a transmission temp gauge. Just one occasion of getting ATF up to 250 degrees can damage the fluid enough that it should be flushed and replaced. Playing around with a lot of power on steep hills can heat a transmission up very quickly.

Just before I went to Iraq I was in Albuquerque for a DAU class. The last day I turned in my econobox rental for a CTS... forgetting that the DI 3.6 was *optional*. The port injected 3.6 wasn't a bad engine, but just didn't have the same oomph as the DI version.

I drove up the back side of Sandia Crest, which gets up to about 10,000 feet. It was an absolute dog. I could flat foot it from 4,000 RPM in 2nd gear (6 speed auto, shifted manually) and it would just barely pull. I was diving into the switchbacks pretty hard and the brakes were all but smoking at the top (yes, at the *top* of the mountain). I had to dial my aggression back a LOT on the way back down due to fade.

[Aaron]

Lol... isn't it, though? It is called a gravel *ROAD* after all...

An oil/water HEX would be a very good investment if you want that engine to last. Exposure to high temps gradually breaks down oil, so that it doesn't lubricate as well. Also, when the thin oils get hot, your oil pressure drops a lot, which isn't good for your engine either. Especially when you're WOT forever trying to run out third gear at 11,000 feet.
Also, you should have a transmission temp gauge. Just one occasion of getting ATF up to 250 degrees can damage the fluid enough that it should be flushed and replaced. Playing around with a lot of power on steep hills can heat a transmission up very quickly.

Just before I went to Iraq I was in Albuquerque for a DAU class. The last day I turned in my econobox rental for a CTS... forgetting that the DI 3.6 was *optional*. The port injected 3.6 wasn't a bad engine, but just didn't have the same oomph as the DI version.

I drove up the back side of Sandia Crest, which gets up to about 10,000 feet. It was an absolute dog. I could flat foot it from 4,000 RPM in 2nd gear (6 speed auto, shifted manually) and it would just barely pull. I was diving into the switchbacks pretty hard and the brakes were all but smoking at the top (yes, at the *top* of the mountain). I had to dial my aggression back a LOT on the way back down due to fade.

I may invest in one, but as of right now, I wouldn't be too upset if I blew my engine after Chrysler fucked me. But knowing my luck it'd happen at 100,001 miles. The Jeep calculates oil change intevals based upon a whole lot of engine conditions and driving characteristics, but generally goes about 6-8,000 miles between oil changes (Mobil 1 0W40). Knowing Chrysler, they'd void my warranty for adding the cooler. But I may add it anyways, since these drives aren't that uncommon for me.

I have a Trans Temp Gauge, unfortunately I don't watch it. I didn't think that staying in one gear heated it up that much, I thought it was mostly hard shifting that did that. I believe you now though that the hard accel/decel in one gear would heat it up though, so I may need to start eyeing that. I know it's pretty common for the guys who road race their Jeeps to get the trans so hot that the Jeep goes into Limp Mode. Most add an independent radiator for the trans fluid that race theirs, I may look into one of those too.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have a Trans Temp Gauge, unfortunately I don't watch it.

That's a good way to be in for a new transmission.

I didn't think that staying in one gear heated it up that much, I thought it was mostly hard shifting that did that.

Converter slip.
IE, *ANY* time the converter is unlocked.

[jelly2m81]

Man thats alot of nice firewood in those pics! Nice scenery but I can't get over all the nice heat that Birch would make......;p