Meet the World’s First 100% Tube Chassis JL Wrangler
Tennessee-parts manufacturer made sure to also throw in a 2.5-inch lift and 43-inch tires on 20-inch wheels on this beefy JL Wrangler.
As a member of JK-Forums, by now you’re probably no stranger to wild, custom Wrangler builds. This time, though, we’re nearly 100 percent sure that you’ve not yet seen a JL like this one. Thanks to the time and skill put in by Wide Open Designs (WOD), you’re looking at the world’s first JL Wrangler fitted with an all tube chassis. Why a tube chassis? Well, in case it’s not well known, steel tubing is used to make roll structures, race car chassis, and other high-stress structures (think sway bars, for example). CarTech further explains the use of tubing by saying: “A hollow steel tube is not as strong as a solid cylinder of the same diameter, but it is stronger than a solid cylinder of the same weight.”
Therefore, the Wrangler showed off by MadRam11 on YouTube would theoretically be a lot more stable and foster confidence in high speed, high risk situations. And, by looking further into the WOD’s JL Wrangler build, that was more than just a interesting idea. It was a fantastic idea.
“We have been working on it, we’ve posted pictures of this things, everybody seems to love this thing on the internet,” says an enthusiastic builder from WOD. “This is the first tube chassis JL that I know of.”
First, the tube chassis is a great pairing to WOD’s choice in power. Instead of the stock Jeep engine, WOD chose to fit the JL with a trusty, speedy and reliable LS V8 engine. Of which, they made sure to point out that Sanderson headers were fitted to it. Mated to the LS is an equally trusty Turbo 400 transmission. To retain the meaty roar of the Chevy V8, WOD made their own exhaust system. So, there’s a lot more power and torque than there would be originally, and it would sound mean. The JL sits on a 2.5-inch lift, which made the room needed for long travel suspension, and 43-inch tires on 20-inch wheels.
“We pretty much just gutted everything and then rebuilt it to be what we wanted.” Said the JL’s proud builder.
The interior, which any Jeep fan could say is damn near immaculate, had to be tweaked to fit inside once it was taken out. Naturally, they added a few more gauges, some switches, a nicer shifter, and some branding on the dashboard. To add to the rigidity of the ride, WOD also made sure to add racing seats with harnesses to ensure the driver and passenger don’t fall out when the going gets tough.
For a very long and extensive list of the aftermarket parts used on this otherworldly JL Wrangler, check out the Jeep’s build page.
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