Motor Trend Editor’s TJ Wrangler Is a True Testament to ‘Less is More’
‘Generic’ TJ Wrangler does just about everything you’ll ever need on the trail, and more.
If there’s a specific Jeep that everyone and their mom associates with the Jeep brand, it has to be the TJ Wrangler. It holds the quintessential Jeep design of boxy, no frills functionality. It has also been one of the brand’s best-selling products throughout the years. So, it makes sense that people recognize the brand through this particular vehicle.
Today, automotive enthusiast and Motor Trend editor David Freiburger, who shot the show Roadkill to the top of Internet popularity, breaks down his own TJ Wrangler for his YouTube channel. Freiburger describes his Wrangler as the “Generic Jeep,” and we totally understand why. Let’s see what he’s done with the vehicle and what he uses it for.
To start, Freiburger states the Jeep’s functionality and purpose in his life, which he describes as a “drive on the highway, camp, light duty 4-wheeling rig,” which might be translated to “capable of just about everything.” He states that although the Wrangler is set up to be capable of some serious off-roading, he chooses not to because he has a Jeep Scrambler for that purpose. Rather, this is the Jeep he takes if he wants to ensure that nothing will break. Let’s get into some of the mods this Jeep has.
On the front end, the Wrangler has been equipped with a Warn X8000i winch, which according to Freiburger, was installed on the Jeep before he purchased it. However, he did install two LED projectors on the front bar to help with lighting. In order to prevent the winch hook from rattling around during driving, he has a Daystar winch hook isolator, which is made from polyurethane.
As far as the powertrain goes, this Wrangler is a bone-stock 4.0L straight-six with the only aftermarket piece being an Odyssey battery. The Wrangler also maintains the stock 5-speed NV3550 manual transmission but features a Rubicon 4:1 transfer case, which has been modified with a Terraflex arm to enable 4WD low and 2WD low options. For front and rear axles Freiburger decided he wanted to go with a kit that would never leave him stranded, so he went with the Dynatrac ProRock 44 in the front and ProRock 60 in the rear.
This is only the start of his build, so if a build like this is something that really interests you, we suggest you watch the whole video. What do you guys think of this TJ Wrangler? Let us know in the comments below.
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