blw

"Mr. Marchionne said the Wrangler will need to lose weight and might need an aluminum unibody setup"

Wrangler may leave frame, factory, steel behindAllpar Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep News | Allpar Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep News

oldman12

I wonder how that would handle trails and rocks .

grim_creation

Probably as well as the unibody Cherokees.

templer

How bad would the body flex with the doors off. Then would there be panel gap issues and panel cracking? That's a concern. ....

jnabird333

The hidden issue about the unibody is the fact that it eludes to a non-removable top. Most unibody designs need the top to remain rigid. This is why guys (and gals) that really drive hard rarely choose a rag top (the flex too much).

Removing the doors really isn't an issue on a either a full framed or unibody design. But hanging heavier axles and suspension components is. This said, I imagine there will be a whole host of frame brackets available, along with a solid axle conversion kits from aftermarket suppliers...

CerOf

Keep in mind the ZJ/WJ are not unibody. They are uniframe. They DO have a frame, it's just welded directly to the body. The solid axle grands do just as well Offroad as any JKU. (Rubicon package comparisons not included.)

AL body with steel frame would be great.

Sent from some string and a few tin cans.

10wrangler

My brother lives on the Texas coast and had a ford Expedition with an aluminum hood. After a couple of years the paint on the hood started to bubble up and underneath you can clearly see what anyone who lives on the coast knows. Salt eats and corrodes aluminum badly. Just ask anyone down there why they have to replace their air conditioner condenser every 5 or so years. Without a lead sacrificial anode the coils disintegrate. Don't know about you but I love my Heep more than to watch it melt because some Washington bozo wants to squeeze a couple more MPG out of an off road vehicle. No coating is fail poof either. All it takes is one small breach (rock ding/scrape) and it starts.

GJeep

...Except for... when parked on ground which is far enough from being level, the rear won't open (or close), because of body flex...

No reason not to make the frame of Aluminum. Supercars have Aluminum frames or all-aluminum unibodies, and have VERY little flex.

nicksabellajk

Younger generation will buy them regardless, and they would break sales record again and again.

HeyBob

Anyone excited about aluminum because it doesn't "rust" should think twice. My bilstein 5100 and rugged ridge aluminum hinges look like junk after 1 year. Trading one form of oxidation for another. Unless they offer full body anodizing I'm going to keep my rust wagon.