Mopar Underground’s Jeep “Lower Forty” takes the new Jeep Wrangler platform to a new extreme. The Jeep “Lower Forty” is equipped with massive 40-inch x 13.5-inch 0R20LT tires mounted on Mopar 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. The Mopar Underground crew added the aggressive wheels and tires to a stock, two-door Wrangler Rubicon without the use of a suspension lift. The team’s goal was to achieve added ground clearance without altering the vehicle’s center of gravity. To accomplish that feat, the team trimmed copious amounts of the body and fenders to provide the needed tire clearance. Once achieved, the team used a saw to chop out 3-inches of height from the windshield frame and increased the rake by 10 degrees.
Custom front and rear fender flares were made 1-inch wider and 4-inches higher compared with a stock vehicle. A new one-piece-carbon-fiber hood with a Jeep CJ-like power dome and an all-new drop-down tailgate stamped with the “Jeep” logo were added to the vehicle to complete the exterior design.
On the interior, an all-new roll cage was neatly integrated into the body tub and tied directly into the frame rails. The spare tirewas relocated to the cargo floor and a custom cargo rack, supplied by Poly Performance, was installed. Once all body modifications were completed the exterior received a fresh coat of Red Eye No. 3 paint, a custom color developed by the MoparUnderground team specifically for this project.
Custom touches can be seen throughout the interior of the vehicle, including a color-matched center console and instrumentpanel. The seats were re-covered with Mopar’s Katzkin leather package in a two-tone scheme. The carpet was removed and a durable truck-bed liner was sprayed inside to protect the floor. Rugged Mopar floor mats complete the theme.
The Mopar Underground team turned to the Mopar catalog for the vehicle’s mechanical upgrades. The Jeep “Lower Forty” features an all-new 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission. Powertrain installations were handled by Burnsville Off-Road using an AEV installation kit.
Mopar supplied Dana 44 front axles and Dana 60 rear axles equipped with 5:38 gears and Dynatrac prepared ARB air lockers to handle the vehicle’s massive tires.
