Valvoline.com

Landrunner Jeep Conversion

Desert-Storm style for improved off-road performance

Every Jeep Wrangler owner knows the problem of upgrading to larger-than-stock off-road tires. Not only do they throw a lot of mud on the sides and into the cabin—even if you gain fender flares—but you may also need to install a lift kit to add enough fender clearance. The new Landrunner Jeep conversion addresses those problems with an innovative approach. Instead of lifting the vehicle, this body conversion has much taller fenders, which maintains the vehicle's stock CG (center of gravity) for better stability, which is also enhanced by the wider stance of the off-road tires. In addition, these Hummer-esque integrated fenders do a better job of deflecting mud and debris.

Arroyo Seco

We can speak from experience, having run several Landrunners on the rugged terrain on the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, near Cabo San Lucas. In recent years, this famous Mecca for sport-fishers and cruise-ship tourists has transformed itself from a sleepy little fishing village into a world-class resort. If you head a few miles inland, though (away from the improbably green golf courses and sugar-sand beaches), the clock seems to have been turned back decades. Ranches and settlements are accessible at best by desert trails, or more often rutted arroyos (dry streambeds), an ideal environment to test the Landrunner's capabilities.

Recent hurricanes had the normally dry riverbeds filled with muddy water, so we had a great opportunity to see how well the Landrunner's wide fenders overlapped the Pro Comp Xterrain 31x12.5-inch tires. Also along for the same trail ride was a standard TJ with the same size tires. It was startling to see how much more dirt and debris ended up on both the sides and interior of the non-Landrunner model. That grimy Jeep looked as if it had gone through a mud bath, while the Landrunners were comparatively clean, at least from the waist up.

Out in the arroyos and blasting over the dunes, the wide tires floated nicely over sandy soil. The only time dust became noticeable was when we kicked it up at high speed in hard turns. The Landrunner's extra tire clearance proved itself when we went rock-crawling in a riverbed and also fording a stream that had created deep ruts across the middle of the road.

The Landrunner's skid-plate on the front bumper also came in handy after punching the throttle a bit too aggressively to climb up a sand berm. Instead of climbing over it, we plowed through, but the Landrunner took it in stride, shaving off a foot of sand in the process. Running in the wet, we bogged down several times while trying to cross a river. That gave us an excuse to test the winches, which pulled us out of the muddy goo in short order.

The versatility and performance of the Landrunner makes us wonder if Jeep might want to consider going to a similar version of this body configuration just for practicality's sake. Actually, the Landrunner has not gone unnoticed by Chrysler's corporate brass. The Landrunner won the Design Excellence Award from Chrysler at the 2001 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Chrysler has also approved conversion companies to supply Jeep dealerships, so you can order a full-on off-road package on a new Jeep Wrangler, and have it financed.

For those who already own a '97 or newer TJ Wrangler, the conversion companies (there are several throughout the U.S.) can modify your vehicle for you. The leaf-spring CJ models ('87 to '95) can also be fitted with the Landrunner package, but the job is a bit more involved.

Conversion Steps

To perform the Landrunner transplant, which actually includes about 50 or more components, the conversion shop first removes the fenders, hood, grille and bumpers. A radiator core support must then be added, along with a new front bumper with the hinges for the hood (since it tilts forward). The side- and rear-fender sections go on next, which are integrated into single units for each side. Then the hood brackets must be installed, and the hood test-fitted and aligned. After fitment, all of the fiberglass pieces are then removed for painting. Incidentally, the fiberglass hood has an inner liner for stiffness, and the side steps are a composite sandwich of fiberglass and plywood to add strength and stiffness.

There's even more to the Landrunner than the body conversion. The optional roof rack is one of the most substantial setups we've seen, and markedly adds to the versatility of the vehicle. In addition to greatly increasing luggage capacity, it's also ideal for hauling a kayak, serving as a shooting (gun or camera) platform, or carrying a camper top. The "rhino rack" is claimed to have at least a 700-pound capacity, and to stiffen the chassis as well. The rack also has enough clearance to allow the hardtop to be fitted underneath as well as for the windshield to be folded down.

The roof rack is available separately, as are a number of the accessories shown on the Landrunner conversion. The 8,000-pound-capacity winch, brush guards, nerf bars, and light bar are all available for stock-body Wranglers. Trouble is, adding those pieces all at once can put a serious bite on your cash flow. Since this off-road-ready rig may be ordered as a dealer option in some cases, you may be able to finance the entire rig. Given the low interest rates these days, that's a really attractive option. Pricing details are still being hammered out, but you can probably upgrade your Jeep for $8,000 to $10,000 depending on how many accessories you add.

Looking at the vehicle overall, we feel the Landrunner conversion really works well as an integrated package. The body design is ideal for off-road tires, from the standpoint of both looks and functionality. And considering that the Landrunner's higher fender clearance was achieved without raising the vehicle's CG, more weight can then be added on the roof rack without sacrificing stability. Some customers have added lift kits anyway, allowing them to fit 33-inch-tall tires. Either way, these Landrunners have no problem handling the badlands of Baja at Land's End.

Resource

Landrunner, 100 N. Tustin Blvd., Tustin, CA 92780, 714/540-5551