Dan Grec
Expedition Leader
Do you think it would be rigid enough?
i.e. I think it would be very bad for handling if it flexed during cornering, etc.
Are any other manufacturers making significant parts of a car from plastic?
-Dan
2016 Wrangler: Reading the tea leaves
- Thread starter haven
- Start date
Do you think it would be rigid enough?
i.e. I think it would be very bad for handling if it flexed during cornering, etc.
Are any other manufacturers making significant parts of a car from plastic?
-Dan
conifers4
Suburban nomad
Who cares if soccer moms drive them and don't wheel. THEY are the ones that keep the Wrangler alive believe it or not. I don't care who buys them as long as someone DOES. Simple economics, if they don't sell, Jeep will no longer produce them. The small portion of "wheelers" will not keep the Wrangler alive. If they want to spend their money on a Jeep to bus the kids around so be it.
Grasslakeron
Explorer
Actually you should care. Case in point, the ford explorer. Started life as an suv. Soccer moms loved them. In 2002, ford changed them to make them more to that demographic.... now when the demographic wanted cuv's so went the explorer. The wranglers demographic is currently the soccer mom. Unless jeep stands their ground you will have the wrangler cuv.
Ron
Ron
Justincredible
Adventurer
Being a body on frame, definitely.The frame will keep it rigid while the tub could shave weight (this would also lower the center of gravity).
A lot of manufacturers are using plastic bumpers, even the Corvette has plastic body panels, but being a unibody chasis parts of the body are structural and must be metal or carbon fiber.
toylandcruiser
Expedition Leader
That's funny. Then explain why hemtts have airbags and we trash them offroad while carrying 30000 or more pounds. Airbags are not weak by any means.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Grasslakeron
Explorer
Yet what does offroad to a soccer mom? Remember whos buying them in bulk? So when the ball washer becomes an option with its IFS, unibody, latte maker and flower holder then dont blame me.
Ron
the grouch
New member
Don't they sell replacement tubs for CJ's made out of fiberglass? I don't see rigidity being an issue either. Meeting crash safety standards could be. And the insurance companies won't like it, I think. Replace parts instead of fixing them?
No mystery there. HEMTTS must be equipped with very robust airbags. The vehicles I've experienced obviously were not.
R
jeepdreamer
Expedition Leader
First gen HEMTTS didn't use airbags. A4s do and they ride like a caddy in comparison. I think if it were done well it would be a great design...for a Cherokee. But with visions of Range Rover ab issues in mind I would say nay on them from the factory in a JK. Just me.
toylandcruiser
Expedition Leader
First gen HEMTTS didn't use airbags. A4s do and they ride like a caddy in comparison. I think if it were done well it would be a great design...for a Cherokee. But with visions of Range Rover ab issues in mind I would say nay on them from the factory in a JK. Just me.
Land rover can screw up anything though
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Maverick1701
Adventurer
Longtallsally
Adventurer
I dunno, I guess it doesn't really matter the more I think about it. There are literally over a million JKs on the road. That said, parts will be around for a long time. Get one used and make it what you want since the manufacturer really could care less what a minority of the customer base wants.