Three Tough Mopar Trucks Tackle Moab Easter Jeep Safari

While most of the activity in the automotive universe this week is happening in New York City at the 2010 NY Auto Show, Chrysler's Mopar parts division is showing off a group of customized Jeeps and Ram pickups at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Included are three toughened pickups: the stout Jeep NuKizer 715, a short wheelbase Ram PowerWagon and a long-travel suspension Ram 1500, called the Ram Runner.

Jeep NuKizer 715

The Jeep NuKizer 715 is tribute to the old Kaiser M-715 military general-purpose heavy work truck that was used to move cargo, troops, weapons, and other gear. Mopar started with a MILSPEC Jeep J8 four-door and converted the truck into a pickup by adding an aftermarket AEV Brute pickup box built for a Jeep TJ. To increase the size of the vehicle, the wheelbase is stretched to 124 inches from 116 inches.

Up front, the conventional Jeep seven-slot grille was swapped out for a forward-slant Kaiser nose crafted from carbon fiber. Bestop custom made the NuKizer's unique soft top which resembles the original truck's.

The running gear includes tough Dynatrac Pro-Rock Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear solid axles. The rear diff has a super short 5:38 final drive ratio to help with rock crawling. ARB Airlocker locking diffs are positioned fore and aft for max traction. Four-wheel drive torque is sent to the wheels via an Atlas II transfer case spinning custom driveshafts from Tom Woods. Tires are 38 x 14.50-R17 BF Goodrich KM2 mud terrains mounted on Hutchinson double beadlock wheels. Propulsion comes from the Jeep J8's VM Motori 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel with a re-programmed controller for more boost. Fuel is supplied from a custom Gen-Right tank made specifically for this vehicle and mounted to the rear cross member.

For body protection on the tough trails of Moab canyon country, Mopar added Jeep Wrangler rock rails and off-road bumpers. Other features include a Warn 9.5XP low-profile winch equipped with a Master Pull synthetic winch line, Warn air compressor, Terraflex dual-rate front sway bar and Garmin GPS Map 640 navigation unit.

How badly do we want this truck?

Kidney No. 1 is up for grabs on eBay. Please don't make us sell No. 2.

Vehicle information:

• Engine: 2.8-liter turbo diesel I-4
•  Transmission: four-speed automatic
• Overall height: 75.2 inches
• Overall width: 78.6 inches
• Wheelbase: 124 inches
• Weight: 4,500 pounds
• Tires: 38 x 14.50-R17 BF Goodrich KM2

Ram PowerWagon

The production 2010 Ram Power Wagon is available only as a three-quarter-ton crew cab ground pounder with a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, so Mopar definitely has our attention with the short wheelbase PowerWagon (no space in the name, get it).

Mopar chopped the Power Wagon's frame down to a 120-inch wheelbase, erased two doors from the crew cab and swapped the fleet box with a stepside. The Power Wagon improves rear articulation by borrowing the multilink coil spring suspension from the Ram 1500 light-duty pickup.

To gain additional ground clearance, Mopar added a new 4-inch suspension lift and massive 40-inch tires.

On the trails, the rocker panels are protected by Rock-Slide Engineering's sill guards. There are also custom front and rear bumpers for improve approach and departure angles. The spare tire is re-located to the cargo box.

The PowerWagon's unique two-tone black-on-white exterior with sonic green highlights is inspired by the wild paint schemes of Power Wagons in the 1970s.

How badly do we want this truck?

We've got our park ranger uniforms on and we'll see you guys on the trail. Sorry if we need to confiscate this truck. It's official business. We swear.

Vehicle information:

• Engine: 5.7-liter Hemi V-8
• Transmission: five-speed automatic
• Overall height: 81.5 inches
• Overall width: 83.5 inches Wheelbase: 120 inches
• Weight: 6,500 pounds
• Tires: 40-14.5R/17 BF Goodrich KM2 Mud Terrain

Mopar Ram Runner

Remember the surprise long-travel suspension Baja-style Ram 1500 we told you was coming to Moab? It's called the Ram Runner and it's been built with support from long-time Mopar off-road racer Kent Kroeker.

Go-fast off-road trucks are all about the running gear and the Ram Runner's has been created with production and sales in mind. Bolt-on desert racing suspension parts for the Ram 1500 will be available later this year from Chrysler dealers.

Like the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the Ram Runner also uses Fox internal bypass shocks. In this case, the dampers are 3.0 Fox Shocks fore and aft. There's 15-inches front travel and 14-inches in the rear.

How badly do we want this truck?

We're putting a deposit down on the suspension at our local Ram dealer tomorrow when they open.

Vehicle information:

• Prototype of full suspension that Mopar will offer later this year
• 35-inch x 12.5-inch x 17-inch DOT-approved General Grabber Competition tires
• Three-inch diameter internal bypass Fox shocks provide front and rear motion control
• 6061 T6, billet aluminum upper A-arms contain rebuild-able, high-angle ball joints that permit a massive 14-inches of wheel travel
• High-angle CV joints are combined with plunging, splined axles made of 300 M tool steel and 1.00-inch diameter high-angle tie rods
• 4130 chromoly steel lower control arms Variable-rate coils support bed loads while special control arms provide 14-inches of wheel travel
• Custom tubular Baja bumper and aluminum skid plate combination that housed four high-powered, LED off-road lights
• A six-point roll cage finalizes the package while a special tubular tire carrier keeps a spare handy in the bed while maximizing load space

Stay tuned for more information about all three of these awesome off-road rigs. We'll be driving them this week in Utah.

[Source: Chrysler]