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Adventures, Jeep, Off Roading

Jeep’s Badge of Honor mobile app update adds new trails!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Since its introduction way back in 2013, the Jeep Badge of Honor program has been the only official Jeep off-road program exclusively for Jeep brand vehicles. The program was developed and is operated by the Jeep brand and FCA US LLC.

This is a fantastic program that allows Jeep owners to discover trails, engage with other Jeep enthusiasts within the off-road community, and earn hard badges they can display on their Jeeps showing off the trails they’ve conquered. Participants earn points and can gain rankings from “Trail Rookie” all the way up to “Trail Expert!”

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Jeep

Q: What is the best year/model of Jeep that a Jeep Wrangler fanatic would recommend?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A: Depends on what you want from your Jeep.

The CJ5 is a fantastic vehicle, and it’s ridiculously inexpensive. The best years for that, again, depend on what you want. The 72-75s have a Dana 44 rear and a V8 option. The 76 and newer have a more robust chassis, but a smaller engine bay. The 77-79s had a boxed frame and disc brakes. Finding 76 and newer parts is still fairly easy to do. Earlier ones … well, you’ll do a lot of searching.

The CJ6 is a strange little Jeep. I wouldn’t get one unless you’re a collector. It’s, basically, a long wheelbase CJ5.

The CJ7 was a really robust replacement for the CJ5. I liked the longer doors on mine, and the hardtop & hard doors were useable. Getting a post 1982 one won’t get you the heavy-duty parts that came on the earlier rigs, but you’ll get wider axles, Dana 300 transfer case, and it’s not that difficult to find one that came with a Dana 44 rear end. I’d recommend the straight 6 over the V8; same torque, better MPG (although MPG isn’t the reason you buy a Jeep).

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