New Jeep Wrangler Rubicon: Not a mere facelift

Jeep Philippines, under the distributorship of Inchcape Philippines, has launched the refreshed Wrangler Rubicon for the local market. 

Like most updated car models from a multitude of brands, the new Wrangler Rubicon received improvements to its exterior design and onboard features. 

Specifically, now wears an evolved version of the brand’s signature seven-slot grille. It was also kitted out with beefier wheel arches, new decals, and a set of large 33 all-terrain BF Goodrich tires, among others. 

Its interior, meanwhile, was revamped to give its occupants more comfort and versatility. It now has water-resistant power-adjustable seats, a larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and the brand’s award-winning Uconnect 5 software. 

All of the aforementioned are great, but the biggest improvement for the Wrangler Rubicon for the model year 2024 has nothing to do with style or comfort. Instead, it involves a new part that makes the Jeep 4x4 mode a more capable off-road rig. 

The Dana 44 Full-float rear axle

As pointed out by Jeep PH product planning manager Amir Corpus in an interview with Zigwheels Philippines, the updated Wrangler Rubicon now features Dana 44 heavy-duty full-float rear axles. Mind you, it had heavy-duty axles from the same manufacturer before, but what makes it special is its “full-float” specification. 

“For the mechanical difference, it is still the same Dana 44 heavy-duty axle, but it is now a heavy-duty full float axle,” Corpus said. 

“Basically, this is almost a commercial-grade truck’s axle, so it is even heavier duty now, which brings up the capability of the Rubicon. It brings up the Rubicon’s towing capacity up to 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) when properly equipped - and by properly equipped, that’s with the 33-inch tires that we also have here in the Philippines,” Corpus added. 

For perspective, the pre-facelifted Wrangler Rubicon only had a towing capacity of 1,587 kilograms. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the vehicle is more powerful since it still gets a 2.0-liter four-banger with the same 268-horsepower tune as the previous model, but it has everything to do with how full-float axles work. 

What’s the big deal with a floating axle?

Essentially, the Dana 44 full-float rear axles allow the new Wrangler Rubicon to carry more weight. Specifically, it now has a larger axle weight capacity, thus translating to the increased towing weight as mentioned above. 

Per the American carmaker, a full-float axle’s shaft doesn’t carry the weight of the vehicle at all. Instead, it focuses on delivering power and torque to the wheel. With a full-float axle, weight is instead redirected to other parts of the 4x4 vehicle’s chassis, which does a lot in ensuring the longevity and continued durability of the Rubicon. 

To get more technical, a regular (more common) semi-float axle combines the axle shaft and the hub component into a single construction. As noted above, the pre-facelift model used semi-float Dana rear axles. 

A full-float axle shaft is instead slid with the use of splined tips into a separate hub equipped with a series of cylindrical, tapered bearings. The said bearings do all the heavy lifting for this setup, while the axle shaft itself is free to rotate and deliver power to the vehicle’s wheels. 

For hardcore enthusiasts who usually take their Wrangler Rubicons on off-road incursions, full-float axles are a game changer since no one goes into the boonies without lugging around more weight from tools, spare tires, and supplies. 

Additionally, it may also be useful for people who want to incorporate a trailer or a more complex and heavier overlanding kit into their Wrangler builds. 

Full-float axles are also known to be more durable since they are not responsible for bearing the weight of the vehicle. The said characteristic can also translate to less risk of axle failures caused by additional weight, which is common on off-road builds. 

Are there some downsides?

Corpus did not share any downsides of having a Wrangler Rubicon with full-float rear axles, but we can imagine that it is more expensive to replace. It is, after all, a more complex piece of kit with more moving parts. 

Price

In the Philippines, the updated Jeep Wrangler Rubicon comes in two body styles. The two-door version is priced at P5.59 million, while the four-door version retails at P5.78 million. 

For those who want to give the all-new Wrangler Rubicon a test drive, one may pay a visit to any of Jeep Philippines’ five dealerships. The said outlets are located in Alabang, Cebu, Clark, Greenhills, and San Fernando. 

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