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73-470: The Jeep Comanche (designated MJ ) is a pickup truck variant of the Cherokee compact SUV (1984–1992) manufactured and marketed by Jeep for model years 1986-1992 in rear wheel (RWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) models as well as two cargo bed lengths: six-foot (1.83 meters) and seven-foot (2.13 meters). During the mid-1980s, according to AMC chairman W. Paul Tippett Jr. "People are finding trucks

146-597: A sedan platform but use a part- monocoque , part chassis frame construction. Typically, a body-on-frame pickup truck of a similar size to a mid-size SUV . Examples include the Ford Ranger , Toyota Hilux , and Isuzu D-Max . This is usually the largest size pickup sold or manufactured in countries outside North America. A body-on-frame pickup truck with an exterior width of more than two meters (excluding mirrors and/or widebody/flares for dually wheels ). Panhard rod The purpose of automobile suspension

219-743: A unibody pickup truck is built on compact SUV platform or a compact passenger car platform. Examples include the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick . Subaru also produced the Subaru Baja based heavily on the Subaru Outback (Legacy) wagon and Subaru BRAT based on the Subaru Leone wagon using a unibody construction. Other variations include the Holden Crewman and Holden one tonner which are based on

292-476: A cultural attachment to the style, lower fuel prices, and taxes and regulations that distort the market in favor of domestically built trucks. As of 2016, the IRS offers tax breaks for business use of "any vehicle equipped with a cargo area ... of at least six feet in interior length that is not readily accessible from the passenger compartment". In Europe, pickups represent less than 1% of light vehicles sold,

365-597: A factory being built in Canada ( Brampton Assembly ), but the best thing the company had going for it was its popular line of Jeeps and introducing a compact Jeep pickup truck in the fall of 1985 was expected to help. The Jeep Comanche was introduced in mid-August 1985, at a lavish event staged at the ballroom of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (currently Bally's Las Vegas ) for AMC's over 1,500 North American dealers. American Motors included Chinese officials as part of

438-625: A maximum length of 3,400 mm (134 in), a maximum width of 1,480 mm (58 in), a maximum height of 2,000 mm (79 in), and a maximum displacement of 660 cc (40 cu in). In some countries, mini trucks are similar to, or slightly bigger than, kei trucks. In other countries, eg the United States, mini trucks are another name for any pickup smaller than full-size pickups. UTVs are of similar size and serve similar roles in developed countries but are typically restricted to off-road and rural areas. Typically,

511-617: A new Ford F-150. The term pickup is of unknown origin. It was used by Studebaker in 1913. By the 1930s, it had become the standard term in certain markets for a light-duty truck. In the early days of automobile manufacturing, vehicles were sold only as a chassis and third parties added bodies on top. In 1902, the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company was founded by Max Grabowsky and Morris Grabowsky who built one-ton carrying capacity trucks in Pontiac, Michigan. In 1913,

584-756: A new name, before deciding on Gladiator, feeling it fits that truck the best; sensitivity to the Native Americans (specifically the Comanche tribe) and much less brand recognition compared to Jeep's decades-long use of " Cherokee " for the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee also likely played factors. The new Gladiator will serve as a 27-year later replacement for the Comanche. Production numbers (these numbers are per Calendar year, not Model year): Pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup

657-473: A reasonable and sophisticated alternative to cars." To satisfy the demand and to compete with Japanese competitors, both AMC and Chrysler were preparing compact pickups for the 1986 and 1987 model years (respectively). Also at this time the financial health of AMC was poor and the automaker was in need of cash as it was preparing a new line of midsize sedans (the Eagle Premier ) scheduled to be produced at

730-640: A similar configuration to the 1984-1987 Cherokee XJ, while from 1988 to 1992, this configuration changed to eight slots to match with the SUV. A new "4x4" badge, similar to those found on the Cherokee and Wagoneer models, was affixed to the upper rear of the cargo box on all the four-wheel drive models. After the Chrysler buyout of American Motors for $ 1.5 billion on March 9, 1987, designed to capture "the highly profitable Jeep vehicles ... and 1,400 additional dealers",

803-458: A similar connected rear axle damper (fifth shock) on some Explorers and light trucks with rear leaf springs. Jaguar also used a Panhard rod to locate the rear axle on its unusual cantilever leaf sprung Mark 2 . The advantage of the Panhard rod is its simplicity. Its major disadvantage is that the body must necessarily move in an arc relative to the axle, with the radius equal to the length of

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876-518: A simple beam axle with otherwise the same front suspension as four-wheel-drive models). Transfer cases were built by New Process Gear , and the Comanche was available with either part-time "Command-Trac" or full-time "Selec-Trac" systems. In 1986 Command-Trac transfer cases were model NP207 and Selec-Trac were NP228, both with a 2.61:1 low gear ratios. In 1987 the NP207 was replaced with the NP231 and NP228

949-488: A single row of seats and a single set of doors, one on each side. Extended cab or extra cab pickups add an extra space behind the main seat, sometimes including smaller jump seats which can fold out of the way to create more storage space. The first extended-cab truck in the United States was called the Club Cab and was introduced by Chrysler in 1973 on its Dodge D-series pickup trucks. Extended-cab trucks either have just

1022-429: A single set of doors with no direct access to the extended portion of the cab, very small (half-sized) rear doors that are rear-hinged which can only be opened after the front doors are open, or small (three-quarter-sized) front-hinged doors. A crew cab, or double cab, seats five or six and has four full-sized, front-hinged doors. The first crew-cab truck in the United States was made by International Harvester in 1957 and

1095-509: A strong retail consumer presence, and Studebaker also manufactured the M-series truck . At the beginning of World War II, the United States government halted the production of privately owned pickup trucks, and all American manufacturers built heavy duty trucks for the war effort. In the 1950s, consumers began purchasing pickups for lifestyle rather than utilitarian reasons. Car-like, smooth-sided, fenderless trucks were introduced, such as

1168-510: A time when the number referred to the maximum cargo capacity by weight. In North America, some pickup trucks may be marketed as heavy duty (eg Ram Heavy Duty ), super duty (eg Ford Super Duty ) or simply "HD". This is typically a pickup truck with higher payload and/or towing capabilities than is standard for their size. While synonymous with "dually" or full-size pickup trucks in North American, none of those are requirements. Dually

1241-406: Is a light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin , and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering). In Australia and New Zealand , both pickups and coupé utilities are called utes , short for utility vehicle . In South Africa , people of all language groups use

1314-479: Is not available on Ram 2500 or Ford F-250 and is optional on Ram 3500 or Ford F-350, but those pickup trucks are all heavy duty. Mahindra Bolero MaXX Pik-Up HD is a heavy duty mid-size pickup truck with a two tonne payload. Some pickup trucks have an opening at the rear of the cab to increase cargo capacity lengthwise without increasing overall vehicle length or wheelbase, which reduces break over, approach, departure angles and increases turning radius. This feature

1387-444: Is referred to as a mid-gate due to it being located in the middle of a pickup truck, as opposed to the tail-gate, which is located as the rear/tail of the vehicle. The cargo bed can vary in size according to whether the vehicle is optimized for cargo utility or passenger comfort. Most have fixed side walls and a hinged tailgate. Cargo beds are normally found in two styles: stepside or fleetside. A stepside bed has fenders that extend on

1460-399: Is separated into two categories: conventional towing (bumper pull) and in-bed (heavy duty) towing. Conventional towing mounts the hitch at the rear of the pickup truck, in-bed towing mounts the hitch directly above or in front of the rear axle. Weight distribution hitch falls under conventional towing. Fifth wheel and gooseneck fall under in-bed towing. Kei trucks are a Japanese class with

1533-505: Is to let the wheels move vertically with respect to the body, while preventing movement forward and backwards (longitudinally), or side to side (laterally). The Panhard rod is a simple device designed to prevent lateral movement. It consists of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar attaches on either end with pivots that let it swivel upwards and downwards only, limiting

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1606-426: Is used to keep the axle centered under the truck. Modified versions of this same basic suspension system were later used on the 1993–2004 Grand Cherokee , 1997 and newer TJ Wranglers and 1994 and newer Dodge Rams . For the rear suspension, the truck used leaf springs that are considerably longer than the Cherokee's, which give Comanches good load-carrying capacity without creating a hard ride. The standard rear axle

1679-579: The Chevrolet Corvair Rampside and Loadside, Dodge A-100 and A-108 , Ford Econoline , and Jeep FC-150 and FC-170 . A "dually" is a North American colloquial term for a pickup with four rear wheels instead of two, able to carry more weight over the rear axle. Vehicles similar to the pickup include the coupé utility , a car-based pickup, and the larger sport utility truck (SUT), based on a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The terms half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-ton are remnants from

1752-665: The Galion Allsteel Body Company , an early developer of the pickup and dump truck , built and installed hauling boxes on slightly modified Ford Model T chassis, and from 1917, on the Model TT . Seeking part of this market share, Dodge introduced a 3/4-ton pickup with a cab and body constructed entirely of wood in 1924. In 1925, Ford followed up with a steel-bodied half-ton based on the Model T with an adjustable tailgate and heavy-duty rear springs. Billed as

1825-853: The International Travelette . Other manufacturers soon followed, including the Hino Briska in 1962, Dodge in 1963, Ford in 1965, and General Motors in 1973. In 1961 in the UK the British Motor Corporation launched an Austin Mini Pickup version of the original 1959 Mini. It was in production until 1983. In 1963, the US chicken tax directly curtailed the import of the Volkswagen Type 2 , distorting

1898-808: The Toyota Hilux . In China (where it is known by the English loanword as 皮卡车 pí kǎ chē), the Great Wall Wingle is manufactured domestically and exported to Australia. In Thailand, pickups manufactured for local sale and export include the Isuzu D-Max and the Mitsubishi Triton. In Latin and South America, the Toyota Hilux , Ford Ranger, VW Amarok , Dodge Ram , Chevrolet S-10 , Chevrolet D-20 , and Chevrolet Montana are sold. In South Africa , pickups account for about 17% of

1971-537: The cab sitting above the front axle . This arrangement allows a longer cargo area for the same overall length. An early cab-forward, drop-sided pickup was the Volkswagen Transporter , introduced in 1952. This configuration is more common among European and Japanese manufacturers than in North America. The design was more popular in North America in the 1950s and 1960s, with examples including

2044-546: The "Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body," it sold for US$ 281 ; 34,000 were built. In 1928, it was replaced by the Model A , which had a closed-cab, safety-glass windshield, roll-up side windows, and three-speed transmission. In 1931, General Motors introduced light-duty pickups for both GMC and Chevrolet targeted at private ownership. These pickup trucks were based on the Chevrolet Master . In 1940, GM introduced

2117-555: The 1960s. In many parts of the world, pickups frequently use a dropside bed – with a flat tray with hinged panels that can be raised separately on the sides and the rear. The fleetside has gradually fully replaced the earlier, separate-fender look: The last time Chevrolet and GMC used the Stepside style was on the 2005 Silverado and Sierra 1500 models; Ford last used the Flareside style on the 2009 F-150. Consumer pickup trucks sold in

2190-862: The Chevrolet Fleetside, the Chevrolet El Camino , the Dodge Sweptline, and in 1957, Ford's purpose-built Styleside. Pickups began to feature comfort items such as power options and air conditioning. During this time, pickups with four doors, known as crew cabs, started to become popular. These pickup trucks were released in 1954 in Japan with the Toyota Stout , in 1957 in Japan with the Datsun 220 , and in 1957 in America with

2263-623: The Comanche was planned for discontinuation. In 1990, the National Council of Jeep-Eagle dealers asked Chrysler to discontinue the Comanche, and allow them to sell a version of the Dodge Dakota pickup. The company decided to cease production of the Comanche on June 12, 1992, after only a few thousand more trucks rolled off the Toledo, Ohio , assembly line. A total of 190,446 Comanches were made during its production run. Following

Jeep Comanche - Misplaced Pages Continue

2336-586: The Jeep Comanche, like the similar Cherokee, received only minor changes. These were primarily to improve reliability and parts interchangeability with other Chrysler-built vehicles. The Comanche used the XJ Cherokee's "Quadralink" front suspension, with coil springs and upper/lower control arms on a solid axle. It was argued that the coil springs allowed for greater ride comfort and axle articulation during off-road excursions. A track bar ( Panhard rod )

2409-592: The Macho Power Wagon and Street Van. The 1978 gas guzzler tax , which taxed fuel-inefficient cars while exempting pickup trucks, further distorted the market in favor of pickups. Furthermore, until 1999, light trucks were not required to meet the same safety standards as cars, and 20 years later, most still lagged behind cars in the adoption of safety features. In the 1980s, the compact Mazda B-series , Isuzu Faster , and Mitsubishi Forte debuted. Subsequently, US manufacturers built their compact pickups for

2482-540: The Panhard rod. If the rod is too short, it allows excessive sideways movement between the axle and the body at the ends of the spring travel. Therefore, the Panhard rod is less desirable on smaller cars than larger ones. Two notable exceptions to this are the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini and Suzuki Jimny . Both are small vehicles (they fall in the light vehicles category in Japan) that have a Panhard rod, but

2555-436: The US have increased in weight by 32% since 1990. Also, cabins have grown and risen further from the ground and grill and hood sizes have increased over time. These changes mean that a modern standard pickup truck has a 2.1–3.0 m (7–10 ft) longer blind spot in front of its grill than most other vehicles as well as increased blind spots behind and to the side. The Ford F-250 has a hood almost 1.8 m (6 ft) from

2628-421: The US, a homeowner can rent a pickup truck to transport a large appliance from a home supply store. Equipping pickup trucks with a camper shell provides a small space for camping . Slide-in truck campers can offer a pickup truck the amenities of a small motorhome , but still allow the operator the option of removal and independent use of the vehicle. Pickups are popular with overlanders as they are often

2701-401: The United States and Canada, pickups are used primarily for passenger transport. Pickup trucks are often marketed and used for their hauling (utilizing cargo bed) and towing (utilizing body-on-frame design and long wheelbase) capabilities. Pickup trucks are also used by many journeymen , tradesmen , and outdoor enthusiasts . They are also used to move or transport large goods. For example, in

2774-412: The United States where the Comanche, Rampage and Rabbit were all sold. Two cargo bed lengths were used; one for the seven-foot long-bed model, which appeared first in 1986, and a second, shorter version for the six-foot cargo bed, which debuted for the 1987 model year. Unlike other pickups of the time that used C-channel frames, the Comanche's frame design (called a "Uniframe" by Jeep) under the cargo bed

2847-461: The United States. Full-sized pickups and SUVs are an important source of revenue for major car manufacturers such as Ford , General Motors , and Stellantis , accounting for more than two-thirds of their global pre-tax earnings, though they make up just 16% of North American vehicle production. These vehicles have a high profit margin and a high price tag; in 2018, Kelley Blue Book cited an average cost (including optional features) of US$ 47,174 for

2920-570: The aforementioned 30-40LE four-speed automatic Aisin also provided the AX-4 (four-speed), AX-5 and AX-15 (five-speed overdrive) manual transmissions. The AX-15 was phased in midway through the 1989 model year to replace the Peugeot BA10/5 five-speed that had been used behind the 4.0 L engine from its introduction in 1987. Comanches were available in either two or four-wheel-drive, with solid axles front and rear (two-wheel-drive Comanches used

2993-400: The axle's movement to the vertical plane. This does not effectively locate the axle longitudinally, therefore it is usually used in conjunction with trailing arms that stabilize the axle in the longitudinal direction. A Panhard rod is typically used with coil spring suspensions; with a leaf spring suspension, the springs themselves usually supply enough lateral rigidity. However, Ford used

Jeep Comanche - Misplaced Pages Continue

3066-473: The base engine while penalizing the owner with poorer fuel economy. In the truck's second year on the market the V6 was replaced by AMC's new fuel-injected 4.0 L straight-six that developed 173 hp (129 kW; 175 PS) and 220 lb⋅ft (298 N⋅m): 50% more power and 47% more torque than the previous V6. The new six-cylinder was also more fuel-efficient. The performance of the base 2.5 L engine

3139-550: The company produced their light (pickup) trucks, initially on their sufficiently sturdy passenger car frames. But after switching to distinct, dedicated truck frames in 1936, Dodge/Fargo launched an extensive own truck range for 1939, marketed as the "Job-Rated" trucks . These Art Deco –styled trucks were again continued after World War II. International Harvester offered the International K and KB series , which were marketed towards construction and farming and did not have

3212-793: The dedicated light-truck platform, separate from passenger cars, which GM named the AK series . Ford North America continued to offer a pickup body style on the Ford Model 51 , and the Ford Australian division produced the first Australian "ute" in 1932. In 1940, Ford offered a dedicated light-duty truck platform called the Ford F-100 , then upgraded the platform after World War II to the Ford F-Series in 1948. Dodge at first assumed heavier truck production from Graham-Paige , while

3285-537: The discontinuation of the Comanche, the Dodge Ramcharger would be dropped outside of Mexico shortly afterwards as part of Chrysler's plans to have Dodge sell pickup trucks and Jeep sell SUVs. Despite that, Dodge would later re-enter the SUV field with the Dodge Durango in 1998 at the height of the initial SUV boom and at one point would offer three SUVs or crossovers (Durango, Journey and Nitro ,

3358-737: The domestic market, including the Ford Ranger , and the Chevrolet S-10 . Minivans make inroads into the pickups' market share. In the 1990s, pickups' market share was further eroded by the popularity of SUVs. Mid-sized electric trucks had been tried early in the 20th century but soon lost out to gasoline and diesel vehicles. In 1997, the Chevrolet S-10 EV was released, but few were sold, and those were mostly to fleet operators. By 2023, pickup trucks had become strictly more lifestyle than utilitarian vehicles. Annual surveys of Ford F-150 owners from 2012 to 2021 revealed that 87% of

3431-428: The ground. It may be impossible to see a small object such as a child as far as 4.6 m (15 ft) in front of the vehicle. A total of 575 children in the US died in front-over deaths between 2009 and 2019, most by their parents. This is an 89% increase in mortality from the previous ten years. Additionally, US car-related fatalities went up by 8% and pedestrian casualties increased by 46% between 2011 and 2021. While

3504-717: The latter being a rebadged version of the Jeep Liberty (KK) ) while Jeep didn't offer any pickup trucks. Dodge itself would stop offering pickup trucks in 2011 when the Ram Trucks brand was spun-off from Dodge, taking the Dodge Ram and Dakota with it. Jeep re-entered the pickup truck market in early 2019 with the Wrangler -based Jeep Gladiator . Jeep actually considered reviving the Comanche name alongside Gladiator and most commonly Scrambler , as well as simply using

3577-528: The lowest priced Jeep model for the 1986 model year. American Motors' Jeep designers based the Comanche MJ body, styling, engineering, and powertrain on the XJ Cherokee , which had been introduced for the 1984 model year. The Comanche had a somewhat more conventional body-on-frame design behind the cab and a removable cargo box, but retained the unibody construction of the Cherokee in the front half of

3650-630: The market in favor of US manufacturers. The tariff directly affected any country seeking to bring light trucks into the United States and effectively "squeezed smaller Asian truck companies out of the American pickup market." Over the intervening years, Detroit lobbied to protect the light-truck tariff, thereby reducing pressure on Detroit to introduce vehicles that polluted less and that offered increased fuel economy. The US government's 1973 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) policy set higher fuel-economy requirements for cars than pickups. CAFE led to

3723-507: The most affordable vehicle capable of carrying the large quantities of fuel needed for long distance, remote travel and generator use without expensive modifications. Modified pickups can be used as improvised, unarmored combat vehicles called a technical . Pickup trucks are used to carry passengers in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. In Thailand, most songthaews are converted pickup trucks and flatbed trucks. In Haiti, tap taps are also converted pickup trucks. Towing with pickup trucks

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3796-521: The most popular being the Ford Ranger with 27,300 units sold in 2015. Other models include the Renault Alaskan (a rebadged Nissan Navara ), and the Toyota Hilux . The NOx law and other differing regulations prevent pickups from being imported to Japan, but the Japanese domestic market Mitsubishi Triton was available for a limited time. The most recent pickup truck for sale in Japan is

3869-530: The negotiations establishing Beijing Jeep (now Beijing Benz ). The goal was to produce and sell Comanches in China through this joint venture . The new trucks were unveiled by Jose Dedeurwaerder , an engineer and international business executive with 23 years of experience with Renault , who had just been appointed as AMC's new president. The base price of the two-wheel drive model was $ 7,049 (adjusted only for inflation equal to US$ 19,969 in 2023 dollars), making it

3942-588: The norm and the bed was shrunk to accommodate the larger cab, and a 2023 F-150 consisted of 63% cab and 37% bed. While the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States since 1982, the Ford F-150, or indeed any full-sized pickup truck, is a rare sight in Europe, where higher fuel prices and narrower city roads make it difficult to use daily. In the United States, pickups are favored by

4015-405: The off-road nature of these vehicles mean that the lateral movement between axle and body is not important. A suspension design that is similar but dramatically reduces the sideways component of the axle's vertical travel is a Watt's linkage . Some vehicles with live-axle suspensions cannot use a Watt's linkage due to design or other practical constraints; these often incorporate a Panhard rod as

4088-472: The original Renix systems used with the 2.5 L and 4.0 L engines. Power and torque in both engines improved as a result, with the four-cylinder having an additional 9 hp and 8 lb⋅ft and the six-cylinder improving by 1 lb⋅ft and 13 hp. The 4.0 L was badged "High Output" thereafter. As a result of the power improvements the Aisin-Warner automatic transmission's output shaft

4161-585: The outside of the cargo area; originally these were just fenders attached to a cargo box. This style used to be the standard design, as it was cheaper to manufacture. A fleetside bed has wheel wells inside of a double-walled bed, and most are usually designed to match the cab's styling. The two types of bed have been given a variety of names by different manufacturers; "Stepside" and "Fleetside" originate with Chevrolet but are also frequently used by Dodge as well as GMC. GMC has also used "Wideside" instead of Fleetside, while Dodge has also used "Utiline" and "Sweptline" for

4234-445: The owners used their trucks frequently for shopping and running errands and 70% for pleasure driving, whereas 28% used their trucks often for personal hauling (41% occasionally and 32% rarely/never) and only 7% used them for towing while 29% only did so occasionally and 63% rarely/never did. The 1960s–1970s Ford F-100 was typically a regular cab and consisted of mostly 64% bed and 36% cab, while by mid-2000s, crew cabs were largely becoming

4307-605: The passenger and light commercial vehicle sales, mostly the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger , and Isuzu KB ( Isuzu D-Max ). The Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara are also sold. In the United States and Canada, nearly all new pickups are sold with automatic transmissions . Only the Jeep Gladiator and the Toyota Tacoma are available with manual transmissions. A regular cab, single cab or standard cab, has

4380-484: The reasons for this increase are complex, Consumer Reports partially attributes this number to increased truck size and prevalence. Chuck Farmer from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found large pickup trucks to be as deadly or deadlier than muscle cars and "... are work trucks, and people should not be using them primarily for commuting, because they kill so many other drivers." In

4453-508: The replacement of the station wagon by the minivan , the latter of which belonged in the truck category, which allowed it to comply with less strict emissions standards. Eventually, CAFE led to the promotion of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Pickups, unhindered by the emissions controls regulations on cars, began to replace muscle cars as the performance vehicle of choice. The Dodge Warlock appeared in Dodge's "adult toys" line, along with

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4526-452: The term bakkie ; a diminutive of Afrikaans : bak , meaning bowl or container . Once a work or farming tool with few creature comforts, in the 1950s, US consumers began purchasing pickups for lifestyle reasons, and by the 1990s, less than 15 percent of owners reported use in work as the pickup truck's primary purpose. In North America, the pickup is mostly used as a passenger car and accounts for about 18% of total vehicles sold in

4599-434: The transmission downshifts more quickly and upshifts at higher rpm during hard acceleration, and "Comfort", in which the upshifts are made at lower engine speeds to conserve fuel and reduce engine noise and vibration. In 1988 output of the 4.0 L engine was improved slightly to 177 hp and 224 lb⋅ft. Chrysler purchased AMC in 1987, and by the 1991 model year adapted their own engine control electronics to replace

4672-497: The two types. Ford uses "Flareside" and "Styleside", respectively. Jeep has used "Sportside" and "Thriftside" for the separate fender style, and "Townside" for flush designs. International Harvester called the two types "Standard" and "Bonus-Load". The first fleet-sided pickup truck was the Crosley in the 1940s, followed by the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier . Early pickups had wood-plank beds, which were largely replaced by steel by

4745-542: The vehicle. In the United States where the Comanche and Dodge Rampage were sold they are both considered pickup trucks. By contrast, in other markets the Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup was called the Volkswagen Caddy and considered a coupe utility , not a truck because the cargo bed is an integral part of the body structure and not removable. However this is not the legal definition of truck in

4818-467: Was also improved with a new air intake, raising peak output to 121 hp and 141 lb⋅ft. The slow-selling turbodiesel option was dropped during the model year. Concurrent with introduction of the new straight-six a new four-speed automatic built by Aisin-Warner replaced the former Chrysler three-speed. The 30-40LE featured electronic controls with a switch on the dashboard allowing the driver to choose between two performance modes: "Power", in which

4891-463: Was available with either the five-speed manual or the automatic, while the turbodiesel was only available with the five-speed. The V6 was the same engine used in the competing Chevrolet S-10 , and equipped with a two-barrel Rochester carburetor instead of the four-cylinder's electronic throttle-body fuel injection system the optional six-cylinder was slightly less powerful than the standard four. The V6 thus offered little performance advantage over

4964-402: Was changed from 21 splines to 23, and the "Power-Comfort" switch was deleted. The four-cylinder was no longer available with the automatic in 1991 and 1992. During the production life of the Comanche six different transmissions were offered, manufactured by Aisin , Chrysler , and Peugeot . Chrysler provided the aforementioned TorqueFlite 904 three-speed automatic in 1986 models. In addition to

5037-418: Was fully boxed, with a large X structure centered over the rear axle. For strength, the rails were over eight inches deep (top to bottom), much deeper than conventional midsize truck frames (1983 Jeep J-10 full-size truck frame is 6.75 inches at the deepest point). This structure was pioneered by AMC for the 1971 " Cowboy " compact pickup prototype. From 1986 to 1987, the Jeep Comanche grille had ten slots in

5110-498: Was higher than that of many full-size pickups. The inaugural 1986 model year Comanches could be equipped with one of three engines: AMC's 2.5 L four-cylinder as standard, with General Motors ' 2.8 L V6 or Renault 's 2.1 L I4 turbo diesel available as options. In base trim the four-cylinder engine was backed by a four-speed manual transmission, with either a five-speed manual or three-speed TorqueFlite A904 automatic built by Chrysler as an option. The V6 engine

5183-420: Was later followed by Dodge in 1963, Ford in 1965, and Chevrolet in 1973. However, they were originally available only with three-quarter-ton or one-ton models (such as Ford F-250/F-350), while half-ton trucks like Ford F-150 would not become available in four-door configuration until 2001, by which time crew cabs also started overtaking regular/extended cabs in popularity. Cab-over or cab forward designs have

5256-551: Was replaced with the NP242, both with 2.72:1 low gears. These remained the same through the rest of the Comanche's production. By model year availability: The decision to phase out the Jeep Comanche "came from a combination of two factors— low sales and Chrysler's attempts to make the Jeep brand fit into the Chrysler hierarchy of Plymouth , Dodge , and Chrysler models" with Jeep housing SUVs and Dodge making trucks. As sales dropped,

5329-568: Was the same Dana 35 used in the Cherokee, except that the Comanche mounted the leaf springs underneath the axle, as do most other trucks, and the Cherokee mounted them on top of the axle. There was also a heavy duty Metric Ton package for the long-bed models. The package included heavier-duty leaf springs and wheels, larger tires, and upgraded the rear axle to a Dana 44 , which increased the stock payload ( cargo ) capacity from 1,400 to 2,205 pounds (635 to 1,000 kg), well above that of any other mid-size truck. The Metric Ton Comanche's payload rating

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