Read my reply to him. That's why radiators already aren't hard-mounted, and the factory radiator is plastic and aluminum. A higher quality, thicker-gauge all-aluminum aftermarket radiator isn't going to be more leak-prone due to flexing, it will be less leak-prone...
Thermostats set MIMIMUM operating temperature and have nothing at all to do with maximum.
Old wive's tale. Trust me, I've worked on overheating cars for decades. There's no such thing as a head start. Sooner? Totally wrong. The fact the thermostat isn't fully open for while when warming up counters your point.you are basically cooling sooner in the temp range, which would give the radiator a head start at shedding heat before you start to build it. Low temp thermostats aren't anything new and have been used for years. It's a cheap and easy mod to try verse some of the stuff talked about here..... horns being the cause for overheating....
Those horns aren't blocking anything. The air up there is under pressure and will make it past those horns.
Nearly every review onIf mounted properly the radiator shouldn't be flexed when the frame (or unibody like my WJ) flexes, at least to a reasonable extent. Pretty much EVERY radiator is aluminum now days anyway, I don't see many brass radiators anymore.The stock radiator is aluminum, it just has plastic end tanks and like all AL/plastic radiators they're most likely to leak where the plastic end tanks are bonded to the AL core.
-TJ
There are a staggering amount of reviews of Mishimoto and flexilite aluminum radiators leaking after a year that would beg to differ. The bonus is both companies have lifetime warranties and will replace no questions asked but you have to replace once a year. I’m not trying to prove you wrong just my observations. Another bonus are the reviews, they work and do keep things considerably cooler.
I think most people here would defiantly be able to come up with something better than the Jeep engineers because those engineers are bound to keep the Jeep image and shape, including the 7 slot grill and general shape of the hood. People looking for maximum cooling gains can throw that constraint out the window.
Everything you mentions seems like a step in the right direction except your number 5 section C. It been independently tested and also the Mythbusters did their own way of explaining it that the default truck bed is best for airflow as a turbulent pocket of flowing air is a better buffer of airflow over the back of the truck than a horizontal solid plane.
Some great thoughts and input. My thoughts:Some thoughts. The solution is some combination of:
1) install a larger radiator made out of a more conductive material (aluminum). Here is one option.
https://www.extremeterrain.com/cold-case-jeep-wrangler-aluminum-performance-radiator-moj996.html
2) Get more air to the radiator - like the op said, remove obstructions like horns and grill trim. Though I don't think this is really going to help much. Aircraft use much larger radiator or fins than the actual opening will cover. Think of the area between the grill and the radiator as a high pressure plenum. But it can't hurt.
3) Add additional radiators. How much space is there between the grill and the current radiator? Is there room for another radiator in front of the original? Additional cooling area will help, even if it reduces the efficiency of the current radiator. Essentially make an extra thick radiator by putting another one in front of the OEM radiator.
4) Add an oil cooler - (not in front of the radiator) - any heat you can remove from the oil means the less heat the oil will shed into the coolant.
Other ideas, but less practical.
5) help the engine make less heat. This really means make it so the engine doesn't need to make as much power.
a - Take off those 37s when you are towing and put on some normal 255/75 - 17 street tires. Look at aerodynamics.
b - Move the load as close to the Jeep as is possible without creating too much tongue weight.
c - put a tonneau cover on the jeep to reduce drag. If you don't have one, leave the tailgate down. That helps a lot.
d - Do you really need that 150# front bumper with the 100# winch attached to it? ;-)
6) build a pressure plenum between the grill and radiator. That way the air can't go around the radiator but must go through it. We used to do that on race cars and bikes to help with cooling.
7) work to maximize air extraction from the engine bay - flow through the radiator is a function of the pressure differential between the front of the radiator and the rear. If you open up vents and build a plenum you will maximize pressure at the front.
Now you need to think about evacuating the air from the rear of the engine compartment behind the radiator. I don't know, it may be well vented as is. But I think someone mentioned making the fender vents functional. One other option is an extractor vent at the back end of the hood. Like the old hot rods had.
Louvers like this will reduce the pressure under the hood. Though I think a couple of large ones at the rear of the hood will look better on a jeep.
And there are staggering numbers of leaking stock radiators. Have you EVER seen/heard of a factory radiator with AL core and plastic end tanks that doesn't leak at the plastic/AL seem eventually?
Two reasons you do not want brass radiators:
