Jeep Wranglers aren’t for the faint-hearted!
You probably own a Jeep wrangler because you’re an adventure seeker. And Jeeps are known to be versatile and can handle nearly any terrain.
If you hit the trails often, you might have to cross water with your Jeep. Before you do that, it’s essential to understand your vehicle’s capabilities before you go fording.
So, how deep can a jeep wrangler go in the water? We’ll cover everything you need to know about fording water with a Jeep Wrangler in this post.
It’s Not Really About the Depth
Jeep recently lowered the recommended depth of the water from 30 inches to 19 inches. This is because people tend to forget other factors that can affect the car’s capability of crossing water.
Firstly, the car weight will sink the bed of the water a few inches, especially if the bed is soft. So, if you think the depth is 10 inches, it could be deeper than this.
The other thing people tend to neglect is the speed they’re driving at. The water depth could be fine, but the rate you’re going at might cause the water to splash and enter the air intake, ruining your engine and electrics.
What Are the Risks of Fording Water?
The most significant risk of fording water is getting water into the air intake. This might cause water to get into the engine’s cylinders, causing severe damages to your Jeep.
The issue isn’t uncommon, and it’s called a hydro-locked engine. It can require more than $7000 to be fixed. So, it’s better to prevent this from happening in the first place.
A hydro-locked engine isn’t the only risk that comes with fording water with your Jeep. The water might contain obstacles like tree trunks and foreign debris that can ruin your tires and underbody as well.
How to Safely Ford Water With a Jeep Wrangler
As we mentioned above, there are two things we want to avoid when fording water with a Jeep. The first is getting water into the air intake, and the second is ruining the tires or the underbody.
To avoid these mistakes, you need to follow these steps:
Check the Water
So, the first thing you need to do before crossing the water is to check the depth of the water and how soft it is. If it’s too muddy, then it’s probably not a good idea to get into that water as the car might get stuck.
Also, look out for any obstacles that can damage your tires. These won’t be visible to you while crossing. You have to get in there by yourself to check the water—this is when fishing waders come in handy!
It’s better to cross along the edges where the water isn’t too deep or too soft.
Drive With the Right Technique
When you enter the water, don’t go diving into the water too fast. This can splash water up into the engine compartment, killing it and damaging the electrics.
It’s best to drive in first or second gear. The goal here is to create a bow wake in front of your Jeep and maintain a slow, steady speed to stay just behind it.
The bow wake lowers the height of the water around your car as you push it away. This will prevent the water from getting into the air intake as long as you maintain a slow, steady speed.
In this case, try not to stop the car or make any sudden moves as this will cause the water level to rise and get inside the air intake. So, just keep moving forward, slowly pushing the wave in front of you.
Check the Car
Once you cross to the other side, keep the engine running for a couple of minutes to drain any water that may have entered. Next, check that the brakes are still working. Sometimes, water and mud can get between the brake pads and rotors, delaying the brakes’ function.
Another thing to do is remove the drain plugs placed underneath the carpet to drain the water properly. If the carpets are soaked, get them out to dry to prevent any mold, rust, or mildew from building.
It’s a good idea to run a quick check on the car, searching for any potential damages just for safety before you go on with your adventure.
How to Improve My Wrangler’s Fording Capabilities
There are few modifications that you can make to improve your Jeep’s capabilities at fording deep water. The goal is to keep moisture away from the engine and the electrics. Besides that, you need to protect the tires.
Snorkel
A snorkel is primarily to provide your engine with cool, clean air. But, one of its major benefits for a Jeep is to prevent water and dirt from being pulled into the engine.
Installing a snorkel system can extend your air intake up to the roofline of your Jeep, giving it extra inches to dive into the water. Rugged Ridge XHD Snorkel kit is an excellent option for that purpose.
Tube Extensions
Another way to prevent water from ruining your Jeep Wrangler while fording is to extend the breather hoses by using tube extensions. It’s best to extend them to the airbox, so you can have them as high as you can.
Protecting Your Jeep’s Undercarriage
Protecting your Jeep’s undercarriage is essential when fording. Unfortunately, you don’t know what might be invisible under the water that can damage the underbody of your Wrangler.
A good way to do that is to invest in a high-quality skid plate. A skid plate is a thick, sturdy piece of metal that you bold onto the underbody of your Jeep.
Skid plates aren’t only used for fording. They’re also useful for harsh terrains off the water.
The Wrap Up
Even though the recommended fording depth for a Jeep Wrangler is 19 inches, with the right driving technique and a couple of modifications to your car, you might be able to dive deeper than that.