There’s a new Jeep in the family! Our 2026 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4×4 brings Anvil Clear-Coat paint, a black hardtop, and factory 35-inch tires to the driveway. It has plenty of equipment for adventures, along with a few comforts that should be welcome during an Ohio winter.
Now that the first few additions and the first oil change are in the books, it’s time for a proper introduction—and a look at the work completed so far.
Meet the Willys
This is a four-door Wrangler with a black cloth interior, a 3.6-liter V6 with Stop/Start, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It was assembled in Toledo, Ohio.
Here are the basics:
- Model: 2026 Jeep Wrangler four-door Willys 4×4
- Exterior: Anvil Clear-Coat
- Interior: Black cloth bucket seats
- Engine: 3.6-liter V6
- Transmission: Eight-speed automatic 850RE
- Four-wheel drive: Command-Trac part-time system
- Roof: Black three-piece hardtop with removable Freedom Panels
- Factory tire package: XTREME 35, with LT315/70R17C tires on 17-inch machined wheels with black pockets
- Axle gearing: 4.56:1
The Willys equipment includes heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles, a Tru-Lok locking rear differential, rock-protection sill rails, and Off-Road Plus mode. The XTREME 35 package adds the larger tires, performance brakes, and Mopar hinge-gate reinforcement for the rear-mounted spare.
Other useful factory equipment includes skid plates for the fuel tank, transfer case, and transmission, auxiliary switches, and a receiver hitch with both seven-pin and four-pin trailer wiring.
Inside, the Uconnect 5 system has a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Convenience Group adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, remote start, automatic temperature control, and passive entry at the front doors. LED headlights and fog lamps, a Gorilla Glass windshield, and adaptive cruise control round out some of the other features.
The First Additions and Maintenance
The early records cover one oil and filter change and a few practical additions. Here’s the history so far.
July 29, 2026 — IAG Steps Installed at 200 Miles
I installed a pair of IAG Drop Down EZ-Step add-ons. With the Jeep’s factory 35-inch tires, the extra steps make getting in and out easier. The steps can also be easily removed when I take the Jeep off-road, so I can have the convenience of a step for everyday use and take them off for trail trips.
September 6, 2026 — First Oil and Filter Change at 1,164 Miles
I handled the Jeep’s first oil change myself, replacing both the engine oil and the cartridge filter.
The materials recorded for the service were:
- Oil: Kirkland Signature Full Synthetic SAE 0W-20
- Oil quantity added: 4.9 U.S. quarts, as recorded in my service notes
- Filter: Mopar MO-349 cartridge oil filter
This gives the Jeep its first documented oil service and a starting point for tracking future changes by date and mileage.
September 6, 2026 — Fumoto Drain Valve Installed at 1,164 Miles
During that same oil change, I installed a Fumoto F106N engine oil drain valve with M14 × 1.5 threads. It’s a small addition intended to make future oil changes more convenient.
The oil change, filter replacement, and valve installation were all completed during the same service session.
September 26, 2026 — Door Hinge Liners Installed at 1,444 Miles
The next documented project was installing Kentrol door hinge pin liners for the four-door JL Wrangler. I completed this work myself as well, and the service record includes photographs of the kit and hinge areas.
The goal of this upgrade is to make taking the doors off and putting them back on easier, while adding a durable replacement for the factory hinge bushings. Kentrol makes the liners from Delrin, a strong, low-friction plastic. That lower friction is intended to help the hinge pins move more freely, while the material’s durability addresses the wear and deterioration that can affect factory bushings over time. It’s a useful early upgrade for a Jeep whose doors will come off.
For more about the material and purpose, see Kentrol’s explanation of its door hinge liners and its JL/JLU four-door liner description.
Starting Its Own History
As of October 25, 2026, the Jeep has approximately 1,800 miles on the odometer. The most recent documented service was the door hinge liner installation on September 26 at 1,444 miles. So far, the Willys has its first oil change recorded, a drain valve installed for future service, new door hinge liners, and IAG steps.
There will be more miles, maintenance, and projects to share as this Jeep becomes part of the family. For now, this is the beginning of its own story—and a good place to start keeping that history together.
