Journal
Wrangler and Gladiator owners tune for two reasons: throttle response on the trail, and the highway pull that disappears the day the bigger tires go on. A plug-in performance chip helps with both, because it keeps the 3.6 Pentastar in the more responsive part of its factory throttle map. The Gladiator is Thorton’s single most-tuned Jeep, followed by the Wrangler JK, the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara and Rubicon, and together Jeeps make up one of our five biggest makes.
The Pentastar has a soft pedal in stock form, which is what makes a lifted Jeep on 35s feel slow. A Thorton chip sharpens throttle mapping and firms up the 2,500 to 4,500 rpm range where the 3.6 does its work. Owners report crisper response crawling in low range and less downshifting on the highway at 70 mph. It does not change the gearing, so if you have gone up two tire sizes a regear is still the right long-term fix; the chip is the ten-minute one.
Turbocharged engines have the most headroom. The chip brings boost in earlier and reduces lag off idle, which suits trail driving where you need a predictable pedal.
Select the diesel engine option when ordering. The chip sharpens low-end torque delivery, which is where the EcoDiesel already excels and where owners feel the change towing or climbing.
The 3.8 is the engine most in need of a sharper throttle, and the chip is configured for Wranglers back to 1996.
Flash tuners for the JL and Gladiator need the PCM unlocked first, on top of the tuner’s cost, and every flash increments the counter a dealer reads on a warranty claim. Jeep’s warranty is one owners tend to use, so a tune that never writes to the PCM is worth having. A Thorton chip cannot exceed the factory limits because the PCM still enforces them, and it unplugs without a trace before a dealer visit. The detail is in Does chip tuning void your warranty?
Of the Jeep chips shipped in the last year, 86% were Stage 3, 10% Stage 2 and 4% Stage 1. The stage guide compares them.
The OBD2 port is under the lower dash to the left of the steering column near the hood release. Engine off, plug in, start, confirm the three LEDs, drive a tank. The chip is small enough not to interfere with the knee bolster. Full steps in the installation guide.
Log a baseline with the Performance Analysis Kit before installing and repeat the route after a tank.
Select your year, model and engine on the Jeep performance chip page. Free US shipping, dispatched within one business day, 30-day risk-free trial.
Find your vehicle and see your gains in seconds.
The companion to your Thorton chip. See real performance gains, monitor engine health and diagnose issues from your phone.
$59.95 on its own. The $10 comes off automatically when a Thorton Performance Chip is in the same order.
