Aftermarket Kit Gives Your Jeep Wrangler Off-Road Turn Assist Like the Bronco
It’s pretty much plug-and-play.
If you're the off-roading type—heck, even if you're not—you've probably been ogling over these fancy new electric trucks and all of their party tricks. While some are a little silly, like the Hummer EV's Watts to Freedom launch control, others are legitimately useful; think about the Hummer's Crab Walk function or Rivian's Tank Turn.
While not quite on the same level, Ford decided to bake a similar feature into its Bronco called Trail Turn Assist, which allows the truck to pull some rather tight 180s. That left the Jeep Wrangler to fend for itself. Thanks to a plug-and-play accessory, though, owners of modern Wranglers and Gladiators can now have something similar, even long after leaving the factory. Let YouTuber Casey250 show you.
Aftermarket performance company Z Automotive designed the Tazer Mini as a simple solution to make JL Wranglers even more customizable. The tiny dongle enables owners to quickly tweak software features on their vehicle, all while being updatable to add more functionality later on. The latest round of updates includes a new quirk that allows for quick turns, just like the Ford Bronco.
Jeep owners with the Tazer installed can enable the feature by using buttons on their truck's steering wheel. When active, it uses the factory anti-lock brake components to lock the inside rear wheel to drag the tire and create a significantly tighter turning radius.
While there isn't a precise measurement, Casey was able to roughly measure the turning diameter using the Byzantine unit of measurement: paces. According to Casey, the Jeep's turning radius was approximately five steps shorter when the feature was engaged.
A few members on JL Wrangler Forums who own a Tazer back these claims up, stating that the feature works quite well. Some members warn that it should be used sparingly in the name of trail etiquette, as dragging the inside tire could easily result in a huge rut being made in the soft earth. Obviously, there may be warranty concerns for those who worry about the dealer denying service due to potential misuse.
I'm sure it could also be argued that this party trick alone might be worth $329 to some Jeep owners, even if you didn't count all the other tricks the Tazer can do.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: rob@thedrive.com
