Episode 408 – Tread Lightly with Wheel Northeast

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This Week In Jeep: 

Let’s hope he never gets another Jeep ever again. 

Ordinarily the news stories I sift through each week are, as you’d expect, Jeep centric. And although this story HAS a jeep in it, it’s a chevrolet that ends up being the star in this, and you’ll see why in a moment. A couple pushing a stroller along a crosswalk at a busy intersection in Phoenix was nearly mowed down by a Jeep Renegade that sped through a red light. They weren’t dodgeball champions, and no amount of “Getting out of the way” was going to save them from this jeep careening through the red light. They were saved when in the nick of time… another vehicle came thru the intersection and T-boned the Jeep, giving the couple time to run to the curb. The Phoenix Police Department released a video of the incident, calling the second car that hit the Jeep a guardian angel for ultimately saving the couple. In the footage (that has likely gone viral by the time this episode airs,) shows the couple with a stroller walking at night through the crosswalk at 53rd Avenue and Indian School Road. Two cars make a left turn in front of them, and as if thats not bad enough, just as the pair nears the center of the road, here comes 23 year old Ernesto Otanez Oveso in this Renegade traveling at a high rate of speed, and just blows through the red light headed right toward the couple. At what seems to be (LITERALLY) the last second, a black Chevy Cruze (that was traveling lawfully through the green light) enters the intersection, and appears to speed up just car lengths before it slams into the Jeep. The force of the crash pushes the Jeep out of the view of the camera just feet before it would have hit the couple in the crosswalk, and causes the Chevy Cruze to spin around. The completely shocked couple immediately runs across the street to safety. The police department announced that the innocent driver of the chevy suffered minor injuries, but will be OK. The red-light runner was of course arrested for (you guessed it) DUI.

…Speaking of douchebags…

Police in Chattanooga, Tennessee are asking people to be on the lookout for two vehicles stolen from the Austin Hatcher Foundation, a charity organization that provides services to pediatric cancer patients and their families. Thieves made off with two custom vehicles over the weekend: a 2018 Ford Explorer Sport and a 2019 Jeep Wrangler outfitted by Rugged Ridge. Both vehicles were being stored at the foundation’s warehouse and were to be offered at a Scottsdale, Arizona-based charity auction in January next year. A previous build by the foundation, a customized 2017 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Hurst Edition, raised a total of $225,000 for the foundation.

Each vehicle is unique beyond its visual customization. The foundation worked with pediatric patients and their families to design and build both vehicles as part of its occupational therapy program, a service that gives each child the chance to participate in therapy services in a fun and motorsports-related environment. Best of all, the program is offered at no cost to participants and their families. A Facebook post by the organization indicated that the individuals responsible for the theft tore through a fence and damaged a vehicle transport trailer before making off with the two trucks. Jonathon Myren, the foundation’s industrial arts director, told local news that he believes the thieves used a tire iron to break into the vehicle transport trailer to look for keys to the vehicles. After locating them, they crashed one the rigs through a gate and drove off the premises. At least one of the vehicles may have sustained some damage, as the Ford Explorer’s factory roof rails and custom roof carrier were left at the scene. The damage to the gate also indicates that one of the vehicles may have light damage to the front end as it was used as a battering ram. According to a report by the International Motorsports Association, the vehicles are said to be insured, however, the foundation will not be compensated for any aftermarket parts lost in the theft. Additionally, given the unlikelihood that the vehicles will be recovered in an auctionable condition, the organization has begun fundraising to make up for the lost donations. There are currently two fundraisers in place to help recover funds lost from the theft, one on GoFundMe and the other on Facebook. Collectively, the foundation’s efforts have raised less than $3k at the time we air this. Individuals who have information on the vehicle’s whereabouts should contact the Chattanooga Police Department at (423) 698-2525.

Jeep Life:

We hear from Jeep Momma out on the road!

Wrangler Talk:

Let’s avoid the fear of not stopping in time or not having enough braking power.

Hello JTS listener and welcome to this week’s Wrangler Talk, on this talk we are going to be covering upgrading your brakes and the different options out on the market. This topic will be covered over two weeks, just because there are so many different options out on the market. So why are brakes so important, well when we start adding those larger tires to your rig you might start to notice that it takes a little bit longer or a greater distance to slow down and come to a stop. When we are adding larger tires to our jeeps it is going to take more brake power to slow those larger tires, just like it is going to take more power to get those tires moving. So, for this talk we will be focusing on the two main components of the brake system, the brake pads and rotors. The purpose of the brake pads is to convert the kinetic energy of the vehicle traveling down the road into thermal energy through friction. So, we all know that when we press the brake pedal, we are forcing the brake pads to squeeze the rotor and in turn slow down the jeep. However, when we start looking at the brake system the main wearable part is the brake pads, and there are 4 different categories of brake pads. The 4 different categories of pads are organic, semi-metallic, full metallic, and ceramic. With these 4 different categories of pads there are benefits and disadvantages of each type of pad. So, when talking about organic brake pads, they are by nature made from organic material like glass, Kevlar, Fiber, rubber, and resin, which is great for resistance to heat and are usually some of the cheapest pads on the market. These types of pads are great for the everyday stock applications; however, these pads are a softer material and tend to wear down quicker in comparison to other types of pads on the market. Also, these pads have a high compressibility which can give you the feeling of mushy brakes when you are doing a lot of braking and in high heat situations. So, we do not want that mushy feeling when are trying to stop those large tires coming up to stop sign so let’s move on to the next type of brake pad, and that is Semi-metallic. Semi-metallic pads are made from 30 to 65 percent metal, and the most common metals used in these pads is steel and iron and the rest of the pad is made of friction modifiers which consists of fillers and resin. Semi-metallic pads are the most versatile pad on the market and provide great stopping power, however they are a bit more abrasive on your rotors and can be a bit noisier than organic brake pads. However, I think the tradeoff for more braking power is very worth it and are usually price very reasonable. Now onto the highest price pads on the market and they are ceramic brake pads. Ceramic pads are made from non-organic materials and tend to last the longest out of the 3 types of pads that I have covered. Ceramic pads have the highest resistance to heat and tend to wear the slowest. Ceramic pads are some of the best pads on the market and are specifically designed to provide great stopping power. Ceramic Brake pads also produce the least amount of brake dust and are much quieter than Semi-metallic pads. So, if you are looking at new brake pads these are all things to consider. For example, if you only jumped up an inch or two in tire size, I would say the semi-metallic pads should still be sufficient for your applications and maybe consider ceramic pads if you can find a good deal on them. Although if you made a large jump in tire size, like me going from a 31-inch tire to a 37-inch tire, you are definitely going to look into spending that extra bit and get ceramic pads for your rig. I personally have Carbon Fiber ceramic pads on my jeep and I could immediately recognize the difference in stopping power when transitioning from a semi-metallic to ceramic style of brake pad. Now onto the other wearable part of the braking system and that is the rotor. There are a couple different style rotors and configurations of rotors on the market and each rotor is designed for a different application. The different types of rotors are vented, drilled, and slotted. Each style of rotor serves a different purpose. Your most common rotor is the vented style of rotor usually come stock on front rotors on any vehicle. This rotor has a series of vents between the two surfaces where the rotor meets the pad and allows for better heat reduction when braking. When the rotor is rotating the vents act as a pump forcing air to pass through the rotor allowing the rotor to cool down. Next are drilled rotors. The purpose of drilled rotors is to first help with dispersion of heat through the rotor and secondly allow the gasses that build when braking to release through these holes. These gases are produced from the brake pad rubbing against the rotor and are generated at high heats. This gas prevents your pad from making full contact with the rotor and reduces the amount of braking force you have. That is where the holes in the rotor allow for this gas to escape and allow for full contact of the pads to the rotors. Finally, on to slotted rotors, and slotted rotors serve the same purpose of releasing the gasses that build up during the braking process. However slotted rotors use a set of grooves in the rotor to wipe away the gasses and clean the pad with each groove, where drilled rotors allow the gas just to be released through the holes. Although what style of rotors are the best for your jeep well depends on how big your tires are. If you are looking for the most stopping power, you are going to want to have a vented rotor allowing for the most heat reduction during braking. Next my recommendation is to look into a slotted rotor because that will provide the most amount of stopping power when braking. So, when it comes to pads and rotors we know that ceramic pads and slotted rotors provide the most amount of braking power but there is a tradeoff and that is they are usually the most expensive. So, find that happy medium between cost and brake power. This concludes this week’s wrangler talk. We are going to continue talking about brakes next week and remember if you have any more questions or comments please contact us at JeepTalkShow.com/contact and we would be happy to answer them. Remember to stay tuned to next week’s talk where we will be continuing the topic of brakes.

Interview with:

Patrick Chasse – Wheel Northeast

Patrick has owned his 2004 Jeep Wrangler LJ since 2016 and has become involved in the local off road community including supporting the NEA (northeast association of four wheel drive clubs) COREC (Connecticut Off Road enthusiasts coalition) and is an admin for a Facebook group called Wheel Northeast which is dedicated to safe legal and responsible wheeling in the northeast region.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/366479790497526/

Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:

Linking it up with Homelink

If your Jeep is equipped with Homelink, which usually consists of three buttons, in the overhead console, or in the drivers sun visor, and often accompanied by a small house symbol, then you have the ability to use the Jeeps built in transmitters to operate such things as your garage door opener. If you bought your Jeep and you’re not the first owner, there’s a chance you may not know how to set this up. It’s very easy, and we’ll go over the steps right now. All you need is to be in your Jeep, and have both the keys to your Jeep and the garage door opener you wish to mimic with the Jeeps homelink system. Simply turn the ignition to the on/run position, and while holding down the homelink button you wish to program, hold the opener within one to three inches of the homelink button you are programming and hold both buttons down simultaneously.  There is almost always a status LED, which will flash slowly at first, but then flashes rapidly when the programming is complete. Release both buttons, and you’re done. This may take 30 seconds before programming is complete. To verify programming, press and hold the homelink button you just programmed. If the LED stays on, then you’re all set. If you have a newer garage door opener, one that was built after 1995, or that has a rolling code system, you need to take an additional step. On the garage door motor itself, you will need to locate the learn/train button. It’s usually right near where the antenna is, and may be behind an easily removable panel. Press this button, you now have 30 seconds to get to the homelink button, so move like the wind, but don’t fall off the ladder. Now press the home link button twice, holding it down for two seconds each time. If the link is established the garage door will operate, if it does not, you will need to press the button a third time, again for two seconds. You should now be all linked up.  Happy door opening Jeeper! I hope this helps. 

Nicky G:

Nicky G isn’t very happy with the new Jeep Truck, the Gladiator.  You won’t believe the problem he was having…

Jeep Weather

Sometimes we all need a little liquid Top Off after Going Topless. Hey Jeeper, its Mitch and it’s time for your weekend Going Topless-Jeep Weather Report. Sometimes we all need a little liquid Top Off after Going Topless, so for this weekend we will Jeep crawl RESPONSIBLY to craft pubs. First, we start in Moab, Utah where Moab Brewery and the great Moab trail systems live. Here it will be beautiful and sunny to Go Topless. Friday will be a cool 62, Saturday is a comfortable 70 and Sunday drops back down to 61.After hitting some trails near Boulder City, Nevada then stop by Boulder Dam Brewing Co. Pull up with your Top Off and sunshine all weekend: Friday will be 75, Saturday 80, and Sunday 73. Just have a small sampler or you will be leaving Topless too. Then overland the trails and roads from Nevada to Kernville, California where beautiful mountains and rivers hide. Here you will find Kern River Brew Co. and perfect weather to Go Topless in. Friday will be 85, Saturday 84 and Sunday a nice Lastly, drive Topless and make your way north through trails and country roads (I recommend the 395 for some of that drive) to Chico, California and Secret Trail Brewing Company. There it is Topless weather all weekend with 87 for Friday, 85 on Saturday and 73 on Sunday. Ok Jeeper, like I should have to say it, we at the Jeep Talk Show never recommend drinking and driving, always drink responsibly and legally. Additionally, the breweries selected do not sponsor us or my taste buds (like they should) and were chosen for your entertainment and the trails which they are near. If you have any suggestions or want to know YOUR local weather in an upcoming episode. Just reach out to me at JeepTalkShow.com slash contact. I’m Mitch and Its always great weekend to Go Topless if you’re brave enough!  Just Go Topless responsibly.

Wheeling Where:

8th Annual Jeep Creep
Oct 25th – 27th
Gladwin, Michigan
More Info: https://www.riverwalkplace.net/event/jeep-creep/
https://www.facebook.com/events/riverwalk-place-jeep-creep/riverwalk-place-jeep-creep-8th-annual/338853100104572/

Parker 4 Wheelers – Desert Splash
Nov. 8th – 10th
Parker Arizona
More Info: http://www.parker4wheelers.net/

Links Mentioned in Episode 408:
www.j-Barr.com
http://nexentireusa.com/
https://www.extremeterrain.com/choosing-the-best-tire.html