Episode 460 – It’s The Hardest Thing To Stop
This episode brought to you in part by, ExtremeTerrain! Be sure to check out the latest episode of ExtremeTerrain’s Throttle Out YouTube Series where host Merideth Evasew selects her top 5 Wrangler mods you should consider for your JK. Since the JL and Gladiator are currently taking a lot of the spotlight, this video will appeal to owners of the longest-running Wrangler generation since the CJ.
This Week In Jeep:
Video of Black Bear Pass Jeep Tumble
So in the last episode of the Jeep Talk Show, Episode 459, I mentioned a story that’s been getting a lot of attention in the Jeep world. And since we Jeepers are such a tight knit community, I knew it would be just a matter of days before video or other pictures of this tragedy would have surfaced. Sure enough, this week, dash cam footage from a jeeper much further down the mountain shows the red wrangler come crashing down the hillside right in front of them. For those just catching up with this story, the passenger of that crashing wrangler, 23 year old Suzie Rhodes was ejected as the jeep left the trail side and went tumbling down black bear pass. She suffered severe spinal injuries and was life flighted out of the area. She is in stable condition now, but is going to have a long hard trail to navigate before she’s fully recovered. I’m sure I speak for all of us here on the show when I say we wish her all the best. The video – which we will have a link to in the show notes of this episode at Jeeptalkshow.com – shows the dashcam footage of what appears to be an ordinary trail ride from the perspective of the dashboard of another Wrangler that was traveling the same dangerous mountain pass that leads to Telluride on Oct. 10. What is critically important in this video is not the few seconds in the middle where it captures the doomed Jeep in mid-tumble as it careens across the trail in front of them. But before that, at around the 2 minute mark. Something incredible happens that many are calling the difference between life and death. As Tammy and others have stated the trails up in this region of Colorado are treacherously tight, narrow, and yes, up very high. But it’s the degree of tightness that is key here, because at the two-minute mark, the Jeep recording, has to stop, reverse slightly, and do a three point turn to navigate the switchback. It was THAT tight. And it was those few moments of time that it took for that Jeep to complete the maneuver which likely saved the life of anyone in that Jeep that day. You see, had the trail been wide enough to accommodate a natural turn instead of a three point switchback, the jeep coming down the hill would have likely landed RIGHT on top of this other Jeep. The speed, force, and energy behind the mass coming down that mountain would have obliterated anyone inside any other vehicle in it’s way, save for maybe an armored truck. But imagine if it was a soft top, or just the factory roll bar. “No survivors” is how that headline would have read. According to the YouTube post, the driver of the Jeep who recorded the video was alerted by a friend in another vehicle of the falling Jeep, but the driver was unsure of where it was coming down. In the video’s notes, the driver wrote. “What is not shown on the video is me slamming my Jeep into reverse and gunning it backwards, hoping to avoid a possible wider rock slide.” …which you see come down the mountain right behind the somersaulting Jeep. So was it luck? Or was it other Jeeper’s vigilance and good communications gear that saved this other Jeepers life? What are your thoughts? Join the conversation on our Facebook page right now.
Jump to 3:15 in the video for the roll over.
They don’t know any better.. they’re just a “car” site.
And honestly, I had never heard of them until today. But here they are making global news on the Jeep talk show, maybe I shouldn’t give them the credit. Oh well, I’ve got to pick on them so they at least deserve to be called out. You see this week, a little no-name site called hotcars released a top ten list titled, “Jeeps All Time Worst SUV’s” …thinking this outta be good for a laugh, I clicked on the link to read the full article. At first, I was going along with them, top of their list in the number 10 position was the “just the cutest utest of all” the Renegade. Then came the new generation of Cherokee. At this point I’m giving these guys a pat on the back, so I decide to skim ahead and check out the rest of their list. I was shocked, horrified, and left aghast from what I saw. One after another of my favorite Jeeps were listed, not a single punch was thrown and then I started reading about WHY they picked what I would consider some of Jeeps best work ever. Things like a recall of a window regulator, poor fuel economy, or too boxy of a design. SERIOUSLY? Or that a Jeep of the 40’s and 50’s era has too basic of construction, poor all-weather equipment, and its original engine struggles to keep pace with modern highway traffic. Uh, yea jackass, because it’s nearly 80 years old. Let’s see how fast you run when you’re 80! If you want to see the whole list, or would like to reach out the author, one GAIA ZOL… yea …. She’s Italian writer who loves pasta, coffee and blogging. CLEARLY the perfect person to write such an expertly crafted expose on what are so definitely tremendous scourges to the automotive world that they should never have come into existence in the first place. OH THE HUMANITY! So, did your Jeep end up on the list? I bet it did!
https://www.hotcars.com/here-are-jeeps-all-time-worst-suvs/
We’ll Just Put This In The “That’s What You Get” Files
A 16yr old kid in San Diego, steals a Jeep, has two other minors in the vehicle with him either at the time of the theft or right after. Two 16 year old girls. They’re seen speeding through the city, and are of course pulled over, or at least the police TRY to pull them over. They ran multiple red lights with reckless abandon, and the chase was called off. Just minutes later, the jeep crashes, the driver either tries to run or is ejected and THEN tries to run, either way, the Jeep ends up still in motion and he is run over, pinned to the ground and street light pole that he crashed into by the very Jeep he stole. THAT’S WHAT YOU GET! Firefighters extracted the criminal, and was taken to a local hospital with a shattered hip, broken arm, and other non life threatening injuries. At least during the many months that it will take him to learn how to walk again, he’ll have plenty of time to listen to the Jeep talk show.
Newbie Nuggets:
Trick or Treat?
I know 2020 has been a weird year so far but what is with the decorated jeeps for Halloween? Have you seen any of them? I’ve seen on FB so many that I thought it would be fun to mention and see what the listeners are doing this year for Halloween. And you can google jeeps and Halloween for some great images and ideas too.
Now in the past I have seen charity events that include a Trunk or Treat – lots of vehicles set up in a parking lot, or park. Your trunk, vehicle and perhaps yourself, are decorated with whatever theme you decide. Kids and families stroll by in their costumes and you pass out candy with lots of spookiness etc. Good fun for charity. Now I have also seen small town businesses come together to create a safe area for kids to trick or treat by entering each business. There have even been charity events where you dress up your dog and participate too.
Well with lots of events canceled this year for Halloween, I have noticed lots and lots of jeeps decorated for this Halloween. Now I don’t know if it’s just this year and we are tired of being cooped up but have you seen the number of postings where people are using skeletons and placing them all over their jeep. YES skeletons that you can get at your local craft store. They are on the front of jeeps wrapped around the winch, or behind hanging onto the spare tire. I saw one photo that had skeletons on the top of the jeep and on the side hanging on to the doors. There have been uses of chains (real and plastic) for more effect. I’m guessing Jerry’s Pirate off-road FB group loves these ideas. There are even jeeps decorated with torn up zombies for a great effect. Pretty clever people out there for sure and I’m not sure how road worthy these “creatures” are but it sure does say Halloween.
Perhaps one of the craziest things I have seen is the handprints all over in red blood? Seriously? Who thought this was a good idea. Is it to show you ran over the zombies, or that they tried to get you and you made it through? Or, is it that your kids got into paint and smeared it all over your jeep? I read that someone started it with theatrical blood (found at a party store) and used rubber gloves and then smeared these handprints all over. And how does this wash out? I’m thinking if you leave it on till after Halloween, there will be some image from the sun bleaching the handprints – glad it’s not on my jeep that’s for sure! And it seems to me that a white jeep is best for this decoration, sorry Tony this is where your RED jeep doesn’t do so well LOL
And talk about lighting. Last week’s episode 459 we chatted around the campfire discussing night crawling and the many lighting options underneath the body. WELL this is a perfect time to change out the colors. I have seen so many jeeps that had glowing blue, orange or purple lighting underneath. It looks really cool and for a charity event or just driving around town with your skeletons it says Halloween for sure. Now wheeling off road with any of these decorations could pose a challenge. The first tight spot I drive through is going to rip those skeletons off the sides and tops of the jeep. The ones in front and back might make it. Not too fond of skeletons, in the closet or on my jeep LOL. But for me, it would just be something else I would have to stop and pick up off the trail. I won’t be decorating my jeep this year – unless there is a charity event, I might decorate the trunk. Can’t wait to see what these creative people do to their jeep for Christmas – Santa and reindeer, or deer caught in the grill and splatter all over the hood? How about Christmas lights all over the jeep. Would you decorate your jeep for Halloween or Christmas and what about other holidays? Valentines, Easter, Fourth of July I can see it now a trend has started.
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:
There are many times, when working on any vehicle you need to have the key in the ignition and one or more doors open. Usually this means two things, one, that the dome light is going to be on, and two, that the door chime, door buzzer, whatever you want to call it is going to be wailing incessantly for hours on end. (insert mother in law joke here) And unless you’ve worked in the automotive field for years and have a keen ability to ignore such racket, I suggest you get a tool that has helped many a technician over the years. They are called “Door Buzzer Shut Off Tools” and they are neat little devices designed to do just that. Shut off the door buzzer, so that you can work in peace and quiet, while you listen to the Jeep talk show. Ok, Of course that’s the best reason to get a set of these. But all kidding aside they’re inexpensive, store easily, and usually come in pairs so that you can work from both sides of the vehicle with the doors open. So let’s say you’re a cheap rat bastard, and you don’t want to spend the $20 or less that it would take to make your life easier. Well there are other ways to shut up the noise coming from the garage. First you could ask her to leave. 
I’m kidding! … actually on some Jeeps, the door chime is a little box tucked up in the dash above the driver’s side kick panel. If you are able to locate it, you can simply unplug it and you’ll be good to go. Just remember to plug it back in when you’re done, as this is a critical part of the security system for most Jeeps. The other thing you could do is find the fuse for that circuit in the fuse box or distribution panel and pull it. Be warned though, this may kill other circuits too, and if something like stereo work or lighting work is what you’re doing, you may make things hard on yourself. Another option is to try and duplicate the design of the door buzzer shut off tool itself. You might be so inclined to use a coat hanger, but that’s not going to work since coat hangers are made of soft steel not spring steel and wont work the same even if you bent it into the same shape. You could try to disconnect the door pin from the rest of the system, but if the Jeep is old, there is a good chance these pin switches are degraded, and could break if messed with. I’ve heard of some people using a block of wood wedged between the door frame and the door pin and a bungee cord to keep the tension. This may be the best solution yet, but comes with a risk, that you could break the pin switch or dent something on the body. Also, be advised that on some vehicles, the door switch that turns the dome light on and off, as well as that damn buzzer is located in the latch mechanism itself, and is not so easily unplugged. Sometimes though, you can bypass these switches by lying to them. Simply use a screwdriver to act like the stud on the door jamb, and manually move the latch over to the closed side. This may work, but don’t forget to operate the door handle to release it before you close the door, or you may be in for a rude surprise. So I’ll leave it up to you to decide what is the best way to keep your Jeep quiet when you wanna work on it with the doors open. For those who are interested I’ll post up a link for you to get one for yourself. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/OTC4448
Jeep Life:
Do Over – Top 5 Mods
Hey guys. I am trying to get caught up on the shows. I still find myself commenting on a recorded show. Ha… Just a quick clarification. Having a headlamp camping is a good idea. I was just sharing I very rarely use it and honestly, I don’t even use my phone light that often either. In the past year having a light walking around camp didn’t seem to be a needed item for me. So, I wondered why. Maybe I have the eyes of a mountain lion. Seriously though after listening to your comments I had to think why I am not using a light that often at night. I do not even use one when I walk our dog at night in the campground that has no night lights. Then I realized. The stars in these middle of nowhere places we camp really light up the sky. So maybe that is it. Josh I will have to agree with you on the pillow. You even reminded me one time and I still forgot it. Tony that rock in Moab is on the trail Top of the World. Yes people pull to the very edge. This past spring when I was on the trail I said NO Effing Way. I set the record for the furthest back from the edge. Tony you are correct it could go at any moment. The guy who was my trail guide when I went to Moab the first time He has lived there his whole life and wheeled that trail many many times. He said he NEVER parks his Jeep on the edge because of exactly what you said. Who knows when it will break off and fall. Wendy… I have no shame is not tackling an obstacle I don’t feel comfortable with. I have always been that way. I have nothing to prove. I am out wheeling because I enjoy it. And don’t want the day to end poorly. I am okay with going around or taking a by-pass if it just doesn’t feel right for me at that moment. More Top 5 with Jeep Momma This Time My Top 5 Jeep Modifications I would do if I had do it over again. Now that I have some experience with my Jeep off road I can look back and share with you what I would do differently. First, I am glad I wheeled my Jeep in stock form because I was able to learn what my Jeep is capable of and how to pick a good line. Once I felt like I out grew that level of wheeling I was doing I upgraded my Jeep. I went to a 3.5 lift on 35” tires. If I had to do it over again, I would do a few things before that lift. The first modification I would have made was Jeep Cables from Jeep Cables.com a veteran owned company up in Josh’s neck of the woods. I recently installed them in my Jeep and wish I would have done it sooner. Adding the winch and off-road lights to my Jeep added a little extra pull on my current OEM cables. I just posted a couple of videos on YouTube that shows the install as well as what happens to your stock cables when you overload your OEM system by adding a winch and other electrical upgrades. You could already see the discoloration on my alternator and the cable coming from my alternator. The wires were already overloaded and getting super hot. The next modification would be the rock sliders. Not only do my Barricade Off Road Rock sliders protect my Jeep they double as a side step. Necessary when you lift your Jeep so you don’t look foolish getting into your lifted Jeep. My rock sliders from day one have protected my Jeep and the sound of them sliding over the rocks has become a sound I really like. Even before my lift and bigger tires I would upgrade my current tires with Nexen Roadian MTX 33” tires. When you are stock a good set of tires will do wonders when you are off road. I am in the process of working with Nexen to get another set of 35’s for my Jeep. As I have put on over 40K miles on them this year. Steering would be the next upgrade before my lift. I would go with the Yeti Steering from Steer Smarts. Their components are so beefy. I have dinged them so many times with rocks, they have held up awesome plus the benefit for JKU’s is the steering attenuator or now they call it the Griffin. I reviewed the product on episode 176 of the Jeep Talk Show. We also interviewed Ron North with Steer Smarts on Episode 301. The attenuator or Griffen helps with the Wranglers jittery steering and the bump steer. Then rounding out the Top 5 would be an upgrade to my OEM front driveshaft with a Tom Woods Custom Driveshaft. Adding a lift and bigger tires will eventually wear out that stock driveshaft. You will know when it is starting to go by getting under your Jeep and looking above the driveshaft. You will be able to see the grease splatter above the driveshaft. If you want more Jeep Momma’s Top 5 go check out my YouTube Channel. I have 44 Top 5 videos and 52 How To videos. Next week tune in as I share My Top 5 Accessories that didn’t work for me.
Must Have Stuff:
Jeep Hard Top and Door Removal Tool Kit For 2007-2020 Jeep Wrangler JK JL $18.50 – UPGRADED KIT https://amzn.to/2TmdAja All the necessary tools to easily remove your hardtop and doors on your 2007-2020 Jeep Wrangler. Tool Kit contains the following: 3/8 INCH Ratchet 10mm Socket 15mm Socket T30 Torx Bit(For Soft Top) T40 Torx Bit(For Hardtop) T50 Torx Bit(For Doors) Includes a convenient storage pouch to keep all the tools in a neat and orderly fashion. Are these top of the line Snap-On or Mac grade tools? No of course not. But what these are, is a dedicated set of tools for a specific job, that can always be found in the same place. What’s even better is you don’t have to go digging around through your own tools, or take some of your own tools out of service to make a kit like this. And with its own storage pouch, it keeps things simple and safe to throw in the center console, glove box, or even tool box drawer for quick access. The link we’ll be posting up is for the upgraded kit which comes with higher quality tools, more bits, and a better case.
Campfire Side Chat:
On this episode the JTS Hosts and a few of our listeners, a.k.a. Zoom People, joined us around the virtual campfire where we asked the question… “What’s better? Soft Top or Hard Top?” Chip, Larry, Chris, Tammy, Bob, and Travis weigh in on they’re thoughts. You can join us around the virtual campfire every Thursday night at 9:45pm when we record the latest episode. Subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly reminders and how to join via Zoom, or follow us on Facebook (https://facebook.com/jeeptalkshow) for notifications.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Horrible Writing: “Jeeps All Time Worst SUV’s” article: https://www.hotcars.com/here-are-jeeps-all-time-worst-suvs/
Door Buzzer Shut Off Tool: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/OTC4448
ExtremeTerrain Wheel and Tire Selection Guide: https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-wheels.html
Jeep Hard Top and Door Removal Tool Kit $18.50 – UPGRADED KIT https://amzn.to/2TmdAja