Episode 522 – Need a Job? Jeep is Hiring!
This Week In Jeep
Need a Job? Jeep’s Toledo Assembly Complex is Hiring!
Drive down any main street in the US right now and you’ll likely see plenty of “NOW HIRING” signs. You hear the radio ads, see the commercials, everyone seems to be hiring, and Jeep is no exception. Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, is hosting a hiring event on Friday, October 15th, that’s the day this episode is released. They’re looking for people to fill part-time positions at Jeep’s Toledo Ohio Assembly Complex. The job fair is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heritage Hall on the Owens Community College campus, located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Ohio. Interested candidates are encouraged to register in advance, but walk-ins are also welcome. The hourly production positions start at $15.78 per hour, and medical and prescription drug coverage is available after 90 days. Life insurance and holiday pay are also available after 90 days. Candidates should be at least 18 years old and plan on spending 90 minutes at the hiring event.
And in case you were wondering just which Jeep it is you’d be helping make… It’s none other than BOTH the Wrangler and Gladiator.
Jeep’s Concept Vehicles For SEMA Revealed (sort-of)
Auto shows all over the US are cautiously returning after a slew of cancellations in 2020. The annual SEMA show (organized by the Specialty Equipment Market Association and not open to the general public) is planned for early November in Las Vegas. Mopar Performance has released several teaser images for the concepts that it is planning to bring to the event this year. Mopar (the parts, service, and customer care division for the U.S. brands now under the Stellantis umbrella) provided five shadowy sketches to give us more of a tease than a reveal. Right now, at the time of this episode’s release, it’s not clear whether the company will create five concepts or if some of the images depict the same vehicle. If it’s the former, Mopar will reveal the three Jeep and two Ram concepts at the 2021 SEMA show when it runs from November 2nd to November 5th.
The first image shows a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and it seems to be the 4xe hybrid variant due to the “e”-branded charging port just behind the “Rubicon” graphic. An auxiliary light can be seen mounted on the hood, and a Jeep Performance Parts badge suggests this 4xe will be decked out with off-road goodies.
The next sketch shows a Ram pickup, and judging by the grille design and vent on the far edge of the headlight, this is the 702-hp Hellcat-powered TRX. It is not immediately clear what will be different about this TRX other than the blue-painted tow hooks and Ram badging which may suggest a hybrid option using the same 4xE system as the Wrangler. We’ve already 
seen that applied to the Grand Cherokee, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Mopar will also be bringing a retro Jeep to SEMA, Or so one might think with this next teaser showing a 1960s Jeep Gladiator (although very early Wagoneers shared the same type of narrow grille). This old-school Jeep is painted in a military-style olive-drab green and is fitted with a grille 
guard, three spotlights (including one on the middle of the roof), and a flat bumper with a stenciled “B33RM3” just barely visible on one side. It could be a resto-modded M715 military truck, as that vehicle’s front end looks similar to the old school Gladiator’s. But I’m going to go way out on a limb here and suggest possibly a blending of the old military gladiator on a new JT body. Modifying the grille to more closely resemble the Gladiator of yesteryear and outfitting it with old-school military spotlights. Who knows.
Mopar will bring another, very different Jeep Wrangler to SEMA, with this next sketch showing an interior shot of a four-door model. This image is very dark, much like the others, but you can spot a special raised roof with a series of thin windows, suggesting some sort of camping or Overlanding themed concept. To me, it looks like it could almost resemble the top of an old station wagon from the ’70s or perhaps the top of a 21 window Volkswagen Bus. Either way, it promises a wild-looking concept from the outside.
The last teaser shows another Ram pickup, this time parked next to a tent and featuring some sort of storage or ladder rack system in the bed. It isn’t clear which model of Ram pickup this is, although it is missing the typical TRX text normally emblazoned on the rear fender, suggesting it is a less powerful version of the 1500 or perhaps a revival of the Dakota. There have been rumors of that happening, but not till 2024, and likely not here in the states. Stellantis already has a very well-performing mid-size truck with the Gladiator, so I don’t imagine they want to interrupt the good thing they have going with that. Regardless, this year’s SEMA show is poised to make up for time lost with big displays and over-the-top designs.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Off-Road Expo
We were at the Off-Road Expo last weekend in Ontario, California and there were lots of people enjoying the experience. If you have never been to an Expo it’s really a fun place to see awesome vehicle set-ups and all kinds of merchandise that you may or may not be able to live without. Also, bring lots of cash and an open mind to things you may find along the way.
Vendors set up their displays of products for sale and you decide if you want, need, or can’t live without it. You see everything from tires, bumpers, tools, lights & covers, to cool gadgets for Overlanding to you name it. This expo was no different and we found ourselves immersed in the world of off-roaders. Unlike other events we have been to, there seems to be a trend toward more side-by-side vendors (like Polaris RZR, Canams, Yamahas, Hondas, etc) and offerings like LED whips, to special seat harnesses, and of course seats, to safety things like wrist guards and specialty helmets. What was also noticeable was the vast amount of side by sides for sale. And the price tags were crazy. A Fairly set up rig with four seats was around $50,000. For a side by side? WOW! I was in sticker shock.
We were set up with the Nexen Tire booth along with Cody from Trail Chasers. We had Paul Jho from Nexen Tire and Don Alexander’s (Trails 411) jeeps on display. We had a great time meeting and greeting lots of people, talking about Trails 411 and also Nexen Tires. We even got a chance to talk with Cody on his Trial Chasers podcast where he interviewed Bill and me for Trials 411. I of course plugged the JTS show and team – for those that didn’t know, Cody used to be on the jeep Talk show years ago and you can find his podcast on the 4x4radionetwork.com. We had fun and it was great sharing our adventures with Cody.
There were also lots of other tires manufacturers displaying their tires on set up jeeps and other vehicles. Some pretty impressive showpieces, some actually see the dirt, others are for show. Some vendors had the new Bronco and of course, Ford had a pretty big showing as well. We took a look under the front end of the Bronco and wanted to see what the Tie-rod looked like since we have seen a few videos showing the Bronco steering failing on the trails. Well, guess what we found. The tie-rod is probably pencil diameter in size and where the casting flattens out to make the ball-joint socket it is so thin. It’s maybe 3/8’ inch thick SO THAT’S WHATS happening. Apparently, this is the fusible link in the steering system so you don’t damage the rack and pinion steering. Both Don Alexander and Bill commented it would be tough to drive the Bronco on any Rock-Crawling California trail let alone the highways here in So Calif because of all the potholes. Anyone of those jarring holes could just “POP” and the steering would be gone!. WHY would Ford make this “apparently capable off-road” vehicle with parts that would be 
destroyed on even an easy trail here in So. Calif? Is it because they want you to upgrade parts? Or is it someone who cut some corners and like the Bronco roof recalls, “we’ll just replace it IF it breaks”. Either way, not one of their better ideas. So if you buy a Bronco, better plan on getting the Tie-rods upgraded before venturing out on the rougher trails.
Expos are a great place to buy the stuff you may actually need. Lots of vendors had discounts and other show deals. We managed to escape without purchasing anything. Although I did see Bill measuring the lights on our jeep so he could order light covers – he says they had a show discount that he could use online. Uh Huh!
Off-Road Expo isn’t just for jeepers and this show made that apparent. We need to continue to educate all that enjoy the roads and preserve our fun lifestyle. It was interesting to talk with folks from all kinds of backgrounds, but one thing that was clear, not a lot of them are thinking about preserving trails and keeping things open. We need to continue to be good stewards and mentor newbies when we can. If you find yourself with a chance to attend an expo, GO. It’s worth the trip and you get to see so many builds that will blow your mind. And you can represent us Jeepers and who knows you may even find something you can’t live without.
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
I recently installed a set of JKS Manufacturing (JKS2033) for the 2018-2021 Jeep JL and JT. I purchased these from Amazon for about $166. You can find all our Amazon items on our website https://jeeptalkshow.com/
JTS was recently asked on social media why the JKS disconnects were chosen. Honestly, when I was researching quick disconnects for the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) I only found two that didn’t require me to keep up with pieces while disconnected. I wanted something that I could disconnect the swaybar, move the disconnects out of the way, but still connected to the swaybar, and then when done, just swing it back in place.
I found a Rough Country solution for about $70 and the JKS option for about $180. I went with Rough Country. Fast forward to 2021 and the Jeep Talk Show Gladiator I decided it was time to spend the extra money and get the JKS. It didn’t even cross my mind to see what other options were available that might fit my desire of keeping all the pieces of the disconnect in one place.
On our next Friday episode, I’ll go over the swaybar disconnects that are available for your JL and JT.
Must-Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Dorman 628-040 Universal Seat Heater Element
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Want to add heated seats to your Jeep or any other vehicle? Maybe you need to replace your original equipment… This universal seat heater kit is designed to be installed safely on most vehicles, under any type of upholstery, whether your vehicle originally had heated seats or not. This universal seat heater assembly comes with everything needed for a complete installation, including the harness, heating element pads, control switch, pliers, and easy-to-follow instructions. It makes for an affordable, comfortable upgrade to any vehicle.
Campfire Side Chat
Can’t see the floor of your Jeep in the dark? Maybe you can’t see more than 50 feet in front of the Jeep at night… Maybe you’re not equipped for night wheeling after all.
Where are you lacking in lighting?
What lighting upgrade would you like to make to your Jeep next?
Or do you just have a general lighting question?
You can join us around the virtual campfire every Thursday night at 9:45 pm 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
NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/
Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/
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