Episode 554 – TYRI Lighting and Good Jeepers

This Week In Jeep

Jeep club helps Middle TN nurses get to work in the snow and ice

I want to give thanks to our friends at WKRN in Tennessee for bringing this story to our attention. On Thursday and Friday in the Rutherford County area, many people stayed home from work and school to avoid the snowy and icy roadways, but healthcare workers couldn’t do that. They needed to get to local hospitals to keep them staffed.

When conditions in Rutherford County got slick, the Stones River Jeep Club stepped up and used their vehicles to transport doctors and nurses to Ascension St. Thomas Hospital. Jeep driver, Tim Millar, says his wife is a nurse. He understands the importance of keeping hospitals fully staffed, especially during inclement weather.

Like most Jeep clubs, they don’t just off-road. They also believe in giving back to the community. Charity Compton and Jennifer Pinckard are St. Thomas nurses. 

They walked to a nearby hotel Thursday night after road conditions became too treacherous to navigate. On Friday morning, a Stones River Jeep driver took them, and many others, straight to the hospital to help patients. The club will continue to help healthcare workers until the icy road conditions clear up. From all of us here at the Jeep Talk Show, a big Jeep wave goes out to Jeepers of The Stones River Jeep Club in Tennessee. Keep up the good work! http://stonesriverjeepclub.weebly.com/

Is The Wrangler Less Safe Than The Bronco?

With the revival of the Ford Bronco, the Jeep Wrangler is faced with a genuine hometown rival for the first time in more than a quarter-century. And while the debate over the two SUVs’ off-road capability seems to be taking center stage, a recent upload to the YouCar YouTube channel is stealing the limelight. That’s because we now have a chance to better see how the two off-roaders compare when faced with the IIHS’s most difficult crash test: the small overlap front impact. The small overlap front impact test is the most brutal task that a vehicle undertakes during crash testing. It consists of accelerating a vehicle up to 40 mph before smashing at least 25 percent of the frontal area into a five-foot-tall indestructible barrier. The area that makes impact must be biased towards the driver’s side, which helps simulate hitting another vehicle almost head-on, or an object like a telephone pole. As the IIHS has previously reported, the Ford Bronco received a Good rating for its efforts in this area, whereas the Wrangler pulled away with only a Marginal score. And while that might not seem like a tremendous difference, the IIHS begs to differ. Upon smashing into the barrier, the Bronco’s front fender immediately collapses, while the front wheel is smashed up into the fender well. It isn’t a pretty thing to watch, but the passenger compartment itself appears to have been well protected from the shunt. Like with the Ford, the Wrangler’s crash structure immediately begins to deform on impact. Furthermore, the front wheel once again finds itself shoved back towards the cabin. That said, this action appears slightly more violent on the Jeep, as it appears to help the Wrangler flip onto its side. 

According to the IIHS, this happened during both tests of this nature.

 

The Institute had the following to say about the Wrangler’s performance:

“In both of the Institute’s tests, the vehicle tipped onto its passenger side after striking the barrier. The partial rollover presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure in small overlap frontal crash tests. A vehicle tipping onto its side is not an acceptable outcome for a frontal crash and, as a result, the Wrangler’s overall rating was downgraded to marginal.”

It is important to note that this Jeep footage is from the 2019 model year, though the scores have not changed in the subsequent years. So while there might be arguments to be made for the Jeep’s capability, in a head-on collision, the safety measure, unfortunately, leaves the Jeep lacking slightly. That said, I don’t think this will affect 99 percent of current Jeep owners, and likely won’t dissuade future Jeep owners from buying the Wrangler either. Let us know what you think of this. 

NOTE: Jeeps WERE harmed in the making of this video, and the content may not be suitable for all viewers.   :-\

Jeep ZJ pulled from Conemaugh River in Johnstown Pennsylvania

Emergency crews in Cambria County spent hours Monday getting a jeep out of the Conemaugh River in Johnstown, PA. Reports say the vehicle’s owner had started the (what looks to be a ‘94/’95 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ) to warm it up and returned minutes later to find it had slipped into gear and rolled down the hill behind it.

The modified Jeep ended up going into the river behind a steelyard near Clinton Street.

Fire crews used a ladder to reach the partly submerged Jeep. They then had to break several windows to get a sling securely around the vehicle enough so it could be lifted out of the water. Looking like a child pulling his toy out of the tub, this Jeep was lifted from the frigid waters with a single strap slung between the two back windows, leaving the front of the Jeep to hang free. Officials say no injuries were reported. But I bet the owner of the Jeep is mighty butt hurt. 

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: Speaker Selection For YOUR Jeep (series)

In Episode 548 we began a new series all focused on selecting the right speaker for your Jeep. But since all Jeep models are different, and everybody has different ears, I felt that you deserved more than just a list of Jeeps and what speakers will fit. Google can tell you that, but only you know why you’re looking, to begin with. And that “why” is the inspiration behind this series. In the last couple installments of this segment, we’ve covered of course how to find your size speaker, what some common issues average Jeep owners will face with speakers over time, and some more introspective topics such as what it is you’re trying to accomplish with a speaker swap, and what your budget is. The latter is a bit tricky because most people don’t know what the average going rate price is for given speaker size, so they don’t have a baseline to start with. And that’s completely normal. We’ll put aside the budget because needs will dictate much of that when the time comes. In the last tech talk, we covered the most basic scenario which is simply needing to replace a blown speaker. But since speakers aren’t sold individually, unless you’re at the junkyard, and maybe even then… So you’ll be looking for a pair. You can walk into any car audio shop and get sold the cheapest set they have. Or pay even less buying god knows what off Amazon for a stack of pennies, and it will likely sound just about as good. You don’t necessarily want to default to the cheapest option when it comes to the speakers for any vehicle. So maybe the more high-end sound is what you’re looking for. Or maybe your factory system has component speakers. Meaning there is a mid-bass component called a driver, or woofer, and a high-frequency component usually referred to as a tweeter. These types of systems can be identified by their two different speaker sizes and locations. In almost every vehicle, the tweeter is installed higher than the woofer, usually higher in the door, or sometimes in the A-pillar, or dashboard even. Other kinds of speakers, who have their tweeter as part of the woofer assembly, are referred to as two-way, or coaxial, or even three-way speakers, if they have multiple tweeters like speakers positioned over the mid-bass driver. You’ll see speakers like these in the large oval speakers like a 6×9. One thing to note… component speakers will always be more difficult to install than a traditional two-way speaker. The reason for this is that the woofer will usually be much like a straightforward speaker install, but the tweeters will often be in a harder-to-reach location. Meaning if they are in the dash, then removal of the whole dashboard may be necessary in some cases to replace that particular speaker. And the way those tweeters are mounted is far from standard. Different models of vehicles use different bracketry to place those little speakers and an aftermarket replacement may not always go in the same way. So some bracket fabrication may be required for some installs. There’s also the crossover network. As with many more high-end component speaker lines, this is oftentimes a little sealed plastic box that will have a single input, but then a separate output for both the woofer and the tweeter. The job of this little box, full of capacitors and coils, is to direct the appropriate range of frequencies to the appropriate component of the speaker system. The highs to the tweeter, and the lows to the woofer. And that Crossover has to be put somewhere, and you may not have room in the door and will have to get creative with placement and deal with things like running speaker wire through the door.

When talking about speakers, size always matters. Tweeters can’t produce much below the highest of flutes and cymbals. They couldn’t produce anything resembling a beat if they tried. While subwoofers can’t produce those flutes or cymbals, or the subtle harmonies of the human voice or most wind or string instruments. But they can put out some bass. The beat of the kick drum, the explosive impact of the tom, the low hum of the cello or a bass guitar. Each size of speaker has its range of frequencies it can play well, and those it definitely can not. Now you have a basic understanding of size and frequencies, and a  set of realistic expectations for what a certain size of speaker will sound like, let’s dive a little deeper. This is going to help fine-tune your specific ear to help you find the right speaker. Remember, it’s not all about the Jeep, you’re the one in it, and those ear holes deserve some attention. Ok, let’s take your average every day 5 1/4″ speaker, a very standard automotive size door or rear panel speaker. Although this speaker is just fine for most applications, it simply won’t sound as full or be able to produce quite as much bass as a 6 1/2″ speaker. Also, a very common size speaker is found in the doors and rear decks of hundreds of models of vehicles all over the world. As far as percentages and ratios go, this is very similar to the difference between a 31” tire and a 35” tire. Both will get you off-road, but the difference between the capabilities of these two tires is undeniable. It’s virtually the same difference, within eight tenths by the numbers, between the speakers, just in audio reproduction, not ground clearance. Now that you understand the fundamentals of speaker size and what that means when it comes to the range of sound a speaker of a certain size can produce, we’re going to go even further. But that will be in the next tech talk. I told you, when we’re done here, you’ll be armed with all kinds of info when it comes to audio, and choosing the right speaker for your Jeep. 

Jeep Talk Show Interview

Ken Turzinski – President of TYRI Americas

Ken is the President and one of the owners of TYRI Americas. He has been with the company since it started in 1991 and was the General Manager before taking his current position in 2016.  Have a look at the great off road lights at https://www.tyrilights.com/us/sectors/off-road/

 

Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma

Jeep Momma’s Top 10 Must-See Small Towns In America

Over the past several years I have traveled to many places across the United States. Those places haven’t always been off-road trails. During these adventures, I have made many stops in small towns to fill up my Jeep or fill up my belly. Sometimes to see a sight or stop at a store and some of these pitstops can turn into destination locations. I wanted to share with you my Top 10 Must-See Small Towns in America. Please don’t feel slighted if your small town isn’t on the list. My picks are based on my trips to small towns I have actually visited. Here we go… Jeep Momma’s Top 10 Must-See Small Towns In America. I will do numbers 10 to 6 on this episode and the top 5 on episode 555.

Number 10 Taos, New Mexico One of the prettiest mountain towns in America with an amazing scenic location in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Taos has a unique art community and is known for its adobe building and historic architecture. There is a world-class ski resort nearby along with the most photographed and iconic churches. Close by is a must-see Rio Grande Gorge Bridge National Monument. The tenth highest bridge in America. I had no idea it was even there the time I drove to Texas from Colorado. You don’t even realize you are on the bridge until it is too late, and you look down and if you are afraid of heights you will scream as I did. There is a scenic drive that circles through the Carson National Forest. An 83-mile loop through the mountains, valleys, mesa, and national forestland peppered with small community destinations full of activities and annual events. This drive is centered around Wheeler Peak at 13,159 feet, the highest point in the state. There are several places in the area to take your Jeep off-road. 

Number 9 Salem, Massachusetts Take a Step back in time the many ghost or witch tours, there are plenty to choose from when you visit this unusual ~cursed at one time~ town. I spent two days in Salem in 2016 and learned a lot about the Salem witches. It was extremely interesting to hear about all the curses and stories about the witch trials. A must-stop is Murphys Bar, said to be haunted by the ghosts in the cemetery right next to the building. I couldn’t find much off-roading near Salem but if you are into the water there are many maritime activities. The Misery Islands are nearby

Number 8 Creede, Colorado A quaint small town nestled in the mountains of Colorado. Main Street shopping, nearby Stoney Creek Pass a 4×4 trail that takes you to the Alpine Loop near Silverton, Colorado. There are other great scenic drives bachelor’s Loop Tour a 22-mile scenic off-road drive up and around the historic mining district. The trail is rated moderate. Just down the road is Pool Table Road which takes you to the Wheeler Geological Area https://www.southfork.org/wheeler-geological-area which has the most fantastic geological features in San Juan Mountains. Another must-see is North Clear Creek Falls and South Clear Creek Fall Unexpected scenic waterfall just off the highway.  

Number 7 Lake City, Colorado Once you leave Creede, Colorado you just take scenic by-way Colorado 149 up to Lake City, Colorado. Another quaint little town nestled in the San Juan Mountain range. Rocky Canyons with high valley floors and crystalline flowing rivers with miles of outdoor beauty. A small town with big history, Lake San Cristobal with boating, fishing, and other water activities. Plenty of hiking opportunities and Ghost towns nearby.  Engineer Pass A Jeep Badge of Honor Tour, one of Colorado’s highest roads takes you over to the Alpine Loop which is full of mining history and ghost towns.  

 Number 6 is Silverton, Colorado

You can either take Stoney Pass from Creede, Colorado, or Engineer Pass from Lake City to The Alpine Loop which takes you directly to this National Historic Landmark and former mining boomtown full of mining history. A cute little town with great shops and restaurants.  There are miles and miles of old mining roads winding in and around the mountains with amazing views.  An off-roaders dream come true. Nearby Engineer Pass, Poughkeepsie Gulch two Jeep Badge of Honor Trails. Corkscrew Pass and Cinnamon Pass are close by too.  

Next week on Episode 555 I will finish up Jeep Mommas My Top 10 Must-See Small Towns with numbers 5 to 1. Have you been to a cool small town? Please share it with the Jeep Talk Show by sending an email or a voicemail message. 

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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