Episode 557 – Rock Rash Offroad and Jumping Jeeps
This Week In Jeep
“We Totally Meant To Do That”
In Episode 554, I talked about the IIHS crash test results for the Jeep Wrangler and how in the driver-side small overlap crash test, the Jeep flopped onto its side. twice.
This caused the IIHS to downgrade the Jeep’s safety rating rank in that category from good to marginal. The IIHS notes that the marginal rating only applies to the four-door Wrangler from model years 2018 to 2021; the 2022 Wrangler apparently consists of changes that may help it do better. A crash test of that model is apparently upcoming.
When Jeep was contacted about whether or not the 2022 Wrangler consists of any relevant safety enhancements (and to explain the tip-over), the automaker explained in a press release that – “In keeping with our corporate strategy of continuous vehicle improvement, the 2022 Jeep Wrangler is benefiting accordingly. The new Wrangler has yet to be tested by IIHS. But no single test is a determinant of vehicle safety. We routinely monitor third-party evaluations and factor them accordingly into our product-development process. We design our vehicles using real-world data. Consistently strong consumer demand and industry-leading residual values demonstrate that Wrangler meets or exceeds customer expectations.”
In other words, Jeep owners know what they’re buying and what that means. Jeep has produced more than 873,000 of these vehicles, and by a conservative estimate, they account for over 13 billion miles of driving. And from that, there has been virtually no real-world duplication of these results. And in fairness to Jeep, the Wrangler scored “Good” ratings in all of the specific driver injury measurements related to this test while the Bronco was rated as “Marginal” when it comes to driver lower leg/foot injuries.
So even though the Wrangler flopped over onto its side like a dying cow, the driver was unscathed, whereas the Bronco driver sustained lower leg injuries despite the vehicle staying on all four tires. What that means is… that a Jeep is still safer on two wheels than a Bronco is on four.
Charge Your E-Jeep at Home Even Faster Now!
As the automotive industry transitions to electrification, there’s a need for better, and faster, charging infrastructure. With that in mind, Mopar has just announced that they’ve developed an at-home wall charger. That means that Jeep Wrangler 4xe owners now have a way to top off much faster than before. Last year, Jeep announced that they were working on off-road charging stations for their new Wrangler 4xe which seemed odd considering that they didn’t have an at-home version yet. Today, that’s all changed. This new Level-2 (240-volt) at-home wall charger is available in two different configurations both wired and plug-in. That means that if you just want to buy it, plug it into your outlet, and use it, you can. Both versions can supply up to 32 amps/7.7kW of power which is enough to top off the Wrangler 4xe or the Cherokee 4xe in just over two hours. That’s roughly six times faster than a Level 1 charger. For Jeep owners that will provide up to 21 miles (34 km) of all-electric power without having to use their internal combustion engines. The chargers are available right away and while Mopar says that they’ll start at $599, I’ve heard there may be a few dealers offering them for as low as $569. The chargers are also WiFi-capable so owners can keep an eye on the state of charge remotely and even start and stop charging from anywhere with a data connection. The chargers are also smart-grid optimized which means that they can reduce energy costs by charging at low-rate times. Mopar notes that these chargers will be universally functional within the family, can be had with either a Jeep or Chrysler-branded faceplate, and are backed by a 3-year warranty.
Jeep Goes Airborne Twice in Single-Vehicle Crash
Driving carelessly and at a rate deemed “too fast,” a driver crashed his vehicle into a piece of farm equipment and became airborne, finally coming to rest in a farmer’s field.
But that’s not the whole story. Oh no, not on this show. Police said the crash occurred on January 13 at approximately 11 p.m., however, the driver fled the scene and did not file a report. The crash was reported the next day around 9:43 a.m. when farmer Jon came out to discover the oddities. Prior to losing control of the Jeep, 34-year-old Jared Snyder, of Lewisburg Pennsylvania, was traveling west on Cotner Rd. just west of Rt. 54. Police said he was unable to negotiate a right-hand curve and traveled across the oncoming lane of travel, off the side of the road, and up an embankment where he struck the equipment, a cultipacker. For those who can’t picture what that is, it’s one of those large metal implements that have dozens of vertical, disk-shaped blades or horizontal drums with a bunch of vertical tines on them that turn and cultivate the soil to create a nice clean packed and groomed surface, and are typically drug behind a large tractor. Snyder’s 2011 Jeep Patriot became airborne after striking this farm equipment, but it then kept going, plowing through a fence and entering a farmer’s pasture.
But wait there’s more! The vehicle was traveling at such a high rate of speed that once it landed in the pasture, it traveled up a small hill and became airborne a second time. Snyder, the Jeep’s driver, fled the scene, failed to contact the police, and failed to provide his information to the property owner. I’m sure there was some staining of the shorts in there too but they left that out of the report. Snyder was not injured; he was wearing his seatbelt and multiple airbags had deployed in the Jeep, according to the report. A local towing company retrieved the poor Jeep Patriot, and Snyder was cited for driving a vehicle at unsafe speeds and careless driving.
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
TOPIC/QUESTION: How To Choose The Right Speaker For YOUR Jeep
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. In the last tech talk, I left you with an in-depth knowledge of the more high-end choice for speaker replacement, component speakers. What they are, how they work, and some considerations you need to think about when choosing to go that route. We also looked at the size and exactly what differences come into play when comparing two sizes of speakers. We left off with a comparison of a 5.25″ speaker and a 6.5″ speaker and how their differences are the same, almost to the number between the performance of a 31″ tire vs a 35″ tire to put things into perspective. In this episode, we’re going to apply this same principle to two different tweeters now. Tweeters are generally any speaker less than two inches in diameter. Hardly anything at all really, but their differences can be just as huge as our tire analogy but in a different way. If you’re comparing two sets of component speakers and one set has a 1″ silk dome tweeter, and the other a 1/2″ silk dome tweeter, that larger tweeter will also sound better, it will blend better with the sound of the woofer, and together the two speakers will deliver a more rich, full sound. 
Since we’re talking about tweeters, and let’s face it, all aftermarket speakers will have some kind of tweeter, let’s look at some of the different types of materials used to make tweeters and how they sound.
And trust me, there’s a big difference here.
There are several common types of materials used and they all have a different and distinct frequency characteristic to them.
For instance, silk or cloth tweeters will generally sound warm and musical, while ceramic or metallic tweeters will typically sound brighter, crisper, and precise.
This is important because of the music you listen to the most at higher volumes.
Let’s say you’re into stuff like Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, Folk, or Electronica, you would likely be drawn to the sound of the soft dome tweeters. Maybe you’re into Blues, Rock, Metal, Punk, Country, or Reggae? Then you may find the hard dome tweeters more to your liking. But remember, everyone’s ear is different, so even though a silk dome tweeter may not be able to produce the subtle nuances you hear in the timber of a steel drum or the twang of a banjo, your ear may find it easier to listen to. You don’t want to suffer listener fatigue in your own Jeep on a road trip. And if your ears are being forced to listen to music that isn’t tonally correct for your ears, well those ear holes are going to get tired of hearing over a short period of time. It’s a real thing, look it up. Now, the same sort of differences that we saw in the different types of tweeters, we can find in both woofers, and even subwoofers, although the materials in these are far less elegant than the silk or ceramic you find in the tweeters. You’ll see things as simple as paper, or as universal as simple plastic. You may even see polypropylene or flax in some of the more exotic options. I’ve even seen hand-woven carbon fiber speaker cones before. Sounded incredible too. But the cone isn’t the only thing critical to a speaker’s sound, the surround is also a big part of it.
Think of the surround of a speaker like the suspension system on a Jeep. Much like the springs hold up a Jeep over the axles, the surround’s job is to suspend the cone over the magnet and voice coil, anchoring it to the basket, or the frame of the speaker and allowing the cone to move freely, creating music.
The materials the surround is made of are just as critical as anything else. So you’ll see stuff as cheap as foam, this is typically much like the stuff that disintegrated overtime on the speakers in the back deck of your sister’s 99 Toyota Corolla. But most of the good aftermarket speakers will use materials like isobutyl rubber or a treated cloth, that lasts for many years under harsh automotive conditions. Ok, now that we’ve covered how to find the right speaker size, what that size means, and what the materials that speaker is made of mean to its sound quality, we’re going to get into that sound in more detail on the next Tech Talk as we bring all of this together and close things up with frequency response.
The Jeep Talk Show Interview
Derek Manchester from RockRashOffroad.com
https://www.instagram.com/rock_rash_offroad/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/rockrash4x4/
https://www.youtube.com/user/downforce831
Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma
On the last episode of Jeep Life with Jeep Momma I shared My Top 10 Must see Small Towns in America I only shared numbers 6 to 10. Now it’s time for the top 5. Let’s start with number 5.
#5 Bar Harbor, Maine
After visiting Salem, I took a cool ride up the coast to Maine. It was a very beautiful drive to Bar Harbor perfect on a summer day to take your Jeep for a topless leisurely drive. However, Bar Harbor is not a Jeep or off-roading town at all but for me, it was so amazing to actually be in Maine. There is a lot of cute little shops and great food. A must-see is right next door is Acadia National Park with some amazing views.
#4 Winslow, Arizona A fun stop along old Route 66 with great shops and a place where you can “Take it Easy”. The town has made a great effort to make this stop special. This town was made famous by the Eagles hit Take It Easy. A must-stop is the Standin’ on the Corner Park from the lyrics of the Eagles hit! Winslow is about a 3-hour drive from the Grand Canyon and a 1 and half hours from Sedona the home to several Jeep off-road trails…The Jeep Badge of Honor Trail Schnebly Hill Trail, Broken Arrow https://youtu.be/lWQSih31VTg, Ancient Ruins, and Soldier Pass.
#3 Oatman, Arizona on the other side of the state, is not a town but a small village on old Route 66 in Mojave County, Arizona. More fun shops, yeah guys I guess I do like shopping but these shops in these small towns aren’t your typical mall stores and they are mom and pop shops my favorite kind. The town has got a wild West look and “wild” Burros that wander the streets. The Burros are descendants of the burros brought to the area by the miners. In the early 1900’s Oatman, a tent city was a thriving gold mining center. Some of the most amazing off-road trails are all around this little town in the mountains. The trails in and around this area are some of the toughest trails in the United States. In the Black Mountains and Hualapai mountains and the surrounding area of Kingman. Plus, right across the Colorado River in California is Mojave Road miles and miles of great easy trails in the Mojave National preserve. There are YouTUbe videos on my channel of my off-road adventures on Mojave Road and the Kingman area.
#2 Moab, Utah – A mecca of off-road trails, over 80 just in the area around the area. A must-stop for every off-roader! However, you don’t need to be an off-roader to enjoy Moab. There is so much beauty to see. Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, The Colorado River, 3 Scenic By-ways – Utah 128 is absolutely breathtaking, Deadhorse state park and nearby ghost town Cisco.
#1 Saquache, Colorado located in the San Luis Valley Home of the Original Jeep Rescue League, in the heart of the Rockies, is a must-see! Several vintage and antique Jeeps are on display along with some cool military vehicles. The headquarters is also home to several military exhibits. Nearby this small mountain town is Elephant rocks, and Natural Arch just a short drive from Del Norte, Colorado. Del Norte is settled along the Rio Grande River which is a great place for some fishing. About an hour’s drive is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Zapata Falls. There is a fun off-road trail in the Sand Dunes park up to Medano pass where you can see some amazing views.
Nearby is Monte Vista home to the Crane Festival where you will find more 4×4 trails. Just a short drive from Monte Vista is the trail Bishop’s Rock as well as trails that will lead you to Elwood Pass as well. The Gaia GPS app will help you find these trails.
There is a Jeep adventure in all directions from the San Luis Valley. Check out the Chinaman’s Gulch Trail & Carnage Canyon, a trail for only series rock crawlers just over Poncha Springs Pass, near Buena Vista Colorado. A mecca of fun for any overlander.
Links to some of these places are on my blog at JeepMomma.com – http://www.jeepmomma.com/2021/12/jeep-mommas-top-10-must-see-towns.html
Next week on Jeep Life with Jeep Momma Top 5 Mods you should NOT buy for your Jeep Wrangler.
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/
Interact With The Show! https://jeeptalkshow.com/contact
Jeep Talk Show on Facebook https://facebook.com/jeeptalkshow
Rat Bastards Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratbastard
Rat Bastards Webpage https://ratbastard.lol
Looking for Amazon products we’ve talked about on the show? https://jeeptalkshow.com/amazon
You are invited to our Discord Server! https://discord.gg/txeYMs45sm
Show notes powered by sevenslats.com