Episode 607 – Best Jeep Soft Top Care Tips
This Week In Jeep
Consumer Reports Gets IT WRONG
The Jeep Gladiator is arguably one of Jeeps best production vehicles it has ever made. But when the team at Consumer Reports took a closer look at the new Gladiator, there were three things they didn’t like about it. And I for one have several theories as to why, but we’ll save that for discussions behind closed doors to avoid things like libel and defamation of character and such. According to the fun hating team that reviewed the Gladiator, they have at least three major complaints. The first is poor handling
According to Consumer Reports, handling leaves a lot to be desired. They found the steering slow and lacking in feedback, explaining it takes a lot of elbow grease to turn the truck. When they pushed the truck on their test track, it kept control, but they described it as entirely out of its element. You don’t say? You mean an off road focused midsize pickup truck didn’t perform like a sports car on the track?! Well, someone should write a sternly worded letter to the design teams at Jeep and tell them this truck needs to handle more like a luxury sport-touring sedan. Cornering apparently isn’t one of the Gladiator’s good qualities, even on the milder curves of the daily route. Thankfully, its stability control kept it from straying beyond the chosen lines. It also has minimal body roll, which did give it an edge over other pickup trucks in its segment.
The rear axle also helps Gladiator stay grounded even on rougher surfaces for a more confident driving experience. Yes, because it’s a hybrid system pulled off the Ram 1500 pickup truck and adapted for the Jeep. So in other words, it’s a truck that handles like a truck. Strike one for Consumer Reports. Their second issue was cabin noise.
With the 2022 Jeep Gladiator, you can get a soft-top or an optional removable hardtop, just like you can with the Wrangler. If you want to go on an open-air adventure, you can remove the doors, the top and even fold down the windshield. The problem is all the wind noise in the cabin when traveling at highway speeds, even with the hardtop still on. When driving at any speed over 50 mph, the interior is very noisy. The roof panels are thin and can’t help keep the noise out. According to Consumer Reports, with the optional headliner, there’s a small measure of noise reduction but not enough to make a real difference. When they rented an Overland model, they found the wind noise troublesome. They did note that the V6 engine doesn’t sound obnoxious, and the road noise is low. Wait a minute, so the cabin noise is high, but the road noise is low. That’s a direct contradiction, as one is the same as the other. Either way, Jeeps have always been a bit noisier than any other SUV, but that’s part of their utilitarian draw and built into the long standing heritage of where the Jeep comes from. Do you think the soldiers in WWII gave two shits about how noisy the Jeep was or how well it cornered on the roads? Puh-leez! Strike two Consumer Reports! Rounding things out was consumer reports’ worst complaint yet. The third problem they had was with accessibility.
According to Consumer Reports there are no running boards to make entry into the truck easier. This is because such things are ridiculous to have on an off road inspired truck, and would be entirely in the way and likely ripped off the truck on the first trail ride. There are good reasons both functionally and aesthetically that explain why this (again midsize) truck doesn’t have a flight of stairs built into the side of it so that lazy columnists don’t have to lift their foot off the ground any higher than what it would take to walk over a curb. This is by no means a Bro-Dozer, and rides arguably lower than any full size truck, so I’m not sure where they’re coming up with this crap. There are, by design, handles at each of the four doors to help you climb in if the testers bothered to use the effort required to look around. Climbing into the rear was even more challenging for the feckless testers, because the rear doors have a narrower opening, much like every other single vehicle on the road today, not to mention virtually every Jeep ever made. But common knowledge like this and any degree of common sense or use of logic of any kind, apparently was not on site during this review. Oh, as a side note, Consumer Reports also made it a point to mention that in their opinion, any woman should avoid trying to climb into the Gladiator in a skirt. That’s strike three!…and consumer reports, you can Eff-right-off to the showers. The testers also had mixed reviews about the Gladiators interior, stating that once in the cab, the seats are initially soft, but they don’t offer a lot of support for longer hauls. I rode in a Gladiator for the better part of a couple hours, and even spent some time off road in one, and as a 6 foot 3 inch man of 200 pounds, I had no problem with ingress, egress, or comfort on or off road. They complained about the seat adjustments and how it’s unfair that only the driver seat has a lumbar adjustment. But I dare you to look at 90 percent of production cars on the road in the last 30 years and you’ll see that across a half dozen automakers or more, the driver’s seat always has more adjustability. They also complained about the back seats, claiming they were flat and offered little support. They complained that the driving position is compromised a bit because there’s no left footrest. There’s also a claim that there was friction from rubbing against the hinges of the door. Last I checked, the hinges for every single Gladiator are on the OUTSIDE of the Jeep…. So just what the actual fudge was this tester doing to the Jeep to experience ANY degree of friction from the door hinges…? All in all, Consumer Reports gave the 2022 Jeep Gladiator an overall score of 38 out of 100.
I think somebody needs to be beaten with a length of rubber hose.
Once a High School, Now a Plant For Jeep
The coronavirus pandemic delayed its grand opening, but on Thursday, Dakkota Integrated Systems, a major supplier to Chrysler-parent Stellantis’ Detroit assembly plants, got to showcase its 375,000-square-foot facility on the site of Detroit’s former Kettering High School. A large blue letter “K,” a restored symbol of the former school, connects the location to its past life and the surrounding neighborhood while providing a recognizable landmark for the location on the city’s east side, a short drive south on Van Dyke from Interstate 94. On the site of a high school that had been abandoned for a decade, this facility is now employing more than 500 people in good UAW jobs.
The workers themselves, many of whom are Detroiters, will be building the instrument panels that will be installed in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, which are assembled at Stellantis’ Mack and Jefferson North plants. A news release noted that Dakkota, which has 14 plants in total, plans to add 75 jobs to its workforce in the coming months. Dakkota’s founder, chair and CEO, noted, however, that the Kettering site has the ability to expand and could add as many as 700 jobs if conditions are right. This is going to be a big boon to the local area, and will usher in a new level of production capability and support for the two Jeep assembly plants nearby.
An Amazing Jeeper Doing Amazing Things With Modified Jeep
Out of hundreds of nominees, a Cumberland County woman’s work with area veterans secured her a spot among dozens of volunteers in the state to be recognized by Gov. Roy Cooper recently. Since 2005, Stacey Buckner has provided mobile showers, food and toiletries to Cumberland County’s homeless veterans through her specially equipped Jeep and nonprofit known as Off-Road Outreach. The Jeep is a heavily modified 4-door Wrangler, that has a pop-out mobile shower stall and onboard hot water heater and storage tank. And of course it has all the off-road goodies too, lift, tires, armor, lighting, and winch. Buckner was named a recipient of the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service during an April 20th virtual ceremony hosted by the Volunteer NC Commission. According to the commission, only one medallion nomination is permitted per county. A statewide panel reviews all the nominations.
Buckner said she wants to share the award with all who have volunteered in Cumberland County and those who continue to serve.
Gov. Roy Cooper said all the volunteers have ((QUOTE)) “gone above and beyond to help their communities. Stacey Buckner in particular is living out our state motto” he said — esse quam videri — which means, ‘To be, rather than to seem.’” Despite having a stroke a few years ago that left her with a traumatic brain injury, Buckner has not let that stop her from helping thousands of veterans a year.
Must Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Z Automotive Tazer Mini Programmer for JL and JT – $329
All the new off-roading vehicles on the market today come with all sorts of fancy little party tricks they can do with the unprecedented level of computerization that is incorporated into these machines.
While some are a little silly, like the Hummer EV’s Watts to Freedom launch control, others are legitimately useful; think about the Hummer’s Crab Walk function or Rivian’s Tank Turn.
While not quite on the same level, Ford decided to bake a similar feature into its Bronco called Trail Turn Assist, which allows the truck to pull some rather tight 180s. That left the Jeep Wrangler to fend for itself. Thanks to a plug-and-play accessory, though, owners of modern Wranglers and Gladiators can now have something similar, even long after leaving the factory or showroom floor. Aftermarket performance company Z Automotive designed the Tazer Mini as a simple solution to make JL Wranglers and JT Gladiators even more customizable. The tiny dongle enables owners to quickly tweak software features on their vehicle, all while being updatable to add more functionality later on. The latest round of updates includes a new quirk that allows for quick turns, just like the Ford Bronco. Jeep owners with the Tazer installed can enable the feature by using buttons on their truck’s steering wheel. When active, it uses the factory anti-lock brake components to lock the inside rear wheel to drag the tire and create a significantly tighter turning radius. The functionality of this has been confirmed by many online, including youtubers and forum users. However, I need to warn anyone listening to this, that this particular feature of the Tazer Mini should be used extremely sparingly, all in the name of trail etiquette.
Dragging the inside tire of your Jeep as you go around a tree or obstacle could easily result in a huge rut being made in the soft earth. Obviously, if you’re on rocks or sand, this would be less of a concern, but still. There’s also the fact there may be issues with your warranty, for those who worry about the dealer denying service due to potential misuse or abuse of the vehicle. We’ve talked about stories here in the show of Jeepers being denied service under warranty because of nothing more than mud. I’m sure it could also be argued that this little party trick alone might be worth the $329 price tag for the device to at least some of you Jeep owners, even if you didn’t count all the other tricks the Tazer can do. Now, if you have a Tazer, and this feature isn’t enabled or available in your menu of options, you probably just need to update the firmware in the device, and there are plenty of videos online that can show you how to do this.
Tony himself has one of these and absolutely loves it, as do several of our listeners, who claim that this device is a necessity for anyone owning a 2019 or newer Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator.
Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma
Soft Top Care
With the upcoming Jeep Talk Show Wheeling Event in Texas not too far away, I just wanted to throw out a reminder there for everyone going. On episode 501 during Jeep Life I shared the “Whys of Campfire Smoke following you around” and how to stop it. A common myth is the smoke follows beauty, I like to believe that one cause is it always seems to follow me. But there is science behind it. Then on Episode 503 I shared Jeep Momma’s Tips on getting rid of the campfire smoke. Just thought maybe it might come in handy.
I know I have said this on the show before. Jeeps are meant to get dirty…. but not stay dirty. There are lots of tips on cost saving cleaning techniques. But you know we spend thousands, tens of thousands of dollars on our Jeeps, So when it comes to our soft tops why not spend a couple extra bucks to buy the products made for keeping the soft top clean and long lasting. And take a few extra hours to make sure your Jeep is clean… Especially that soft top.
The three areas of the Jeep Soft Top you should concentrate on are the fabric, the windows, and the Zippers.
Many of us don’t notice our soft top until we can’t see out the windows, the zippers break, or we rip the canvas. Last winter I got a crack in my rear vinyl window. I found a furniture upholster and was quoted $250 to repair it. I decided to go ahead and reach out to BestTop to see if I could buy a rear window replacement. I was very pleasantly surprised at the price. I got the rear replacement window for my specific soft top for about $100, including shipping.
Keeping your soft top clean, and making frequent inspections, will help prolong the life of it.
Like I said, there are lots of tips on cost saving cleaning techniques for the soft tops. But why not spend a couple extra bucks to buy the products made for keeping the soft top clean and long lasting…?
There are several trusted brands out there you could use: Bestop, Raggtop and Mopar. I have used the Bestop products on my Jeep and found they are simple and easy to use. –They have a Cleaner, Protectant, Polisher – When I can’t get these products I just use water. Chemicals on the soft top are not a good idea.
I found five other really good tips that will help increase the life of my soft top – which is one of the main reasons I love my Jeep so much. The ability to go topless!
Number 1. Reduce the exposure to the elements by parking in the garage. if you can. Even though we love the outdoors and the sun, and the Jeep is the most rugged vehicle for the great outdoors, we still need to pamper our Jeeps to keep them lasting a long time. The sun causes the fabric to fade, threads to fail and our vinyl windows to yellow, crack and fade. Spending quality time and hard work on our soft tops can make it last plenty of years.
Number 2. Never use bleach, detergents, ammonia or alcohol-based products, stick with the products specifically made for the soft top. Clean it monthly, and don’t forget the inside.
If you don’t want to buy special products to clean your Jeep soft top and vinyl windows, then your safest option is to simply use warm water and maybe mild dishwashing detergent.
Don’t forget to clean those zippers too. Regular ‘ol soap and water will keep dirt from building up on your Jeep’s zippers as well. If you let dirt and grime build up on your Jeep’s soft top and vinyl windows and zippers, it will ultimately lessen the life of your soft top.
Avoid window cleaners like Windex or Formula 409. They tend to dry out the plastic and eventually can lead to cracking and discoloration.
Number 3. You hear a lot of people recommending the Pledge spray polish the regular not lemon on Jeep Windows. I suggest you avoid this tip. I hear over time it will cause your windows to turn yellow.
Number 4. You hear this question all the time on social media. Can I take my Jeep through the car wash? First if you have a lifted Jeep with bigger tires some car washes will refuse you. Those automatic car washes work but are not a good idea because the high-pressure sprays and rotating brushes will force water into the vehicle and cause leaks. Taking your Jeep soft top through an automatic car wash will scratch the Jeep’s windows and might even tear the seams. Plus, some of the chemicals can cause irreversible damage to the vinyl itself.
Number 5. Zipper care is very important as well. Sometimes those zippers can be tough to zip on and off. I have used a zipper lube in the past, but some say that lubrication attracts dirt and grime. Some Jeep owners carry a small bar of soap in the glove box and rub the bar of soap directly onto the zipper itself; it will lubricate the zipper without attracting as much dirt & grime as the spray lubricants do.
A must for your zippers…. is zipper pulls on your Jeep’s windows. This allows for easy grasping and pulling. There are several places online you can purchase paracord zipper pulls or if you are crafty you can make your own. And the cool thing about this is you can make them in a color to match your accessory color. My purple paracord zipper pulls allow me to work the zipper much easier now.
Pampering your Jeep is so important. If you are going to name your Jeep you better take care of it. Next week on Jeep Life with Jeep Momma. How to bring the life back into those faded plastic OEM Jeep Fenders. I have tested so many products and homemade Do it Yourself remedies I will let you know what worked and what didn’t.
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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