Episode 848 – Blackhawk Recovery?
Tow Points for a Helicopter?
Jeep Grand Cherokee needs a Blackhawk helicopter to get unstuck.
The chopper alone cost $8,250 to deploy.
Jeep ZJ around July 4.
OnX Off-Road rates the 20.3-mile route at a 6, which means moderately difficult, so it’s impressive that the decades-old Jeep even made it that far.
They were driving on the Knik Glacier Trail—near the community of Butte, Alaska.
Questions still remain, like what the driver expected to happen when wheeling their stock truck deep into such a remote area. It’s a popular trail according to one local I spoke with, but you run the risk of this happening when you aren’t properly equipped to make a recovery. At least the Jeep is out now, and it didn’t require a massive effort from strangers on the internet to drag it back to safety.
Electric Almost-Wrangler
Not the electric Wrangler. Instead, the roughly Wrangler-sized Recon EV.
Urbane off-roader that will help Jeep prove to its fans that electrons can conquer the wilderness just as well as fossil fuels.
Recon has doors that come off just like big brothers’, rear quarter windows and back glass that can open, a one-touch sliding roof, and “Trail Rated” badges on its flanks.
Should Jeep add an Electric Trail Rated badge? A trail you can drive to and get back to a charging station?
The Recon’s BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires and rubber flooring are must-haves if it’s to be taken seriously at the trailhead; the lighted seven-slot “grille” and tony blue accents ensure it’ll make an impression in the concrete jungle, too. As is the case with the Wrangler, expect Jeep to offer hundreds of accessories, including decals, uprated off-road hardware, spare tire covers, and the like.
Stelantis is in talks with Tesla to be able for Jeep EV owners to change at their charging stations.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Throttle control and left-foot braking
When you are driving on the city streets you probably don’t even think about your throttle control (the skinny pedal). You simply push a little more for speed and let up a bit to slow down. Well, in off-roading like rock crawling, throttle control can be the difference between driving home or breaking something on the trail.
Things to consider:
1) Regulating just how much of the skinny pedal is what Jeeping is all about. You don’t want too much acceleration and sometimes you can’t have too little.
2) Knowing how much throttle is takes time. When we work with new students, we explain that less is more.
3) If you’re giving it too much gas and spinning your tires, it causes erosion and leaves the trail worse for the next guy. Or worse, you’re spitting rocks into the windshield of the jeep behind you.
If you caught a recent episode of our new segment, Chic Chat, we discussed “two-footing” while off-road driving quite a bit.
“Two-Footing” or “Left Foot Braking”: This means you have your left foot on the brake and your right foot on the gas pedal. This is designed to slow your descent over rocks but does other things as well.
1) Left-foot braking helps by preloading the driveline and suspension which helps minimize breakage.
2) You are not quick enough to get your right foot off the skinny pedal over to the brake when climbing up and over a rock.
3) Usually, in rock crawling you might need a little more gas to get up that rock but it’s too much gas when you reach the top. Your right foot isn’t quick enough to get to the brake and you’ll end up flying over the rock and down the other side. So, by left foot braking you are already on the brake and you can QUICKLY slow or stop yourself at the top of the rock and slowly come off the other side of the rock.
4) It takes time to master and feels really funny at first. It’s a balancing act between the gas and the brake. At first, you’ll end up hitting the brakes too hard or too quick, but after some time you’ll get the hang of it and your passengers and you will appreciate the smoother ride.
Throttle control is a good thing, just in moderation for the trail you are on. Left foot braking is essential for less damage over obstacles and it increases the reaction time needed to stop on a dime.
Let us know what you think at www.jeeptalkshow.com or better yet, call in and share.
https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
Dog seat cover
Amazon Basics Waterproof Car Back Bench Seat Cover Protector for Pets – 56 x 47, Black 19.64
Lone Star Jeep Invasion
GearSpot overhead storage system
Must-Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Tuffy Security Products Console Safe – ’20-22 Gladiator / ’18-22 Wrangler JL; w/Factory Console (Black) 179.00
Integrated bump stops for a soft close. Fit Type: Vehicle Specific
Tuffy exclusive lid support feature that keeps the lid open while accessing contents
Maintains full use of the factory armrest, interior tray, optional light, and lid
Allows use of the factory USB outlet inside
Exclusive 10-tumblers double-bitted lock with built-in weather seals and convenient finger pull.