This Week In Jeep
Carlos Tavares Says There Will Be More Closures
More auto plant closures will happen if high prices for electric vehicles (EVs) cause vehicle markets to shrink from pre-pandemic levels.
As the chip shortage ends, automakers lose pricing power.
- (more chips = more cars = lower price/supply and demand)
7 in 10 prospective EV buyers in the U.S. expect to pay less than $50k for the next vehicle.
So the 40% more it costs to make an EV must be absorbed by the automaker
- if the EV industry is to survive.
Regardless, as the market shrinks, the auto industry needs fewer plants.
Did Your Jeep Make The Top 10 Most Reliable Jeep List?
Jeep isn’t necessarily known for being the most reliable brand of vehicles on or even off the road for that matter. The term “Just Empty Every Pocket” didn’t come from nowhere after all. Jeepers are always putting money into their Jeeps to make upgrades and make the vehicle their own. That reputation of people always working on their Jeep has created a stigma about the brand’s reliability. Despite this, or maybe in spite of it, the Jeep brand has a massive following of die-hard fans, who love their rig no matter what.
Present company included. That being said, new Jeeps are generally considered more reliable than older Jeeps, but with the chip shortage that lasted the better part of the last 3 years, used Jeep values were never higher, and we saw a glut of used Jeeps hitting the market.
So chances are, you… or someone you know… may be in the market for a new-to-you, or new-to-them used Jeep. So with that, we take a look at the top ten list of the most reliable used Jeeps according to JD Power, Kelly Blue Book, and Edmunds, arguably, three of the most influential automotive powerhouses in the industry.
10 – 2011 Grand Cherokee (style, comfort, ride, features, tech, power, quality of mat’ls)
9 – 2017 Wrangler (the highest rating of used JK era Wranglers by KBB)
8 – 2017 Compass (price)
7 – 2020 Wrangler (quality, features, ergonomics, power, best rating of JL era JD Power)
6 – 2000 Cherokee (best XJ for reliability, emissions, power, KBB)
5 – 2019 Grand Cherokee (standard options, cutting-edge tech)
4 – 2014 Wrangler Willys Wheeler Edition (most features wrangler, bang for buck, KBB)
3 – 2020 Jeep Gladiator (most dependable in class JD Power / KBB)
2 – 2003 Wrangler X (X trim = best equipped for the price, most reliable TJ, Edmunds)
1 – 1986 Comanche (still reliable, unique design, Edmunds users give it high ratings)
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
TOPIC/QUESTION: Tips From The Junkyard
Over the last week or so we’ve heard some updates from Chuck regarding his new leaf springs, and the super articulating orbit eye that they have. This gave me some inspiration to cover a topic related to springs. So I figured I’d give some love to the TJ crowd this week. TJ owners deserve a cheap solution to spring problems just as much as anyone else. Especially with the way inflation has hit the aftermarket Jeep world. Who knew colored valve stem covers could cost so much? And of course one of the things that eats any Jeep budget to shreds is the cost of a lift kit. Well, I’m going to give you a couple of suggestions for some junkyard parts that will help you lift a stock TJ to fit much bigger tires and give you more articulation. What I’m about to share with you will net you anywhere between 2 and 3 inches of lift when you’re done. And the cost of this will be pennies on the dollar compared to buying a new lift kit, even if it is no-name junk off amazon. To accomplish this, you will of course need to head down to your local wrecking yard. The first thing you’ll want to do is track down a V8 Grand Cherokee ZJ. That’s the Jeep SUV built between 1993 and 1998. You’re going to be pulling the front springs from It, so it must be a V8 Grand Cherokee, or you won’t get the lift out of the springs. You will also need the thicker isolators found with those same springs.
Remember, the Grand Cherokee was, and is a luxury Jeep, and to dampen some of the road noise they use much thicker isolators that act more like a spacer on the TJ than a sound dampener. The V8 engine in the Grands was a much heavier engine and required a slightly taller spring than the V8 Grands did, and these springs and isolators together are about 2 to 3 inches or so taller than the front stock TJ springs.
Now to bring the rear up to height, we’re going to be looking for a Crown Victoria. That’s right, just like the old cop cars. The Crown Vic springs are also taller springs, made to handle the weight of such a large car. Here too you’ll want to grab the isolators, and I hear some guys are running both sets of isolators to gain just that extra little bit of height. There are other considerations you will have to take care of after putting these springs into a TJ as well. First and foremost is of course going to be the shocks. The stock shocks won’t have the travel necessary for the new ride height and suspension travel, so new shocks will be needed. Now you could opt to go new here and to be honest, you’d still be well ahead of the game. Or you could continue to save, and turn to places like eBay, Craigslist, or FB Marketplace to track down something used.
Look for take-off shocks from a stock Rubicon JKU. When someone upgrades their Jeep with aftermarket parts, they “take off” the stock stuff and sell it for super cheap. The stock Rubicon JKU shocks (these are the red ones BTW) will be the perfect upgrade, they are just barely within the specs needed to accommodate the new suspension of the TJ, and will be a suitable, easy-to-find, and inexpensive option. You may need or want to look into track bar relocation brackets as well. These will be needed to recenter the axles under the Jeep after the junkyard lift. You probably won’t find these in the junkyard, and they’re rare on the used market, but it never hurts to look. Either way, they’re relatively inexpensive, so just add them to the list and 
get a set regardless. You will also want to look into getting an alignment done as soon as possible since you just changed a lot of geometry under the Jeep in some rather critical areas. There are also a lot of “while you’re in there’s” that can go along with this too. Things like brake line length, we just talked about that recently too. You will of course need larger tires now, duh! Visual inspections of steering and brake components should be done ANY and EVERY time you crawl under the Jeep for any reason. Maybe it’s time for some new wheel bearings or a brake job, or maybe you’ll discover a worn tie rod end or ball joint, who knows, just be prepared for the unexpected and a last-minute run to the parts store or rockauto.com. In the end, you’ll have enough lift for some larger tires, you will have increased your suspension travel, and seriously change the looks of your Jeep for the better, so there’s the cool factor to all of this too. I will warn you though, that you will get what you pay for. Things may not fit perfectly, things may squeak, and you will definitely notice a change in the ride quality from what the Jeep was when it was stock. The overall ride quality of a junkyard lift is not going to be as soft of a ride as you had before and for a daily driver, I would almost advise against this procedure just because of that if this is something that matters to you. But don’t let that or me stop you, once lifted, it’s a lot easier to change things later down the road. And speaking of that road, when it comes time to leave said road and hit the trails, no matter what… you’ll still be doing a lot better than you were when the Jeep was stock. Now don’t think this ends with the TJ, there are tons of modifications that can be done to all kinds of Jeeps with junkyard parts. So do some research, and I bet you’ll be surprised what parts from other vehicles will fit on your Jeep and do just fine.
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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Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
say nasty because the straps you use to hold down cargo, maybe even inside the Jeep, shouldn’t be full of oil and grime, and when used more like a tool, straps tend to get dirty just like a wrench. Now I don’t have any tips for using a ratchet strap instead of a wrench, although that would be a neat trick. They can be used for several other things under the Jeep. I like to use one or two any time I’m installing new control arms to help clock the axle and pull it into position. Combined with a floor or bottle jack under the pinion, and some creative work with a pry bar here and there, they always drop in nice and easy. The same can be said for when you need to line up different parts of the exhaust system. Moving one side of the exhaust into place to line up with something else is easy by ratcheting it into place with a strap. Just don’t forget it’s under there (like I did recently) before starting the Jeep up, or you’re going to shrink that strap’s size real quick. Need help lifting a tire into place, get creative with the straps. Need to hold that bumper or light in position while you get the first couple of bolts in, Ratchet Straps! Maybe that new latch mechanism is still a week out… hold that rear hatch or door shut with a ratchet strap. Ever do a brake job and can’t find the right way to keep that caliper out of the way? Ratchet straps! Use a ratchet strap like a clothesline, but for drying painted parts. Strung up taught, you can hang bent pieces of wire or coat hangers and hold freshly painted parts to dry. … see where I’m going here? There are hundreds of uses for a ratchet strap in, on, under, and in proximity to your Jeep. You’re only limited by the size of the strap, and your imagination. …..But if you get hurt that’s all on you. 
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
Gaskets – Fitment issues
The weekend begins with a group crossing of Michigan’s landmark bridge at 3 p.m. on Friday. Participants will take a ferry ride to Drummond Island in Lake Huron on Saturday and have access to the 400-acre Turtle Ridge Offroad Park. Highlights on Drummond Island also include a Mud Bog, a poker run with cash prizes, and a Jeeps and Java event just to name a few. The light parade through downtown St. Ignace will begin at 9:30 p.m. and is a sight to behold. If you want to see what is likely soon to be dubbed the largest light-up Jeep parade on the planet, or to learn everything else this amazing yearly event has to offer, we’ll have the link in the show notes for this episode at JeepTalkShow.com.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
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plans to build in Georgia. The move is an unusual one for the auto industry, which has largely stuck with ventures that involve ground transportation and vehicles with wheels, rather than propellers. But Jeep did make the amphibious Jeep and THAT had a propeller so who’s to say they aren’t just picking up where they left off? In recent years, Stellantis has also invested in a car-sharing rental firm, similar to Zipcar, and, like other car companies, is trying to diversify its business model, particularly in urban areas where many people don’t own a car. In fact, Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said its decision aligns with the auto maker’s broader strategy of providing other transit services to customers, outside its traditional business of selling them individual cars and trucks. The aviation company’s first model, the Midnight, is designed to carry up to four passengers, plus a pilot. The flying Jeep taxi would take short-distance trips of about 20 miles with a 10-minute charging time in between, according to Archer’s Midnight Spec sheet.
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
What do you do for your guests when you wheel and they have to pee? What about you? Well, I have a simple suggestion.
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Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
There is no shortage of episodes where we here on the Jeep Talk Show have covered a topic related to brakes. Whether it’s interviewing someone from brake companies like Black Magic Brakes, or diving deep into how your brakes work, and how to troubleshoot issues with them in our Tech Talk Segments. In this installment of Tech Talk, I wanted to talk to you about a component of your braking system that we haven’t really looked at in much depth before. And that’s brake lines. There is a whole industry dedicated just to the length of the hose that goes from the fender to the caliper. Millions are spent every year on upgrading brake systems and one of the most common and oftentimes needed modifications to Jeeps is upgraded brake lines. For many, this modification is a 
necessity. Once you start to lift your Jeep either with suspension upgrades, lift kits, or body spacers, you are increasing the distance from the hard brake line to the brake caliper, the thing that actually does the work of stopping your Jeep. When you press the brake pedal, that pressure is transmitted through a series of subsystems that include things like the brake fluid reservoir, a brake booster to increase the pressure applied, a proportioning valve to ensure most of the braking force is being applied to the front wheels, and finally the lines and calipers themselves. Most of the Jeep is plumbed with what are called hard lines. These are steel metal tubing that is bent and shaped to contour around the frame and other components and mate up to the aforementioned components of your brake system. Save for one. As the hardline terminates at the fender, there is a soft line that connects the hard line to the caliper. The soft rubber line allows for suspension travel, and as you make upgrades to the suspension, that travel increases. 
As your Jeep’s suspension articulates up and down, those brake lines will move and stretch, but if you haven’t upgraded those short factory soft rubber lines, you could be using them as limiting straps. Meaning, that the only thing keeping your suspension from articulating any further when offroad, is that soft rubber brake line…. And that’s NOT a good thing! Some Jeepers can get away with relocating the point where the hard line meets the soft line, and move it down to gain a few more inches of length out of the system. This of course is only going to work so far and is a temporary fix at best. Here is where the aftermarket steps in. Stainless steel braided brake lines are the most common go-to for an aftermarket solution to the need for extended brake lines for lifted Jeeps. They come in all sorts of diameters, colors, and finishes, but they all do the same thing extending the brake line and eliminating the bind, stretch, and bulging of the factory line. Braided lines are also far stronger than the OEM soft rubber lines. These aftermarket extended brake lines will also give you enhanced braking and better brake pedal response just by installing them. The main benefit of braided brake lines is that they help improve performance by reducing the issue of swelling, most commonly associated with standard rubber brake lines. Over time and extensive use, rubber lines can swell under the pressure caused by applying the brakes, and can eventually burst or split. Before that happens though the pressure that SHOULD be going to the caliper to press the pad against the rotor is instead, blowing up your brake line like a balloon, and NOT providing the stopping power you should be seeing.
But first, what is a banjo bolt? Banjo bolts are bolts that hold banjo together of course! No… not really. They are essentially connectors that link brake-fluid lines to brake cylinders. Banjo bolts are built to handle extremely high pressures, which is critical for many fluid systems. A banjo fitting is a hydraulic fitting consisting of a hollow bolt with a hole going through the side of it, and a spherical union that it is screwed into for fluid transfer. It is typically used to connect a fluid line to a rigid, internally threaded hydraulic component, such as a brake line to the caliper of your Jeep. Usually, all you would do is take out the old, clean up the mating surfaces, and install the new hardware. Banjo bolts use a small crush washer made from soft metal to act as a gasket of sorts for the connection. These are usually copper and need to be replaced anytime the banjo bolt is removed. Typically, these 
washers should be replaced rather than re-used, as the act of deforming an annealed copper washer effectively “hardens” the material, making it more difficult to crush next time, therefore you may not get a good seal when re-using a copper washer. After you have replaced your brake line, and as you torque down the banjo bolt with the last turn or two, you will want to hit it with a hammer. Not super hard, but use a little force. What this does is help seat the crush washer further. The impact will allow you to get another turn or two out of the banjo bolt, further increasing its clamping force and further ensuring a better seal. Although this isn’t required, this pro-tip will help ensure that your calipers never leak from the brake line fitting. Now as far as those aftermarket extended stainless steel braided brake lines go, there are a million offerings out there, so how do you know if you’re looking at anything good? Reviews reviews reviews. At this point in time, you could search a hundred different companies and not get anywhere, so let the experience of other Jeeps help you out in choosing the right lines for your build. Typically, the cheap Chinese stuff you find on Amazon for $40 or less isn’t going to be very trustworthy. But that doesn’t mean you need to drop $250 on a set either. Your typical cost for extended brake lines for your Jeep will run you on average between $75 and $125. Let’s look at some of the best-rated brands out there like Rough Country, JKS, Power Stop, and others. These brands have been doing this for a long time and have great reviews, but there are other really good brands out there as well. So do some research and in no time at all, you’ll be stopping like the pros, and looking good while doing it. Just remember the hammer and banjo bolt trick when it’s time for the installation. 
