This Week In Jeep

This Used Jeep Will Never Be The Same Again

Ordinarily, we throw caution to the wind and let whatever fly out of our mouths. Hence why we protect ourselves by self-rating the show as explicit. Since I know that despite our explicit rating, we have kids in the audience. And it’s because of that I must warn listeners that the following news story involves mature subject matter, and I think you know what that means. So skip ahead or tell Junior to put on the earmuffs. So imagine if you will, that despite the artificial inflation of used vehicles in the current market, you decide you want a new-to-you Jeep. You go from one used car lot’s website to another, checking out a few of the Jeeps that caught your eye. Then maybe the weekend comes and you take the family out to get a closer look at the few that stood out from the rest. Then, at one lot, you find the Hyper-green 2016 Wrangler JK you really wanted. You are all looking at the sweet eye-catching paint job, the lift, the bumper, how big the tires are, and then you notice this Jeep has a rather unique feature that is not ordinarily found on this particular year, model, or trim of Wrangler. No, it wasn’t suspension or engine related, nor was it anything on the dash, but you’re getting closer. This particular customer at a used car dealership on Pensacola Boulevard in Pensacola, Florida, (of course this happened in Florida) reported to a sales associate that a woman was in the back of the Jeep without any clothes on. Ohhhh it goes much deeper than that, pun intended.

According to the police report, a manager at the dealership overhearing the customer’s complaint approached the Jeep in question and found 37-year-old Alexis King inside the Jeep,  ((QUOTE)) “naked, with her legs spread wide open.” A receptionist who was with the manager said she saw King ((QUOTE)) “pulling at her vagina.” The manager told the viciously masturbating woman to get dressed, exit the vehicle and leave the lot, and that she had two minutes to do so before they called the police. The naked woman going at herself reportedly took nearly 10 minutes to get herself together, pack a few items into her bag, and exit the vehicle… which in case you were interested, was selling for $23,116. The report also went on to say that another employee called law enforcement after a coworker told him ((QUOTE)) “a homeless woman was pleasuring herself inside one of the vehicles.” King was found not far from the dealership and was arrested. She has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, criminal mischief, unlawful exposure of sexual organs, and giving a false name. She is being held in the Escambia County Jail with a $7,000 bond. Now… are you ready for the cherry on top? Or in this case the bottom? (yeah I went there) …The arrest report said there was a red-colored stain observed on the back seat which ((QUOTE)) “appeared to be from vaginal bleeding consistent with menstrual discharge.” The manager estimated there to be approximately $1,300 in damages to the vehicle through the course of the entire incident.

This is Un-Bee-Lievable

I’ve heard of all kinds of things happening to all sorts of vehicles when somebody gets out to run into the store real quick. You may leave it running to keep the AC going, or perhaps it’s the defroster or you just have a finicky Jeep that doesn’t like to restart after it’s warmed up. Whatever the reason, we’ve all left the Jeep, running or not, to go into a store for something. Upon coming back to said Jeep most of us find it in the same condition as when we left it two and a half minutes ago. Ok, sure, maybe one of your friends has turned on all the lights or put the windshield wipers on full blast just to be funny. Or perhaps a homeless person lost their lunch on your fender. We can get creative and go all day with these, but I bet you’d never guess this one. An Aussie man came back to his Jeep after a brief shopping trip, to find it completely hijacked. Not by Somali pirates, no, but by a swarm of bees. Jeep Wrangler owner Rizwan Khan made a brief stop at a grocery store in Sydney. When he returned to the parking lot 10 minutes later, according to local reports, he was shocked to see a crowd of people buzzing around his vehicle, snapping photos and shooting videos with their phones. Now I suppose that there are many of us who wish our Jeeps to gain celebrity status at times, but not like this. Turns out a swarm of hundreds of bees had settled inside the driver’s side door frame. 

As luck would have it, a beekeeper was nearby and witnessed the parking lot buzz. He made a beeline for the swarm, scooped the entire swarm into a box using his bare hands, and helped Khan safely return to his vehicle. 

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

HardTop Repair (continued)

If you missed the last tech talk, in episode 517 we began a multi-part series in hardtop repair. I started by qualifying what hard top damage CAN be repaired, and some of the things needed to do so. We covered tools, site prep, and some things to avoid. We even covered some considerations when working with fiberglass, the stuff hardtops are made of. In this episode, we will elaborate on surface preparation, and start to get into the actual process of using fiberglass to repair a cracked or punctured hardtop. In the last Tech Talk, I left you with advice on how to start prepping the work surface and how to get ready for the actual repair. I want to elaborate a little more on using a burr bit or a sanding drum bit on a die grinder or Dremel tool. Yes, I said that you could use a regular 4” grinder. But that’s going to be like using a chainsaw to cut a birthday cake. It’ll get the job done, but it’s going to create a bigger mess and be clumsy to use for this job. We’re also going to break this up into two categories. What we will deal with first is the methods to address a punctured hardtop, and then we will move on to a cracked hardtop later. If you are working with a puncture of your hardtop, something like rebar, pipe, or a branch that has punctured through the hardtop. This is going to create a much different “wound” (if you will) in the fiberglass, and depending on the severity, may determine whether or not the top is even salvageable. Likely there is going to be more collateral damage than say that of a single fracture or crack. In the case of a puncture, the objective is going to be to knock down all of the protruding splinters. These shards will be sharp, and it may be easier to break off the worst extents, and then let the tool do the job of getting rid of the rest. 

A burr bit is like a round cylindrical metal file. Sometimes they have a flat top, sometimes they have a rounded top that is also burred, and sometimes they’re shaped like a cone or a ball. Burr bits don’t wear out when used properly, unlike sanding drums which are basically just sandpaper wrapped around a small cardboard tube. They will absolutely work for this job but will create more dust, and depending on the scope of the repair, may need to be swapped out more than once. Regardless if you are using a die grinder or a Dremel tool, a light touch is required. Let the tool do all the work, and focus on pressure, rotational speed, and keeping the tool in the work area.  Depending on the severity of the puncture, you may be left with a large indent, with all the material still there, just broken and barely hanging together. In this case, you’ll want to push things back as best you can, and work at knocking down the highest points. The more of the original hardtop that can be left in place, the better. After the process of getting rid of the excess broken fiberglass, you will be left with a jagged hole or depression of sorts. It may have layers to it, and it is likely not going to be uniform in size or shape. You also aren’t trying to get things completely smooth. In fact, a little roughness is going to be preferred. What I mean by that is you don’t want anything sticking up from either the inside of the hardtop or the outside surfaces. But it’s ok for stuff to be in the middle. Jagged edges, separated layers, this is all ok, and actually provides more surface area for the repair materials to adhere to. By now you have created a huge mess, and it’s time to clean up. Compressed air works the best here, but a good vacuum will be needed for sure. Hopefully, you took my advice and had a drop cloth spread out, and you were wearing a mask. Trust me the level of irritation that comes from breathing fiberglass dust is nothing you want any part of whatsoever. Ask me how I know. Once you have cleaned up all the debris, and all your surfaces are completely dust-free, it’s time to begin the patchwork.

Depending on what form of fiberglass you picked up, you will want to start creating two sizes of patches that are roughly the same shape and size  as your hole. The best type of fiberglass for a Jeep hardtop repair is going to be the kind that is more randomly arranged and flattened into a sheet. This is often referred to as a chopped strand mat. You will want to cut this with (preferably) scissors, or at least a razor knife. As far as the sizes for your patches, you’ll want a few at least that would fit just inside the hole or depression. For the others, you’ll want to make them at least a couple inches larger in every direction. More is better, as it can always be trimmed down later. As far as a count goes, this is going to be determined by the thickness of the fiberglass mat, your technique, and how it cures. Again, more is better but I would start with a batch of ten total just to ensure you have enough to work with. Here is where working against gravity is going to fight you. Obviously having the top off, in a dry, well lit and ventilated area would be ideal, but if this is not practical because you don’t have the work space, or there is a concern about the top staying square or true if taken off the Jeep before repaired, then you’ll have to work with what you’ve got. Again, since you will be working with a perpetually curing liquid that will ruin anything it touches that isn’t the work surface, preparation is key. Regardless of whether the top is off, or on the Jeep, you will want to prepare the outside of the hardtop. For this you will need masking tape. It doesn’t HAVE to be the blue painters tape, but that works best. The objective here is to tape over the hole in such a way that the fiberglass or more importantly, the resin can’t seep through and run down the outside. You will want the tape to be as taught and tight as possible, with absolutely no gaps, cracks, or bubbles. Use as many pieces and lakers as it takes to achieve the results. If you are fighting gravity here, pay special attention to the edges that are on the downside. Here is where the resin will want to push through the most. Keep in mind that you will be pressing on this from the other side, so it absolutely needs to be rigid and stuck to the side well enough to resist you pushing on it slightly.

Here’s a pro tip; painter’s tape or regular masking tape will not want to stick to some hardtops for any number of reasons, but it’s critical that we use it to block the hole because fiberglass doesn’t stick to masking tape very well. So what you can do is get creative with other tapes like duct tape, or preferably gorilla tape. Using masking tape as the initial layer, go over it and extend past it by several inches with layers of duct tape. The duct tape or gorilla tape will adhere to the hardtop better than the masking tape, but the masking tape will still be where it needs to be. In the next tech talk, we’ll cover surface prep for a cracked or fractured top, and get into the actual technique and process of working with fiberglass mat and the two-part epoxy resin to fix your hardtop. 

Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma

Prepping The Jeep For Winter

Tony, Josh, and Wendy… It’s starting to get chilly here in the mountains. That means winter is on its way. So, it’s time to prep your Jeep for those snowy days. Getting your Jeep ready for winter means prepping it for emergency events as well as driving in less than ideal weather. Taking the appropriate preparation steps for winter will help to prevent mechanical problems, allow for better performance in poor weather, and most importantly, help to keep everybody safer on the road. Whether you get an inch of snow or several feet it pays to be prepared. Don’t forget your emergency kit for your Jeep as well. Depending on where you live and what kind of weather you get will determine what to put in your kit. Some things I have in mine… shovel, emergency blanket, hand warmers, flashlight, emergency signals, jumper cables, kitty litter for traction, my off-road recovery kit, hat, mittens, extra socks, and extra food and water

Wintertime can be hard on a vehicle. The cold temperatures, the salt on the streets damaging our underbellies, snow, and ice — okay this part may not be so much for Jeep Wranglers. But… It is important to take extra care of your Jeep during these winter months, so you can continue to enjoy many years of fun with your Jeep, no matter what the weather.

Here are some tips I have gathered from my own experience. First, I will start with a Mythbuster. Auto experts today say you should warm up your vehicle for no more than 30 seconds before you start driving in the winter. It doesn’t help your vehicle to warm it up any longer than that. Engines aren’t really designed to idle, it’s not good for it.

If you have a hardtop, it is time to start thinking about putting it back on. I don’t have a hard top so I make sure my soft top is cleaned. Now for those of you in the deep South and Southwest, it may be time for you to take off the hardtop to enjoy those cooler winter temperatures.

Keep a Full Tank of Gas –Keep more fuel in your tank to reduce air inside the tank that can condense and freeze in your lines.

Carry an Emergency Kit — include a shovel, ice scraper, blankets, jumper cables, flashlights, extra clothes, recovery gear, and food & water.

Don’t forget a useful set of new windshield wiper blades can be helpful during ice, sleet, or snowstorms. There are special winter wiper blades that offer shielding from snow, sleet, and ice build-up. Are squeaky wipers annoying? Straight up rubbing alcohol on a rag clean the blades themselves to quiet them.

Do not use an ice scraper on your mirrors as it could scratch them. Add some de-icer to your windshield washer fluid. And check your heat and defrosters to make sure they are operating properly.

WRANGLER Owners: Lube the door hinges and put the Torx bolt back on.

Wash and wax your Jeep to help protect the paint from the salty roads.

With the arrival of Old Man Winter, our roads are becoming nasty, dirty pathways turning our Jeeps into salt-coated crawlers.  There is a saying Jeeps are supposed to be dirty… It needs to be that Jeeps are meant to get dirty but not stay dirty. That mud and road salt can do a lot of damage to your Jeep parts.  We must take extra special care of our precious babies. It takes more than just a spray from the hose.

If you are off-road and have scraped your undercarriage I suggest spending some time on those scratches to prevent rust from forming. You can also use Fluid Film to spray under your Jeep. Just be careful around the brakes.

–Extra pressure washing on the backside of inner fender wells is a must.

–Pressure washing underneath your Jeep.
–If your Jeep becomes salt or mud-covered… Keep your vehicle cold until you can clean it off. Like in a cold garage or outside rather than parking it in a heated garage which will keep the rock salt active.

–The frame has holes in the side that get filled with crap, and there’s no good way to get it out other than meticulous digging and scraping with various tools, coat hangers/homemade scrapers to reach deep inside of a pressure washer.

–Drains holes in the bottom are definitely a must. Pressure washing inside those holes and/or using a shop vac with a smaller hose attached shoved in the larger side holes in the summer will help keep the dirt from building up, getting wet, and rotting your frame in half.

–Vinegar/cold water on your windshield will also melt ice or prevent it from building up if applied the night before.

–Light oil (Pam spray or cooking oil or something similar) on your weatherstripping to stop your doors from freezing shut.

–alcohol-based hand sanitizers in the personal carry size squirt bottles can help free up a frozen door lock if you squirt it in the keyhole.

–Alignment alignment alignment!!! I can’t stress it enough. Sure it may seem fine as you’ve driven all over the country with just your knee all summer but if the alignment is off it can greatly affect how it handles the snow and ice. The tire with the most traction will force the vehicle to change directions rapidly and repeatedly if out of alignment.

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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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

Bee Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=46&v=SFh8-KGvjv4&feature=emb_logo

Gorilla Tape https://amzn.to/39QuyyG

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Episode 519 – Red Stains and Bee Hives

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