Episode 1036 – Picking a Line

When you were new

Go back in time to when you were new to Jeeps, or really any 4-wheel drive.  What didn’t you know and how did you find out?

I started 4×4 with a 1983 Chevy SWB truck.  I bought it new and I still don’t remember how I found out that when you lock the front hubs and put the transfer case in 4-wheel drive you couldn’t drive around on pavement (sidewalks included).  You could damage the drivetrain.

It wasn’t until I purchased my second 4×4, the Jeep Cherokee, that it wasn’t a 4-wheel drive, it was a one-wheel or two-wheel drive. One on the rear axle and one on the front.

Thanks to the Internet I have learned so much more since then.

I was always a very “hands-on person” with my vehicles.  I needed to have a good understanding of how it was put together.  With the new Cherokee, I just drove it.  I didn’t investigate the details of it until I started modifying it about 2005.

I’m in a similar situation with the 2021 Jeep Talk Show Gladiator, however, it is similar to the XJ, and TJs we have.

Not a Jeep

If you’ve been watching the world you can easily see that the Jeeps we know today will probably not be available in the future.  You’ve seen the insane push for electric vehicles, and frankly, that really doesn’t work for an off-road Jeep.  We need a lot of power and torque to go short distances.  Battery technology might be acceptable for highways, with no headwind, driving, drops significantly off-road.  What is the Wrangler 4xe, EV mode 50 miles, but 3 miles off-road?

What are you going to do in 10 or 15 years?  Will you just stop owning a Jeep?  Stop going off-road?  Just use the highway and paved surfaces and only go as far as you feel comfortable finding a charger?

Will you just give up on your self-sufficient, go-anywhere off-road hobby? 

What will it take for you to abandon your off-road hobby?

I believe that in the future we’ll have to build our own off-road vehicles.  Internal combustion engines will be around (used and rebuildable) for 20+ years.  Assuming the government doesn’t outlaw them, or have some program that destroys them. “Cash for Clunkers”

Much of this is in our control.  It’s important who we vote for and even then it’s not a guarantee that those people will do what we want.

Hmmm, maybe we need to make sure the people running for office are Jeepers and think that the land should be used for off-road not just people sitting in their homes feeling good about keeping people off the land they never intend on visiting.

I spoke with Dan of Motobilt at EJS this year.  I told him my thoughts on how we may have to build our own Jeeps and they were well on their way to making this a possibility with their build El Efe.  Beautiful Jeep that has Jeep skins on it.  Kind of like a NASCAR, it may look like a car you recognize, but that’s just a fiberglass shell.

Newbie Nuggets with Wendy

Picking a Line

 In my last few Newbie Nugget episodes I talked about using a spotter and being a good spotter. I’m adding to this segment by sharing how to pick your line. Picking your line can be summed up as “How will you get through the obstacle and which line (or way) is best for you, your ability, and your Jeep setup?”

 When we work with new drivers:

1)    I get them out of their jeep and let them “see” the line by showing them options for that particular obstacle.

2)   When you first approach an obstacle a few things will stick out on the rocks. Like is there any shiny material left behind from other Jeepers? This means someone didn’t pick a good line and got stuck, or scraped their tie rod, control arm, or differential. If you see oil remnants or other fluid, chances are they backed off the rock and peeled their factory differential cover just enough to create a slow leak of gear oil. If you do, you may be facing a really tough obstacle LOL. You almost always want to plan to place your tires on the shiny parts of the rocks where others have scraped because it will give you greater ground clearance so that you’re not the one leaving part of your Jeep behind.

I say it all the time, but it’s crucial you get out of your jeep and inspect the obstacle.

1)   Look at it from both the driver’s perspective and also look at the obstacle from the opposite view – looking back at your parked jeep. This should give you a clear visual of just where those tires are going to contact the rocks.  

2)   Walking past the obstacle or taking a look back at the line from another angle really helps to see where the tire placement could or should go (both front & rear). The art of picking a line is to get your jeep over and through the obstacle with little to no damage. Jeepers who have been wheeling for a while love this challenge on the most difficult lines out there.

Now a there few things to keep in mind;

1)   Rear tires do not track the same as the fronts when making turns. This is something to consider when you are lining yourself up to an obstacle. It’s important to “line up” to the obstacle as straight as possible. You may need to roll your front tires a little farther left or right than they need to, to ensure your rear tires track where you want them to. This is one of the biggest mistakes we see from new drivers and spotters. They focus solely on the front and forget about the rear tires. And to be honest, I have seen “experienced” drivers wheel and not realize this as well.

2)   What is your Jeep wheelbase? – are you two-door, four-door, or in a JT which adds some extra length? This makes a difference in how your jeep will track over an obstacle.

3)    What is the width of your axles and tires? Are you a stock or did you put wheel spacers in to keep your tires from rubbing the frame when you make sharp turns? Did you put Dana 60s underneath? Know the outside parameters of your tires and Jeep. Most are standard but there will be exceptions. Understanding the width is very helpful when it comes to tire placement.

 You can test your width awareness with cones set up in a parking lot, or find a narrow trail with bushes on both sides. You are essentially threading a needle, so to speak, and learning just how wide your jeep is. Can you get through without touching either side? BTW We typically see more scratches on the passenger side because the driver was focused only on the driver side. Knowing your spatial boundaries will help keep the pin striping off your doors and also help you navigate obstacles.

4)   Knowing how your Jeep tires track is very important. When you turn your front tires the rear will track differently- they will not go in the same line as the fronts. They will track inside the path of the front wheels. It’s simple geometry. The length of your jeep will make a difference in how the rears track. With a short wheel base, the rear tires will track closer to the front. With longer wheelbases, the rear tires will track farther inside the path of the front. On a four-door JK or JL, if you turn full lock with the steering the rear tires will track a full ½ width of the Jeep to the inside. A JT will track farther inside still.   

 

5)   So how does this matter in picking a line? If you place your front tires on a rock, as an example, and think “I’m clear” and turn the front wheels, you will more than likely slip off the rock with the rear tires. Even the slightest adjustment can change the tracking of the rear tires.  You need to continue forward until the rear tires are over the rock or obstacle, or as close to straight as possible. The same applies to setting up the line you pick. Getting through an obstacle takes patience and understanding. It’s all a process of learning.

Getting out of your jeep and watching others go through an obstacle can be a great learning tool. Watch how the rear tires track on the line they picked – it’s amazing how a small change in the direction of the fronts really affects the rears. I have learned so much by just watching others pick lines.

The first thing to do when you approach an obstacle (besides getting out and looking)

1)   See where you want your front tires to go and be aware of where your rear tires are – for example, if you turned sharply to get to that obstacle you may need, or want, to back up once or twice to try to “line up” your rear tires so that you are in a straighter position to track correctly. If you are not lined up straight to that obstacle, you may have a difficult time tracking through the obstacle. You will get through; it just may not go as smooth as you had anticipated. But, that’s also how you learn.

2)   Sometimes obstacles may have an easy way or a more difficult way to get through. You can decide what you feel comfortable trying. By watching others, you may determine that taking the easier route this time is your choice. Just because others took a harder line, doesn’t mean you have to. There is no shame in picking the route you want – good or bad, you are learning about your jeep and how it tracks and what it’s capable of, so try it.

3)   Little or small increments in your steering movements are key to helping you stay on track. Using a spotter to help you through is another great way to learn and figure out what your jeep does. A good spotter can be your eyes and help you through by keeping your tires up on the rocks instead of slipping off.  Picking a line is part of the challenge of Jeeping. You want to see if the line you picked allowed you to get over the obstacle, or hindered you, or maybe you just wanted to see if you could do the harder line. The only way to figure this out is to try it! EXPERIENCE is the best teacher. 

(https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver

Trails 411: https://www.jeep4x4school.com/

Must-Have Stuff for Your Jeep!

Jeep JL Auto Shifter Knob $149.00

Color (you can match to your paint)

Logo (No logo to a wide variety of choices)

Logo color (No color, also a wide variety of colors)

Manual transmission knobs are also available.

JK, JL and JT

Yes they do offer a custom knob for the transfer case, $139.00

https://americanbrotherdesigns.com/jeep-jl-auto-shifter-knob/

Episode 1035 – CC – We’re Back!

Julieanne and Wendy are back! Catch up with them catching up and talking about Chic Chat!

Are you ready? It’s the Jeep Talk Show Chick Chat with your host, Julianne M. Wendy.

Well, welcome, everybody. Of course, we’re back. Isn’t this awesome? Julianne, I’m so excited. We get to do this again. We get to keep doing it, bringing all kinds of content and fun stuff, right? Yes. All the amazing women. It is later in the day for us. And for me, it’s Friday. That’s right. And I’m using the 30th year celebration cup that the SEMA Business Women’s Network had provided for us and gave us at the SEMA Show in 2023. That’s awesome. Good old cheers for that, right? Cheers to Friday. All right. Well, we’re going to kick this off and sort of get updated on what you’ve been up to, girl. I mean, we’ve both been kind of busy doing our thing, but tell me what you’ve been going. I know you went to EJS and also to Jeep Beach week, so you were there, right? So fill us in. Fill in the listener. What’s been going on? Oh, EJS was absolutely wonderful. I had led four trail rides. I hosted one for Sprintech Superchargers and Maxxis Tires. We did a bunch of photo shoots with Maxxis Tires, which was a ton of fun to have a lot of the teams, the new Maxxis team that has been kind of formulated over the last like six to eight months. We have RPM steering that just joined the Maxxis team, so it was awesome to have their new rigs out there because they have been building and building and building everything. Yes. And it was nice to see it in person because I was able to see everything on our social platforms, you know, but once you see those beauties in real life, then it’s like, wow, that wow factor kicks in. You’re like, man, that’s a build if I ever saw one. So we did we did a ton of trails altogether. We got a bunch of pictures and photo shoots with Maxxis. And then I went and did metal masher and I decided to take a little chance and I was doing one of the bigger obstacles with my little two door and I broke the front end. Oh, no, you didn’t break again. Come on. Of course, that’s always the fun part of it is breaking. And then wait, I have to improve. I have to upgrade now. So but I didn’t break it to the point where I couldn’t run it still. So I just took it easy for the rest of the week. Yeah. And put her on the carrier and sent her back home and RPM shipped me out the replacement parts ASAP, which was awesome because I was able to get these new shiny, beautiful parts back on the Jeep and just in time for Jeep Beach. Yeah, build them up. And man, I’ll tell you, I drove that Jeep straight across the country from Michigan all the way to Daytona, Florida. And she drove like a dream. And it’s crazy because everybody always says like, how can that like, how can you even drive that across the country? And I’m like, listen, I’ve got that suspension so dialed in, right? To where it’s like driving a brand new Jeep right off the lot. It really is. And I mean, she hits bumps, you don’t even know you hit the bumps. I mean, and I can take her 90 to 100 miles an hour for a couple hours straight. I mean, like I’m burning gas and I’m stopping more. But yeah, she goes fast thanks to the supercharger from Sprint X. And the suspension is all RPM now. So the control arms, all the front end steering, everything is RPM. And they always say like, you can just set it and forget it. And they’re not joking. It’s okay. So now you’re up in Michigan, right? So getting down to Florida, how many days did that take you to get down there? Two. That’s not too bad. You know, it’s not really that bad. I can

 

I’ve been doing these road trips, I literally drove to every single show 12 to 15 shows a year for seven consecutive years. Wow. And and had my wrangle her vendor booth up at every single one of the vendor shows. Well, I’ve gotten so used to the drive to all these different states and all these different vendor shows who are I can literally push like 10 to 12 hours. And then I have to rest. But when I first started, it was six hours. Well, yeah, you don’t hear. You’re like, Wait a minute, what am I doing? My butt’s tired was I gotta stop and get out. Take a break. Yeah, but it was I thought about it when I was, I had finally stopped and I got a hotel and I slumbered for the night. And just before I took a shower to just kind of so I could just wake up and go in the morning. And I thought about it before I went to sleep. I was like, Man, I just did 12 hours. And I was like, you know, I’m pretty sure when I first started this, it was like six hours a night. But yeah, that road trip, it can get pretty taxing after a while. I imagine. Yeah. Especially 12 to 15 times a year. So thank God this year, there’s only like nine. So I only get a little break. Exactly. Well, and and also when you’re doing 12 hours, you’re running into some kind of traffic in some downtown because there’s no way for you to get to Michigan to Florida and not go through some major cities. So you’re not. Yeah, forget it. Georgia. Yeah, everything else was pretty much like easy breezy and smooth sailing. But Georgia, I mean, I’m not gonna lie, though, when I hit the traffic, I’m like, this is cool. I can like play with my phone. I can get back to everybody on text messages. Yeah, I can hit send on a post. I’m only going 10 miles an hour. So I honestly don’t mind all the traffic backup sometimes, because I’m like, Okay, cool. Like we’re just creeping and crawling 5000 hours at a dead stop. Yeah. So I’m like, All right, sweet. I’ll get on here. Well, and plus, you’re excited because you’re heading to an event and who you’re gonna see and how cool is it going to be and what runs like in, you know, EGS for Moab, he’s like, Well, which trails do I want to do this time? So to me, that’s, that’s pretty awesome that you, you’re kind of thinking about that excitement. Now the drive home to me would be like, just get home, I’m tired. I’m exhausted, you know, oh, the drive home is like torture. The drive there, you’re all excited to get. Yeah. The drive home, you’re like, Oh, my God, I still have another 12 hours. Exactly. So tell me one of the I know there’s going to be so many different highlights. But tell me one of the highlights from EJS that just stands out, that you want to share with everybody, maybe an inspiration to get someone to go next year, you know, you know, honestly, I love the fact that there’s a lot more female trail ride events for everybody to join. So when I first started, it was 2015 16, the ladies EJS trail ride, I was the only one doing it. Wow. So today there’s like three trail rides for all women drivers. Yeah, doesn’t Charlene, Charlene Bauer does one from a yeah, ladies off road network. I know she does a big huge thing with tread lightly and all that too. I love Charlene Bauer. I think she’s absolutely amazing. Yeah. She does so much to promote. I’d love to get her on chick chat. We need to do that. She’s gonna come on. I talked to her. So you did. Okay. Dr. Charlene, I every time I see her, I always she’s always talking to somebody. So I just kind of scoop up and I give her a hug. Like, sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt, but I just have some love, you know, like show that respect for her, right. And then I dip out and then we cross paths two or three times, of course, every show that we go to. So it’s really nice to see her. She’s a huge inspiration for the off-road industry. She’s one of the beginning female leaders that actually was out there in the front line, trying to get more women onto the trails and educated and teach them proper adequacy. So yes, I know with off-roading. And I kind of feel, I mean, for as long as I knew she was kind of the mover and shaker of that, which is wonderful. She’s inspired so many other women across the country to, you know, to do things like that. But I feel like today,

 

it’s starting to be capitalized in a way that with some people that don’t have all the education.

 

And I worry, I do worry about some of the girls that are out there on some trail rides with some people, because some people I just feel like maybe they just should just all just get together and trail ride and turn it into an instructional because not everybody understands everything. There’s a lot of different elements that come into place. So much. It can get very complicated. Absolutely. And it can get very scary and extremely dangerous. So yeah, you really do have to have a clear mind about you when you’re out there. I always tell everybody no alcohol. And if anybody brings alcohol, I tell them I’m really sorry, but you can’t be on my trail ride. That’s right. No, I’m the same way. Anything that we do here is same thing. So you want to drink later? That’s up to you, but you’re not doing it on our runs. 100%. Not doing it on our runs at all. So no. Yeah. Well, that’s cool. I know that there’s a lot more women that are out wheeling and I know that they get a chance to go. And I know that EJS offers those trail runs. So I’m glad that you’re leading them and that you get to inspire women too, because I think that’s important. What we need to do, you know, we’re sort of mentors, each of us that do something in this industry, whether it’s a big splash or something small or an event, or just even one on one, you know, that our mentorship and things that we say and how we act and what we do, there’s people watching us, men and women. And I think we just, we have to remember that as women and, you know, people are looking at us too, you know, what are you doing? How come you’re so good? What are whatever you’re doing? Yeah, because we take it seriously and we want to be safe. I want to train you and help you and do that. So that’s really amazing. Very cool. Yeah. Yeah. And then for Moab, Utah, the vendor show this year was actually had a really good turnout. Oh, cool. So that was very positive to see how many more people were coming out to Moab, Utah, and were coming to the vendor show and purchasing product and capitalizing on some of the deals with saving a couple bucks. Oh, yeah. It’s the best way to do it. Yes, for sure. Yeah. Because they have amazing discounts and amazing deals at the vendor shows. So was the show moved or did they do something different to make it where people were more, I mean, attending more, did they do something different or was it just maybe more people went this year? You know, they, I did not realize they might not, they may have added this last year, but I feel like it was just added this year. There was a really cute, adorable white pick fence that was all the way around on the outside. They had parking in the very front. They moved the vendor booth further to the back. Okay. There was a lot more vendors, at least from what I felt that there was a lot more vendors.

 

And there seemed to be a lot more foot traffic this year. So it was, it was really a very good turnout. EJS was awesome this year. I, that’s good. I did chicken corners and that’s terrifying. Like I’m not a cliff kid. Oh boy. It was all a cliff. The whole thing’s a cliff.

 

So that’s interesting. Even from the driver’s side cliff. So you weren’t on the inside, you’d be on the outside cliff. I’m fine if the cliff is on the passenger side. I don’t notice that it’s there. Don’t even care. I won’t look at the mountain. Like, oh, look at the scenery. It’s beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I’ll throw the drone up and I’ll let that get all the video on the pictures and I’ll love it later. And I think to myself, I can’t believe I was on that. Yeah. Exactly. How close was I? Holy cow. Yes. Oh my God. Exactly. So going from the desert, Moab is mostly desert terrain. You went over to Jeep beach, which is the Florida coast in Daytona, stunning and beautiful area. But actually been there, we rode our motorcycles from Seattle all the way to St. Augustine, but we dropped down into Daytona just to see it. So I’m very familiar with the area and not with the Jeep, but with the motorcycle. So I’m cool. But anyway, yeah. So tell me that’s so different beach from the desert. So tell us how that went. The beach is amazing. I am. I am a sun kid. So me and the beach and the ocean, we get along really well. I’m also a happy girl diver. So I know all of the Marianas islands and Guam all over Key West, all up and down the eastern coast of Florida. I do. I dove the Jesus statue, which was amazing. I did not realize how big it was in pictures. It looks really small, but yeah, you’re looking at it and you’re in the ocean. It’s huge. Wow. So Florida has like a special place in my heart, because I did live in Key West for seven years. And I did quite a lot of traveling in Florida to check out other parts of it. So I will be moving back to Florida at some point. It’ll probably be just the summer house, but I will be back there. But Daytona Jeep Beach is one of my absolute favorite events. Um, either Jeep Safari is my favorite for rock crawling and off-roading. Jeep Beach is my favorite for shining up the Jeep, stripping her down, having the top and the doors and everything off of it, driving down the beach with all the other jeepers. So happy there. Yeah. And everybody, it’s more of a show and shine, right? It’s not really, you know, doing trail runs and things that you normally do at some events, correct? They just, they have the obstacle course and every year they make it bigger and better. And this year I was pretty impressed with their obstacle course because they had a lot of flexing. So you would come up the dirt hill and then you would come down it, but you would come down it on like a 35 degree angle and then it would pick back up to the left side. And it would also again be on it like a 35 degree angle. And there goes the fear factor for that off-camber stuff, man. Yeah, it was an awesome obstacle course. I was very impressed with how they put that together because they added so many different forms of off-roading. And such a short course. Cool. They had a bunch of cement, kind of like the old sewer tubes. Oh, yes. So they had a bunch of those. You had to climb up. They had big hills this year, big ones. And I didn’t see anybody break anything. So a couple of times when some of these shows do those obstacle courses, you will see somebody get like rips off their rear, lower, control arm, their shocks or something will break. And it’s just more of the dirt gets rutted out. You know how it is when you offer something gets rutted out and then that gets hung up. But I didn’t see anybody or hear about anybody breaking anything this year. So I think that obstacle course this year was a huge success. That’s cool. Yeah. So the obstacle course is fun. There’s so many people that attend that. Did they have a number of how many Jeeps were there? Do you know? I did not look those stats up yet. I meant to. Yeah, I think it’s a lot. I mean, Tony looked that up real quick. Thousands. Yeah.

 

He’s he’s listening for those listening to us.

 

Hey, Tony, go do this for us. Yeah. Well, that’s pretty cool. So tell us a little bit about I mean, I don’t know that I’ll ever make it to that side of the world again with the Jeep because it’s a long drive for us from California. So tell us some of the highlights, some of the people that are listening that may want to attend next year. Like what do you need to go and see and do other than that fabulous obstacle course, it sounds like. And then driving on the beach, which we can’t do in California. So that’s pretty cool. Right. Yeah, definitely hit the beach. They also have so the shade brigade, they throw a beach party and there’s tug of war between different companies. Okay. They pass out beach balls and surfboards with all the different sponsors on the surfboard. Sure. Who all the sponsors and the shade brigade party is a lot of fun. Buy your tickets next year, be a part of that. And then there is the hard rock hotel party that it’s super inexpensive. I think it was like 25 or 30 bucks a ticket and it’s jam packed by nine o’clock. But it is a great party this year. They had the US Air Force guys that were there and they were I think it was Special Forces.

 

And they were doing a whole skit and everything. So it was really nice to have some of our military there to be celebrated. And then they do give away quite a lot of gifts. So everybody that gets buys a ticket to the hard rock hotel party, you get a raffle ticket and you can stick it and write your name and information on it and you stick it in the jar and they’ll pull from that. And one of our girlfriends actually won tires. Nice. It was nice to see and she said she just came for the show itself and to be a part of the event with a bunch of us. So you’re like, I’m gonna take those tires from you then. Yeah, well, I just got new ones. Mine are okay. And you’re good. Yeah. Burnouts and then I’ll choose one. Yes. Always having a spare tire is not a bad idea. Spare always run a spare. I just do way too much and go way too far. Yeah. That’s cool. But yeah, so those would be the highlights and then definitely the vendor shows the vendor show is huge. Yeah. And it’s on the racetrack. So it’s super cool to be able to drive through the race tunnel to get to the vendor show. That’s my favorite. I jam the music and I’m like, yeah, I’m having so much fun. I know. It’s sort of like an alter ego. Someday I’m gonna be a race car driver. Well, do you never know that’ll happen, girl. Just be careful what you wish for. Yeah, right. No, it’s a blast. Daytona Jeep Beach is just full of a lot of super positive, happy people, the sun’s shining. Everybody’s having a good time. Even the one day it was super windy and we got a little bit of rain. And it was funny because some of the industry people were kind of walking around networking and talking to each other. So I had their relationships and they ended up under our tent. We’re all hanging out and talking until the rain passed. And then they’re like, all right, see you later. See you later. Got to go. I’m here to get shelter and hang out with you. Then I’ll head back to the booth. I love it. Yeah. Well, if you’re thinking about Jeep Beach, you got to go. I hear it. I see the video. I see Instagram. I see a lot of different vendors who are posting all the events and things that happen. So definitely check that out. So what’s on the future for you? What’s going on the rest of the year? This is only May. I know lots on the plate. You said what, like seven more events to go to this year. Yes. I am actually holding quite a few female off-road training instructional courses this year. So I have 28 on the books almost every weekend, almost every Saturday. I’ll be out. And that’s where you’re in your hometown. Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are pretty much the main states that I’ll be in and out of. But everything’s like a nine hour drive at the max. Like, that’s the thing you take me out in like nine hours. I can do that and drive home. That’s right. Yeah. Still be able to see it. Yes. Very cool. So those will be really fun. I’ve taken a lot of time over the years running a lot of the vendor shows. So this year, I’m really spending a lot more time with the women and doing a lot more trail instructionals. And then I’ll be, I’m hosting and running a lot of the vendor booths for Sprintech Superchargers this year. Okay. Good. Yeah. That’s going to keep you busy doing the two things. And training is awesome because everybody needs it, even if you don’t think you do, you know? Yeah. You can always learn something. Even those of us who know some things, we still learn from other people. So training is always a good idea. So very cool. Yeah. You do a lot of instructionals, don’t you, Wendy? Yeah, we do. Sometimes it’s one-on-one. We do some corporate stuff and different things like that. It keeps us kind of busy. But my Jeep’s sort of in a weird place right now. I keep getting an engine code that’s being thrown, check engine light, you know, kind of thing. And it’s like, what the heck? So it’s the camshaft position sensor. And we’ve replaced it a couple times. And coming up the backside of the hill, adding a little bit of a load, bam, it falls off again. I’m like, all right, I’ve had it. So I reached out to our Discord group from Jeep Talk Show. You don’t know who that is. You guys check it out. Discord has a lot of great wheelers in there. And I just said, here’s the deal. Here’s what’s going on. Does anybody have that same experience? Because that’s the cool thing about the Jeep community is that you can ask and somebody might have an experience or have something. So of course, I got some video back and a few other possibilities. So as you know, my husband isn’t able to do a lot of this work himself yet. We’re still working on his recovery. So I’m relying on friends to come and help. So it’s not getting done as quickly as I would love it to. And I’m okay, I’m not complaining about that. But that’s sort of stopped us from wheeling and doing stuff. So I’m still working with Don Alexander, we’re still doing training, we can go in his Jeep. So that’s not a problem to stopping us for doing that stuff to help people out. But it’s just frustrating when you’ve got this cool, awesome build, and you can’t figure out this one dumb, stupid code. I’m over it. Yeah, I’m just like, do I drive it off the cliff and then claim it for insurance to start over? What is wrong with you? Don’t be in it if you do that. I know that I would and don’t have any video. No, of course, now that I’ve said it on the air, I can’t do that, right? You said, yeah, so it’s just it’s frustrating when it’s, you know, something, it could be electrical, it could be chasing a little tiny thing, you know, and I just said, gosh, I wish I’d paid a little more attention to my husband when he was doing all the different build things. So but I’m learning, I’m learning things that I didn’t know I was going to learn. And it’s okay, you know, it’s just kind of it’s all going to work itself out. But that’s what’s happening to us is that we’ve not really been able to, I can’t commit to anything, we were going to go to EJS this year, we had planned everything last year at the end. And I wanted to come meet you first, you know, face to face and get out and do those those awesome trails and just with everything that happened with my husband. And then of course, I had to cancel a lot of stuff. So yeah, yeah. Anyway, it is very important. So that is always first. Yeah, it’s always good stuff. So and we’ve got exciting news too, right? We’re going to have more guests on we’re going to have a different woman in the industry. So make sure you’re tuning in and checking that out with us and Instagram and following all that stuff that we that we do at the Jeep talk show. And make sure that you’re checking in and seeing what else we’re going to be talking about. So you want to give me a teaser? I know we talked about Charlene coming on at some point, but yeah, I feel she’s pretty much amped up and ready. So I’m gonna dial her in on a day. Yeah. And we’ve also got Natalie, that’s going to come back. We had her on the show. That’s right. Yeah. Natalie has been running a bunch of events and trail rides. And she has been she’s got some great content and amazing events that the way that they have high lift off road. And Natalie have been organizing these events is breathtaking. And it’s nice. Perfect. Like, yeah, if anybody can get in on some of those trail rides, I’m going next time because I might watch I’m like, you know, you’re like one state away from me. Why am I not there? So close to you. It’s like you could do that. It’s less than a nine hour drive, right? Yeah, that’s like two to four hours. I know. Like, there’s no excuse. There is no excuse. You have to do it. And then and then you can report back and how awesome it was. We’ll get more people to sign up for their their courses. Yeah, so she’s going to be coming back on and then I am still working on combat off road. I love his wife so much. And they do also

 

they do a lot. She’s constantly working on the jeep. She’s constantly wrenching. That woman is amazing. She is an inspiration. The fact that she knows how to do as much as she does. And yeah, it’s like walking on water for her. It’s no big deal. Yeah, he just blows my mind away. Some days when I watch some of her videos, I’m like, God bless me. And she’s adorable. Yeah. And she’s so positive. And she’s so nice. So I love women like her. They’re like you. Yeah. And so it’s like, it’s nice to have those women shared with the world so that they can see if she can do it, I can do it, you know, it takes time to dial those things in. But why not? Why not? I think the other thing too, like I’m learning is I don’t have to know everything. I do need to know some people. Yeah, you got to have good coming help. But for what I’m talking about is that I don’t have to worry that maybe I don’t wrench and do every single thing on the jeep. That’s okay. All right. But I wheel and I can spot and I can teach and I can train and I can do things that have to do with driving. And I think that’s something that is women, you don’t have to have that super S on your chest and do it all. You know, you can compartmentalize. So I love when there is a gal out there who loves to wrench. I wished I could do more of it. I’m probably going to learn more of it myself. But at the same time, I can do some basic things. And that’s okay. But that’s okay. I think it was women, we put some pressure on ourselves sometimes to be all right. I mean, we’ve got to do it all. Yeah. I think that’s just like our natural sense of us because we are, we are emotional creatures. We’re caretakers by nature. And we’re parents, a lot of us are parents. But at the end of the day, it’s like, if we feel like we let ourselves down, we almost feel like we let everybody down. I know. Instead of just like, okay, this is just not my daily thing. Like I’ve never put control arms on before. Yeah, realizing that this isn’t something that we do every day. Because we’re not organics, we’re not in a shop. But taking on the task and trying to figure it out, you’re going to run into obstacles. It’s okay to get frustrated. I literally have thrown wrenches. I have my girlfriend bought me a sign. Oh dear. Or my garage. And it says beware of flying wrenches.

 

That’s so perfect. Disclaimer. Yeah. Yeah. Forget it. I took the wrench across the garage and she’s like, is it safe to enter? Are you going to throw anything else? And I heard it outside the door. I love it. Got to be kidding. I’m like, I can’t believe she’s here. I’m like, why is she here? I just got busted and caught getting super mad wrenching on my Jeep. And I haven’t tried throwing those tools, but maybe that will help me because that’s how I feel. I just haven’t thrown anything. So I’m going to try that. And then I’ll need it. Throw a wrench. You’ll feel great. I left the wrench where it landed. I left the Jeep where I stopped and I went out and we had a glass of wine and we sat by bonfire. I was like, forget the Jeep. I’ll be back tomorrow. Sometimes taking another stab at it the next day is also very good advice. Yeah. Sometimes you just got to hit pause and disconnect and come back to it after. And it’s like, for me, it’s okay because I have two vehicles. So the Jeep is more of a toy. The little daily driver is super cute, but it’s nothing like driving my Jeep. There’s nothing like driving a Jeep. Exactly. Yeah. Very cool. Well, I’m looking forward to what’s coming up for this year and us being back on Chick Chat. And this is airing on Monday. So I’m going to say happy Mother’s Day to anybody who’s listening and whether you’re a mother through a furry animal or to a human animal animal, I guess it wouldn’t be a human animal, would it? A little baby. Sometimes kids are like animals. They can be depending on the age.

 

But hopefully that was a good happy Mother’s Day to everybody. So, but I’m excited. I’m excited that we’re connecting back up again and that we’re going to be here every other week. You’re going to be able to hear from women in the industry, hear us crazies doing whatever we’re doing or not doing and growing wrenches maybe. I don’t know what we’re doing. Maybe we should have a contest so you can throw the wrench the furthest. That’s what we have to do. Yeah, right. I’ve created a dartboard. Yeah. Where are you going to put that wrench? Oh boy. Can you imagine that? We’ll need an open-ended wrench. Yes. So I can stick. Exactly. Oh, it’s kind of like a tomahawk, right? You got to have a perfect throwing angle with your wrist. Cool. Yes. All right. All right. So listen, you guys can find us on JeepTalkShow.com slash contact, figure out how to connect with us. But Instagram, and if you’re listening, you’re a Patreon subscriber, you’re going to hear from us on Mondays. And also, you can just check it out. But we have a lot of different episodes in the past. You can go back and check that out in our library. Gosh, Julianne, what else you want to say? I’m just so excited that we’re getting back at it. So this is cool. Well, you can find Wendy. What’s your Instagram? Well, my Instagram is Gparley Tactical, but Trails411 is where we have a website and things like that. And then of course, I’m on the JeepTalkShow. So that’s the best place to reach me. Right. And then you have, go ahead and put all your little handles. Wrangleherdirl. Wrangleherd.com. And then Wrangleherd is on Instagram and Facebook. You can find me there. But this is the easiest way to find me too, is here on JTS, Chick Chat, and or the JeepTalkShow. I will be chirping back in into the JeepTalkShow here soon. Life has been super crazy busy between all the Jeep events and teachings and instructionals and travels. And it’s like an event lasts like four days. And it takes me four days to get there and get home. Right. It’s a lot. I mean, in any event that we do, there’s a lot of setup and prep and getting there. Yeah. Anyway, but if you guys are out there on the eastern side of the world, you can check her out at different events that she’s doing and then I’ll be announcing whatever we’re going to be doing once I figure out what the dang codes are and get rid of them. I’m just over it. I bet. Cool. All right. Take care, guys. Goodnight. Broadcasting Sense 2010.

 

You’re my friend. You’re my new friend.

Episode 1034 – Chris Classic 4×4

Chris Picconi

Chris is the Founder of Classic 4×4 and host of the Classic 4×4 Podcast. Buying a truck is fun and exciting, selling it is not. Classic 4×4 handles every aspect of the sale of your classic, custom or collector truck or 4×4. Our clients include truck and 4×4 collectors, enthusiasts, importers and restorers. As a truck and 4×4 collector and restorer for over a decade, Chris has successfully represented the sale of countless trucks on behalf of our clients and his personal collection. Chris hosts the Classic 4×4 Podcast featuring interviews with fellow classic, custom and collector truck and 4×4 enthusiasts. Guests include prominent collectors, restorers, builders and business people discussing their backgrounds, experiences, projects and collections.

 

Episode 1033 – A Jeep Watch?

Man Steals $1M in Jeeps

But were they proper Jeeps?  I think they must have been since they were stolen to sell in Mexico to the drug cartel. However, I can see them like a Grand Cherokee here and there to impress the ladies!

A Houston man stole 25 Jeeps worth one million dollars.  He did this by recruiting people via Instagram to RENT a Jeep and then had them drive it to Mexico to sell.

Kenneth Westbrook, a millionaire by the age of 29, was arrested by the FBI.  If convicted he may receive 20 years in jail and $250,000 in fines.

I’m not great at math, but that’s free room and board for 20 years, and $750k in profit!  Oh and all the sex you don’t want.

Jeep Watch, it’s about time!

Jeep has teamed up with Marathon Watch to create four watches.  I have to admit, I’ve always loved watches, but unless it’s a Timex or a Casio I really don’t know much about them.

Isn’t Marathon a gasoline company?

I understand brand loyalty.  I only buy Levi’s jeans and it’s always Coke and not Pepsi.  I even like having Coke-branded stuff, not so much now but in the past.

I can’t say I’m excited about having a Jeep-branded watch, t-shirt, or hat.

I remember those stickers you could get, and probably still can, that say the model of your Jeep on the side (rocker area) or Jeep.  I don’t see the point, of course, I do see the point of a huge Jeep Talk Show sticker on the side, front.

I’ll know we’ve made it when someone posts a picture of a JTS tattoo on social media!

Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update

You know I don’t think I’ve spoken about this yet.  The 2021 Jeep Talk Show Gladiator is now topless all the time!

Well not literally, but you can see out of the Freedom panels, and you can do so in any weather condition.  Yep, JeeTops.  JeeTops was kind enough to take my Freedom tops and modify them with the JeeTop clear inserts!

You know I don’t normally accept goodies from businesses we interview, or advertise with, but I am so impressed with the quality and cool factor of these that I couldn’t say no, we’ll I said no and quickly changed my mind.

I wasn’t planning on talking about this now, but I’ll release a little bit of what we have planned with JeeTops.  JeeTops and I want you, the Jeep Talk Show listener, to have a set of JeeTops!

We’ll be announcing as soon as next week how you can win a pair of inserts for your Freedom panels.  JK, JL, and JT owners only!

We’ll be doing the giveaway a little differently than in the past.  So keep listening.  Head over to jeetops.com and have a look.  Oh and if you never win anything give them a call, ask your questions and order your JeeTops today.  Your Jeep doesn’t have to go topless while you wait.

Must-Have Stuff for Your Jeep!

You need the Jeep Talk Show for your Jeep!  There is a very easy way to listen to every episode of the Jeep Talk Show in your Jeep.  Apple Car Play or Android Auto and Spotify!  As a Patreon subscriber, you can listen to the PAID subscription episodes through Spotify and your UConnect system!  And you can now subscribe annually and save on your subscription!  Just go to jeeptalkshow.com/contact to see how to subscribe!  How cool is it to hear a show about Jeeps while driving your Jeep?

Episode 1033 – A Jeep Watch?

Man Steals $1M in Jeeps

But were they proper Jeeps?  I think they must have been since they were stolen to sell in Mexico to the drug cartel. However, I can see them like a Grand Cherokee here and there to impress the ladies!

A Houston man stole 25 Jeeps worth one million dollars.  He did this by recruiting people via Instagram to RENT a Jeep and then had them drive it to Mexico to sell.

Kenneth Westbrook, a millionaire by the age of 29, was arrested by the FBI.  If convicted he may receive 20 years in jail and $250,000 in fines.

I’m not great at math, but that’s free room and board for 20 years, and $750k in profit!  Oh and all the sex you don’t want.

Jeep Watch, it’s about time!

Jeep has teamed up with Marathon Watch to create four watches.  I have to admit, I’ve always loved watches, but unless it’s a Timex or a Casio I really don’t know much about them.

Isn’t Marathon a gasoline company?

I understand brand loyalty.  I only buy Levi’s jeans and it’s always Coke and not Pepsi.  I even like having Coke-branded stuff, not so much now but in the past.

I can’t say I’m excited about having a Jeep-branded watch, t-shirt, or hat.

I remember those stickers you could get, and probably still can, that say the model of your Jeep on the side (rocker area) or Jeep.  I don’t see the point, of course, I do see the point of a huge Jeep Talk Show sticker on the side, front.

I’ll know we’ve made it when someone posts a picture of a JTS tattoo on social media!

Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update

You know I don’t think I’ve spoken about this yet.  The 2021 Jeep Talk Show Gladiator is now topless all the time!

Well not literally, but you can see out of the Freedom panels, and you can do so in any weather condition.  Yep, JeeTops.  JeeTops was kind enough to take my Freedom tops and modify them with the JeeTop clear inserts!

You know I don’t normally accept goodies from businesses we interview, or advertise with, but I am so impressed with the quality and cool factor of these that I couldn’t say no, we’ll I said no and quickly changed my mind.

I wasn’t planning on talking about this now, but I’ll release a little bit of what we have planned with JeeTops.  JeeTops and I want you, the Jeep Talk Show listener, to have a set of JeeTops!

We’ll be announcing as soon as next week how you can win a pair of inserts for your Freedom panels.  JK, JL, and JT owners only!

We’ll be doing the giveaway a little differently than in the past.  So keep listening.  Head over to jeetops.com and have a look.  Oh and if you never win anything give them a call, ask your questions and order your JeeTops today.  Your Jeep doesn’t have to go topless while you wait.

Must-Have Stuff for Your Jeep!

You need the Jeep Talk Show for your Jeep!  There is a very easy way to listen to every episode of the Jeep Talk Show in your Jeep.  Apple Car Play or Android Auto and Spotify!  As a Patreon subscriber, you can listen to the PAID subscription episodes through Spotify and your UConnect system!  And you can now subscribe annually and save on your subscription!  Just go to jeeptalkshow.com/contact to see how to subscribe!  How cool is it to hear a show about Jeeps while driving your Jeep?

Episode 1031 – Electric Gladiator?

And the crowd goes mild!

Jeep confirms that next year the Jeep Gladiator will join the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee as a 4xe.

It is very likely that the same powertrain already in the Wrangler 4xe will be what is used in the new Gladiator 4xe.  I’ll just mention, you know because I love Greg, that he’s already created a 4xe Gladiator plus it’s a 2-door!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about check out the Quadratec TredLightly 50/50 JTe that premiered at SEMA 2022!  You have to wonder if the popularity of this beautiful OEM Plus build from Unofficial Use Only helped sway Jeep into making their own version, just not a 2-door {cough} when {cough}

It’s all pink on the outside!

Well, maybe not the traditional pink, but Tuscadero Pink!  It’s always possible that this color has nothing to do with the popular “Happy Days” and Fonzy love interest Pinky Tuscadero, but if you believe that well we know how you’re going to be voting… but I digress.

The 2024 Gladiator is available in Tuscadero pink, the only reason I can pronounce that is because of watching Happy Days!

It’s not pink, it’s not purple, but it is a bright great color.  No not as good as red.

Newbie Nuggets with Wendy

Being a good spotter

 In episodes 1018 & 1022 I discussed using a spotter and all the possible things you might witness as a driver when using a spotter.

In this episode I want to touch on being the spotter: How to be the best to help a new driver, or anyone, over an obstacle.

As I mentioned before, A spotter is like having an extra set of eyes outside your jeep to help you navigate over a rock, rut, obstacle, or ??. Once you are at and on the obstacle you can’t “see” what is happening underneath and a (good) spotter can help you through it.

Not all spotters are created equal. There are some that are excellent and others that are good and then there’s a few that… well I don’t need to explain. If you want to spot jeepers:

1)           Get out of your jeep watch and learn what the jeeps are doing through an obstacle.

2)           Learn the difference in how each jeep travels. Four doors vs. two doors vs the gladiator vs an older Jeep or other 4×4. They all travel differently.

3)           Then add the experience of the driver and you have a mix of things to watch.

4)           If you know someone in your group who is really good (doesn’t get jeeps stuck, is calm and encouraging) then mirror them. Ask them if they can help you learn. Listen and watch – it is really the best way to start.

5)           Once you start spotting, it will make you a better driver. Just like driving makes you a better spotter.

6)           Don’t be afraid to ask for additional help. It happened to me when I started. I’d get a jeep in a spot and wasn’t sure and I’d ask for help (Bill or Don). I trusted their experience and that’s how I learned. To this day, even with all my experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask for help or suggestions. It is all about giving that driver the best experience.   

Some skills that help you be a better spotter

1)           Figure out what method you plan on using to help your driver – verbal commands, nonverbal, etc.  Sometimes this may take some time to develop

2)           Make sure you discuss with the driver what method you are using and how those commands will be shown. Let them know what to expect. I always reinforce the STOP sign. I need them to really pay attention, especially in difficult situations. I need to think about safety for all.

3)           Being a spotter generally puts you in charge/control of the area. You NEED to make sure the traveled area is cleared of other people, etc.

4)           You need to have a calm and patient personality. If you get mad easily, yell, or can’t communicate well (w/male or female) – Spotting may not be for you. It’s not for everyone

5)           Need to be able to keep the driver’s attention on you at all times while spotting. If you continually yell, scream, or give too many directions, the driver will not pay attention. Their success is your goal!

6)           Need to be fit (to some degree). Being able to walk backward, climb up and over rocks, bend down to see what’s underneath, etc. When you wheel with me in the desert area, I’m always climbing up on rocks so the driver can see me. This is a very demanding part of the sport. Having good shoes for traction and your “head on swivel” is a good thing. You will be out of breath a lot LOL

7)           A good spotter doesn’t bark orders, they encourage. Being able to figure out that one driver may be new and needs extra help while another may be experienced and don’t want/need the help is part of being a spotter

8)           As a good spotter you cannot have an ego. Period! If someone doesn’t want to use me, I’m OK with that. Maybe I’ll learn a new line; maybe they will need my help, either way, I’m OK with that.

9)           Need to always be willing to learn. There will always be someone better than you – maybe in a different way, but we can always learn from each other.

10)   Best thing is a good spotter is hard to find. If you are lucky enough to be around one, learn from them and enjoy the sport.

Being a great spotter has been one of my specialties and I took to it pretty early on in my Jeep learning. I’m not sure if it was the coaches I had (Bill and Don) or just getting out there and watching, but whatever it is, I love to get jeepers up and over things and I love when everyone gets through and no one gets stuck. Doesn’t always go that way, but that’s what I plan for each time.

Must-Have Stuff for Your Jeep!

MB8009

HIGH CLEARANCE TAIL LIGHTS FOR JEEP JL $769.00

Unleash your Jeep JL’s full potential with Motobilt’s High Clearance Tail Lights, designed to help you conquer the toughest terrains and reduce the chances of damage. Dive into adventure with confidence and style, and let nothing hold you back—not even the dark!

https://motobilt.com/products/high-clearance-tail-lights-for-jeep-jl

Episode 1030 – CC – David McBee

David McBee

David mcbee has been driving jeeps since he was 13. He is the author of the DJ’s Off-Road Adventures children’s book series and he just published a new book called Tales from the Trails: Off-Road Stories of Adventure a resilience.