Episode 384 – Factor 55 FlatLink E- shackle Giveaway!
This Week In Jeep:
Young Colorado Jeeper Dies In Heroic Move During School Shooting
At just 18 years old, his life was ended entirely way too soon. But Kendrick Castillo will be remembered more as a hero, than the sole fatality in the Highlands Ranch School shooting in Littleton, CO. earlier this week. His father in an interview with NBC news, said he had actually discussed with his son what to do if he was ever confronted by a gunman. “You don’t have to be the hero,” John Castillo said, recalling his words of advice to his son. But the younger Castillo, who hoped to study electrical engineering in college, rejected that advice, telling his dad he wouldn’t think twice about acting to save others if ever face-to-face with an armed intruder. Kendrick Castillo’s classmates said the 18-year-old lunged at one of the shooters at STEM School Highlands Ranch in suburban Denver on Tuesday, taking fatal gunfire. In doing so, he sacrificed his own life, giving others the precious moments they needed to take cover. Young Kendrick wasn’t alone in the heroics. Other classmates took immediate action as well, in hopes of disarming or subduing the shooters. Joshua Jones, Jackson Gregory and Lucas Albertoni, all engaged the shooter as well. They succeeded in disarming the shooter, but not before Kendrick was killed and Joshua took a bullet in the hip and leg. Joshua Jones is fine, and recovering at home after being released from the hospital. But the entire Littleton community is in shock and dismay over this latest shooting. Castillo was a bright, smart young man. An outdoor enthusiast, a fellow Jeeper and Cherokee owner, and full of life. But his selfless, brave actions, are likely the only reason his classmates are alive today, and are able to share with the rest of us, just how brave this young man was. I’m sure it goes without saying, that our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the Castillo family.
Former Infinity Boss Now Head of Jeep
The news was released Tuesday, that former Infinity President Christian Meunier has been named Global President of the Jeep brand. Meunier was at Infiniti’s top job for just four months before he resigned to lead Jeep. And according to the press release, his new position at Jeep is effective immediately, Jeep said Tuesday. Mike Manley, FCA CEO, said Meunier’s appointment further strengthens ((QUOTE)) “an already proven bench” at the Jeep brand. Prior to the late Sergio Marchionne’s death last year, Manley was Jeep’s top executive. Meunier brings a host of experience from various brands to the position. He previously held roles at Ford and Land Rover, aside from his most recent work with Nissan and Infiniti. As Jeep works to expand its lineup and push some vehicles into a more upscale market (with the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer), Meunier was likely a prime candidate. The new Jeep boss said the brand is one he’d ((QUOTE/UNQUOTE)) “admired from afar” before joining. So…the question I have… is will he be driving an Infinity or a Jeep to work from now on….? (prob a beemer or mercedes)
Interview with:
Justin with Factor 55
Justin has been working for Factor 55 for 5 years. He has been in marketing and sales for the last 18 years and is a passionate offroad enthusiast. He has been a part of pit crews and recovery at King of the Hammers, raced the Baja 1000 and been wheeling all of the country, and loves teaching and talking recovery. Justin is also a Scuba Instructor and musician. He has been a Jeep owner for 10 years and is still kicking himself for not buying that burnt orange LJ when he had the chance. You can find out more about Factor 55 by visiting their website at www.Factor55.com
Giveaway: FlatLink E- winch line shackle mount MSRP: $168.00
Phrase: Closed System Winching
Caller number: 5
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:
Lately we’ve been focusing on the technical aspects of gear selection. No not GEARS, but the other stuff that makes our Jeeps our own and makes them as capable as they are. We’ve discussed armor selection, bumper and rock slider selection as well.
Last week I wasn’t around, and in episode 382 I hopped on my soapbox and went on a bit of a rant. So it’s been a couple weeks since you’ve had a good tech talk, and you’re probably slapping the inside of your arm looking for a fix…. we’re going to scratch that itch right now. One of the things I ended the tech talk in episode 381 with was a promise to talk about the important angles in offroading. Everybody knows the angle of the dangle is inversely proportional to the heat of the meat. But that’s not the angles we’re talking about either. Things like approach and departure angles and things like breakover. These terms may be foreign to many of you, but they’re easy to understand once you wrap your head around the principles behind them. And it’s easy stuff, so don’t let the big words fool ya. WHY this stuff is important is two fold. First off, having an understanding of these terms, what they mean, and how they can be applied to YOUR specific Jeep will make you a much more observant and better informed wheeler. You’ll be able to pick lines better and will be more informed about the capabilities and limits of your rig. Secondly, knowing what this stuff means, is going to give you an upper hand in selecting gear and mods for your Jeep. You’ll know just what that bumper your looking at is going to do to your approach angle, and what that lift kit is going to mean for your breakover numbers. This will save you the embarrassment of selecting something like a bumper that actually diminishes your Jeeps ability to conquer an obstacle. It can happen, trust me. So what’s this stuff mean anyways? Let’s break it down from the front to the back. Approach angle is defined as the maximum angle of a ramp or obstacle onto which a vehicle can climb from a horizontal plane without interference. It is defined as the angle between the ground and the line drawn between the front tire and the lowest-hanging part of the vehicle at the front overhang. So imagine drawing a line from the bottom of your tire to the lowest part of your front bumper. Measuring that angle in relation to the ground is what we’re talking about here. Or imagine if you will, driving a vehicle toward a ramp. If the ramp is too steep, the front bumper will hit the ramp, like a wall, before the tires are able to reach it. The things that affect approach angle the most? Well you’re lift height and tire size will certainly play a big role. BUT the position of your tire also makes a huge difference, as well as what that front bumper looks like. We’ve seen those videos of a buggy that can literally climb a wall, thats only because the front of the tires stick out further than the front of the vehicle, or it’s bumper. If you have a stubby front bumper, that is small, doesn’t stick out the sides too far, and has a low profile cross section, then your approach angle is likely going to be better than it was when the rig was stock. But if you have a large front bumper with quarter protection and a built in steering box guard, well there’s a good chance your angle is going to be a little worse off than it was when the Jeep was in it’s stock form. Breakover angle moves our attention from the front of the Jeep to its belly. Breakover angle is the maximum possible supplementary angle (usually expressed in degrees) that a vehicle can drive over without the apex of that angle touching any point of the vehicle other than the wheels. Ok what THIS means is simple, how steep or shallow of a triangular shaped wedge could you drive over before the point of that wedge would come in contact with the underside of the Jeep or cause you to high center? Basically it’s a measurement of the height of the vehicle in relation to its wheelbase. But don’t confuse this with ground clearance. Breakover is different from ground clearance in that ground clearance is the shortest distance between the ground and lowest point on the vehicle, for instance the ground clearance of a dana 35 is completely different from that of a dana 44 but neither has any effect on breakover angle. Departure angle is the counterpart to Approach angle, and occurs at the rear of the vehicle. Departure angle is defined as the maximum ramp angle from which the vehicle can descend without damage. Think of it just like the front bumper, except coming down off something instead of coming up to it. If your Jeep has a trailer hitch below the bumper, then likely that’s going to be the last thing the rock you come down off of is going to contact. The lower that receiver is, or the more your rear bumper protrudes from the back of the vehicle, the worse your departure angle will be. Things that affect your departure angle the most will be of course wheelbase, and how far the back of the rear tire is in relation to the rear bumper. And of course that bumper and trailer hitch are going to be big factors as well, and so is the rear tire carrier. This may not come into play too much for your average weekend wheeler, out on the sand or up in the hills catching a view….. but if you plan to go to places like MOAB or The Rubicon, or wheel on trail systems with lots of rocks, and ledges, you’ll want to pay attention to this stuff as it could make the difference between carnage and making it thru unscathed. These terms among hundreds of others can be found in soon to be released Jeep Talk Show Glossary of Off Road Terminology. Once published it will be the world’s most comprehensive list of off road terminology. Stay tuned to future episodes to find out when and where to go.
Must Have Stuff for your Jeep:
Smittybilt CC121 Recoil Recovery Rope 1 in. x 30 ft $102.94 & FREE Shipping
Designed for those tough situation where a recovery strap is not strong enough. The rope stretches under load to store kinetic energy to catapult your vehicle out. 1 in. x 30 ft. Waterproof; oven; 30000 lb. Capacity
Nicky G:
Wheeling Where:
SCORE International Off-Road Racing 51st Baja 500
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Jeep Enthusiasts of Eastern PA (JEEP) J.E.E.P. At The Drive-In
https://jeepenthusiastsofeasternpa.org/
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