Episode 393 – Marvel’s Hawkeye And Jeep
This Week In Jeep:
Avengers and FCA
You may know him from his role the Borne Legacy as Aaron Cross, or his more famous role as Hawkeye in Marvel’s Avenger Movies. But what you probably don’t know, is that the actor famous for those roles and many others, Jeremy Renner, is also an avid Jeep enthusiast AND the spokesman for Jeeps latest ad campaign. As the warm California sun shines down on him, he explains what he wants out of a vehicle. “I don’t want something that looks like a rocket ship. I don’t want something that looks like a Popsicle,” he tells a couple of journalists as he stands in front of a red Jeep Gladiator last Wednesday. “I want something that looks like a vehicle.” Renner counts a Tesla Model S among his auto possessions and now a 707-horsepower supercharged black Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has been added to the mix, given to him by one of FCA’s top execs. Oddly enough, the reason Renner’s been selected for FCA’s “summer of Jeep” ad campaign is not for his love of cars, it’s for his music. FCA’s Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois had a chance to hear some of Renner’s tunes when the FCA executive, who is also head of the Fiat brand, was in Los Angeles for a taping of NBC’s “Songland” recently. Francois will be featured on the show in August searching for songwriters for upcoming Jeep commercials, and although Renner’s music is not part of that show, Francois liked what he heard enough during a visit to Renner’s home, where they talked and sipped tequila, that he decided to use Renner’s band’s music in the upcoming Jeep marketing campaign.
“Whatever I was doing, and whatever he was needing, it just made sense,” Renner said.
A series of spots featuring various Jeeps and Renner’s music are designed to tell the story of Jeep as Francois sees it, summed up in three simple words
*** freedom, authenticity, capability. ***
It forms a kind of launch for Renner’s music career as well, with songs like “Main Attraction” and “Nomad” designed to highlight Jeep’s attributes.
“I’m genuinely more interested in the music than having “Hawkeye” as my endorser,” Francois said. Music, Francois says, allows you to connect to an audience emotionally, not just through a product. “These are not just songs. These are mini-movies to me,” he said of Renner’s music. The ads will air on social media as well as TV, but you wont see any Jeep commercials during the Super Bowl. FCA chose to skip televised advertising for the big game, which was noteworthy not just because of the size of the audience but also because FCA has featured Eminem, Clint Eastwood and Bob Dylan in memorable past spots. So far, the effort has paid off compared to the pricey Super Bowl TV ads, with millions of online views and positive feedback. The band, One Republic’s largely instrumental version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” featuring images to represent the lyrics was particularly well-received. Francois considers FCA’s approach to marketing its products to be different than that of other automakers, (the “traditional car guys”) who want to see their products front and center. “At FCA, we hate marketing as usual. I hate when marketing feels like marketing,” he said, noting that the new efforts with Renner and the NBC show are just an experiment. “What I like about this experiment is that it’s a new approach to brand integration,” he said. People have already been introduced to Jeep, everybody knows of the brand he noted. Now, “people need to be reminded of what it stands for.”
Train Derailment Ruins Jeeps
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and if you’ve seen the pictures of Wednesdays train derailment, you’d likely agree. If you live west of Nevada, and have ordered a Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, or even a new Silverado recently, you may be waiting longer than you were expecting. Yesterday morning, 33 train cars derailed in Lincoln County, and the cargo that was being transported consisted of new Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers along with Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras.
The train derailment also caused the adjacent road to be closed, and local law enforcement recommends the area is to be avoided as long as it takes to clean it all up. Which according to experts may take days or even weeks. In the photos, you can see damaged Jeeps and other trucks sitting either on their wheels or on their paint in various positions, as the incident is being assessed. Available information says there were thankfully no personal injuries, but it’s not likely any of these trucks will end up in customer hands, even with a significant discount. Pre-registration transport damage, significant or not, usually results in scrapping complete vehicles so that manufacturers can steer clear of liability and repair issues. Looking at the pics closely, you can see the upended Gladiator seems to have a pretty sturdy support structure for its cab, thanks to its new roll bars, as none of the glass seems to have even one crack.
Another interesting fact seen in these pics, is that the GM trucks, have mounted discreet and temporary transport wheels instead of the rims we typically see on trucks in dealer’s lots. Maybe that’s to deter thieves that are eager to jump onto a train and grab a shiny set from trucks on their way to the dealer… ? Who knows. Still, it’s a shame these vehicles are likely never going to fulfill their driving, hauling, and off roading purposes in the hands of their new owners. Perhaps the manufacturers can at least use the damage for data-gathering purposes. Either way, I’ll be curious to see if any of these will get refurbished, or if the shol lot is going to the scrap yard…. daddy could use a discounted Gladiator.
Wrangler Talk: Jeep Momma Update
Interview with: Ken – AKA: Dr. Deathwobble
A great first time speaking with Ken and learning more about death wobble. You’ll also hear what Ken thinks whats causing the problem with the 2019 JL Wrangler and yet it’s a design issue.
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk: 
The right/Quick way to swap a coil spring
If you’ve installed a lift kit on a coil sprung vehicle, you undoubtedly had to use a spring compressor to get the lift springs to fit in between the axle and the body. This typically involves jacking the vehicle up to unsafe heights, unbolting the shocks, control arms, steering linkage and your left arm just to get the axle to droop enough to get the stock springs to drop out. Either that or you went and rented a spring compressor, mounted it on the springs, and then spent the next 30 minutes slowly wrenching each side down one turn at a time until you’re certain things are going to shoot out of the wheel well and take your head off. There’s an easier way, and after you hear this, you’re going to kick yourself in the shorts for doing it wrong this whole time. It is much easier to remove coil springs by using spring compressors while the jack and vehicle weight has compressed the springs. Then lower the axle and the springs will fall out faster than the teeth in a tweekers skull. Doing this one corner at a time will result in a speedy and easy install. Just reverse the process by using the spring compressor to shrink the new springs outside of the Jeep. A much easier process when you don’t have to worry about things getting in the way. Install the compressed new springs in place, then raise the axle back up, and remove the spring compressors. Voila! Seriously, I’ve swapped out front springs on a TJ in less than 30 minutes after disconnecting sway bar links and shocks. No air tools. Total of maybe 2 hours, minus clean up and putting tools away. So the next time you’re helping a friend out with a new lift, or are gaining some altitude yourself, remember this trick to save yourself a lot of time and hassle.
Jeep Momma Product Review: Drivetrain and Steering Lubrication
Lumax LX-1152 Black Heavy Duty Deluxe Pistol Grease Gun with 18″ Flex Hose
https://amzn.to/2xUk66p
Lincoln Lubrication 5803 Grease Needle Nozzle
https://amzn.to/2SayuAy
Nicky G: Hammer Knuckle – Like Moose Knuckle, but completely different.
Camp Fire Side Chat
You heard about Josh’s next level Honda issues, being run off the road from a 18 wheeler, loosing control and totaling the less stolen car, but look after being able to limp it to work thieves strike again and remove the wheels and tires. Not a complete loss, Josh now has some lightly used cinder blocks.
Wheeling Where:
Who/What: Wicked Jeeps North Carolina – Uwharrie Summit
When: Aug 3rd
Where: Uwharrie OHV Trail System – North Carolina
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WickedJeepsNC/
Who/What: Crawl 4 the Cure
When: July 18th – 21st
Where: Gilbert, Minnesota at the Iron Range OHV Recreation Area
More Info: https://www.crawl4cure.org/
Links Mentioned in Episode 393:
Ken – Dr. Death Wobble