dave1123

Don't quote me on this, but I think the decent control works with the braking system, where as gearing down isn't as good at controlling the speed without using the brakes to help. As my buddy says "Decent control is for wimps!"

Cleman Simpson

I think you are right about the descent control tying into the braking system. My wife and I used to take the Wrangler up into the Winding Stair, Ozark, and Kiamichi mountains of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma and ride the forest service mountain trails.
We did a little light duty rock climbing snd up and down pretty severe rock slopes. It always seemed to me that more than engine braking was being applied on the downslopes. The first trip out we nearly ran out of fuel as I underestimated both how much gas low range operating would consume, and the length of the trail we took. The trail turne dout to be about thirty miles and I used nearly three quarters of a tank in that distance. By the time we finally found a gas station the gas guage was flat on empty.

dave1123

That's why they make "jerry can" mounts for Wranglers, LOL! I made the mistake of driving a trail I wasn't ever on and was totally unprepared for it's ruggedness with a strictly stock WJ and no support equipment or partner following. I got out of that cheap with only a broken muffler clamp and a mud bath. I had no cell service and the trail was covered with trees so a chopper wouldn't even find me. The sign said it was an "improved" trail, but later I found out it was a SNOWMOBILE trail! I shouldn't have been there anyway.

Cleman Simpson

LOL. yep that sounds kinda like a couple of our trips. I got into a trail that was nothing but jagged shattered boulders on one trip for probably ten miles. I was thinking the whole way I should have turned around anticipating four ripped out sidewalls on my tires and untold damage to the bottom of the wrangler. but by the Grace of God we made it with no damage at al.. several sections were so bad though that I abandoned the trail and zig zagged through the trees leaning over at a 45 degree angle on the mountainside to get around them. That rip made me a forever jeep fan. I have owned quite a fee 4x4 trucks, mostly dodge and none of them would have even made it halfway where that jeep went, much less so without destroying themselves in the process.

I'm home from the hospital, new fuel line/artery in place, on a walker for another week or two. Doc says next time the lower leg comes off. No more artery to tie into. Hose was plumb full of blood clots. He put me on a stronger anti clot medicine, hopefully it ill work.

dave1123

I don't think I have to warn you, but I will. Anti-coagulants are good for your problem, but be careful! Any other injury and you are a bleeder!

I was on massive doses of Neproxen at one time, (another story) and I whacked my ankle on a rock, popping a vein where to crosses the bone. It was a fountain that wouldn't stop without a lot of pressure. Without quick action on my brother's part and transport to the ER, I probably would have bled out. Yet another reason not to go off-road alone!

Cleman Simpson

Well it's just another thing to deal with. I been working out in the woods my entire life building oilfield locations and roads for the drilling rigs to use. and my only real avid hobbies are hunting and camping with my grand kids. I carry a pretty good first aid kit in my vehicle when I am in the woods and have a 300 watt linear power smp on a cobra 29 CB radio in case my cell phone won't get a signal if I need rescue. I'm getting a littler old and rickety to be out in the boonies alone but I been doing it all my life and I enjoy it.

I still don't know how well this leg is going to work when it heals, may end up having to go on disability and give up trying to keep working for a living. I have been fighting that battle for years now and have so far managed to keep working but this last round may well have put me past my limits. I'm enjoying restoring tis old Jeep though and am looking forward to lots of trips into the wilds in it.

dave1123

I myself have a bad knee, so bad at one time I had to get rid of my standard transmission truck because I was having trouble working the clutch. At 63 I lost my job because of an argument with my boss, couldn't find another job because I can't stand on my feet for 8 hours at a time, so filed for and got SSDI. I was a toolmaker making a good buck and now am collecting Social Security and a part time job delivering newspapers. Quite a comedown. I can't walk to the back of Walmart without a cart to lean on. I used to go fishing and deer hunting most of my life but now just walking across my yard is a problem. It sucks to get old! I'll be 72 in January. I have a 26 year old autistic son who can't seem to find a job that lasts long and my wife passed away in 2008.

Enough about me. What I'm saying is I know what it's like to be disabled. I wish you the best.

I have a Shakespeare 23 channel CB still in good shape I was thinking about putting it in my jeep. The 23 is still 5 watt and I was getting about a 15 mile range with it. I think I'll revive it. I got mine early enough to actually have a registered license, KBEX 9730. Probably not good now.

Cleman Simpson

Yep, getting old sucks. I used to drag or carry a 200 lb dead deer for a mile or two out of the woods to my vehicle without any help. The last one I shot it took me, my wife, and my 35 yr old youngest daughter to get it fifty yards to my truck and load it up. I mostly hunt pipeline right of ways now where I can 4x4 to where I'm going to hunt then hide my vehicle in the edge of the woodline very close to my firing position. I shoot the deer through the front shoulders if possible to minimize the chance they will run a half mile into the woods before falling, which has happened to me on a lot of occssions.

Using the 300 watt amp I get between 10 to 15 miles of transmission range out of the cobra CB, and can receive from another CB even if it is not amplified about the same distance. A roof mount antenna gives the most range but they don't hold up very well to low branches even if a spring mount is used. Of course the grand Cherokee I'm working on now has a roof rack to mount to which makes it a lot easier so what I'm thinking is I will build a folding mount that lays the antenna down inside the cage structure of the rack to protect it when not in use. When I need to transmit I can raise the antenna to an upright position. I also have a new power mike I haven't tried yet which will probably add another five miles or so to my broadcast range. On the Linear you need to run a direct power wire from the battery with a 30 amp fuse to get enough power supply to run it. Mounting all this stuff in a jeep is problematic. In the wrangler I mounted the radio to the top of the console lid between the seats and the amp under the driver seat, in the GC I have the cb in the radio hole in the dash but have not yet installed the linear which is going to mount (I think) to the passenger side of the transmission tunnel between the seats. The amp has its own power and function switches so you have to be able to reach it without getting out and kneeling down to get to it under ther seat.

Fred/N0AZZ

Another old guy here (69) with many health issues as well for an idea without going into a lot of detail my drug costs are over $13k a mo. fully disabled but still worked many yrs that way, till the bitter end.

You were wondering about the gears and such on your WJ you can find out all about them by going to Jeep and requesting a build sheet all you need is the VIN#. I did that a year after I bought my 04 WJ and was very surprised to find it had about every option offered that year for them an Overland edition with all options checked. You may be surprised as well.

My 04 WJ came with 17" tires and wheels on it FYI.

dave1123

Okay Fred! I get it! Back on topic! That's cool.

Cleman Simpson

Hi Fred, glad to meet you. Thanks for the info on the build sheet. You know I was a little down in the dumps about these health problems and not being able to work on the GC till I heal up more, especially since deer season (rifle) opens in about three weeks here. Bow season has been going on for a week already nd my crossbow is gathering dust hanging on the wall. So I'm sitting in the living room with my hurting leg propped up on a pillow watching some mindless drivel on the tv and feeling sorry for myself when the phone rings.

This guy ask me over the phone if I am the Clrmsn Simpson who builds oilfield locations, so I say yes, thinking this must be a job offer call. He then proceeds to tell me he has been looking to find me for years, that I had witnessed to him and his father out in the woods years ago about the Lord, and that had totally changed their lives from that time forward. He just wanted to thank me as his father had passed away since and now was headed for Heaven instead of hell, all thanks to me. His father had quit drinking and joined a Church after our talk, and gave his life to Christ from that day forward. His conversiuon had also resulted in the wife and children also giving their lives to Christ.

I kind of choked up when he explained all of this to me, and I'm kind of choked up now even as I recount this. I'm also thankful to The Lord that He took the time to get me out of my depression and remind me what is truly important and what is just fluff.

These human bodies and old jeeps wear out, aint no way around it. But there is hope for a total rebuild in the future.