First time ride in snow/ice

[G8R]

@G8R some ideas and solutions for the defrosters.....
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/question-regarding-the-windsheld-defrost.15276/

I’m gonna try some of the plugs mentioned from McMaster. See if it disperse the air flow better.
Cheers

22 pages of whining on the defroster. That is just hilarious. What I experienced today was trivial compared to the 6 years I endured with my CJ5. It was as if there was no defroster at all in that rig. I vividly remember an occasion in graduate school when I was chained up and wheeling in about a foot of new snow. I stopped briefly for a nature break and got back in. Note, that this was a soft top with cracked plastic windows as well as fully rusted through floor boards so there was zero insulation and it was cold that day. Anyway, once I got back in the windshield was clear and as I buckled my seat belt I watched one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed in that the entire inside of the windshield formed a single crystal layer of ice across the entire surface of the windshield in a period of about 20 seconds. The crystal seeded in a small scratch just under the rear view mirror and propagated radially out from that point. The growth rate was awesome to witness. Unfortunately, it took several hours for me to finally get the damn thing cleared again so that I could drive out as it kept reforming every time I scraped and re-scraped. To this day I have no regrets about that jeeps most serious flaw due simply to that single 20 second event as it was an awesome display of physics in action (especially so considering I am a physicist who specialized in solid state crystal formation...). Today was certainly an ice storm as I verified a 1 mm thick sheet of ice on my trailer tarp underneath the 3 inches of snow that fell during the day. When out driving in the regular snow storm my windshield remained completely clear from edge to edge so I believe that what I experienced today was somewhat of an anomaly and there were other vehicles of other makes on the side of the road scraping with various instruments including what looked like credit cards (I am guilty of that). I did verify that my vents were putting out hot air across the entire zone and no dead zones on the ends as observed in the link above (although flow rate is quite low on the outer edges). I am off tomorrow for a 2 week hunting trip near 10,000 feet so I suspect I am going to get a good chance to test out the system and report back. Photo is the old CJ5 but a different day.

Sponsored

 

[Moab]

@G8R that’s a great story! Sorry for that long post link. I only caught a small section ,I didn’t realize it was that many pages! Good luck and enjoy the hunting trip.
Personally haven’t had a defrost issue yet.
If mine happens to be poor, I’ll try that McMaster plug trick.
Cheers mate.

 

[5chema]

Same storm for me on the south end of Denver. My M/Ts slip a fair bit on the icy roads but I expected that. What I did not expect was how bad the defroster and wipers are. They sucked. Had to pull over and rescrape 5 times over the course of an hour.

What is your tire pressure?

 

[smlobx]

@G8R some ideas and solutions for the defrosters.....
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/question-regarding-the-windsheld-defrost.15276/

I’m gonna try some of the plugs mentioned from McMaster. See if it disperse the air flow better.
Cheers

Wow!
Just read all 22 pages..(it’s raining here..) Anyway, the bottom line is that you can buy these plugs on eBay and insert them into the defroster holes starting in the center and work your way out.
You’re welcome..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Square-...h=item3b281733d0:g:ozQAAOxy~dNTHKhm:rk:6:pf:0

Otherwise we could ask @steffen707 to make a plate (not out of plywood!)

 

[Gatorized]

plywood, i want mine plywood now

Maybe MDF...

 

[steffen707]

Wow!
Just read all 22 pages..(it’s raining here..) Anyway, the bottom line is that you can buy these plugs on eBay and insert them into the defroster holes starting in the center and work your way out.
You’re welcome..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Square-...h=item3b281733d0:g:ozQAAOxy~dNTHKhm:rk:6:pf:0

Otherwise we could ask @steffen707 to make a plate (not out of plywood!)

HEY HEY! I just bought those exact squares! I already was caught up on that thread and been following it for the last 4 pages or so in real time. Don't push the plugs too hard or they'll pop below the vent openings.

I'm actually planning to make an aluminum plate with holes drilled into it, i'll need to play around with how many and how big the holes are. Got this idea from JL Forum member TRZ Question regarding the Windsheld defrost

With the squares you really only need about 4 (original square size) openings for 14-18" of center section to still get tons of airflow in the middle, but also air will finally come out the sides. I mean look at how dumb this design is, no wonder all the air comes right up the middle of the windshield. There's nothing forcing it to go to the sides......

 

[Delhux]

HEY HEY! I just bought those exact squares! I already was caught up on that thread and been following it for the last 4 pages or so in real time. Don't push the plugs too hard or they'll pop below the vent openings.

I'm actually planning to make an aluminum plate with holes drilled into it, i'll need to play around with how many and how big the holes are. Got this idea from JL Forum member TRZ Question regarding the Windsheld defrost

With the squares you really only need about 4 (original square size) openings for 14-18" of center section to still get tons of airflow in the middle, but also air will finally come out the sides. I mean look at how dumb this design is, no wonder all the air comes right up the middle of the windshield. There's nothing forcing it to go to the sides......

I jumped in my truck tonight after letting it warm up for about 10-minutes, the passenger side defrost was pretty useless.

In a pinch, I held a sheet of paper over the vent near the center (to divert the air), and the passenger side pretty quickly defrosted, but it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen without some intervention.

Let us know if you make any progress in that air diffuser design.

 

[deadbug]

My passenger side wiper blade at the furthest end freezes up with a big chunk of ice, even running defrost on high and full fan, kind of annoying.
Thinking of heat tape and one of the aux switches
To turn on as needed!
Even tho defroster doesn't distribute air evenly so far thats all thats happening during my snow driving

 

[PyrPatriot]

HEY HEY! I just bought those exact squares! I already was caught up on that thread and been following it for the last 4 pages or so in real time. Don't push the plugs too hard or they'll pop below the vent openings.

I'm actually planning to make an aluminum plate with holes drilled into it, i'll need to play around with how many and how big the holes are. Got this idea from JL Forum member TRZ Question regarding the Windsheld defrost

With the squares you really only need about 4 (original square size) openings for 14-18" of center section to still get tons of airflow in the middle, but also air will finally come out the sides. I mean look at how dumb this design is, no wonder all the air comes right up the middle of the windshield. There's nothing forcing it to go to the sides......

Where did you get the parts diagram?

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Man, this last winter storm was a butt whoppin' but my JLU did great on 35" Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws.

 

[jrf]

I loved (that's sarcasm) Jeeps response in this case too. "2 other ones do that, so it's as designed" I'm pretty sure if wheels were literally falling off Jeeps the dealer's answer would be "The other ones do that too, so it's as designed" How is that an answer? hahahahha

 

[steffen707]

Where did you get the parts diagram?

from the jl forum I believe in a similar "defroster sucks" thread.

 

[steffen707]

Where did you get the parts diagram?

this is what i used to plug the holes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Square-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[mazeppa]

This may be another solution, maybe modifying the original idea using less individual 1/2" socket holder clips and drill some holes in the rail.

Seen this idea from a post by JL Forum member Gemball2018

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...e-windsheld-defrost.15276/page-11#post-505811

 

[augustwest]

Had our first storm in Connecticut this week. Not used to driving a truck and lost my ass end almost immediately just not expecting it. Once I woke up was good to go. My issue is the amount of slush that sprays up onto the truck. Its crazy. Thinking the lift and 35's allows so much more to spray?

Does anybody have/use mudflaps? Any suggestions? Is it every worth trying those out?

Sponsored