It’s fun to hit the trail and go places most people only see in pictures or video/TV/movie footage. It’s not about going fast like a lot of driving is these days, but rather about taking your time and enjoying the scenery while experiencing a unique driving challenge. It’s also an environment that can be particularly punishing for even off-road-designed/prepped vehicles.
We’re just back from the 2019 Easter Jeep Safari event in Moab, Utah, and trail rides on Hell’s Revenge, Kane Creek, Steel Bender and others. We thought it would be useful to highlight some of the great products offered by Heatshield Products to make your off-road adventure even better and so that you’re prepared in case the unexpected leaves you stuck on the side of the trail. We’ve classified them as what you should have with you before leaving your driveway and what should be in your kit for the trail.
Before You Leave the Driveway
There are great Heatshield Products items worth installing before you set out for off-roading to help with reliability and comfort.
Heatshield Armor™ Exhaust Insulation
It can get hot while on the trail, and if you’re running an older vehicle that doesn’t have A/C, things can get pretty warm and uncomfortable real fast,especially if you’re not moving while waiting for other vehicles to handle a major obstacle or challenge.
A source of discomfort can also be from heat generated by the exhaust system. That heat radiates upward and starts to heat-soak the floor. For many older vehicles like Jeep CJs and flatfenders that don’t have carpet or insulation from the factory, the floor can quickly turn into a hot plate that’s hot enough to cook an egg. Installing Heatshield Armor™ exhaust insulation cuts the amount of heat being radiated toward the floor by up to 70 percent. And by keeping that heat in the exhaust system, it increases exhaust gas temperature, in turn improving exhaust and engine performance. You don’t have to worry if Heatshield Armor gets wet from the elements—it will dry out and continue working like normal, thanks to exhaust heat.
Lava Oil Filter Shield™ and Lava Starter Shield™
There are often many stops and starts on the trail, and if you have a manual transmission, you’re going to stall here and there. Lava Starter Shield™ will help protect the starter from exhaust and engine heat, which can shorten starter life, while heat soak could create starting issues. A heat-soaked starter draws more power, and if you’ve had a lot of stops and starts with not enough time to recharge the battery, it won’t take long before you hear a click instead of the starter engaging. Lava Starter Shield is easy to install (some applications don’t require removal of the starter) and remove, if necessary. You can see more in our recent video.
Lava Oil Filter Shield™ helps shield the oil filter from oil being heated by exhaust and engine heat. It features our specially formulated, volcanic rock-based, thermal-barrier material, which can also protect the filter from rocks and other damaging debris that’s been kicked up from underneath your vehicle. read our blog to see the before-and-after results of using Lava Oil Filter Shield.
The last thing you want on the trail is for your fuel system to vapor lock. Even with fuel injection, vapor lock is a potential problem, especially as heat builds up underhood from there not being enough natural airflow or air moving around from the radiator fan. Thermaflect Sleeve™ goes around the hard or rubber fuel lines to protect them from the heat exposure that contributes to vapor lock and heat-related fuel inefficiency. Thermaflect Sleeve has a built-in, high-temp, hook-and-loop fastening system, which is easy to remove for fuel-system servicing.
Things to Keep Handy for the Trail
All the bouncing around on the trail has a tendency to jar things loose, especially if you have a few hard hits/bounces from obstacles and drops. Duct tape serves many purposes, but if something needs to be secured quickly and it’s hot, duct tape is not the answer. HP Thermal Tie™ is made from 304 stainless steel and is able to withstand up to 1,800 degrees F of continuous heat. It’s available in different lengths and widths. You need only a pair of pliers to use it. Our video shows how to install it.
When things start leaking out in the middle of nowhere, having something besides chewing gum to help plug the leak is a real lifesaver. HP Racer’s Tape™ is made from a specially formulated silicone adhesive material; this self-emulsifying tape will stay flexible, not harden. It’s so tough that when it comes time to remove it, you’ll need to use a knife!
Another item for securing, temporarily repairing or tightening is Heatshield Products HP Tie Wire™. Normally used to secure turbo shields on turbo housings, HP Tie Wire is a multi-purpose fixer with flexible and highly heat resistant Inconel material. Since it’s a wire, you can also snake it into hard-to-reach areas and tight spaces.
Thermaflect Tape™ is great for when you unexpectedly need to shield something from heat and/or secure something that needs to be protected from heat exposure. It’s better than duct tape, since it can withstand 1,100 degrees F of continuous heat with only 1 inch of air space between it and the heat source. Its high-temp adhesive backing easily sticks to any clean surface and will stay there, even when things get hot.
