Episode 650 – Protect The Low Hanging Fruit
This Week In Jeep
NHTSA Opens Multiple Probes Into Jeep Cherokee Parking Brake Malfunction
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.) has announced this week that it is beginning investigations into the 2014–2020 Jeep Cherokee after receiving 80 complaints from Cherokee owners regarding problems with the electronic parking brake. The problem appears to be that the brake may activate while the Jeep is moving, which causes the vehicle to stall and stop. According to the reports and documentation from repair invoices, the NHTSA is theorizing at this point that water may be leaking 
in, causing damage to the electronic parking brake module. The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation noted that a previous recall in 2015 of nearly 100,000 2014–2015 Jeep Cherokees addressed issues with the power liftgate module being damaged by water leakage, noting in the current documents that the liftgate and brake modules are located in a similar area of the vehicle.
An estimated 1,341,055 Cherokee vehicles could be involved, and the investigation is currently at the “preliminary evaluation” stage. One example of a consumer complaint found on the NHTSA recalls website reads: “While driving on a four-lane highway at 65 mph the vehicle partially lost power and would not accelerate, upshift, or downshift, the brake lights started flashing, along with many other lights on the dash including check engine.” The owner of this Cherokee also reported being shown the parking brake module of the Jeep by a mechanic and was informed that water had 
indeed seeped into the system, leaving the electronic parking brake module corroded and malfunctioning. For now, NHTSA has not called for the Cherokee to be recalled for the brake issue, and there are no reports of accidents or injuries. If you or someone you knows owns any year or trim of Jeep Cherokee, please let them know about this issue, direct them to this episode, and they can also check the NHTSA recalls website for updates – https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
You Mad Bro?
His name is Dewey R. Fredricks. And this man may be a hero or a villain, and by the end of this story you’ll have made up your mind. In 1986 Dewey bought a Jeep from a Fort Wayne Indiana, O’Daniel dealership back in 1986 which apparently had a bad motor in it. It was the bane of Dewey’s existence for 30 years and the dealership refused to make things right. That’s Dewey’s story at least, and he’s stickin to it.
That’s why the 79-year-old man used road flares to torch three Jeeps at one O’Daniel lot and a Pontiac convertible at another, causing nearly $75,000 worth of damage over the course of the early morning hours of July 17th.
“It was time for the chickens to return to roost,” Fredrick said in a recorded interview with police. Surveillance cameras picked up Dewey Fredrick driving a 2002 white Chevrolet S10 four-door pickup truck to one O’Daniel lot at about 1:15 a.m. on July 17.
Once there, Dewey walked around a 2019 Jeep Compass on the lot, stopped at the passenger side and opened the fuel door, and placed the burning end of a road flare into the fuel tube. Several moments later, the Jeep Compass was engulfed in flames. The fire became so intense it ignited a 2013 and a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited parked on each side of the Compass. Dewey then drove to a different O’Daniel lot where he took a knife and cut an opening in the roof of a 2008 Pontiac Solstice convertible.
As he had done previously, a road flare was lit and dropped into the opening. You can guess what happened from there. All vehicles were a total loss. Upon his arrest, Dewey Fredrick told investigators he was upset he did not get to see the fires happen.
Being the nice and friendly type of cops and not the beating and tazing kind, they actually showed him surveillance video! He even identified himself as the one in the white pickup truck and, when he saw the Jeep on fire, (according to court documents)
said: “Oh, that fucker was really cooking, wasn’t it?” He was disappointed that the other vehicles did not burn like the first Jeep did, showing no remorse for his actions.
In his deposition, Dewey admitted that shortly after he purchased the Jeep in 1986 he went to an O’Daniel lot and placed Loctite and Super Glue in the door locks of several cars on the lot. Fredrick is facing four preliminary counts of Level 4 felony arson after being arrested last Friday. Fredrick was released on his own recognizance but is being monitored by Allen County court officials. He’s due back in court later this week.
Think he’ll go?
Could This Replace The Motor Bike On The Back Of Your Jeep?
QuietKat was founded by twin brothers Jake and Justin Roach in Eagle, Colorado back in 2012 to build and sell what they believe are the best all-terrain electric bikes in the world. From the beginning, QuietKat has built ebikes that are designed for off-road use. The long-term plan is to replace internal combustion quad and trail bikes wherever possible – allowing hunters, anglers, and explorers to move almost silently through the wilderness. (what could possibly go wrong)
The company is now leading the all-terrain bike industry, their bikes are sold through over 300 retail partners including Cabelas, Scheels, Camping World, and BassPro Shops.
The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike is one of QuietKat’s more popular models, doubtless helped along by Jeep’s brand name awareness. The model was designed to offer the best possible off-road ability, living up to that decades-old Jeep reputation. The bike has a rugged frame with a load capacity of 300 lbs and an integrated rear pannier rack for hauling gear.
It’s offered in three sizes, allowing each rider to get a bike best suited to their physical height. A four-bar linkage Fire-Link suspension system is fitted in the rear, with a pair of telescopic forks up front. The bike is also fitted with CST 26″ x 4.8″ fat tires to help soak up rough terrain. And if the fat-tire look isn’t your thing, the frame is designed so that you can switch to a 29″ standard mountain bike tire set if you prefer. Both 750 and 1000-watt versions of the bike are available, with the 1000-watt version capable of up to 1500 watts of peak performance and 118 ft-lbs of torque. Power is provided by either the pedals, the electric motor, or both working together.
Electric-only range is 58 miles (and that’s over varied terrain, not pavement) and the bike has an SRAM 9-speed drivetrain to make scaling any incline easy. The lithium-ion battery pack is fitted into the main downtube of the frame and is quickly removable which makes recharging easier and range extending possible by carrying an extra battery. The MSRP is $7,500, and although that’s not cheap, it is in line with current pricing for a high-end downhill mountain bike. But of course, those don’t come with motors and battery packs.
https://www.bikeride.com/jeep-e-bike/
Must-Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Artec Industries JL/JLU Rear Lower Control Arm Bolt-On Skids
For all you JL, and JLU owners out there, you know that your Jeep has some low-hanging fruit. And by that, I certainly don’t mean that super stylish set of truck nuts you so comically have dangling from your tow hitch. What I’m talking about are the rear control arm and shock mounts. These things protrude WAY down below the axle tube.
It’s only a matter of time before they start getting beat up. And over time, with enough trial time, they will start to show signs of abuse. Since they hang so low and are made from crappy stamped steel, it’s common for the JLs to just drag things over the rocks and break them. One of the most common complaints from rock crawling JL owners is the splitting, cracking, bending, or breaking of the rear lower shock mounts.
In extreme cases, the shock mount can be ripped from the axle leaving only a sliver of metal holding the control arm mount in place if any at all.
Don’t let this happen to you. The best way to avoid damage to this area and protect the components like your shock end and control arm end link is to install some armor. One of the most instantly recognizable names in the Jeep industry is Artec Industries.
https://www.artecindustries.com/
They are second to none in their truss designs and their level of fabrication available for us everyday Jeep builders is beyond impressive. So for this week’s must-have pick of the week for your Jeep, I’m highlighting the Artec Industries Rear Axle LCA Bolt-On Skid Plates (Part #JL4599) These heavy-duty skid plates are made from a 3/16″ thick boxed steel plate for strength and impact resistance. They protect and beef up the factory brackets so you won’t have to worry about damaging them on the trail. Ever. The integrated skid plates wrap around where the control arm joint and shock mounts, protecting them from direct impact and decreasing premature wear on the joints. Plus, these skids come with a 2-stage hard powder-coated finish for long-lasting protection. It is a quick and easy installation utilizing factory hardware and basic hand tools. This simple install is a very important one. Try to get on this before you damage your OEM brackets. Otherwise, you may end up having to do some bending, hammering, and creative pressing with a floor jack to get your factory mounts in good enough shape to install these skids. They not only provide protection but also reinforce the OEM brackets, so better to get these on your Jeep early, before it’s too late.
Links Mentioned in this Episode
NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/
Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/
Interact With The Show! https://jeeptalkshow.com/contact
Jeep Talk Show on Facebook https://facebook.com/jeeptalkshow
Rat Bastards Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratbastard
Rat Bastards Webpage https://ratbastard.lol
Looking for Amazon products we’ve talked about on the show? https://jeeptalkshow.com/amazon
You are invited to our Discord Server! https://discord.gg/txeYMs45sm
Show notes powered by sevenslats.com