Episode 631 – Jeep Justice Served

This Week In Jeep

Dealer Takes Responsibility For Mechanic’s Death

So I’m sure everyone here remembers that incident a little while back where a guy was killed when a stupid kid without a license and who didn’t know how to drive a stick, got into a Jeep to move it, and instead, plowed into the other mechanic killing him instantly.

The family of the victim couldn’t go after the kid, or the dealer because of some stupid Michigan law that says, if someone is injured or killed and a vehicle is involved, the owner of the vehicle is responsible. I know, it’s hard to wrap your head around, but in this case, that’s just what happened. Even though the owner of the Jeep was in the waiting room and not behind the wheel when it happened, having just dropped the Jeep off for an oil change. You see in Michigan, if you give someone permission to drive your vehicle and something happens, you are negligent and thus legally responsible.

When the Jeep driver gave his keys over to the employee who was driving, he gave permission to the employee to drive the car. This makes the owner legally responsible and is automatically liable for the driver’s negligence. It’s an odd way of looking at liability but that’s how they do it in Michigan. Well, this week justice and common sense prevailed right in the face of strange laws like this one. The dealership, Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge, and the family of Jeffrey Hawkins (the mechanic killed) have agreed to an undisclosed settlement. What happened was the dealership “indemnified” (or took responsibility for) the legal responsibilities of the Jeep owner.

The Jeep owner was civilly responsible but not criminally responsible if that makes any sense. The dealership stepped in on the man’s behalf, doing the right thing. 

The Jeep owner didn’t have to pay a single penny. Not even for his own legal fees.

Although this was a tragic accident, the family has settled, and the owner of the Jeep was cleared thanks to the dealer doing the right thing. 

Quarter-Century Anniversary For This Jeep Jamboree

This weekend, June 24-25, will mark 25 years of Jeeps descending on the area for the purpose of trail riding and making lasting friendships. Jim and Jan Gunter have been coordinating the Pennswoods Jeep Jamboree since its start in 1997; but, this is their last year at the helm. The duo has been working with the guides for years, (there are about 40 of them in all) and some have been around for all 25 years. They know the most about the event and the area so last year, they started grooming them. After this year, they will take over on their own. Chuck Dibble and Todd Kellogg will take over as coordinators of next year’s Pennswoods Jeep Jamboree. Dibble is from the Tonawanda area and said he has been participating in the Jeep Jamboree for all 25 years. He and Kellogg acknowledged they will be working hard to fill Gunter’s shoes but they will try their best. Nothing has dissuaded the Jeepers from coming this year, not even the high gas prices. According to Gunter, some of them travel four or five hours to get here, because they love to Jeep, they love to see their Jeep families — it’s like a reunion. Some have been coming since they were babies, and now, they are driving their own Jeeps. Families are growing and taking the wheel. If you look at it, it is a lot like the guides taking on the coordinator roles.

Stolen Jeep Used As Battering Ram In Burglary

Spokane Police are looking for the driver that crashed through the doors of a Spokane business early Tuesday morning as part of a burglary.

Officers responded to an alarm at Laundry Land, at 2215 West Wellesley Avenue, overnight and found the business badly damaged. Police have identified and located the Jeep, which was reported stolen, but they are still looking for assistance in identifying the suspect and the investigation is ongoing.  

…showing the jeep inside and a person next to the vehicle. Police say the vehicle appears to be an older model cream or white-colored Jeep Wrangler with rusted paint.

A manager for Laundry Land said all that was taken was a comment box.

“All this damage is for nothing, literally for nothing. So, it’s going to cost a lot of money to get our store back to normal,” Amber Ross, manager at Laundry Land said. The business itself did sustain thousands of dollars in damage. 

Officers are looking for the driver involved. People with information can call crime check at 509-456-2233 and reference incident #2022-20104976.

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: Jeep Braking Systems – Multi-part Series

STOP RIGHT THERE!  …and for most Jeep owners, that’s harder than it sounds.

Jeeps are arguably the most capable rigs on the planet, but they aren’t without their faults. And one of the biggest complaints you’ll hear from Jeepers is that their Jeeps just don’t stop that great. And the older the Jeep the more this is true. I’ve talked about brakes before over the years, and we’ve even had some big-name aftermarket companies here on the show too. Like Black Magic Brakes who we interviewed back in episode 371. So in the spirit of stopping power… I’m going to dedicate the next two or three Tech Talk’s to the braking systems of our Jeeps, how to troubleshoot problems and we’ll even take a look at doing some upgrades…ya know… “While you’re in there.”

A Jeep’s braking system is a critical set of safety components that requires proper maintenance and attention, in order to avoid… well to avoid running into stuff. 

Jeeps are heavy. My XJ is knocking on the door of two tons, and Wranglers are heavy too. Just because you have a soft top don’t think you don’t weigh a ton too. In fact, Wranglers can range in weight from over 3800 to nearly 4500 pounds. That’s over two tons! In addition to the factory weight, most Jeep owners add big steel bumpers, racks, a winch, armor, and more than all add to the vehicle’s weight. And the most common upgrade is made to the size of their tires. From 33’s to 35’s, and even 37’s and beyond. 

The increase in tire size introduces a tremendous amount of unsprung weight and additional rotating mass that the stock braking system has a hard time trying to keep up with. To properly control this increase in weight and rolling mass, upgrading your Jeep’s brake system is probably a good move. But let’s make sure it’s in good working order first, and address any problems that may exist.

These would include things like a light on in the dash, pulling to one side as you brake, fluid leaks, and noises or vibrations that come and go as you brake.  If the brake light comes on in your instrument panel, it’s either time for your regular maintenance or an alert to a potential problem. In some vehicles, this light can come on by your parking brake being engaged still. Release it and see if the alert goes away. It could also mean your brake fluid is low, so do a quick check to make sure the fluid is where it’s supposed to be. Before we go any further, I thought it might be a good idea to talk about brake fluid too real quick. Brake fluid after all is the life-blood of your Jeeps braking system and without it, you’re not stopping. It acts as hydraulic fluid, is used to transfer force into pressure, and is aided by all the different components in the system from the pedal, to the master cycler to each brake caliper piston or wheel cylinder. Brake fluid doesn’t last forever. It does degrade over time as dust and debris get into the system. Brake fluid is also hygroscopic, meaning it actually absorbs moisture from the air. Both of these reasons are why checking the fluid and occasionally flushing the fluid out is necessary.

The darker the fluid is, the worse off its condition and the more likely your stopping power will be reduced. In a later episode, we’ll go over bleeding and flushing the brake system but for now, let’s move on to more troubleshooting. New noises coming from your brakes aren’t always a sign of problems. It could just be a foreign object lodged in your brakes (a pebble from the trail or debris like built-up brake dust). It could also be your brake-pad wear indicator. These bits of metal in your brake pad come in contact with the rotor to emit a high-pitched noise when you apply the brakes. This lets you know it’s time to get your brake pads replaced. 

Grinding noises, whether you have disc or drum brakes, could mean your brakes need servicing right away due to the brake pad or shoe scraping on metal contact points. If your steering wheel or vehicle shakes or vibrates when you apply the brakes, it could be that the thickness of your rotor is uneven. Brake rotors are large discs that sit inside of the wheels. When you hit the brakes, the brake pads push against the rotors, which stops your wheels from spinning. Over time, it’s normal for the rotor surface to wear down and possibly become uneven. Braking friction, when you apply the brakes, results in the transfer of pad material to the rotor surface. If the pad material transfers unevenly, you may experience vibration when braking. Left uneven, the material will continue to build on the uneven spots, making the problem worse over time. The only fix for this is to have the rotor turned or refaced.

This process is done on a special lathe-like device that actually shaves the metal off the face of the rotor leaving behind a clean new surface. Note though, that this process takes time, and has a cost associated with it, and turned rotors won’t last as long or be as strong as new ones. And at a certain point, they will be worn or warped so bad, that they can’t be turned at all. The cost of new ones often outweighs the time and costs involved in turning the old ones. If your Jeep pulls to one side or dives violently to one side as you brake, this is a sign of a more serious problem. Typically this means that on your front brakes, one of them isn’t working properly or at all. This could be from a bad caliper, blocked line, or a leak somewhere. If you have a failure of one of your rear brakes, it may go unnoticed. That’s why I always emphasize the power of regular visual inspections. The more you drive or wheel, the quicker your brake parts will wear out. Delaying needed services could put you at risk. In the next installment of Tech Talk, I’ll be going over the details of the different kinds of braking systems found on Jeeps, what their differences are, and how they compare to others. Until then, go out and check your fluid and give your brakes a good once over or have them professionally inspected.  

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/

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