Got a stuck e-locker on your Rubicon? I did; my front locker decided to stay locked. I just finished replacing the seals a couple weeks prior, so I was a bit frustrated with myself given that I should have tested the locker out before putting everything back together!
Checkout my video if you want to know what causes this and how to fix it. This is the longer version which includes a bit of preventative maintenance.
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Like most Jeep owners that actually wheel, I like getting my Jeep nice and muddy. But mud is actually pretty hard on your Jeep. Specifically your Belt Tensioner, the Idler Pulleys and your Alternator. The pulley on the tensioner as well as the idler pulley can seize up. If this happens, the belt will melt. Because the belt on many models drives the power steering pump, the power brakes, alternator and most importantly the water pump will stop functioning.
I’ve found this out the hard way a couple times.
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My 2012 Jeep Rubicon now has 171,000 KM on her and I felt it was time to replace the front axle seals. They weren’t leaking which I am told is a rarity in a Jeep Rubi’s age. The black-book estimate on this job is 4.9 hours, so while I was there I decided some more upgrades were in order.
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I’ve wanted to do this run for a bit now; the weather was perfect and it was a beauiful time of year to make the trek up Limestone Mountian. Our group was the perfect size; six rigs. I was the only one with a modified Jeep; and I had the only winch. Would we need it?
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One of the reasons I bought the Rubicon package in 2012, when I was in the market for a Jeep, was the electrinic swaybar disconnect. But as with most vehicles, these luxury items often fail. This was the case a couple weeks ago after an adventure to limestone mountain. My swaybar light was blinking and the system was stuck in the unlocked position.
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It was time to retire my Bilstein 5100 series shocks.
The Falcon Series 3.3 Fast Adjust Piggyback Shock are designed and engineered to deliver race inspired performance and handling while exclusively built to the specific requirements of the Jeep Wrangler. Vehicle stability is the paramount goal with all Falcon shocks. For years, shocks have been simply “adapted” with minimal tuning and not specifically designed for an application. Falcon Shocks changes that mentality. The Falcon Series 3.3 Piggyback shocks are corner specific, built from the ground up, and deliver the best damping characteristics possible with fitment and function outlining the highest priorities.
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For the first time that I can recall Rubi started throwing an error code. After several months I decided to fix it. Originally I was told it was the cooling fan, but my Innova 3210RS OBD2 Bluetooth Code Reader was telling me otherwise.
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As a direct result of installing the TeraFlex Falcon 3.3 shocks, I have installed longer (24” front / 20” Rear) Stainless steel brake lines. I initially went with the rugged ridge kit as it advertised these specs; the rear lines were perfect, however, the front lines were 4” SHORTER than stock. Not longer as advertised. This was unacceptable; the droop on the Falcon 3.3s was borderline with the stock lines; there was no way that a shorter one would survive the extra travel! Rugged Ridge claimed this was a packaging error, however, I have found quite a few reviews of their JK kit (RUG16734.10) claiming identical issues.
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It’s time for Rubi’s brakes to get some attention; specifically the BRAKE FLUID! What can happen is that over time water can build up in the brake fluid itself. The only way to remove the water is to replace the brake fluid. A flush of the system is required periodically.
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My busy winter season started out pretty simple with the TreadHead Garage Naked Christmas Cruise. After that is was a trip to the Good the Bad the Ugly. The warm temperatures made this trail, that is usually quite simple, a challenging trip to say the least. Even with half our group bailing, a few of us trudged on and made it to the falls with plenty of light left for the return trip.
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