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Kentrol at The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival!

Kentrol at The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival!

The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, one of the premier Jeep-only events in the nation, welcomes Jeep owners from all over the country to the birthplace of the Jeep in Butler, Pa. 

“The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival is an event that every Jeep enthusiast can enjoy because you can see thousands of rare military models, modified off-road-ready vehicles and stock daily-driver Jeeps all in the same place at the same time,” said Patti Jo Lambert, Festival director.  “The variety of Jeep models and other Festival activities offer a fun weekend for Jeep enthusiasts of all ages.  We’ve heard the Festival described as “Jeep Heaven” and for many people who attend, it’s exactly that.”

Kentrol was proud to attend and display at the Bantam Jeep Festival this year and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Jeep. The event overall was fantastic, we had great weather and got to speak with hundreds of customers about our high quality stainless steel accessories for the JK, TJ, YJ and CJ. For Kentrol it was a great opportunity to showcase new products as well as our newly built JKU Wrangler. We installed 37” tires with a 2.5” lift and Aries Fender Flares to allow the 37’s to fit with minimal lift. The Jeep turned out great and was the perfect selling tool for our new E-Z Detach Mirrors and Foot Pegs.

Kentrol is looking forward to attending and participating in the show again next year because it’s well organized. Bantam does a fantasic job organizing a Jeep Parade, obstacle course, off-road trails with Rausch Creek off-road park and a great vendor show layout. The show happens to honor the Bantam Jeep which eventually evolved into the Willys MB and the Ford GPW. It is the father of all Jeeps. Bantam produced a total of 2,675 Jeeps and never produced another vehicle after that. They then produced 'jeep' cargo trailers, torpedo motors and other items until they closed in 1956. The Bantam was built in Butler PA where the show is hosted each year.

 We’ll see you all next year at the Festival which will be on June 9-11 at Coopers Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pa!

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We have a perfect solution to annoying hood flutter!

We have a perfect solution to annoying hood flutter!

What is Hood Flutter?

An age-old problem for Jeep owners, factory hood latches degrade over time and fail causing hoods to rattle or even become unsecured while driving. If you own a Wrangler JK you might have experienced it while driving on a freeway. When you go over 60 MPH, you can’t help but notice the hood jumping up and down so you think it is going to fly up and hit the windshield. This can be kind of scary when it really gets going.

Why Does it Happen?

Basically this happens because the stock hood latches that hold the hood tight to the fender are made of very a weak and stretch-prone rubber that allows the hood to lift and flutter at speed. This allows the hood to move up and down as the rubber stretches. Hood latches get 'loose' over time causing the hood to be unreasonably loose causing the hood to shake or flutter under various operating speeds.

Can You Fix This Problem?

You can buy replacement hood wranglers which are the rubber pieces of the latch. Several companies make a heavy duty latch kit. The one we suggest is Kentrol JK/TJ Hood Latch. It latches tight and does not move at all. Kentrol replacement hood hold downs eliminate hood movement and are much more durable than the factory hold downs.  All necessary hardware and instructions are included. Installation is simple and maintains the factory look.

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We purchased a 3D printer - it's going to be disruptive!

We purchased a 3D printer - it's going to be disruptive!

Kentrol is excited to announce that we have purchased a 3D printer, which will enable us to develop new products for your Jeep faster. We now have the capability to prototype in a matter of hours, rather than days or weeks. This will speed up engineering development time drastically, allowing the production of high quality, dimensionally accurate parts in the shortest time possible. This means faster design to product release time!

The printer allows the capability to print a 12”x12”x18” build volume part, has dual extruders, enclosed build chamber with charcoal filtration, WiFi connectivity, a 5” touch screen interface, and a heated, self-compensating bed. Below are just a few of the major benefits of adding this technology to our capabilities…

Time-to-Market: 3D printing allows ideas to develop faster than ever. Being able to 3D print a concept the same day it was designed shrinks a development process from what might have been months to a matter of days, helping companies stay one step ahead of the competition. 

 

Feedback: With a prototype you can test the market by unveiling it at a trade-show, showing it to potential buyers. Getting buyers response to the product before it actually goes into production is a valuable way to verify the product has market potential.

 

Personalize It: With standard mass-production, all parts come off the assembly line or out of the mold the same. With 3D printing, one can personalize, customize and tweak a part to uniquely fit their needs, which allows for custom fits.

 

Build your Imagination: In the modern boom of digital art and design, the possibilities are not only accelerating but limitless. One can now 3D print almost anything they imagine after drawing it up virtually. In a relatively short time, an idea, concept, dream or invention can go from a simple thought to a produced part that you can hold.

 

Fail Fast, Fail Quick, Fail Cheap: Being able to test ideas quickly and discover what doesn’t work accelerates discovery leading to an ideal solution. 3D printing allows a product developer to make breakthroughs at early stages that are relatively inexpensive leading to better products and less expensive dead-ends.

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We have got two Jeep events you’ve been waiting for!

We have got two Jeep events you’ve been waiting for!

­­Time is closing fast, it’s almost here. Wow! We have got the Jeep events you’ve been waiting for! Two awesome ones are coming up…

April 16 and April 20-24 those are the dates to mark on your calendar. Where will you be? Right here with us!

First, come help us celebrate at the 25th Anniversary Morris Jeep Event

Join Us Saturday, April 16TH 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

There’s so much to do!

"Event Proceeds to benefit 4KIDS of South Florida"

 

4KIDS of South Florida committed to providing a home for every child in crisis.

 

After that we will be seeing you at JEEP BEACH in Daytona on April 20-24!

The beach event in Daytona seems to get bigger every year, Jeeps came from as far away as Alaska. Last year a total of 1,846 Jeeps took part in the parade, which happened on the racetrack at the Daytona International Speedway.It’s one of the most enormous Jeep Beach events!

 

Jeep Beach is an annual event of Jeep enthusiasts celebrating a passion for off-road vehicles. The event is held in Daytona Beach and is five days of family friendly fun for Jeep owners.

Some of the activities will include:

  • Obstacle courses for all levels of drivers
  • Meet face-to-face with leading industry vendors
  • Drive in a parade
  • Try your luck on winning prizes in our huge raffles
  • Clean up at the Jeep-shining show
  • Party with new and old Jeep friends

The Mid Florida Jeep Club is proud to present the 13th Anniversary of Jeep Beach. The event has become the largest JEEP ONLY five day event in the Southeast USA. This year’s event is shaping up to be the best year yet. They are expecting thousands of attendees, so make your plans now to attend and enjoy the many festivities, great friends and delicious food.

 

We are really excited to see you at both events! Make sure to stop by at our booth where we will be handing out freebies, showing off our new released products and answering all your questions! We will have a Rubicon on display that will be detailed with black textured finished accessories.

 

Follow us on Facebook for more updates and news!

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Kentrol Brings New Products to SEMA

Kentrol Brings New Products to SEMA

Viva Las Vegas!

Kentrol is making its way to the City of Lights to attend this year’s SEMA Show and exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 3–6.

We look forward to this show every year, and we’re very excited to remind friends we’ve made there why Kentrol offers the best in specialty Jeep parts and accessories, while introducing our products to a brand new audience.

We have plenty to show off that’s new, including black textured stainless, replacement rubber hood latches and ready-to-paint steel accessories for the JK, stainless steel mirrors and accessories for the CJ, YJ, TJ, and JK. We’re bringing many of these new items to the show, so visit us at booth #33031 to get your first look.

 

SEMA is the automotive industry’s premier gathering of manufacturers of specialty auto products. Businesses will introduce more than 1,600 new and featured products to more than 60,000 qualified buyers, 73% of whom are more likely to buy from a SEMA exhibitor.

See you in Vegas!

 

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For the Love of Mud: 2015 4Wheel Drive Jamboree

For the Love of Mud: 2015 4Wheel Drive Jamboree

Things got reeeaaally dirty at this year’s 4WD Jamboree, which means it was a total success!

 

Last month, 4,200 mudders showed up with Jeeps and other vehicles in tow to 4WD’s Columbiana headquarters for the 17th Annual 4WD Jamboree for some serious fun, including a rock crawl, mud pit, obstacle course, and the Kentrol-sponsored Show ‘N’ Shine event. We had 1,545 Jeeps climbing, crawling, and plowing through the mud. It was a blast! In case you missed it, here are some pictures from the event! Thanks to 4WD for supplying some great shots from their album.

Jeep & Greet...

The Jamboree kicked off on Friday, Sept. 25, with a Jeep & Greet at the Sandwich Factory parking area in Columbiana.

Because Mud...

So. Much. Fun. It was amazing to see what a Jeep can climb and crawl over, but things definitely got extremely bumpy for the passengers. You will get jostled around. 4WD grabbed some great action shots from the obstacle course and the mud pit!

Photo courtesy 4WD 

Friends and Family...

Kentrol had a Rubicon on display that was detailed half and half, so attendees could take a look at two different finishes. We also gave away two door prizes: black-textured hood kits for JK. There was also plenty to keep the kiddos occupied, including go karts and CJ, 4WD's mascot.

 

Show 'N' Shine...

We had 94 Jeeps entered into this year’s Show ‘N’ Shine event. There were some incredible entries and the judges had a real tough time picking the winners, who took home some really cool trophies that were custom-welded from gear install parts from 4Wheel Drive Hardware’s shop. Too cool!

 

  

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