The Cass County Sheriff's Police Department has been Pedderised.

After 91,000 miles of in-service use the Cass County Sheriff's HEMI Dodge Charger was feeling tired. Deputy Gary Armstrong describes what the Charger felt like in a hard turn in route to a call, "While responding to a call I had to stop and check to see if I had a flat tire. In a turn my car didn't feel right. The tires were fine, but something was wrong with the car.' Deputy Armstrong did his research and found Pedders.



Pedders picked up the Charger on Monday April 27th, 2009. The next Day Cass County's 91,000 mile Charger became the most competent Police vehicle in the USA. A series of required repairs were made to the Charger. That is nothing new as we repair suspensions all the time. What is new and NEWS is that the run of the mill HEMI Charger Police Car was heavily modified to enhance pursuit capabilities. The Sheriff's car was Pedderised including the very first set of Police Spec Xa Coilovers!

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This Cass County First Responder LX got the best of everything we have at Pedders. What a difference in the drive from Cass County to Reeves Pontiac Buick in Indianapolis and the return trip Pedderised. I had no desire to drive it in the condition we picked it up. After 91, 000 hard miles it was sloppy, really sloppy to drive. It felt like and old truck. The drive back was a very different story and different vehicle. It was razor sharp, controlled and fun to drive. If Mike didn't take most of the miles Police car or not I would have been on the wrong side of the bars before we delivered the car back to Deputy Armstrong.


Mike
dms

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A Police Xa Package is a major installation. As this is an in service vehicle it had to be completed in one day. Eric and Mike did a stellar job. With the installation complete we aligned the vehicle for improved tire life balanced by improved handling. The high rate coils will carry the day to day load of electronic equipment and tactical gear. We put enough people in the trunk to total 900 pounds with most of it on the bumper. The rear ride height dropped only 40mm.

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mike
dms

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We delivered the Charger to Deputy Armstrong at about 11:30 Tuesday night. His test drive made all the work Mike and Eric did worth while. He was more than impressed. He was more than excited. He was some where north of ecstatic. Deputy Armstrong now drive the meanest looking, baddest #$% unmarked HEMI powered Police Cruise on the planet. His custom installation of electronics combined with Pedders Xa Police Package give him more power to Protect and Serve than should be legal.

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The Cass County Sheriff's Department now has the ability to successfully conclude any pursuit they choose to engage in. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time - in Cass County Indiana.



So what was wrong? The rear sub-frame bushes were severely corroded. The corrosion had caused almost a complete separation of the rubber to metal bond in all four of the sub-frame bushes. The flat tire feeling was caused by the degradation of the sub-frame bushes. There was so much movement in the rear sub-frame it did feel as though there were a flat tire when driven. The picture below shows the cradle moving close to 2 inches; thus the sensation of a flat tire.

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this video link shows the tearing rear cradle bushings and the tearing front tension rod bushings

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Also, they were on their 3rd set of front tension rods. the bushings had what appeared as a slight crack. But upon very close inspection, the crack was all the way thru the bushing, and with normal deflection the thin crack opens to a very large gap


Now the issues of teraring front tension rod, or radus rod bushings, and tearing rear cradle bushings are not exclusive to to Police Persuit vehicles. The are common to hard driven LXs and shows the weak link of the bushing designs.

You can read more about the installation on our website. http://www.peddersusa.com/products/19


mike
dms