Joe Dirt's 2000 Ex-El-Tee "Deuce"

Welcome to the registry for Wedgie 2.0, who has been affectionately named "Deuce"

From Shad's info to save keystrokes:

Here is the run down:

2000 Ford Explorer XLT 5.0L - AWD
Deep Wedgewood Blue
Gray Leather
Yada, yada, yada...

Highlights:

• Transmission rebuilt at 160,000 miles, and filled with synthetic
• Lifted 2" in front with torsion keys
• Lifted 3" in back with Add-a-Leaf and Warrior Shackles
• New Superlift shocks at 166,000 miles
• 31" x 10.5" tires
• As much rust as some southern trucks- she's clean...

Interesting fact- it was an XLT fitted with air-ride shocks from the factory. System was disabled with the kit and shocks were put on to avoid costly repair.



Next to Wedgie:

Today 1/28/11 was the first car wash.

And yes, it needs to be cleaned...

Um... This is going to be my biggest challenge to date.

But it's going to be fine. It's an incredible place to start- the steering wheel isn't even gummy or rolled. I'm very pleased with the canvas...

Anyway, after the car wash, I snapped some pics for starting point reference.
So, here are our obligatory before pictures...

Door seams always oiled

Hatch looks brand new as well!

Nothing on the rocker seams ...but a paint chip

Rockers nice. No rust even at the back- just grime and ice. I think the mudflaps really helped...

 

[lynchy wa]

Nothing worse than a cut up bung hole, cross threading is....bad.

Damn! More coffee stain's.

 

[rickybobby]

Nothing worse than a cut up bung hole, cross threading is....bad.

Damn! More coffee stain's.

lol

 

[2TimingTom]

Lookin' good. I love mine more and more every time I use it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well, it looks like I can carry some fluids in the cargo organizer...

For a few weeks now, I've had this rotational vibration when turning slow in parking lots, backing out of parking places, etc...

Trying to figure out what the hell is causing it- that's why I was doing the super air purge on the PS system the other day. I went from the front to the back of the truck looking, and I think I finally found the culprit.



Uh oh... (Yes, things are nesting in my lugs)

Nice.

I'm saying bad wheel bearing, and now a blown axle seal.

The binding? I'm saying there was enough deflection to let the brakes grab, then skip along because of the fluid on them. It felt just like when your brakes are wet, that type of thing, only constant for maybe 1/4 rotation of the wheel when turning either way slowly. At speed or straight- nothing.

Another fun weekend project- I'll do both bearings and axle seals, using gavin's awesome writeup. The only thing that pisses me off is that I just put the synthetic in the rear end. What a waste. Oh well- I'll call it a flush. :thumbdwn:

Hopefully that fixes everything.

 

[lynchy wa]

Not yellow sac spider's in those lug's I hope!

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yellow Sac spiders? Psshhhh... We can handle them- this is America!

 

[lynchy wa]

It's clobbering time!!!

 

[sean99]

Hey Joe, I have the exact symtoms on my 5.0 Explorer. I thought it was a bad viscous coupling, or cv's, and was going to drop the front driveline to see if it goes away. I don't have a leak, so I don't think that is the cause of the skip...To me it feels like the binding is coming from the front, and only lasts 1/4 to 1/3 of a rotation, also only when turning slowly.
Seems to be more prominent when turning right...

 

[sean99]

My money is on the Eagle

 

[Joe Dirt]

If the eagle doesn't do it, we have Chuck Norris.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Hey Joe, I have the exact symtoms on my 5.0 Explorer. I thought it was a bad viscous coupling, or cv's, and was going to drop the front driveline to see if it goes away. I don't have a leak, so I don't think that is the cause of the skip...To me it feels like the binding is coming from the front, and only lasts 1/4 to 1/3 of a rotation, also only when turning slowly.
Seems to be more prominent when turning right...

This mess the more I drove it, it was definitely in the back of the truck. Does yours do it in reverse?

<edit> I am constantly rewriting sentences to avoid being turned into a sig line...

 

[lynchy wa]

My money is on Chuck in a threesome, he could do it in reverse!

 

[sean99]

It does bind quite a bit when parallel parking...

 

[sean99]

If its the rear bearing, wouldn't there be issues when driving straight and turning?

 

[BigRondo]

Too late..............................

 

[Joe Dirt]

If its the rear bearing, wouldn't there be issues when driving straight and turning?

What about when a front bearing is going?

 

[gmanpaint]

Judging at how much fluid, and the spread pattern on your tire, thats a pretty severe axle seal leak. When you remove the axle, pay close attention to the axle itself where it rides on the bearings, and the seal. If it is in itself scored, it will just tear the new seal up, and if it is out of round, the new bearing will go to. Worse case scenario, new axle shaft.

Dont forget a new pinion shaft bolt, and throw the old one away

 

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks Gregg for the reminder on the pinion shaft bolt, I would have remembered that when the truck was apart in the garage... lol!

I'm going to pick up an axle shaft before starting, so I have it if needed.

The odd thing about that mess is that I was under there last week, and it seemed dry.

That was from at some point during last week between local driving and a trip to Holland and back this weekend, about 60 miles total. Major blowout. It's not moving until I get it fixed this weekend, rather than have something bad happen...

But hey- my bumper isn't rusting yet, so it's cool.

 

[bcbid]

Joe: Time for Trunk Monkey

It's clobbering time!!!

 

[lynchy wa]

Hhahaahaha, that's awesome Brian! Most would be thieves take a few steps back when me dog has a go at them through the open windows but trunk monkey look's to be an effective alternative. Hahahahahaa, bloody trunk monkey, wicked!