Anything else to look forward to? | Page 3 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Anything else to look forward to?

Took the old pig in for a wheel alignment this morning. Little wear and tear. New lower ball joints are on the menu. Looks like I know what I will be doing over the xmas holidays. Well that and a carrier/hanger bearing on the wife's escape if it can get here in time.
 



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Ended up having to do one upper too, due to a frozen bolt I ended up having to grind off. 40 bucks for lower ball joints, moog, from rock auto shipped to Canada, 70 for 1 moog upper from a local shop. People wonder why no one buys local any more? Guess they gotta pay for those bricks some how. Tough to pay for em when no one shops at your store. Anyway, 174 dollars for an alignment later and were back on the road. Good times.
 






I'm highly suspicious that your ride is a LEMON. Well maintained these things will last.
 






Its a real good thing I can swing a wrench because with all the labour from these repairs I could have bought another 2 of them. The thing should no longer be called a ford, more of a Fordson, with all the cheap chinese parts it has on it, it should have a blackbelt in Karate.
 






Got up to a dead battery this morning. I ended up having to boost with my 650 dual purpose marine battery from my boat. Although I was hoping it would hold up for another month so I could get one for free when I renew my cell phone contract, I decided enough was enough and dropped 140 bucks tax in on a Kirkland group 65, #6 battery with 850 cranking amps from Costco. Still have to take the old one back to get my 15 dollar core charge back. It comes with 3 years money back, and 5 pro rated, to a total of 8 years warranty. General maintenance so I don't mind doing it, but hopefully I don't have the truck long enough to replace another battery.
 






Well, after 245k KMS my alternator gave up the ghost. Well, not completely. For some odd reason it was only charging to 12.2v. Swapped it out over my lunch break and 180 dollars later (plus tax) were are good to go at 14.4v. I don't mind replacing items like this as at this mileage a new alternator is very reasonable. Chalk this one up to regular Maintenance.
I was also noticing random rattles so I swapped out my tensioners for a set of Cloyes tensioners this weekend. They seem to be great quality. They are a lot smoother then the ones I took out and the springs are a little stiffer. No noise at all. I would have to recommend them. I had a set of ebay specials sitting on the bench and just the pressure when you compressed the springs was quite noticeable, as well as the smoothness of the cheepo ones was not even close.
 






Really? At this point who cares. You still own it... that's your own problem. Ranting and ranting will do nothing. they dont make them anymore so whats the point? Its CLEARLY a lemon....

I suggest mods shut down this thread.
 






I dunno. I am entertained by it. I haven't been in this section in months and I was wondering how his truck was holding up. I assume he will have it another 5 years. :)
 






I dunno. I am entertained by it. I haven't been in this section in months and I was wondering how his truck was holding up. I assume he will have it another 5 years. :)
Might keep it around for a winter beater. That many kms and it actually isn't too bad since I replaced everything. Mostly just expected maintenance now days.
 


















Not yet. The old girl has been running like a champ lately. Probably put a few more bucks in the bank so I can get what I want.
 






Im curious about your rattle that you had. Mine makes a god awful chatter at low RPM under load. Wont make the noise in park or neutral, drive or reverse only. RPMs around 1500 - 2000 and it sounds like a coffee can full of nuts and bolts. Tickle the throttle and it rickety-rattles, making a loud clunk as it settles back to idle. I just changed the oil and used Mobile 1 for lube and filter, 5W-30. Im in Los Angeles, so there is no good reason for thick oil on a 110F day. The metallic nature of the rattling has me wondering about valve chattering.
 






Easiest way to check the timing set is to pull the valve covers. Pull the intake, it's a 1 piece on this gen. Take off the EGR pipe, and pop them off. That will tell you most everything.
 






So, I have owned a few of the old Jeep Cherokee XJ series SUVs. I have seen parts of these jeeps that probably only 10% of owners have and at this point i could become a certified XJ mechanic. From the sounds of it, you have dug so deep into your Sport Trac that you could easily be within that 10%. Heck, probably within the top 1% if you have done your own transmission work!
I have made working on these XJ jeeps into a small side business, buy them cheap (think $500), fix them to the point of reliable/serviceable and then sell them for a nice bit of cash. Your experience on your ST is worth more than the parts you have bought and maybe even the truck itself, perhaps you could make this stinky lemon of a pile of heap Sport Trac into a weekend side gig. It sounds like you have the time, space, and tools to do the work! Now you have the know how on finding a clunker and turning it into a solid sell. Worst case is you find a truck as bad as the one you got now that needs a ton of work. Best case... lets just say I bought a jeep once for $2000 and sold it a month later for $4000. Person I bought it from was very grateful, didn't have the space. Person I sold it to couldn't be happier to find such a good condition 4x4 with low miles. Sometimes everyone wins.
 
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The though has crossed my mind, but here in Saskatchewan everyone seems to think there garbage is worth a mint. It's hard to find one with a cooked motor for under a grand, and if it is rattling like a deisel they seem to think it's running and want 4k. Bunch of cheap farmers. If the right deal came along I would pick it up.
 






No money in the 1st gen STs. Now...the 2nd gen really hold their value.
 






I *really enjoy* this thread, and I don't own a SportsTrack! "Bunch of cheap farmers" in Saskatchewan! LOL!
 






..and the 2nd gen ST lost value. :(
 



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She got her bi-annual sway bar links on the front last weekend, and a set of summer tires ordered out of Quebec without PST or Disposal. Other than that she has been running like a top, knock on wood. Just rolled past 263k on the way to work today.
 
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