What did you do this weekend? Participation required

[429CJ-3X2]

Reviving an old thread!

Motivated by a 1300 mile round trip coming next week, I finally replaced the original spark plugs and wires in my 2002 ST at 127,555 miles a few weeks ago. I've had the plugs for several years knowing it needed to be done. The gaps on plugs 1-3 were around .072, while 5 & 6 were .092 and .096. (I dropped #4 as it came out and still haven't found it.) The worst part of the job was getting the wires off the plugs, and getting the new #2 plug started in the hole. With the tire off, you can see the plug and hole, but there's not enough room to get my hand in there. I ended up using the boot off one of the old wires to get it started with my fingertips.
I've been getting around 15-15 1/2 mpg locally - sometimes 16. I drive a mix of short highway and interstate and city driving, although very little real stop and go. It got 17.1 on the first tank with the new plugs and wires, and almost 17.5 on the second tank. That's with the topper and roughly 200 lbs of tools and stuff in the back. On previous interstate trips from Des Moines to St Louis or Kansas City, it's gotten 18 to 19 mpg. The trip next week is to Columbus, Ohio, which will include a long stretch of pretty flat road in Illinois. It'll be interesting to see what the mpg will be on this trip!

In the past couple of weeks I've also
Replaced the fuel cap
Replaced the foggy headlight lenses with a perfectly clear set of Ford lenses I found at the salvage yard at some point.
Replaced the battery cable terminals.
Cleaned the MAF sensor.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Road trip recap to follow-up on my post above.
We left Des Moines last Tuesday at 3:40 after I picked up the grandkids from school. They didn't go with us, but were the reason we left when we did. We took most of our food with us, so we probably added another 100+ lbs in the back with coolers and luggage.
Overall, the truck didn't get the mileage I'd hoped for with an average of 17.9 mpg for the 1357 mile trip, but wind was a factor. Aside from a few miles, the trip was entirely on interstates I-80, I-74, and I-70. Cruise control was set at 75. Speedo reads a little fast.

The first and last 200 miles or so were the hilliest. There are a few flat stretches, but I-80 across Iowa is pretty much up and down hills. On top of that, there was a 25-30 mph wind blowing out of the NNW hitting the left rear quarter which didn't help a bit. When we turned south on I-74, the wind was hitting the right rear quarter. By the time the terrain leveled off as we neared Galesburg, IL, the wind was dying down. From Galesburg, I-74 angles SE across Illinois and Indiana to Indianapolis. From Indy to Columbus is pretty much straight east. We spent Tuesday night in Peoria where I gassed up Wed a.m. (If you're traveling thru Peoria and need to stop for gas, eats or motel, take I-74 thru town as there's virtually nothing on the bypass.) 16.36 mpg on the first leg.

Wednesday was beautiful - frosty in the morning, but it quickly warmed to the low - mid 50s, and NO WIND! From Galesburg east, the terrain is pretty flat. The hills are long and gradual for the most part. I drove from Peoria to about 30 miles outside Columbus before needing fuel. 19.62 mpg on this leg. Yay! I might have squeezed out 20 mpg except for a couple of factors. An accident in a construction zone outside Danville, IL forced all traffic off the interstate and through town. That was 20-30 minutes of idling as we crept through town. Worse than that, the speed limit for trucks in Indiana is 65. In theory, it's safer if trucks go slower because they take longer to stop, but what it does is bunch the trucks up on hills and in construction zones. A lot of trucks that can cruise at 70 can't maintain their speed on hills when they're limited to 65 and the trucks clog up the road on hills. I screwed up by hitting the RESUME button on the cruise control when the road cleared which causes a surge instead of getting back up to speed more smoothly before resetting the CC.

We started back Thursday at 3 p.m. via the same route with a stiff wind out of the S or SSW, which created a lot of turbulence around semis. It died down west of Indy. From Columbus to Danville, IL, we got 17.99 mpg. (Fill up on the Indiana side of the border). Friday came with a noticeable wind out of the SW which continued most of the day. 17.77 mpg on the last leg.

Mileage was figured using my odometer which was right on the money with the mile markers along the interstate. I used the same technique every time when filling the tank. I assume all gas was 10% ethanol. Around here, I know what I'm buying, but the pumps elsewhere aren't marked as well. Gas prices were all over the place. $3.02 in Des Moines when we left. (2.93 when we got back.) In IA, prices ranged from 2.91 in 1 spot to 3.69. Illinois ranged from 3.21 to 3.69, but generally around 3.26. Highs and lows were sometimes only a few miles apart, and the highs were the exceptions. In Indiana, gas was consistently between 3.25 and 3.29. In Ohio, 2.89 was the norm. Again, this was 87 octane, probably 10% ethanol.

I'm very quick to criticize how other people drive, but the only idiot move I saw was in Indianapolis when someone went from the far left lane, across the center lane to the far right lane - at 55 mph through tight traffic - so sharply that I could see the entire right side of their vehicle. This was in a construction zone on a bridge with high cement walls. The lanes were extra wide, but I don't know how they didn't hit the wall head-on.
The only other issue I noticed was that there were plenty of construction zones all along the way and speed limits through them were largely ignored. Besides the safety issues, I don't like the idea of a possible $2500 fine, so I tried to stay close to the speed limits.

I only spotted 3 or 4 other Sport Tracs on the entire trip. I often see that many or more on a 20 minute trip around Des Moines.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I replaced the passenger side valve cover gasket on the '02 ST yesterday. It started leaking about the time I changed the driver's side a few months ago, and got bad pretty quickly. I'd read the horror stories about getting to the lower rear bolt, and dreaded doing this side, but the job went much better than I expected. I used a short 8mm socket, a swivel, and an extension and got that bolt out without any trouble. Thanks to the plug wires I put on in Oct being slightly different lengths than the originals, I didn't even have to disconnect them, except from each other. I didn't even have to disconnect the vacuum line that crosses over the valve cover. Once the air intake tube is off and all the hoses are disconnected/removed, it's a pretty straightforward job. It would be easier getting the valve cover out and back in if the alternator was off, but it's not worth the effort to take it off.

Today, I finally found an answer to this - Solved - 2004 Sport Trac No 4WD High, but low works

Tomorrow or Saturday, I'll replace the thermostat housing on the '04 ST with an aluminum one like I have on the '02. It started leaking like crazy during our recent spell of -10 to -15F temps.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Made another round trip from Des Moines to Columbus, OH, last week. I filled up with E-88 (15% ethanol) last Sat for $2.76/gal. It had gone up 33 cents by Monday. Topped off NE of Des Moines when we left Wed. Cheapest gas I saw was $3.05 on the north side of Davenport. Gas in Illinois was $3.69 to 3.89. Indiana and Ohio prices were generally around $3.35 and up.
Weather was great, 60s to mid-80s, virtually no wind until the last 300 miles on the way home, and it was a tailwind for 40 miles.
Drove from Des Moines to east of Bloomington, Il, 347 miles and got 18.73 mpg. Cruise was set at approx 73 mph.
From there to Worthington/Columbus, plus extra driving in Columbus, 370 miles, the truck got 20 mpg on the nose!
On the 1st leg of the return trip, 217 miles, it got 19.95 mpg.
From Exit 63(?) in Indiana to Davenport, Ia, 294 miles @ 19.6 mpg.
On the last leg from Davenport, where gas was now $3.13, to Des Moines, 158 miles, we got 16.65 mpg. The wind had picked up and turned into a crosswind from the north, and this was the hilliest stretch.
For the 1386 mile trip, we averaged 19.45 mpg. Not bad at all!

 

[410Fortune]

19.5 is very good for one of these trucks! What are your tire pressures? Before a long trip like this I will pump them up higher (like 42 psi) so we can maximize the mpg! Then after the trip bring them back down to 32-36 psi this helps get even wear from the tires as well adjusting the pressure based on weather and trip plans

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I'm happy with the mpgs, especially with the truck loaded like it was!

Tire pressure was 35 psi all around. That's what the shop put in the new fronts. The front tires had maybe 200 miles on them before the trip. These Cooper Enduramax ride harsh for awhile when new. Maybe they roll easier at first? They've softened up now, partly due to some rough stretches on the interstate, no doubt! Wind was not a factor until the last 170 miles, after we got into Iowa and it shifted to the north and got stronger. It was blowing in Illinois, but didn't affect us much. Traffic flowed more smoothly than the first trip. There were slow downs and a stop or 2 for construction, but I wasn't slowed by trucks like on the 1st trip. The one major stoppage for construction was east of Indianapolis where the truck traffic was the big problem the first trip. Once we got through there, trucks weren't bunched up in both lanes.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Made another round trip from Des Moines to Columbus, OH, last week. I filled up with E-88 (15% ethanol) last Sat for $2.76/gal. It had gone up 33 cents by Monday. Topped off NE of Des Moines when we left Wed. Cheapest gas I saw was $3.05 on the north side of Davenport. Gas in Illinois was $3.69 to 3.89. Indiana and Ohio prices were generally around $3.35 and up.
Weather was great, 60s to mid-80s, virtually no wind until the last 300 miles on the way home, and it was a tailwind for 40 miles.
Drove from Des Moines to east of Bloomington, Il, 347 miles and got 18.73 mpg. Cruise was set at approx 73 mph.
From there to Worthington/Columbus, plus extra driving in Columbus, 370 miles, the truck got 20 mpg on the nose!
On the 1st leg of the return trip, 217 miles, it got 19.95 mpg.
From Exit 63(?) in Indiana to Davenport, Ia, 294 miles @ 19.6 mpg.
On the last leg from Davenport, where gas was now $3.13, to Des Moines, 158 miles, we got 16.65 mpg. The wind had picked up and turned into a crosswind from the north, and this was the hilliest stretch.
For the 1386 mile trip, we averaged 19.45 mpg. Not bad at all!

how lucky. paid 5.49 the other day (cash) for 89!!!!!!

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I knew those prices would look good to those on the coasts, but they're high to me!

 

[410Fortune]

Our 03 trac v8 5speed needed some love
Dismounted the old cooper tires, had some tread separation happening, they are
Low trad anyways and at least 8 years old… Mounted up some new Walmart tires we picked up for $480 total on sale! Very happy with them, I wanted 265 but these 245 10
Ply all terrains will do. Also discovered the inner tie rods are shot… swapping all 4 tie rods today for new precision brand pieces

Battle on

 

[410Fortune]

Ended up with a new wheel bearing on passenger side, precision bearing in town for the warranty $170
Both the Moog bearings i installed last year had the inner seal fail and they came apart in less then 10000 miles
I got them on close out 2 years ago they were non abs Moog hubs/ bearings. I swear I am done with Moog!

The precision bearings seem very nice, time will tell. The precision bearing is $20’morw then the master pro I’m hoping they are worth it $170 oreillys

I’m replacing the drivers side today, currently running a used factory unit after the Moog came apart and wheel wanted to fall off
Precision bearing has 3 year limited warranty
Let’s see if they hold up

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I've had a topper/shell on my '02 ST for 10 years and on the '01 for 6, and it has bugged me that there's a nice narrow shelf on each side that's just wasted space. The only thing I've used it for is to hold an umbrella that I never use. That's all I've found that will stay there. I had a flash of inspiration a couple of weeks ago and came up with this.

It's hard to tell what I did in the photos. I bought a 10' vinyl U shaped gutter, cut one side off and cut notches to clear the clamps holding the topper on. I then zip-tied the gutter to the clamps. I made them 45" long. They could be a little longer on each end. The clamps limit what fits well, but I'm happy with the results!

 

[410Fortune]

Really cool!!

 

[Rick]

Our 03 trac v8 5speed needed some love
Dismounted the old cooper tires, had some tread separation happening, they are
Low trad anyways and at least 8 years old… Mounted up some new Walmart tires we picked up for $480 total on sale! Very happy with them, I wanted 265 but these 245 10
Ply all terrains will do. Also discovered the inner tie rods are shot… swapping all 4 tie rods today for new precision brand pieces

Battle on

View attachment 452450

View attachment 452451

When the garage was finished I had a backlog of projects to start on. I looked at the date codes on the Mach 1 tires and was very surprised to see they were over 10 years old. Man time flies! I bought a new set of Nitto tires for it. When I was dismounting the old tires three out of four split along one of the grooves in the tread! They had a ton of tread left and looked fine, but obviously they were in very bad shape. I got lucky that none seperated on the highway.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Thank you! It's kinda one of those "I shoulda thought of this a long time ago" things. K-style gutters are more rigid, but the trough is narrower, so the U-type is better for this. At 45", rigidity isn't an issue.

The store wasn't busy, and there was very little activity in the parking lot when I bought the gutter, so probably no one noticed, but I'd love to have heard what anyone watching was thinking or saying as I approached the '04 ST with the factory cover carrying a 10' gutter. Of course, I lowered the rear window and slid most of the gutter inside the truck. It was flexible enough to get the front end under the dash a little, so only about 3' stuck out the back. The first thing I hauled in my '02 was 10' 2x4s to build a DIY bed cover. This drive home was more pleasant than that one. It was January with temps around 30 degrees that first trip. With the heat on full blast and the rear window down, my front was hot and my back was freezing!

 

[429CJ-3X2]

When the garage was finished I had a backlog of projects to start on. I looked at the date codes on the Mach 1 tires and was very surprised to see they were over 10 years old. Man time flies! I bought a new set of Nitto tires for it. When I was dismounting the old tires three out of four split along one of the grooves in the tread! They had a ton of tread left and looked fine, but obviously they were in very bad shape. I got lucky that none seperated on the highway.

The tires on the '04 Sport Trac when I bought it last summer looked ok - mismatched, but ok tread - but the date codes show them to be 17 years old! Fortunately, the tires on my dead '01 are in good shape despite having some age, so I swapped them onto the '04 right away. The wheels I had on the '01 are also in much better shape, so it was a good swap all around.

 

[ashleymo816]

Most threads are created to solve the current issue one may have and the others are show off my st or lift thread. What about for everything in between- maintenance, upgrades or mods? The stuff you did over the weekend (or week), the stuff you may do all the time but doesn't warrant starting a new thread or you don't want to start a thread for a mod/upgrade you did.

My to-do list is long on maintenance or upgrades and most of my reminders and ideas come from someone else here. I wanted to do this for some time now mainly for the fact that it will give me (and others) ideas or to serve as a reminder.

So all I ask is if you did something/anything to your truck, share please. Example: cleaned iac/maf/throttle body, changed fluids, maintenance, bought something, installed something, modded something. I really don't care how small because it just might remind someone they needed to do it to. This isn't intended to necessarily be a how to thread, that would probably be better/easier to search for if its on its own (you can mention it here and link to it if you'd like).

Thanks for your participation

I'm installing remote push smart start system in my 02 sport trac!. Might be in over my head on this one but I like the challenges.

 

[410Fortune]

I just put a viper smart start into a 07 ranger it was interesting

 

[429CJ-3X2]

2024 continues like it started! Like I said elsewhere, it's been 1 repair after another since the 1st of January, all to be expected when our vehicles are 20-27 years old, and all have been normal maintenance stuff for vehicles that old.

Wednesday, I began hearing a rotational metallic sound on the '02 Sport Trac. The more I listened, the more I was convinced the dust shield on the left front brake was involved. I pulled the tire off yesterday and found the shield had rusted in two and was rubbing the inside of the wheel. Pulled the rusted off piece out, and decided to change the brake pads while I was there since that was next on the list and I already had the parts. "It'll be quick and easy," I said to myself. I should know better!

I soon found both caliper bolts were rounded off. I ordered a pair of bolts from O'Reilly's to pick up on the way to get my grandkids from school. Fortunately, I wised up and bought a second pair when I picked up the first ones. One of the bolts on the other side was also rounded off.
None of the 3 sets of bolt extractors I had have a 15mm socket. Most don't. After searching the web, I reluctantly ordered a set with a 15mm from Advance Auto, which is also on the way to the school.
Got to the school only to find no one there. Classes at 5 area schools had been canceled due to a power outage. I later found out a strong wind storm, complete with a tornado, had come through the area early in the morning. I had no idea until mid-afternoon! There were tree limbs down nearer the school which is 4 miles west of our house. The tornado was further northwest, and hit the same area a stronger one hit Tuesday.
I finally got the "quick and easy" brake job, that I started at 11 a.m., done at 9 p.m. There were plenty of breaks, internet research/shopping, and distractions. It didn't help that my brain couldn't stay focused at all. Every time I got up to get something, I'd immediately forget what I got up for. And I seem to have trouble fitting the brake pads into the ST caliper brackets. I did the brakes on the '97 Mountaineer last week with no problems, but the ST pads never seem to want to go in easily. I've decided I didn't replace the front brakes when I did the rears, the booster and ABS module 2 years ago. The inner pads were almost completely gone.

I also ordered a pair of dust shields. Anyone needing brake dust shields needs to be careful when ordering them. 2WD are different from 4WD. 2WD shields are easier to find. There seems to have been a change on the 4WD shields for 2004-5. They're different from the '01-03. And be sure you're getting shields for the front, not rear!

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Made another trip to Columbus, Ohio last week. While my wife was doing her thing, I went to the Pick N Pull on Groveport Rd in Columbus since their online inventory said they had an '02 Sport Trac and an '03 Sport. On a previous trip, they didn't have the Trac or the Gen II Explorers listed online. This time they had both vehicles I was interested in, and I scored 2 impossible to find accessories for my trucks - a rear carpet floor mat and an air/rain deflector for the rear window! The carpet is dirty and stained, but it's the only one I've found, and now I have a full set. I don't know if I'll ever use them, but I have them. The deflector is almost broken in two and has some chips out out the edge, but it's salvageable - especially for under $3. I bought one shortly after I bought my '02 in 2013, but it got totally destroyed in shipping. Also picked up a complete owner's manual for an '03 Sport, including the Sport/Sport Trac dvd that's still in the wrapper. I laid the manual down as the lady was asking another employee what the deflector was called so she could ring it up. When I got outside and realized she hadn't charged me for the manual, I assumed she missed it. I went back in to pay for it, but she said,"I saw it. Have a good day!" I spent a total of just over $15 including taxes, admission, and fees.
The smoked taillights on the Trac were tempting, but the tailgate was locked and the key in the ignition wouldn't unlock it. I stared at the steering wheel, mint condition, non-padded wheel like I prefer, for several minutes trying to figure out what was different about it. Got back in my truck, and duh! Mine is black, and that one is gray, almost silver! Would work in place of the padded wheel in my '04. The seats in the Trac are gray cloth with adjustable headrests, and are in great condition. The front seats in the '03 Sport are dirty, but otherwise good. The front bumper cover and grille assembly from one of these vehicles, both silver, is on top of the Sport. Other than the bed of the Trac, and the doors, there aren't any body parts that are useable. Both vehicles are automatics, not manual, like it says online. EDIT - The Trac has a good hood, and the whole interior is in very good condition, including the high series console. Only thing missing is the radio. The Sport has the bag console, minus the bag.

My '02 Sport Trac performed flawlessly again, thank God! Averaged 19.43 mpg for the trip, buying gas at the same stations going both directions. Had a 20-30 mph tailwind on the way out and got over 20 mpg on 2 legs, including all the driving I did in Columbus (still mostly interstate). Instead of taking I-80 to Davenport, I took Highway 163 to Burlington in SE Iowa and caught I-74 at Galesburg. It's a few miles shorter, but 15 minutes longer due to lower speed limits. 163 is still a 4 lane highway, but with a 65 mph limit, and a fraction of the traffic (and hills) vs I-80. Got 21.43 mpg from Mt Pleasant to Des Moines on the return trip. The worst mpg was on the return trip between Pittsboro, Indiana and Mt Pleasant, Ia, at 17.4, which is puzzling. That should be a mileage friendly leg. We did have a head wind for the first 65 miles Friday evening, but the wind wasn't a factor Sat for the remaining 260 miles.

 

[Rick]

Sounds like a productive trip. Nice finds!