Recall material?

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
I was fixing one of my tires a week ago on my 99 Ford Expedition, and while I had the tire off I notice one of the trailing arms starting to look like it had a lot more than just surface rust. I picked at a little and quickly had a hole big enough to put my thumb clean through both sides of one, and through one side of the other.

2016-02-20 16.49.08.jpg


So did a little googling and found that it's quite common for these to rust out and need replacing. So I ordered a set ($150) and spent a couple hours cutting off the old bolts and getting the new ones installed today.

At first it gave me a bit of a scare of what could have happened if one of these had broke going down the highway. Then kinda ticked me off that something as important as this wasn't made to better quality and wondered if it should have been a recall. However, I got to thinking, it's 17 years old and it's lasted this long...oh well. :dunno:
 
That was a fortunate catch, Darren. My old '95 Dodge Ram got those replaced last time I had new tires put on. I keep wondering what other critical component might give out on me. I guess the next big thing will be the transmission. When it goes I'll have to weight the cost of a rebuild versus the cost of a newer truck. I just need something to haul mulch and dirt for the garden and the occasional log or two, so a new truck seems out of line.
 
Good catch, we did the same here with my sons Honda Civic couple of summers ago. Your parts aint cheap for that vehicle eh!.
But we went further than you and replaced the entire suspension just about.

Body was good so why not. If one can do it then its cheaper than a few payments on a new one.

Leo you make an excellent point on the brake and fuel lines. Add to what you saying that they should not use plastic "catch all" racks/trays under body to hold and protect the brake lines in an area like NE/ Those lines started me down a whole refurb path. Started out with just a brake pad and shoe replacement. Then while bleeding we suddenly found a puddle of brake fluid on the garage floor. Put my hand up into the plastic trays and got a hand full of rust. That was it new lines both fuel and brakes. Was little intimidating but hey woodworkers can do just about anything if they put their mind to it and with the tools available from HF for this purpose like brake line flaring tool its no biggie. Just needed to take it step at a time. We learnt a ton together and i slept way better at night.

Its the single thing that kept me from helping him get another second hand vehicle, told him it might look good on top but the brakes you never know the lines state.

Thats what led us to redo suspension. Still all way cheaper with the help of Rock Auto than buying another unknown car and finding out the same things.

Ted fix that truck yourself, if you can make a Cigar box guitar like you did then the truck is a walk in the park. :)
 
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Yeah, Rock Auto is where I ordered the arms from. I paid the same price for both for what the chain parts store had them for here for just one (and had to buy two anyway). :)

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My '03 Dodge's frame has rusted through for the second time causing us to have to buy another truck last summer. I think the liquid they pretreat the roads with sticks and is more corrosive than anyone wants to admit to.
 
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