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1999 Mounty 5.0 aka My Great Bad Idea
- Thread starter 97Sandbox
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allmyEXes
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3' to 4' cheater pipe. Use 3/4" drive if you have that size tools. I have a 3/4" breaker bar but hardly any sockets.
Will a 1 1/4" socket fit that hub nut or would it be a hair smaller that the 32mm?
32mm socket at Home Depot
Will a 1 1/4" socket fit that hub nut or would it be a hair smaller that the 32mm?
32mm socket at Home Depot
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Torque multiplier on the torque wrench works great.
97Sandbox
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It's been a couple weeks since I posted in this thread, but I have been chipping away at the Mounty. The front end is all back together with the new UCAs and LBJs, freshly greased hubs, and lightly used sway bar links. I gave it a rough eyeball alignment and will take it in for a real alignment soon.
Last night I finally got around to servicing the differentials. I siphoned out a bit of fluid from the front dif and it was DARK! I suspect it had never been changed. I was only able to get maybe a pint out of it, but then I pumped almost a full quart back in. I'm guessing the difference in volume had seeped out a leaky pinion seal over the years because it's pretty crusty back there. I'll keep an eye on it and top off the gear oil as-necessary. That'll be a decent way to keep diluting the old fluid with new too haha.
The rear was a different story. I suspected it had leaked some in the past by the way the dif cover was stained, but when I cracked it open, there was only about a quart in there! It looked like newer fluid too, so I'm thinking the owner had been letting it leak down then would top it off whenever he remembered (but clearly not often enough). I'm sure those trac lok clutches are toast. Whoever sealed the cover last had the RTV bead way too far in and it didn't look like it actually sealed all the way around, so I'm sure that was the cause of the leak. The glitter in the oil tells me this dif isn't worth putting a new clutch pack in, so I kept it simple with a decent cleaning, fresh RTV, and new oil (plus the added friction modifier, even though the oil supposedly had some in it).
Once the alignment is done, I believe I will have completed all the housekeeping items and gotten the Mounty back to a healthy(ish) baseline after a couple decades of neglect. You know what that means...time to mess up a perfectly good truck and slap in a manual trans and a tuned PCM! I'm already looking forward to burnouts with the 4406M in 2WD.
Last night I finally got around to servicing the differentials. I siphoned out a bit of fluid from the front dif and it was DARK! I suspect it had never been changed. I was only able to get maybe a pint out of it, but then I pumped almost a full quart back in. I'm guessing the difference in volume had seeped out a leaky pinion seal over the years because it's pretty crusty back there. I'll keep an eye on it and top off the gear oil as-necessary. That'll be a decent way to keep diluting the old fluid with new too haha.
The rear was a different story. I suspected it had leaked some in the past by the way the dif cover was stained, but when I cracked it open, there was only about a quart in there! It looked like newer fluid too, so I'm thinking the owner had been letting it leak down then would top it off whenever he remembered (but clearly not often enough). I'm sure those trac lok clutches are toast. Whoever sealed the cover last had the RTV bead way too far in and it didn't look like it actually sealed all the way around, so I'm sure that was the cause of the leak. The glitter in the oil tells me this dif isn't worth putting a new clutch pack in, so I kept it simple with a decent cleaning, fresh RTV, and new oil (plus the added friction modifier, even though the oil supposedly had some in it).
Once the alignment is done, I believe I will have completed all the housekeeping items and gotten the Mounty back to a healthy(ish) baseline after a couple decades of neglect. You know what that means...time to mess up a perfectly good truck and slap in a manual trans and a tuned PCM! I'm already looking forward to burnouts with the 4406M in 2WD.
97Sandbox
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I finally got the rig back home after the alignment (delay was no fault of the shop, I was out of town) and I'm a little confused. As expected, camber and toe were both out when I dropped it off. They adjusted toe and got "into the green," but now my steering wheel is slightly turned with wheels straight ahead (was not like this before).
The mechanic also told me they couldn't get the right side camber any closer to spec and that the UCA adjustment was maxed out. But it was closer to spec when I dropped it off than it is now and I looked at where the camber bolts are now and the eccentrics are further in than before -- definitely not maxed out.
This is a local shop which I've gone to before and they have a great reputation. Am I missing something though? It seems to me like they were either confused or the tech who did the alignment told the mechanic who I talked to some things that were less than true. I've never used an alignment rack before, but this doesn't seem quite right to me.
The mechanic also told me they couldn't get the right side camber any closer to spec and that the UCA adjustment was maxed out. But it was closer to spec when I dropped it off than it is now and I looked at where the camber bolts are now and the eccentrics are further in than before -- definitely not maxed out.
This is a local shop which I've gone to before and they have a great reputation. Am I missing something though? It seems to me like they were either confused or the tech who did the alignment told the mechanic who I talked to some things that were less than true. I've never used an alignment rack before, but this doesn't seem quite right to me.
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Take it back. Wheel centering is a big part of doing what they were paid for. Point out the camber adjuster reminding them what they told you. They should not have returned it to you with that readout. No excuses
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I agree
It was likely taking too long on the machine and once they had it near the green in the acceptable zone they sent it
Get a better tech on your truck who is more familiar with these suspensions and the equipment and they should be able to get it closer
The wheel should be centered, this is a simple adjustment, aside from a solid axle ford these rack and pinion front ends are the absolute easiest to center the steering wheel on it literally takes 2 minutes
They should have done a road test and centered your wheel afterwards
This is the number one thing alignment customers will come back for? Silly not to do it correctly the first time, now they have to do it again
It was likely taking too long on the machine and once they had it near the green in the acceptable zone they sent it
Get a better tech on your truck who is more familiar with these suspensions and the equipment and they should be able to get it closer
The wheel should be centered, this is a simple adjustment, aside from a solid axle ford these rack and pinion front ends are the absolute easiest to center the steering wheel on it literally takes 2 minutes
They should have done a road test and centered your wheel afterwards
This is the number one thing alignment customers will come back for? Silly not to do it correctly the first time, now they have to do it again
97Sandbox
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Thanks, guys. I don't want to be a jerk about it, but I'm also confused why I paid $140 and it's really not that much closer to spec overall than what I did on my own with 15 minutes and a bubble level. Seems odd that they struggled more with a stock height truck than my old shop in Milwaukee did on my Sport after the 2" drop and coilover conversion.
Hopefully they take care of it, if not, I'll just get my angle finder out and adjust the right side myself...and stop going to this shop.
Hopefully they take care of it, if not, I'll just get my angle finder out and adjust the right side myself...and stop going to this shop.
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$140 for a two wheel alignment!!! Geeze
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Be an alignment tech at the only shop in a 50 mile radius for a rewarding career.
Alignments like that, sell tires.
97Sandbox
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Yeah, I got into it with my shop in Milwaukee about this once:
Me: You charged for a four wheel alignment?
Front desk guy: Yeah, that's what we did.
Me: How did you align the rear of a vehicle with leaf springs and a solid axle?
Front desk guy: .....hmm, I'll go ask the tech.
Tech: We didn't do anything to the rear, you can't.
Me: Exactly. So why did you charge me for it?
Tech: Because we still measured it.
Me: Doesn't the machine do that?
Tech: Yeah, but that's the way we charge all alignment jobs.
Frustrating.
And therein lies the dilemma. It sure is peaceful out there, but some things about living in the country are annoying.
97Sandbox
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I called the shop and they're going to take another crack at the alignment.
In the meantime, I've been thinking about a comment the mechanic made how worn out the shocks are (they really are). I had to order some filters, wiper blades, etc. for my wife's car and I saw RockAuto had some Gabriel rear shocks on closeout for less than $8 and shipping from the same location as the wiper blades, can't pass that deal.
Working on cars in the Midwest be like: "here's the tools you're gonna need"
A few snapped, hacked, and hammered out bolts later and we're ready for new shocks. Why not some poly sway bar bushings and a 1" sway bar while we're in the neighborhood...
Scope creep? Blah, blah...hey there's a reason I titled the thread what I did.
In the meantime, I've been thinking about a comment the mechanic made how worn out the shocks are (they really are). I had to order some filters, wiper blades, etc. for my wife's car and I saw RockAuto had some Gabriel rear shocks on closeout for less than $8 and shipping from the same location as the wiper blades, can't pass that deal.
Working on cars in the Midwest be like: "here's the tools you're gonna need"
A few snapped, hacked, and hammered out bolts later and we're ready for new shocks. Why not some poly sway bar bushings and a 1" sway bar while we're in the neighborhood...
Scope creep? Blah, blah...hey there's a reason I titled the thread what I did.
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Gotta love some $8 Gabriel’s! What a score
97Sandbox
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- 2000 Explorer Sport
Going to be pulling back up at the repair shop like "who's unstable now?" Hahaha.
Everything in the rear is together except the lower shock bolts. I picked up some fresh M12 10.9 flange bolts from the hardware/ag store in town (less than $5 with nuts and washers!) today and they're just black oxide finish. My electroplating self can't have that, so I will get them stripped then zinc plated Monday.
Next up, front shocks and sway bar bushings!
Everything in the rear is together except the lower shock bolts. I picked up some fresh M12 10.9 flange bolts from the hardware/ag store in town (less than $5 with nuts and washers!) today and they're just black oxide finish. My electroplating self can't have that, so I will get them stripped then zinc plated Monday.
Next up, front shocks and sway bar bushings!
97Sandbox
Elite Explorer
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- Seward, NE
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2000 Explorer Sport
61624
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- FOURTEN
I flip rangers so $8 Gabriel’s will work fantastic better then selling a ranger with the old shocks on it! And in my experience they work great for 45-60k miles
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97Sandbox
Elite Explorer
- Joined
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- 1,026
- City, State
- Seward, NE
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2000 Explorer Sport
My freshly zinc-plated hardware is on and the rear shocks are torqued. Went for a little shakedown last night to check my work and man, does that rear swaybar change things. Accelerating through a turn on gravel, I can push it enough now to break the rear free just slightly before the AWD pulls it back. It almost makes me want to stay AWD, but then again whenever I let off the gas on pavement and feel the 4404 drag and it reminds me the 4406 is the right choice.
I have the Addco 1" rear and 1.5" front bars on my Sport, but I installed them while I was doing a ton of back-to-back suspension upgrades and never got to see the contribution of the rear bar alone. I threw this one on the Mounty because I had it siting around since I got it as a free upgrade after somebody on here recommended reaching out to Addco and pointing out that the normal 633 bar hits the shocks if you have it set up with stock links. I plan to leave the front bar alone because the V8 Mounty already came with a 34mm bar and I don't actually intend to make the truck a street machine. I do have new frame bushings for the front bar though, and I'm hoping they cure the front-end clunk that I still have after replacing UCAs/LBJs.
I have the Addco 1" rear and 1.5" front bars on my Sport, but I installed them while I was doing a ton of back-to-back suspension upgrades and never got to see the contribution of the rear bar alone. I threw this one on the Mounty because I had it siting around since I got it as a free upgrade after somebody on here recommended reaching out to Addco and pointing out that the normal 633 bar hits the shocks if you have it set up with stock links. I plan to leave the front bar alone because the V8 Mounty already came with a 34mm bar and I don't actually intend to make the truck a street machine. I do have new frame bushings for the front bar though, and I'm hoping they cure the front-end clunk that I still have after replacing UCAs/LBJs.
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