OT Truck Repairs

We all use our trucks as tractors around the farm and as such they from time to time they need repairs. Most of the time I do it myself but when it comes to front springs and ball joints I draw the line and have someone else do it as I learned at a young age (16) springs on a 1 ton can kill! I have to say without the right tools your just pissin in the wind and in for a lot of agrowvation!

My truck is a 96 F350 diesel 2 wheel drive flat bed and I don't mind working on engines transmissions clutches U joints brakes wheel bearings or the body, But coil springs and ball joints I draw the line. The thought of 4 or 5 hundred dollars or more sitting in the tool chest to use them once in 10 years is a waste to me so I would rather pay someone to do this kind of work. So the question to you out there is ware do you draw the line on work on your trucks and cars or tractors or combines? Bandit

I don't consider ball joints a big deal. That's where harbor freight is good - they've got a ball joint press that's reasonably priced.

I tend to drive older vehicles, so they're easy to work on.

I can't remember the last time I used a mechanic. Probably about 8 or 9 years ago - I had a timing belt changed in our 99 toyota camry. Those engines are just so tight and cramped, I couldn't be bothered.

Plus the belt snapped while I was on the road, and it was already towed to the guys shop.

I guess I wouldn't be too comfortable inside an automatic transmission. Replace one sure, but getting in and fixing stuff in it - I've just never done it, never even seen it done, so at this stage of my life, I figure I've learned enough new tricks - I'd probably just have a pro do that for me.

alignments - I'd have pro do. But everything else, I've always done myself.

I am a firm believer in "if you want it done right do it yourself"
But the older I get the less I feel like doing !

I don't see how most people can afford to get their stuff repaired at these garages the way they charge for labor ! parts too as they are not going to shop around on the internet to get you the best deal.

Best I remember You don't have to remove the spring to replace the ball joints the shock will keep the axle in place... Remove the spindle and take it to a shop that has a ball joint press... I use Moog chassis parts and nuttin else...

The spring may be retained/clamped in place anyways don't take my word for it LOOK at it...

I just did ball joints, radius arm bushings, and shocks on my 95 f250 2wd last November. Wasn't a bad job at all. Hardest part was getting the radius arms pulled forward enough to get the new hardware in. I dropped the ball joints of in town to get pressed. Cost me $10.

Donovan from Wisconsin

I remove the inner pivot bolt on the I-beam it makes it easier to pull the radius arms forward (you will have to take the shock loose are you will bend them)... While I am there I go after the inner I-beam bushing...

I'm like Mike. The older I get the less I like doing. This morning I crawled around under the planter removing a countershaft. My joints don't like that anymore, especially in this cool, damp, misty weather we're having this week.

I don't like working on vehicles. Period! Tractors, I usually have drawn the line at the transmissions and rear ends on the newer bigger ones. Engines, clutches and anything else don't bother me, though last fall I did take the 1086 in to the dealer for a clutch because it was harvest and I needed it NOW. Took it in one morning and had it home by noon the next day. It would have been done that same day if the flywheel didn't have to be turned. No way could I have done it myself that fast. Sometimes it pays dividends to take it to town even though we could have done it at home. Jim

I recently got a little peeved at the place where we get repairs done when the problem came back. I dug into them both times and found the repairs not up to my standards and I had paid them to do the work. Annoying.

Well the ball joints had never been changed and both springs were shot, At some point in the trucks life it had a snow plow on it and when you hit a small pot hole in the road it was like you had no springs at all. With no weight on the truck there was about an inch and 1/2 between the rubber stop and the frame! When he pulled the springs out they were both broke on the bottom coil so it was a good thing I was having him do the work when I did. He is a good guy and knows what hes doing and has all the tools like the ball joint press and they fought all the way! When there 18 years old and never been apart they tend to fight you tooth and nail and I am glad it was him and not me cause I would have got a stick of dynamite! I guess the saying "With age comes wisdom" might be right cause I was smart enough to take it to him and he is young enough and dumb enough to want to do it! I think it was money well spent! Bandit

I have been in auto repair for over 30 years, and
I will be the first to admit that there is a good
amount of incompetence and careless work out
there. There are also guys who do care , and are
good at what they do, but they are rare. The issue
is complicated, and has a lot to do with how the
people are paid. My opinion is , you will find the
best mechanics and the honesty you seek by looking
at the small to mid sized independent garages. If
you find a good one, reward them with your
business and loyalty. Its a tough job .

when i first hooked up with DH his car just died. we were 45 mins from town, not good. he's looking at a new car and im thinking car payments, insurance payments, registration, etc... i asked DH what was wrong with the car and he seemed to know what was wrong and how to fix it, so i said lets spend a couple hundred to try and fix it and if it don't work, then we'll go shopping for new cars. so we pulled the head off, valves were bent big time, long story short, were still driving it. draw the line at transmission repair.

Given that I work on equipment for a living the line usually stays a bit blurred for me, as I will do whatever I need to do to keep my bills paid, and my own equipment working. That said, my hard line lately tends to be more getting into any kind of repairs involving the computer on any vehicle, be it a tractor, truck, or an auto. My reason isn"t so much that I CAN"T do the work as it is I can"t do the work without the proper equipment. Thing is when you work on multiple brands, and types, of equipment it"s simply cost prohibitive to try to buy all the necessary equipment across the different brands (not to mention trying to keep it all updated) for a one man show to buy everything. If I were to choose one brand machine and work on nothing but that brand I could probably swing it, but when the cost is in the thousands, to tens of thousands, for each brand it simply doesn"t work out from a financial standpoint.

That said, So far as working on the newer, computer controlled machines, I have no problem doing that as long as I don"t need the computer to do the work needed. The good thing for me is that the "hard" work the dealership "technicians" usually don"t want to do....or often don"t have the sense to do since the computer can"t tell them what needs to be done, what part to change, or actually do the heavy lifting for them (think track work, packing cylinders, etc).

Beyond that, all I can say is that I know my limitations in regard to what I am equipped to do, and have absolutely no problem telling a customer when they need to contact someone other than me to take care of a problem.

I'll do most everything but transmissions. And I've done a few, but not transverse.

That being said, I will NOT work under the hood of a minivan. Period. End of discussion.

(quoted from post at 13:24:11 04/28/14)
I remove the inner pivot bolt on the I-beam it makes it easier to pull the radius arms forward (you will have to take the shock loose are you will bend them)... While I am there I go after the inner I-beam bushing...

Click to expand...

I had the springs loose, but the bolts were so rusted it didn't let it pivot the way it should have. One of the anchors for the spring at the top had the bolt twist off so I had to drill it out and retap it for a new bolt.

Probably some more I should have replaced but it rides really nice now.

Donovan from Wisconsin

The guy that I get to work on my stuff I have know him cense he was a little kid and has worked for me as I have for his dad and uncle, So he knows if I come to him I am in a jam or its something like this that I just don't fool with. 2 years ago while cutting soybeans the combine quit in the field and would not start back up. After 3 hours of checking and trying everthing I gave him a call, He came right out and in 15 min found the problem I had never herd of, A pin hole in the cap by the coil tower plug. A little permatex and it was up and running till I could get a new distributer cap ($65 from JD). He proably has $35.000 or more in tools and electronic equipment to work on cars and trucks and the big thing is I trust him and know he knows what he is doing. Bandit

(quoted from post at 00:33:38 04/29/14)

(quoted from post at 13:24:11 04/28/14)
I remove the inner pivot bolt on the I-beam it makes it easier to pull the radius arms forward (you will have to take the shock loose are you will bend them)... While I am there I go after the inner I-beam bushing...

Click to expand...

I had the springs loose, but the bolts were so rusted it didn't let it pivot the way it should have. One of the anchors for the spring at the top had the bolt twist off so I had to drill it out and retap it for a new bolt.

Probably some more I should have replaced but it rides really nice now.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Click to expand...

Its never EZ as it sounds... :twisted:

(quoted from post at 18:29:27 04/28/14) I have been in auto repair for over 30 years, and
I will be the first to admit that there is a good
amount of incompetence and careless work out
there. There are also guys who do care , and are
good at what they do, but they are rare. The issue
is complicated, and has a lot to do with how the
people are paid. My opinion is , you will find the
best mechanics and the honesty you seek by looking
at the small to mid sized independent garages. If
you find a good one, reward them with your
business and loyalty. Its a tough job .

Click to expand...

I'm not afraid to tackle any mechanical repair and have done everything from rebuild engines, manual and auto trans, differentials, etc. At this stage in life I hate working on "new" stuff. I found a small local shop that does excellent work and his prices are too cheap to pass up. Since we've been using that shop, the owner hired me to do some remodeling for him.
The owner is as hard working an honest as the day is long. I've recommended that shop to several friends.

My wife bought an Astro van and it needed a tune up, I told her I can do that cant be that hard. 4.3 V6 auto well I learned how to do it the hard way. #1 and 2 you pull the wheels off and go through the opening between the frame and wheel well. #3 and 4 you got out from inside with the engine cover off. #5 and 6 you did from under the van. I learned this was the easiest way to do it as I had to do it every 6 months, That thing ate plugs and wires from the heat off the manafolds. I will NEVER work on a van again! I hatted that van and every time I see one I get a shiver in my spine thinking about it. Bandit

(quoted from post at 13:55:00 04/28/14) My wife bought an Astro van and it needed a tune up, I told her I can do that cant be that hard. 4.3 V6 auto well I learned how to do it the hard way. #1 and 2 you pull the wheels off and go through the opening between the frame and wheel well. #3 and 4 you got out from inside with the engine cover off. #5 and 6 you did from under the van. I learned this was the easiest way to do it as I had to do it every 6 months, That thing ate plugs and wires from the heat off the manafolds. I will NEVER work on a van again! I hatted that van and every time I see one I get a shiver in my spine thinking about it. Bandit

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Cut down a couple of trees for a retired heavy eqpt mech and he showed me his shop and I've never seen so many tools in one place at a home shop. Afterward he said if you ever need a specialty tool come see me and you can use it. I hope I don't forget.

Ball joints aren"t bad. I replaced one last summer just to be able to drive the truck, going to get all 4 this year, new coil springs, upper control arms, and all bushings in the front suspension. Then taken to an alignment shop once it"s together.
I hate doing drum brakes.
I"ve never been inside an automatic transmission, but considering a performance rebuild kit for a 47RH can be had for about $400, and anyone you buy with a performance rebuild kit in it is going to be $1600 and up, I"m thinking I might find a core and have a swing at it myself.
After the job Bump Grind & Slip did on some transmissions for the boss they aren't touching anything of mine.

I knock the old ball joints out with a bar and big hammer. Set the new ball joints on some dry ice and heat the knuckles up a little with a torch. The joint will fall right in.

Seems tools quickly pay for themselves even if only used once or twice very few years. With many shops charging $80 to $120 per hour -it's very easy to justify buying special tools when I need them.

My uppers screw in and out. I got both Chrysler ball joint sockets offa evilpay at the right time- for the price of one or the other elsewhere.

Being able to do the work is one thing, having a decent place to do it is another. Right now my DB990 is at a neighbors having the clutch done, not because I can't do it, but because I don't have a PLACE to do it. I've been planning on a much larger, 2 story garage for almost 20 years now. The money keeps getting lost to other projects. OTOH, I do my neighbors chainsaws and weed eaters because 2 strokes just irritate him to no end.

As far as modern autos, I've about giving up. If I had a rack or a pit so I could get under them or a lift (my neighbor got one cheap, the lucky son!) then it would make a lot of it easier. But crawling around under a car on jackstands in the snow or rain just ain't my thing anymore. My back is shot, my knees are going, my eyesight stinks and my ankles ache constantly. Doing things that aggravate all that isn't something I aim for, but I do it when I have to.

i dont know enough about automatic transmissions to do more than a fluid change or adjust the bands, and i wont work on a car, with the engine sitting sideways in the frame, its a cheap, poor, design,and i dont need the agravation, other than that im game