Das tow pig
- Thread starter Dasfinc
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any problems getting that installed??
I had one at my old shop where it was .5 inches longer.. from a FEW different ford dealers. (maybe the old one shrunk?) took quite a bit of muscle to get it to fit.
and thats nothing compared to what we had.. there were more HOLES than actual metal.
The other side still isn't done due to placement of the bolt (In to out, so the gas tank is in the way, and I'll have to cut the bolt out). Ima cut it out when I get home and knock it out.
As for the replacement being a bit longer, it seemed that way for me as well (Maybe a quarter or half an inch). I just tossed my Come-Along on the hitch, and the mount on the bottom corner of the axle and gave it a few ratchets to pull it back a spec, as well as lowered the axle a spec to make it easier to move around, was fairly painless, maybe 20 minutes start to finish for the pass side.
The driver side is WAY rustier, I'll have a pic of that one up later too.
thats EXACTLY what we did...
I investigated it further.. its and updated design from FORD That virtually no one knows about.... so the axle DOES have to come back 1/4 inch. IIRC we installed the bolt backwards to avoid taking down the gas tank..
worked fine
When I opened the box of the new arms (Dorman brand), there was a little slip about that these were the 'revised design' ones...
And ditto about the bolt in backwards, no harm, no fowl.
Come to think of it, I think EXACTLY what I did was rack it with the come-along, and then lowered the axle a bit (which then prevented it from coming forward while going down)... Makes sense
The 4.6's are DOGS, especially in AWD guise.
The 5.4's have no issues pulling 5K, and need a weight distributing hitch to handle up to 8K.
I've towed with a 5.4 powered 4X4 97 F150 on a number of occasions (same drive-line, and only about 300lbs lighter), and it was a champ. Specifically in 1999, the 5.4 in the Expo got a sizeable power boost (From 230hp/325tq to 260hp/345tq) so mine should suit its job well (Hauling Gear/mulch/BMW/etc).
Another side-note is that in 2003, they got Independent rear suspension as part of their re-design, which many people don't like to tow serious weight with, so some people give Expo's a bad wrap for that I found, but mine still has the SRA.
I gotcha. I don't know if my girlfriend's is a 4.6 or 5.4 but it think is a 99. I was just curious.
Many modular Trucks/Service Cars/Etc are neglected pretty badly too, so if it is a 99 5.4, it may just need something as basic as a tune-up. (They are also known for cracked exhaust manifolds, which can cause a spec of power loss).
I'm digging the roof rack on that one! And I'll get hate for it, but I like the clearance lights just on the leading roof edge. No where near motivated enough to try tackling that though, I will install fog/driving lights under the rear bumper though for hitch hookups at night.
Some more progress:
Knocked out painting the front two wheels finally:
Replaced the upper arm and inner and outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeve on the Driver side and installed ceramic front brake pads and greased everything up nicely (Pass side is next up, and it needs a lower ball join on that side, so it will take a spec longer). Check my awesome bald tires!
And replaced the blower resistor (Heat only worked on high, old one looks like it should be fine still right?)
Some more progress:
Knocked out painting the front two wheels finally:
Replaced the upper arm and inner and outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeve on the Driver side and installed ceramic front brake pads and greased everything up nicely (Pass side is next up, and it needs a lower ball join on that side, so it will take a spec longer). Check my awesome bald tires!
And replaced the blower resistor (Heat only worked on high, old one looks like it should be fine still right?)
I sold her with 203k and it never need ball joints. i used a grease needle to poke holes in the boots and kept everything greased. I did waste a wheel bearing or two... a shift motor for the 4x4, simple to do... if your rear wheel seals arent leaking now, plan for them. any ticking you hear is going to be an exhaust manifold, not cracked, but the rear most bolts break off in the head... delete the post cats, dont touch the spark plugs until there is a sever issue. keep an eye out for lean and rich codes, alot of vacuum related stuff ontop that gets fragile, rubber hoses off the intake and such.
Im not sure what you tow, but if its heavy i suggest some air bags in the rear. I rarely towed heavy, but when I did you felt it.. definitely keep it out of OD until your on flat ground, these trans get hot.
I hauled everything in the back of this bastard.. all my SBC's, i even was able to fit my old quad in the back by just lowering the handlebars!!!
I hauled everything in the back of this bastard.. all my SBC's, i even was able to fit my old quad in the back by just lowering the handlebars!!!
Replace all the things!
Done with:
Driver side upper control arm and ball joint
Driver side Inner/outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeves
Pass side upper control arm and ball joint
Pass side Inner/outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeves
Pass side wheel bearing (may do driver side eventually)
Pass side lower ball joint (driver side was still in good shape, appeared to have been replaced recently).
Brake pads
Done with:
Driver side upper control arm and ball joint
Driver side Inner/outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeves
Pass side upper control arm and ball joint
Pass side Inner/outer tie rod ends and adjusting sleeves
Pass side wheel bearing (may do driver side eventually)
Pass side lower ball joint (driver side was still in good shape, appeared to have been replaced recently).
Brake pads
It's all dialed in, aligned, etc.
Towed for the first time today with it (civic on a dolly), and it did it like a champ.
You Definitly notice it back there, but it still stops hard and doesn't feel loose. It's a spec down on power I think, so I'll need to figure out the scan port as to why. Towed better than I recall the 4.6 I towed with.
Towed for the first time today with it (civic on a dolly), and it did it like a champ.
You Definitly notice it back there, but it still stops hard and doesn't feel loose. It's a spec down on power I think, so I'll need to figure out the scan port as to why. Towed better than I recall the 4.6 I towed with.
Not that anyone cares, but i confirmed through some research that P401 code is actually normally associated with a faulty DPFE sensor, or clogged EGR ports in the intake manifold (and not the EGR valve itself). And a symptom of that is a 'lugging' when cruising between 35-45 (Lots of cases online, ford extended their warranty on the DPFE sensor because it was common enough to warrant it).
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