What did you do to your LS today?
- Thread starter RigsLS
- Start date
BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! That sucks. Here in FL windshields are free through your insurance. As long as you have comprehensive coverage anyway.
No, you're right......wires everywhere looks like trash. I was running out of day light and was moving quick. I'm going to go get some longer wire for the ground. It won't reach the length to get to the back of the box where the amp is. Maybe I'll just mount the amp on the side of the box so I can turn the speakers around. We'll see.
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
Yes, skip Safelite and insist on either a factory replacement, or a Pilkington replacement. Safelite has weavy glass, and it's been my experience that there will be a weave right in the driver's line of sight. My local Safelite used to have a black and white zebra board that they would let you check the glass with before they glued it in, but they got rid of it. I know the last time I bought one from them when they had the zebra board it took them a half dozen pieces before they found one acceptable to me. Pilkington glass, never had a problem.
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
Robot - can only comment on the available information. And that's from one who has taken such exits at high rates of speed PROVIDED I can see farther than my braking distance.
I also wouldn't worry about trying to optimize those Chinese tires. If they are doing well enough for you, that's good enough.
On the Exploder, Ford's fix was to make the track wider. They didn't really fix the ones that flipped. Ford's problem with the Exploder was they built a top-heavy vehicle with a weak suspension that would flip if a tire blew, then coupled it with crap tires that were prone to explode. Had they gone with a better tire, they would not have had near the problem. If they had built it a bit wider or with a tighter suspension, they would not have had the problem at all. A current owner of one of these flipmobiles could probably fix the problem just by replacing the factory wheels with wider offset wheels to make the track wider.
I also wouldn't worry about trying to optimize those Chinese tires. If they are doing well enough for you, that's good enough.
On the Exploder, Ford's fix was to make the track wider. They didn't really fix the ones that flipped. Ford's problem with the Exploder was they built a top-heavy vehicle with a weak suspension that would flip if a tire blew, then coupled it with crap tires that were prone to explode. Had they gone with a better tire, they would not have had near the problem. If they had built it a bit wider or with a tighter suspension, they would not have had the problem at all. A current owner of one of these flipmobiles could probably fix the problem just by replacing the factory wheels with wider offset wheels to make the track wider.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
most sub boxes have angles cut into them so that they fit tighter up against the seats. trunk boxes usually have the cut on the back side so they can face back to give the best sound in most applications and squeeze as close to the rear seats as possible to waste as little space as possible. truck boxes usually have the cut on the front because they usually need to face forward to squeeze in behind the back wall and seat (an application that doesn't leave a whole lot of room behind the box like a trunk setup usually does)
Deaconblue
Well-Known LVC Member
Yes the Explorer has a high center of gravity. Yes the soft riding IRS does make it a bit of a handful to re-gain control when the driver initially over corrects after a blow out - but the Firestone tires were not really crap. The problem with the Explorer was that Firestone recommended one tire pressure for the tire vehicle combo, while the folks at Ford for ride quality reason chose to post a lower recommended pressure (if I remember correctly 30 PSI) on the vehicle placard. Yes, say a Michelin tire may have been a better choice, but having the correct pressure in the Firestone tires (probable closer to 33-35 PSI) would most likely have prevented the problem in the first place with the original Firestone tires.
The real cause of the Firestone tire failures were in fact due to lack of proper preventative maintenance by the vehicle owners. When was the last time you check the pressure in your tires? After a couple months or with the onset of cooler temperatures, you can lose a few PSI in pressure. If the tire pressure was set at the too low Ford recommended 30 PSI pressure to begin with and then allowed to drop to say 25 PSI or even lower due to lack of proper preventative maintenance, well then the tires can end up being easily overloaded and result in failures.
I am sorry if anyone here on this list had to deal with this issue first hand.
By the way, this whole fiasco is why we now have to deal with TPMS with all the newer vehicles.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
I think that there must be more to it than just this. The preventative maintenance issue would apply to all tire brands and to most pre 2007 vehicles.
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
Strange, I've never had a Firestone that wasn't crap. Won't even keep them on a car that comes with them. If I buy a car with Firestones, I drive it from the place I bought it to the tire shop, sweating buckets all the way. That's been forever too, not just since the Ford flipmobiles.
I do agree that this was the cause of the new nannyware though. It wasn't just the cause of mandated TPMS, it's also the cause of mandated traction control systems.
I do agree that this was the cause of the new nannyware though. It wasn't just the cause of mandated TPMS, it's also the cause of mandated traction control systems.
jjcool00
Dedicated LVC Member
By this logic all tires would fail, not just the Firestone ones - because I'd say over 90% of drivers do not check their tire pressure.
Deaconblue
Well-Known LVC Member
Yes the Firestone tires were deemed to be defective due to their tenancy for tread separation, but this was compounded by the fact that Ford recommended a fairly low 26 PSI (not 30 PSI as I noted before) inflation pressure. Now let that pressure drop to say 20 PSI and take a highway off ramp at speed and severely overload that outside tire that is both hot and under inflated tire and you can have a failure. Those early Explorers also had a stick axle rear suspension and not the IRS that the later models had.
2002_lincolnLS
Custom User Title
went muddin
Ordered the "blend door" actuator for the passenger side, behind the glove box; P/N YW4Z-19E616-AA. It's been clicking for a month or so now so I removed the glove box and watched it try to move and it was definitely sticking. While I wait for it to arrive I shot some dry-lube on the visible part of the actuator shaft hoping that will free it up some before the new part arrives. Got it from a dealer in SFO for ~$45 shipped. The worst part is releasing the soft-close "cable" from the door arm.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I was thinking more of the epoxy fix. The chip is only 1/16"x1/4"
I saw you on the Howard Frankland bridge today. Was going to wave but decided that 1. You wouldn't recognize me and 2. I was in the far left lane. So, retro wave!
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
lol, I always wave to other LS on the road. just a couple of weeks ago, I got a tip of the hat from a guy in his 70's.
#GameRecognizeGame
There is a girl I see most mornings on the way to work. She has a genII. I always see her coming out of the daycare I pass. I usually wave to her. Most of the other LSs I see are sad and withering away. It's upsetting really.
RigsLS
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Don't think that was him unless he in FL on holidays with his LS.
He has a twin LS then. Cause this car had ohio plates with all the same mods as his. Light rack and all.
Jim Henderson
Dedicated LVC Member
Finally completed summer project to rebuild/replace my drive train on 2004 LSV8
This week I finished the last job on my list of projects that started around July.
In June my tranny started the usual bang shifting so I knew a rebuild was in my future. Also back around 40K miles the dealer did the factory TSB to replace the pinion bearing. Pinion noises started at about 60K miles. Don't know if the dealer screwed up, but essentially my differential was slowly dying over the next 120K miles starting with a subtle whine.
I will go into detail in separate postings titled something like "Thoughts on replacing XYZ". But I have had the tranny rebuilt, the Rubber drive shaft couplers explode and get replaced twice for each of 2, Right CV replaced, Differential replaced, Rt wheel bearing replaced and the center drive shaft carrier bearing replaced. Also replaced the radiator with a junk yard special($20).
The rubber couplers, center carrier and pinion of the diff I think was a vicious circle with each part contributing to the destruction of the others, thus my replacing the rubber couplers twice. Best to replace them all at the same time.
I had a shop do the rebuild of the tranny, not a cheap shop that's for sure. I have got to learn to rebuild a tranny, I have spent way too much $ over the past 40+ years on this job.
I replaced all the other parts other than having a local shop press in the wheel bearing and carrier bearing.
It is a lot of work but nothing that some one capable of replacing the brakes and or front hub assembly couldn't do, with many afternoons groveling in the dirt.
Full stories over the next week or so.
I forgot how quiet the LS can be. For the last 100K+ miles I have had a slowly growing louder whine and eventually thrumming, rumbling or thumping. All gone. And I don't have to add coolant every week. But then again this is an LS, no doubt some crappy plastic cooling part is waiting it's turn to give me grief on schedule.
One interesting sidelight I noticed is that after replacing the differential and after my center carrier bearing started thumping, a well known symptom, my gas mileage went up 2-3 mpg. Don't know if it was a combo of cooler weather, winter gas, less traffic or the fact that I had to use the accellerator as if it had a raw egg taped to it. I had to accellerate so carefully to prevent thumping that it actually took me maybe 2 minutes to get up to 65mph on the freeway from the on ramp. What a pita. Now that all my parts are good, I drive in my more usual spirited style and my mileage is back down around 18.5mpg for my commute. But then this is only for a few days so far.
Be sure to check out Junkyard sales, especially holidays. What I thought would cost me well over $1000, to replace all the stuff other than the tranny, actually cost me less than a couple hundred in parts and maybe $60 in special tools. Gotta love donar cars.
Jim Henderson
This week I finished the last job on my list of projects that started around July.
In June my tranny started the usual bang shifting so I knew a rebuild was in my future. Also back around 40K miles the dealer did the factory TSB to replace the pinion bearing. Pinion noises started at about 60K miles. Don't know if the dealer screwed up, but essentially my differential was slowly dying over the next 120K miles starting with a subtle whine.
I will go into detail in separate postings titled something like "Thoughts on replacing XYZ". But I have had the tranny rebuilt, the Rubber drive shaft couplers explode and get replaced twice for each of 2, Right CV replaced, Differential replaced, Rt wheel bearing replaced and the center drive shaft carrier bearing replaced. Also replaced the radiator with a junk yard special($20).
The rubber couplers, center carrier and pinion of the diff I think was a vicious circle with each part contributing to the destruction of the others, thus my replacing the rubber couplers twice. Best to replace them all at the same time.
I had a shop do the rebuild of the tranny, not a cheap shop that's for sure. I have got to learn to rebuild a tranny, I have spent way too much $ over the past 40+ years on this job.
I replaced all the other parts other than having a local shop press in the wheel bearing and carrier bearing.
It is a lot of work but nothing that some one capable of replacing the brakes and or front hub assembly couldn't do, with many afternoons groveling in the dirt.
Full stories over the next week or so.
I forgot how quiet the LS can be. For the last 100K+ miles I have had a slowly growing louder whine and eventually thrumming, rumbling or thumping. All gone. And I don't have to add coolant every week. But then again this is an LS, no doubt some crappy plastic cooling part is waiting it's turn to give me grief on schedule.
One interesting sidelight I noticed is that after replacing the differential and after my center carrier bearing started thumping, a well known symptom, my gas mileage went up 2-3 mpg. Don't know if it was a combo of cooler weather, winter gas, less traffic or the fact that I had to use the accellerator as if it had a raw egg taped to it. I had to accellerate so carefully to prevent thumping that it actually took me maybe 2 minutes to get up to 65mph on the freeway from the on ramp. What a pita. Now that all my parts are good, I drive in my more usual spirited style and my mileage is back down around 18.5mpg for my commute. But then this is only for a few days so far.
Be sure to check out Junkyard sales, especially holidays. What I thought would cost me well over $1000, to replace all the stuff other than the tranny, actually cost me less than a couple hundred in parts and maybe $60 in special tools. Gotta love donar cars.
Jim Henderson
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
Took mine off the road as I no longer trust the trans. New solenoid pack is sitting on a shelf waiting for me to get to it. Just have to wait on a new filter before I proceed, probably after the holidays.
2002_lincolnLS
Custom User Title
I was down there yesterday, I am hanging out in southern georgia for he holiday so decided to head to tampa for day.
R34SklnNsn
Active LVC Member
Started replacing the swaybar bushings and they looked almost new. Looked through the service tickets and didn't find one on them. Instead replaced the end links and clanking is gone. I was really dreading moving all that stuff.
RigsLS
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+1
Just goes to shows when one assumes. I could use a southern holiday myself these days, not trucking anywhere this past month.