Ford Expedition Tie Rod Failure

[Lmarth]

You guys HAD to bring up the brakes, didn't you? Just kidding. One of my front brake pads wore down to the backing plate at 25,000 miles and gouged the rotor. Well up here in the snowey North, that presents a real problem---you can't get the rotors off! The rotor is a tite fit over the wheel flange. The recess in the rotor is much deeper than the thickness of the flange. Rust forms on the backside of the rotor trapping it on the wheel flange. I used my sawz all to cut a wedge section out of the rotor. A few whacks with a big hammer and the section broke off allowing the rotor to come off. I used lots of anti-seize on the new rotors but don't expect it to help in this environment.

[Strip Poker 388]

Originally Posted by Lmarth

You guys HAD to bring up the brakes, didn't you? Just kidding. One of my front brake pads wore down to the backing plate at 25,000 miles and gouged the rotor. Well up here in the snowey North, that presents a real problem---you can't get the rotors off! The rotor is a tite fit over the wheel flange. The recess in the rotor is much deeper than the thickness of the flange. Rust forms on the backside of the rotor trapping it on the wheel flange. I used my sawz all to cut a wedge section out of the rotor. A few whacks with a big hammer and the section broke off allowing the rotor to come off. I used lots of anti-seize on the new rotors but don't expect it to help in this environment.

I guess thats from the salt? I wonder if living on the coast with salt air is as bad??????

[Lmarth]

Not even close Rob. The calcium chloride,etc that they put down makes asphalt roads white. Then you get all that slush flying around underneath. Some used cars dealers up here advertise that they market in "Southern Cars". Got your e-mail on the tweaks at Precision. Took two tries to get out of the slip this morning. First time I tried to leave,one low water pickup got plugged with a big wad of seaweed. Hoisted her out,cleaned it out and went out. Felt piggish. Gotta change plugs. I didn't push it. Lou

[Strip Poker 388]

Originally Posted by Lmarth

Not even close Rob. The calcium chloride,etc that they put down makes asphalt roads white. Then you get all that slush flying around underneath. Some used cars dealers up here advertise that they market in "Southern Cars". Got your e-mail on the tweaks at Precision. Took two tries to get out of the slip this morning. First time I tried to leave,one low water pickup got plugged with a big wad of seaweed. Hoisted her out,cleaned it out and went out. Felt piggish. Gotta change plugs. I didn't push it. Lou

calcium chloride sounds corrosive Lou whats the water temp up there???

[Lmarth]

Rob-Today's paper says deep water temp for Lake Ontario is 58*. I don't know what depth 'deep water' is or what the surface temp is. Water temps here are deceptive as the lakes 'turn over'. This is the worst time for seaweed. A good windy storm usually breaks it up. What I should have done yesterday was to back out on one engine and then back up and try to knock it off. It was really jammed in there.

[Slick02]

Originally Posted by Lmarth

You guys HAD to bring up the brakes, didn't you? Just kidding. One of my front brake pads wore down to the backing plate at 25,000 miles and gouged the rotor. Well up here in the snowey North, that presents a real problem---you can't get the rotors off! The rotor is a tite fit over the wheel flange. The recess in the rotor is much deeper than the thickness of the flange. Rust forms on the backside of the rotor trapping it on the wheel flange. I used my sawz all to cut a wedge section out of the rotor. A few whacks with a big hammer and the section broke off allowing the rotor to come off. I used lots of anti-seize on the new rotors but don't expect it to help in this environment.

You might try pulling all of the calipers loose and cleaning the slides and the guide pins/bolts and then coating them(slides and guides) with white lube and it should help your uneven pad life, the calipers are supposed to float but with a little corrosion they start to hang up in 1 position and then the pads start to wear unevenly.

[Lmarth]

Point well taken. I've got a lot of experience with disc brakes--mostly bad. Been through many years of four piston Corvette disc brakes with emergency brake shoes inside rear rotors,single piston floating calipers, Expedition discs with E-brake shoes in rear rotors, late 80's Grand Prix calipers with frozen sliders that were subject of Class Action law suits,etc. Corrosion here is a real problem. Your points are much appreciated. As my Daddy used to tell me, "always keep your equipment greased!"

[birdog]

Originally Posted by Slick02

You might try pulling all of the calipers loose and cleaning the slides and the guide pins/bolts and then coating them(slides and guides) with white lube and it should help your uneven pad life, the calipers are supposed to float but with a little corrosion they start to hang up in 1 position and then the pads start to wear unevenly.

I have tried everything to make mine "Float"...Always one side shot and the other like new...Love my SD but, The brakes suck

[JB4Boyne]

I have a F150 and last year over the 4th of July (Sat. morning) I was backing my boat down the ramp and the tie rod end broke on the port side, there I sat with the boat 1/2 way in the water and couldn't move, I was pissed, but not as pissed as the other 20 boaters waiting for me to get out of the way, a couple of the guys started kicking the tire strait as I pulled ahead slowly. When I got the boat up on the level I unhooked the truck and pulled it out of the way and called my dealer to come get it, another guy hooked up and backed it down the ramp for me, so my day wasn't ruined. But I have wondered since what would have happened if it would have broken 5 miles sooner when I was towing at 60 mph JB

[Zudnic]

Originally Posted by Lmarth

Lake Ontario..

Bought my Navigator while living in Toronto and when moved to the Pacific Northwest, dealers here shocked at how rusted it was under-neath.......