Where I live like many other states there is the annual task of paying a tax which is hidden by the authorities under the guise of a vehicle inspection. I'm all for ensuring that only the safest vehicles are on our roadways but this has become nothing more than a hassle for all involved, motorist and garage owner alike. Anyway, being the owner of an older vehicle, an inspector (which could be an experienced mechanic or some guy with little or no knowledge) can be critical or lax about your vehicle's mechanical condition. The mechanic today said I needed a driver's side wheel bearing replaced before he'd slap that coveted sticker on my truck. I have an 88 F150 4wd, 300 six. I changed a wheel bearing on an old nissan but never on a 4wd. Is this very involved? Anything I should know before I start? I've ordered a Chiltons manual so hopefully it should guide me through it. Also, during the inspection, I engaged the e-brake and it felt like it wouldn't release. At least one wheel. Then the brake lights stopped functioning at one point but they are working again. Are the lights and e-brake related? Sorry about all the questions but wanted to ask them in one whack. Thanks to all. Jeff

 

for the wheel bearing, only special tools are a good set of snap ring pliers, and the ford hub socket that can be rented from a parts house. parking brake cables tend to rust up and get stuck, thats probably your problem there. No there, not interelated though, that sounds like a ground issue.

 

Boy, you ain't kiddin' about the insanity of the state inspection. I don't think a worn out bearing is really justifiable reason for an inspector to fail the vehicle. I just had a ton of work done on my truck and even though it's a month away from expiration, I had the dealer peform an inspection. Why? Because I believe it's also a racket. Garage is slow one week--dude shows up with an old truck for state inspection. Cha-Ching! Old vehicles are easy to gig on an inspection! My logic was that since I was already going to hand this dealership's service dept a pile of money anyway, that they better look the other way unless its a major safety problem. I was right. They gigged me for a burned out license plate bulb, and that's it. I guarantee you if I waited and took it somewhere else when it was due, I would be looking at a $200-300 bill for something.

Last year, the guys who worked on my exhaust system gigged me for cracked brake hoses, and told me that at some point I need to get my LF wheel bearing replaced. Turns out, that wheel bearing was really shot, but they knew I'd throw a fit if I saw a $500 bill after a simple state inspection!! They picked their battles, and then warned me of a true problem.

Bottom line is, you may be screwed, but you may try another inspection station for another opinion. They should have the power to override the other inspector's decision. For what it's worth, I had the bearing replaced on my 4x4 (which is a much greater PITA) and it set me back out $150.

My plan for the future is to schedule a repair right around inspection time each year, and hopefully that will satisfy the garage's lust for charging every old vehicle owner, and I will get something fixed at the same time!