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Tore into the brakes today on my '04 I just got. All four tires had the lug nuts hammered on. My 1/2 inch drive impact just sat there vibrating. I ended up using a breaker bar and 6 foot cheater pipe to get them loose. The aluminum wheels were also put on dry and electrolysis had welded them to the hubs. I'm 210 pounds and had to hang from the cheater pipe on some of the lug nuts. Evidently they had been installed with an impact wrench.
The front wheels are off while I wait for parts. I'm going to do a full brake service as it really needs it. One caliper was frozen.
Evidently that caliper hasn't worked in some time. The previous owner told me it had problems. It also overheated the rotor on that wheel and it's got a warp to it. So, now hoses, calipers and rotors are either waiting to go on or pending delivery. Each of the rear wheels took about 45 minutes to get off. This is in front of my own shop with all my tools handy. Heaven forbid the PO got a flat on the road. Good thing I decided to rotate the tires while I was in there.
Last edited by Ol' Grouch; Feb 11, 2024 at 05:06 PM.
Reason: i kaant spel wurth a durn
Yeah, lucky you discovered all this at your shop, and like you said, not on the side of the road one night. Heck, even with clean studs and lug nuts they're a big challenge to get off with that factory lug wrench when they're torqued to specs. I carry a big breaker bar in mine, in there where the jack is hidden. What area of the country did this Expy come from ? Pretty rare to have the calipers freeze up.
Yeah, lucky you discovered all this at your shop, and like you said, not on the side of the road one night. Heck, even with clean studs and lug nuts they're a big challenge to get off with that factory lug wrench when they're torqued to specs. I carry a big breaker bar in mine, in there where the jack is hidden. What area of the country did this Expy come from ? Pretty rare to have the calipers freeze up.
Originally, the truck was sold in Texas and later went to Central Illinois. I'm just south of I-64. I consider north of I-64 to be the rust belt edge. North of it, cars tend to dissolve. South you get surface patina. I don't think that's why the caliper froze. The body of the truck has one tin worm section. For a 20 year old Ford truck, that isn't much at all. The passenger side rocker has some rot and the left has a spot trying to start. The frame is just dirty with no rot at all.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture put of the air. I'm thinking it's never been flushed. I'm waiting on rotors as one was warped. Once they come in and I get the front together, I'll flush the entire system. I'm hoping the rear calipers flush okay. If the bleeder valves break off, I've found the part needs rebuilt or replaced.
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