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I have an 06 F150 4X4 with the 5.4L with 20,000 miles. My dealer emailed me the following services that are recomended at 24,000. I looked in my manual and it says to lube the ball joints and steering linkage if the vehicle has grease fittings, I haven't got under it and looked but can someone tell me where the fittings are located? Also my manual doesn't say to change the rear axle fluid this early, does anyone have reccomendations for this? One more thing, the manual says I should change my auto trans fluid at 30,000 if I have the torqshift transmission. Does my truck have a torqshift? If not what cars do because I also have an '06 mustang GT auto with almost 30,000.
Thanks
Services recommended by your manufacturer and Mac Haik Ford include:
LUBRICATE BALL JOINTS
LUBRICATE STEERING LINKAGE
LUBRICATE LOWER CONTROL ARM
REPLACE REAR AXLE GEAR LUBRICANT
These trucks dont have grease zerks on anything, according to my 04's manual if they do not have fittings they are "lubed for life." As far as the rear end and the trans, the rear end lube shouldn't need to be changed unless the rear end is submerged in water. If it hasn't then its fine and should be good till at least 100,000 miles or more. My manual says that the tranny fluid should be changed every 30-36,000 miles. I changed mine at about 50,000 and the fluid still looked like new even after several long trips heavily loaded. I wouldn't worry about the steering either cause rack and pinion steering systems are pretty much sealed off and there are no fittings at the tie rod ends so that should be fine. I think the torque shifts are in diesels but i could be wrong. Theres nothing wrong with changing the trans fluid but it wait a little longer. Sounds like they are selling you stuff that you dont really need.
I also have an 06 F150 4x4 with the 5.4 and 54K miles. I bought the truck new but never have been happy with the lack of information in the manuals that come with new vehicles. I bought a Haynes Repair Manual shortly after I bought the truck. It has some useful information in it for the do-it-yourselfer. The haynes book recommends changing the transmission fluid and the transfer case fluid at 100K miles and the differential fluid at 60K miles. The ball joints on these models are not serviceable. When they wear out the control arm and ball joint must be replaced as a single assembly.
The dealers are hurting with the economy like it is so some of them will try just about anything to make a buck. At 20K miles you don't have anything to worry about for a while except your oil changes
1) Haynes manuals often times do not contain much information and what they do contain is sometimes wrong.
2) Ford recommends on almost every one of their cars to change the auto trans fluid every 30k whether severe service or not. I would not ignore this. In my experience, Ford trannies are a lot more finnicky than other cars and without good fluid, they act up.
3) You do not have to replace the entire control arm with the balljoints. You can remove the arm and have a shop press out the old joints and new ones in. Why buy a new control arm when you don't have to?
I also have an 06 F150 4x4 with the 5.4 and 54K miles. I bought the truck new but never have been happy with the lack of information in the manuals that come with new vehicles. I bought a Haynes Repair Manual shortly after I bought the truck. It has some useful information in it for the do-it-yourselfer. The haynes book recommends changing the transmission fluid and the transfer case fluid at 100K miles and the differential fluid at 60K miles. The ball joints on these models are not serviceable. When they wear out the control arm and ball joint must be replaced as a single assembly.
The dealers are hurting with the economy like it is so some of them will try just about anything to make a buck. At 20K miles you don't have anything to worry about for a while except your oil changes
Owners manuals are not for performing maintenance, thats what the service manuals are for.