novaderrik wrote: also, it's a truck.. which means it's supposed to have leaf springs.. they rarely fall apart like that..
But it's a Ford truck, which means the shackles and shackle hangers rust out and need replacing every 6-7 years,
novaderrik wrote: also, it's a truck.. which means it's supposed to have leaf springs.. they rarely fall apart like that..
But it's a Ford truck, which means the shackles and shackle hangers rust out and need replacing every 6-7 years,
I am just surprised that ford would do this. Especially with there problems with the Explorer's and roll overs. I understand floors rusting or fenders or rockers but this is just not acceptable. It is interesting to note that all the rust seems to be at the welds between the center section and the end that surrounds the bushing. It is clear that the welding process changed the properties of the steel and in the areas that were heated it rusted. The worst part is I need my truck this week. I am moving the company. I was actually considering just stripping down the pieces and scabbing in some metal to temp it but after starting to remove more of the rust it is hopeless. The only other idea I had was to cut some flat bar and box in over the existing but in the long run this is allot more more work.
This reminds me of the old Toyota trucks I had on the lift years back.
Oh well time to fire up the welder.
I will post up the dimensions for the center section if anyone needs them in the future
SK of the part needed to make the unit up.
I ordered new bushings from rockauto. Those are not cheep!!!! There is $30 in bushings in each unit!!!
EDIT: I ended up using 1 1/2" square 1/8" wall tubing instead of the what is shown in the SK
Anyway the SK drawing.
With the cost of the bushings I can see how this is a $100 part. I am seriously thinking that I should make up a couple sets and put them on Ebay. If I was to do this I will have to measure up the tube at the end and get some stock for that but that should not be to much $$$. I actually only need the ID and the width. I know the OD.
Zomby woof wrote:DrBoost wrote: I hate to be THAT guy, but those aren't drag links. Those are control arms, drag links are in the steering system.I think you really want to be that guy
OH YEAH!!
Sorry, that's all I had...
That's a pretty common design for a rear control arm - all kinds of cars and trucks have been using them for 50 years or more. I wonder why these particular ones are more prone to rust.
I had a rear control arm rust out on a 1961 Bonneville once, but the car was 40 years old at the time so I wasn't all that surprised.
That's VERY common on those Expeditions. I'm in the most southern tip of Indiana, so we get a little salt and rust, but it's generally not too bad. I see this all the time.
Probably made from Chinese steel.
I went to the P&P today and they had one expedition (they use to have a bunch of them). It had suffered a rollover. I looked at the control arms and they had rusted so bad that they both were broken. When I asked about it they said that the control arms had failed. I got photos of it and the control arms in that truck. I will post up later.
Just what ford needs is a another roll over problem.
Have you complained to the NHSTA yet? Recalls don't happen without complaints...
Toyman01 wrote: A little POR15 and they should last longer than the rest of the truck.
I looked at that stuff, does it really work as well as they say? (assuming it's used as directed, with the other stuff they sell)
Thats some crazy rust. I'm glad my old ford van doesn't have anywhere near that kind of problem... Isn't your truck from that the same era as all of those Windstars that have the crazy rust problems?
Knurled wrote: Subaru just issued a recall regarding front control arms rusting to the point of collapse
I was unaware of the recall. Looking online at the list of eligible cars, it seems my wife and I are both getting some free front end work done by Christmas.
please do ball joints too, please do ball joints too, please do...
Hmm, I read an article not too long ago in Vehicle Dynamics with a Ford engineer expounding on how much better stamped steel was for suspension components rather than more expensive materials.
dean1484 wrote: I am actually thinking of cold galv then prime, paint and then rubberized undercoating.
If I were you, I'd skip the rubberized undercoating. Sounds like it exacerbated the rust problem by hiding it. Moisture gets behind that stuff, doesn't dry out and makes the problem worse.
The photos of the Expedition I was looking at today. Now I don't have it definitively that the failed control arms caused this but they obviously failed. When I asked about it they did not deny what I was seeing and what I was implying caused the rollover. This has brought it home to me that this potentially is a serious problem.
Driver side
Passenger side
A couple of the Vehicle
A small side note to this is I am underwhelmed by how the roof came down.
I dare a lawyer to try and explain how the crash caused the failure, and that the massive rot had nothing to do with it. How do those things survive a pot hole with all of that metal missing? wow.
A couple things...
How did the frame look? I've seen Grand Cherokees that would rip the front lower links free from the body.
I'm not too surprised about the roof. It's a freakin' heavy truck, after all. And it's not like they have to pass the same safety standards as cars.
Considering the rust issues with Windstar subframes, I can't say I'm really shocked with rotting Expedition control arms. Sounds like another recall in the making for Ford.
The frame looked fine (as does mine). It is the metal stampings used on the rear suspension that rust and rust fast and bad. The other place on these that seems to designation is the rocker's (I am still looking for replacements) and the bottom of the doors. The rest of the truck is in very good shape considering it has seen 150K of snow salt etc. This is one case where undercarriage washes on a regular basis might have helped.
Rufledt wrote:Toyman01 wrote: A little POR15 and they should last longer than the rest of the truck.I looked at that stuff, does it really work as well as they say? (assuming it's used as directed, with the other stuff they sell) Thats some crazy rust. I'm glad my old ford van doesn't have anywhere near that kind of problem... Isn't your truck from that the same era as all of those Windstars that have the crazy rust problems?
Yes it does. Everything I have used it on, it has stopped the rust cold. It is a pain to use though, and only buy it in small quantities. It will set up in the can and or glue the can shut. Permanently
dean1484 wrote: The frame looked fine (as does mine). It is the metal stampings used on the rear suspension that rust and rust fast and bad. The other place on these that seems to designation is the rocker's (I am still looking for replacements) and the bottom of the doors. The rest of the truck is in very good shape considering it has seen 150K of snow salt etc. This is one case where undercarriage washes on a regular basis might have helped.
As far as I know, the frames/unibodies on the Windstars are fine, too. It is the subframe that bolts TO the frame/unibody that is the problem. For all I know, the subframes that are rotting may be from the same source as the control arms. Regardless, I don't think components like that should corrode to that level in the given time-frame.
Dang it!!! I was so occupied with the control arms that I forgot to grab the tie down loops that screw in to the roof rack. I will have to go back and see about getting them.
The more you dig, the more you wonder where Ford is getting the metal for their suspension parts. Here is a link to forum where an owner has posted pictures of his Windstar with a broken rear axle. Note the corrosion in the images. This is not an isolated case, either.
At first I wasn't going to post, but now I feel obligated, my mom just had her 2006 Explorer into the shop after the rear diff grenaded at 100k miles, lucky she did, one of her rear coil springs was literally missing 2 coils (rust), she had to have new brake lines put in as well as they were corroded all to hell, she lives up in CT...
Toyman01 wrote:Rufledt wrote:Yes it does. Everything I have used it on, it has stopped the rust cold. It is a pain to use though, and only buy it in small quantities. It will set up in the can and or glue the can shut. PermanentlyToyman01 wrote: A little POR15 and they should last longer than the rest of the truck.I looked at that stuff, does it really work as well as they say? (assuming it's used as directed, with the other stuff they sell) Thats some crazy rust. I'm glad my old ford van doesn't have anywhere near that kind of problem... Isn't your truck from that the same era as all of those Windstars that have the crazy rust problems?
Use saran wrap under the lid when you put it back on. Poke thru the saran when you want to use the POR15 again. Also keeping the cans in the fridge helps it last longer. I wonder what would happen in the freezer?
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