So school paid off and I just got a job as an Operator at a Dam so I'm pretty set now bad part is I have to drive 50 miles round trip on some pretty ****ty roads right now until I get school paid off and get a house. My question is what things do you think I should do to make sure my baby doesn't break down? I've almost got 160k on the clock and I'm thinking I'm gonna take it into my mechanic and have him look over everything, rotate and balance the tires, and check all the fluids since I'm lazy now haha. Anything else I should have done? If the ball joints are iffy I'll probably have him do them, just for ****s and giggles so they don't break down, down the line...Thanks for any suggestions guys...also considering getting this white SRT4 neon with 64k miles for 14k on it as a DD?!? Thinking of going and offering them 11k and giving them my number and leaving..

edit: I do Synthetic in the motor every 3500-5000 miles, just did the front and rear diffs with Amsoil last summer, transfer case has fresh ATF+4 and the tranny I just did last summer again with Pennzoil Synchromesh.

 

I think you will be fine with the truck. I have a 50 mile round trip commute to work, some of which are pour roads, and I've never had a problem. I have 134k on mine now and plan on doing all my fluids this weekend. I think with the way you take care of your truck you will be fine. The only thing that worries me are tie rods and you just replaced yours so your good there. One broke on my last Dakota at 125k miles and now I'm worried about my current truck. It's a scarey feeling when all the sudden the truck does what it wants.

Lately I've been averaging 18-19 mpg which is about 50/50 highway and back roads. I'm pretty happy with that. During the winter it was down around 15mpg.

The only problem I have with my truck is the annoying rattle in the back. I've gotten to the point where I think I'm going to take it to my mechanic to have him try and figure it out. It's annoying. My truck is in great shape. I look underneath and I'm happy. Everything is solid. No rust to speak of. The whole suspension with the exception of the tie rods and front sway bar has been replaced with poly bushings, greaseable ball joints, reflex shocks. It's a solid truck with annoying rattle. If it was a piece of crap I wouldn't care but it's in great shape and I just want the noise gone....

 

Taking care of your fluids in my opinion is the most important. Keep up with your suspension parts and don't be cheap when it comes to replacing them. If you haven't already you should create yourself a captains log book and write down any maintenance you do on your truck. Example like changed oil on Jul 29 2011 with 160k miles. This week alone I drove well over 600 miles in my Dakota and the log book I have for myself helps me keep my Dakota in good working condition and weekly inspections help.

 

+1. I've replaced suspension parts with cheap stuff before and had to replace them again a year later. It's a place you shouldn't cheap out on. Most suspension parts aren't terribly expensive so the upgrade is worth it. When I did the control arm bushings the poly set was about $10 more and they should out last the truck. To me, that is worth it.

I was thinking about using synthetic fluids in my differentials until I realized that synthetic gear oil is $14+ a quart. The regular is $6.xx, to me this is a place were the extra isn't really needed unless you did a lot of towing or it was a vehicle that was tracked. Changing the fluids in a timely fashion is much more important than using expensive fluids. This even goes for engine oil. You could buy the most expensive or oil in the world or supertech from walmart and if you change it in proper intervals, the motor will last forever with either.

We run whatever is on sale at Walmart in my father's work trucks. Two trucks are over 300k miles and run mint. (99 and 01 F150, both with a 4.6) Would it be running any different if we put something like Royal Purple or M1 full synthetic in it? I don't really think so. If it was running any better it would be unnoticeable.

 

Well that is because (As much as I despise the new ones) its a Ford.. :P ROFL!!!!!!!!! JK.. Good points made here though.. +10

 

Just my luck, I think I jinxed myself with this post...found a nail in my rear left tire today haha. Going up to the tire place in a few to get it patched and have them rotated and balanced...

 

Damn that sucks. Those tires weren't cheap either!

 

All fixed for now at least...65 bucks to get it patched, all 4 balanced and rotated, so not to shabby...I've gotten a screw in both the sets of MT's I've bought for my trucks in my lifetime haha.

 

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Your Rattle underneath your truck could be the heat shield on your Y Pipe

RitualJman

 

Checked that. It seems to be a rattle and squeak combined. I have no idea what it is at this point. I've checked everything.