Hey, fellas. I'm putting my '04 4.7 RWD (175k miles) on the lift for a brake job. What should I look at while I'm down there? I'm planning to look for leaks and damage, but I don't really know where to look, or what to look at. Any suggestions?

 

Front CV axle boots. Look for splits, leaks, etc. Transmission and oil pan, same thing. Inspect exhaust system for rusting, holes, hangers. Inspect shocks/struts for leakage/damage. Check emergency brake cable. Take a flashlight and start looking. Look for anything out of place, things that are broken or about to break, things that don't look right. Pretty easy to spot.

 

Look at rear pinion seal where driveshaft goes into the rear end. I had my 05 5.7 on my friends lift and noticed I had a small leak, so had the pinion seal replaced for $145 labor included, isn't the best way, but redoing it is like 800, so I went the affordable way and I will just take a look at it every few days for a few months to make sure no issues. When the pinion seal leaks no oil will drip, most will blow up onto the underside of the vehicle, another good way to tell if it's leaking, when you drive for awhile, get out and smell wheel well on back of the D, if pinion leaks, it blows all over and smells like buring oil in the wheel wells.