I dont want to start a riot. 3 weeks ago I bought my screw, which seems to be great truck. A freind saw it and said he likes it and wants a truck but said he wont buy domestic, just foreign trucks. He says American cars suck. I'm not a total bone-head, I found a steal of a deal on a one owner Toyota camery (wifes car). Their supposed to be so great you know. Last week the timing belt broke, and this week the CV axle went out. I put 184K miles on a 91 Ford Explorer with hardly no problems. What gives ?
When people say foreign cars are better, I feel like puking. Here's my therory. When people buy foreign cars, they dont do the maintence themselves, so they always take it in for servicing. Pampering the Toy it's entire life. At 50-70K miles they need to change the timing belt, and of course other tune up issues. Foreign trucks as well, get the best treatment. Never towing or hauling extends the life alot. Why is it that red necks (I'm in the south) buy a Ford or Chevy, on the way home from the dealer, start dragging other trucks, stop by a mud hole and abuse the thing. Of course people on this site take care of their Fords or they would'nt be here. People buy a 1/2 ton truck and try to pull a house with it, or a 30' 12,000 lb boat. Generally, people drive American trucks into the ground, no tune up, no timing belt to change, no nothing. No wonder american trucks get a bad rap. I've been driving American cars trucks since 1977, never been left on the road. Thats because I maintain my cars and trucks. After all the hipe of foriegn cars being so great, I get left on the road with a Camery that the prev. owner keep all service records. I cant wait till these red necks down here start abusing the Titan. We'll see how it holds up. I bet it will go to 100K miles and then fall apart. O.K.. I'm done, hope I didnt bore yall to much.


Pate (using but not abusing)
20' Fourwinns bowrider
27' Wilderness camper
15' Bass tracker
15' Landscaping trailer
-----------------------------7d5190113When people buy foreign cars, they dont do the maintence themselves, so they always take it in for servicing. Pampering the Toy it's entire life. At 50-70K miles they need to change the timing belt, and of course other tune up issues. Foreign trucks as well, get the best treatment. Never towing or hauling extends the life alot. Why is it that red necks (I'm in the south) buy a Ford or Chevy, on the way home from the dealer, start dragging other trucks, stop by a mud hole and abuse the thing. Of course people on this site take care of their Fords or they would'nt be here. People buy a 1/2 ton truck and try to pull a house with it, or a 30' 12,000 lb boat. Generally, people drive American trucks into the ground, no tune up, no timing belt to change, no nothing. No wonder american trucks get a bad rap. I've been driving American cars trucks since 1977, never been left on the road. Thats because I maintain my cars and trucks. After all the hipe of foriegn cars being so great, I get left on the road with a Camery that the prev. owner keep all service records. I cant wait till these red necks down here start abusing the Titan. We'll see how it holds up. I bet it will go to 100K miles and then fall apart. O.K.. I'm done, hope I didnt bore yall to much.


Pate (using but not abusing)
20' Fourwinns bowrider
27' Wilderness camper
15' Bass tracker
15' Landscaping trailer

 

Feel better now ?
Congrats on your new truck ...

 

I am with ya man.

I think the difference between the Domestics and Imports is very narrow.

I have owned Fords and Chevys, neither gave me problems.
(well....I could not keep an idler or pittman arm in my 78' cheby, but thats my own fault)

I will just have to put up with my Ford.

 

Good post. I do feel that as far as trucks are concerned, Ford, Chevy, and Dodge are the way to go! These little foreign trucks cant do chit. Theyre good on gas mileage and running thru the mud, but not for important stuff.
As for me, Ill always have a Ford pickup in the driveway as a driver. (And maybe a couple restored cheby pickups in the garage too... )

Although, my buddy does have a 86 Nissan hardbody 4x4 with over 300,000 on it.....never even had a clutch before, and that truck goes thru hell all the time....

 

Beware!!!
My buddy had a little Dodge D50 it had a Mitubishi motor in it!




I have a 96 Explorer...I don't count normal maintainance as repair work.. but I do not have to maintain it anymore than any other vehicle I own...
BUT I have had to put a second transmission in it at 110,xxx miles now has 140,XXX and needs another one...It does not go off road it rarley pulls anything... if it does pull something its ussally a light PU bed trailer or small utility trailer less than 1000 lbs.

I will not have another V6 Explorer...EVER! I think the V8's tranny is the same as our trucks and my truck has never thought about slipping, I pull log trailers and gooseneck car haulers almost dailey with my truck! If it continues to prove worthy I might buy an Explorer with a V8 sometime!
--------------------------t 110,xxx miles now has 140,XXX and needs another one...It does not go off road it rarley pulls anything... if it does pull something its ussally a light PU bed trailer or small utility trailer less than 1000 lbs.

I will not have another V6 Explorer...EVER! I think the V8's tranny is the same as our trucks and my truck has never thought about slipping, I pull log trailers and gooseneck car haulers almost dailey with my truck! If it continues to prove worthy I might buy an Explorer with a V8 sometime!

 

Sorry to hear about your Explorer. Maybe yours was made on monday or Friday. I dropped my Transmission oil pan at 30K on my Explorer to change the filter and the fluid. I was shocked to see stamped everywhere "made in Germany". I knew the engine (4.0 L) was designed in Germany, but the tranny Stamped with Germany suprised me. I was ticked off it didnt have a drain plug. I had a shower of Transmission fluid. It wasnt a pretty sight. But, I did it myself and it was done right.

Pate

 

Rednecks....

In pickups....

in Lexington, SC....

Hummmm. Wasn't me I swear!

Off US 1 near Barnyard F.M., and you?

 

Howdy Harleyrider, I live off # 6 near the Dam. I bought my Screw from a Chebby dealer in Ga., who wasnt too proud of it. Ben Satcher Ford is high as a cats back. Send me a direct e-mail, I would ride over and see that Harley. My 83' V65 wants to get this weekend.

pate

 

Magnawake
I changed the tranny filter right after I bought it.. it had not been done yet it still had the factory dip tube knock out in the pan... When it started slipping the first time I changed it again hoping that was all that it was and I found parts in the pan..."Hmm this can't be good...Yea 3 mechanis and 5 tranny shops declared it unrepairable...Then I changed the new/rebuilt tranny fluid at 500 miles after it was installed as they suggested...Then again couple of months ago... it is slipping bad and again in second gear like the first and getting worse all the time. NO Parts in the pan though so maybe they can fix it or will replace it under warranty for me. Firts I must get my wife out of it long enough and have the time to get it there when they are open!
Neiteher one of mine has hadthis can't be good[/I]...Yea 3 mechanis and 5 tranny shops declared it unrepairable...Then I changed the new/rebuilt tranny fluid at 500 miles after it was installed as they suggested...Then again couple of months ago... it is slipping bad and again in second gear like the first and getting worse all the time. NO Parts in the pan though so maybe they can fix it or will replace it under warranty for me. Firts I must get my wife out of it long enough and have the time to get it there when they are open!
Neiteher one of mine has had a drain plug either but I did not notice any german markings, I will look next time though.

 

This is my second Explorer I have owned the first was the first Generation a 92. It was fine.. I drove it 150,xxx miles only problem I had with it was the front hubs were weak. Plastic cams broke a couple of times and the cam springs would break atleast every other year on one side or the other. Couldn't buy NEW parts for it.. Dealer item only... and they would only sale the whole hub assembly $300. So I still have a few 4wd hub parts for it from salvage yard that I didnt use.

 

Mag, you have email.

 

Another myth, "maybe it was made on a Monday or a Friday"....In your job do you purposely put in less effort on those days???

 

Screwbuilder,
Naa, I wouldnt purposly not work as hard on Monday or Fri.. I dont know if that staement is a proven myth or not. Maybe its a job for myth busters. I worked a long time at a Shipyard. Monday was a gloomy day, the weekend was over, people took thier time getting to the worksite. Wed. was hump day, yee-haa. Fri. everyone was pumped up, talking about what they were going to do on the weekend. It was clearly a different attitude on each day. However, the Auto industry may work rotating shift work. Dont know, I was really making the comment in general. I have heard that most lemons are made on a Mon or Fri. I dont remember the source.

PSS, my only Explorer was a 91 model. Bought it Sept 90. I loved it. Consumers report said not to buy this SUV. They did hit the nail on the head on the problem areas:

Brakes - yep, caliper pistons stuck, burned rotars up.
Suspension - Raduis arm bushings fell apart.
Alternator - replaced 2

Also replaced the radiator. Other than those things, it went 184K without a problem. I was very happy. Sorry for you problems.

 

Ohh dont be sorry...it's not a biggie they all cant be great...I've had lemons in every make..I only wish it was brakes, suspension or alternator...LOL I've herad the transmisions are common at 120,000 in these I had also heard that when I had the first gen. too. But never experinced it with it. This second transmission is kind of odd... I think something else happened...I Just dont know enough about transmissions to know how to find out what it might be. One shop told me they could machine a port or a valve or something and it would never have a problem again. They claim it doesn't get enough fluid or is to small, or plugs up, and sometimes both becuse it is to small.

 

Nice meeting you magna! Hope that short motorcycle ride helped you blow off some steam. I hated to stop at the inlaws, I wanted to keep riding....


PS, I know you kept letting me win! Everyone knows Harleys are just slow bikes that drip oil and can never compete with foriegn made race bikes!