Road repair methods

[plasticplatforms]

I fix my rig myself, because i am the one who needs it the most.

Are any of you the same way?

When i rely on it to live, then i want to be the boss and pay the cost.

I don't think shops care anyway. i am just a number.


So, i have compiled things i have learned over the years.

What kind of road repairs have all of you done?

 

[bullfrog]

The big problem for me is finding a vehicle that is repairable on the road. Years ago I did everything and replaced every part on several VW busses on the road quiet often. With a floor jack and jack stands the motor was out in 45 minutes after you had done it a few times over a few years you knew what parts to carry (basically everything). Carburetor rebuild 30 minutes if you could clear the passages with spray carb cleaner. Replace the ignition system and time 15 minutes. Fuel pump 15 minutes. Transaxle with gear boxes an afternoon. Brakes about an hour a wheel, less if you had someone to help you bleed them out. Clutch cables took 30 minutes, accelerator cable took 30 minutes shifter joint and bushing maybe an hour. Tie rod ends just depended if you remembered to fill the bottle for the torch. Over the years high quality parts went away and basically every replacement new part wore out or broke in half the time it should and cost three times as much as it had in the past. Older vehicles with some updates are probably your best bet if you will be doing your own work but it is getting harder to find garages that have mechanics old enough to be able to actually fix or repair them. Lately I had several garages tell me they won't work on anything older than 2002. If you can afford them newer vehicles get better mileage and seem to last 4 or 5 years maybe longer with few major problems. If you keep the maintenance up and stay on pavement probably over 200,000 miles. You will spend a lot of money but you won't get you hands dirty and seems most people don't think it is worth it to buy an old vehicle if they have to learn to work on it and deal with finding high quality parts that will
make their repairs last. Brought my new to me 1987 Chevy V20 Suburban home yesterday and was immediately upset with myself for not replacing the cruse control servo as it went out on the way home and it is almost easier to pull the engine than it is to replace it in the truck! LOL!!! Just one of those things you have to deal with when you try to save money with an old vehicle!

 

[Lefty]

When needing replacement parts does anyone use places like Pick Your Part?
Locations all over although I do understand no one picks the time or place for a breakdown.
FYI, here's the one in the St. Louis area.
https://locations.lkqpickyourpart.com/es/il/washington-park/6111-bunkum-rd

 

[bullfrog]

Quiet a few Toyota mechanics are doing so as they would rather have an used original factory part they know will last another 100,000 miles rather than an aftermarket rebuilt that may not last 50,000 miles without paying super high factory new prices. I checked the link just for fun, pero mi spanish es muy mal!

 

[highdesertranger]

You name it I have fixed it on the road. 50 years of driving back roads and it's inevitable.

Yes I use Pick-a-Parts. Hell I go shopping at them for fun just to see what's there. However they are not everywhere so in case of a break down I really don't rely on them.

Highdesertranger

 

[plasticplatforms]

I drive a toyota pickup 22re manual for the reasons bullfrog listed above.

A winning formula is buy a light mini toyota in good condition.

Anything can be done on that vehicle on the road for the most part.

I just replaced my leaf springs in a driveway. I love leaf springs for this reason.

I worked for a large parts chain for 3 years. The things that we sold are unspeakably bad for their quality.

Any part with sealed/potted electronics is made as cheap as possible.

Warranty means that the part quality can be hogged out reducing strength.

When i was barely old enough to walk is when cars became monstrosities of repair and reliabilty.

Then parts went bad.

I honestly hate warranty. Warranty is a byproduct of society needing daddy to come save you later. It makes purchases uncommitted for the seller and the buyer. With all parts in a u pull it yard an inspection can be made as to their fitment. If a human made the technology, then a human can figure out how to fix it and make it better.

If a part is sold by moog or dorman, watch out!

Inspect before purchase. If it is worse than what you have do not buy it.

Unit bearings fail routinely in 6 months.

Control arms are welded out of thinner metal than stock.

It's a big grift. So many warranty exchanges. Wasted the customers and the companies time.

i will take a yard part anyday. original parts last on a toyota 300k in many cases.

So if the odometer says 150 you have a half life.

The long term goal is to have a little farm for me. Use the toyota pickup like a doodlebug tractor from the 40's.

yeah, pre 2002 cars were simple, so less billable hours.

Shop has to turn a product so they won't work on old stuff.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

I have found that newer vehicles are made so well that they require no work other than routine maintenance and run reliably for years!

Whilst all consumables (belts, bearings, hoses, filters, etc) will need to be replaced, regular inspections and keeping things clean will pay dividends.

There's never been a better time in which to learn how to work on your vehicle, with the Internet, forums, websites, blog, YouTube and owners groups possessing and sharing a huge knowledge base and manuals which may be obtained online and electronically at no or low cost.

I don't care for electronics on vehicles, but most have them and their reliability has been established (for better or worse!).

Self help, skills exchange and personal recommendations are preferable to paying a complete stranger to work on your vehicle.

Ultimately, it's your vehicle and you'll do whatever it'll take to make you feel confident to venture off grid to boondock, and in doing so you'll have devised options to cover eventualities that you may encounter.

Or you'll do none of that and just take life as it comes!

 

[NctryBen]

When I’m going to be on the road I like to have done as much preventative maintenance and repair as possible. Pulling loads I’ve gone through several clutches, a couple trannies, a few u-joints, several alternators, water pumps, countless brake pads, calipers you name it. Currently having my ZF6 tranny gone through, while that is done I’ll have new u joints and hanger bearings put on by a driveline specialist. The company I’ve used is reasonable and their work lasts. I gotta replace some glass, do some front end repair... toss in some new brake pads. Should be like new. I’m on the home stretch of 600,000 miles for my truck and sure I could replace it. But newer trucks it seems you have to pull the cab to do much of anything. I’m amazed at how well my trucks body has held up. So I keep plugging away with it. Meanwhile I got an 06 suburban. Oh man the rust... haha! By fall I’ll be ready to hit the road, but hauling boats and putting on the miles is ending. My goal now is to slow down and actually see the places I’ve been traveling through.
So like on my transmission, my experience is find a trusted tranny guy and have him rebuild vs a remanufactured. Just the fact the warranties are a fraction of what they used to be says a lot.
But on the road breakdowns can be expensive. A water pump I can do for $150 bucks and some change. In Bozeman I had it changed and cost over $600.00. So basic and a little more in tools is a must. Then it’s just a matter of where you can work on stuff. While I agree on used parts, there are a number of upgrade items like leaf springs and such that make for long term like fix and be done with it stuff.
Good mechanics are getting very rare... when I find one I try to use them. You tube is good, but while it’s a good tool in itself. I think a good mechanic will have a good knack for doing things in say proper sequence and more efficient then joe blow mechanic who has to depend on such stuff for everything... like me. Haha!

 

[sneaks]

I tend to be drawn to pickups from the late 90s - tons of room to work under the hood, everything is pretty easy to reach, early OBD2 helps with diagnostics, not an overload of computer stuff, and parts are easily found. My 2007 Nitro - while cramped - I won't hesitate to dive under the hood, my 2018 Tucson? Nope. I've done brakes on it but other than fluid checks and changes, it goes to the shop.

Like Bullfrog, I rolled (and still do) ACVWs for years. While they have a reputation for reliability, IMHO they weren't any more reliable than anything else of the same vintage (outside of cooling issues), just a lot more simple to work on: basic points ignition, air cooled, simple carb, no cooling hoses to leak, no radiator to boil over, no water pump to go out. Even a clutch change - in a pinch - could be done in a few hours in a parking lot if you had a couple of jacks, basic tools (bigass socket for the gland nut), a big piece of cardboard, and a pipe. A couple of wires and hoses, 4 bolts on the trans, a couple on the engine hanger, lift the back up a bit, slide it out. One person could pull it off. A decline in parts quality and spotty availability definitely skews the reliability factor, but the basics are still the same: easy to work on. My bus has a small gym bag of spare parts: clutch & throttle cables, points, coil, condensers, plugs, belt, fuel filters, fuel pump, a couple lengths of fuel line, complete halfshaft, small box of various fasteners, lengths of wire, and bulbs. While the starter and alt are original and probably could go out at any time, those aren't in the bag even though they could be changed on the side of the road quickly. Push starting or swapping over to my large house battery would get me down the road far enough to do the job without having to pick ticks off me for the next 6 hours, I don't need to waste the space on those things. A Stanley 100-something piece metric tool kit in a nice flat case, vice grips, a breaker bar, pry bar, VOM, strippers (wooohooo!!), crimper, collections of terminals, a couple of the needed larger sockets, and a cordless impact. If I need more that that, I need a tow.
I know more than one guy making a cross-country trip in their bus brought a complete spare engine with them. One actually used it. There's a breaking point between "I have enough stuff to be comfortable" and "I have a complete other vehicle with me" that only you know where that line is.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^Lol!!! I once took an extended trip up into Canada in my bus and took everything I thought I might need including extra heads and a complete rebuild kit. Ended up the only things I needed was a tire valve (which I had) and more money! Lol!!!

 

[sneaks]

^^^Lol!!! I once took an extended trip up into Canada in my bus and took everything I thought I might need including extra heads and a complete rebuild kit. Ended up the only things I needed was a tire valve (which I had) and more money! Lol!!!

The gas tank he picked up on the trip for a different project, but here it is - complete T4