2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Gen'l Maintenance Questions

[Sasquatch]

Just got back from the local Dodge dealer, a "senior" service writer at this 5-Star dealership told me that the "self-adjusting" brakes on my truck (or any truck, for that matter) don't self-adjust. They charged me $60. 00 to clean and adjust the rears, which seemed very reasonable, because my Sears 3 ton floor jack won't pick up the rear of this truck. It weighs well over 5 tons, and most of that's over the rear axle.



Is there any way to adjust the brakes without completely jacking up the rear-end. . ?



My second question regards the exhaust system. I bought a 4", aluminum, "hi-flow" exhaust system from Jennetty Racing four years ago. I think it was around $500, which included shipping, a "hanger kit," and the bolt-up exhaust system.



The owner, "Ted" was very pleasant to deal with, and his advice on the install was helpful.



I noticed when the truck was up on the rack today that there's a 2" long crack in one section of the exhaust about 8' back from the turbo. The crack runs perpendicular to the line the exhaust travels, and is on the bottom of the section of pipe. It's small and doesn't seem to extend all the way through the wall of the pipe, but it's definitely a crack.



Is this something to be concerned about A), and B) shouldn't an expensive, aluminum exhaust system last longer than four years before it begins to show signs of failure? I live in Atlanta, where road salt is not an issue, and the truck is never taken off-road. I don't know what caused the crack, but it worries me that there are more where I can't see them.



Carbon monoxide poisoning is a concern, especially since we huddle in the camper for warmth, occasionally, in the winter on job sites...



Finally, the service writer told me that my radials B. F. G ATs (285/75/16) couldn't be "X-rotated," because they're radials. He said, "You can change them out front to rear, but don't cross them from side to side... "



I had heard just the opposite, and have been "X-rotating" my radials on this truck for years. Any thoughts?



Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[John - K5AWO]

Michelin recommends x-rotation if that means anything to you.



Got a lot of weight on a 3/4 ton truck don't you? I should think a dually would be better suited to your type of service.



The cracking is probably from heating/cooling cycles. I can't comment on the longevity, my truck has the stock exhaust system and it is in good condition at 6+ years.

 

[MKoth]

We do the X-rotation on radial tires all the time, in fact, it is the only way we rotate them.



As far as adjusting the brakes, you can try and pop off the little rubber plug on the back side of the drums and spin the little star wheel with a flatheaded screwdriver.

 

[vette75406]

BFG is owned by Michelin and the tire manufacturers do recommend a X rotation as that allows every tire to spend time at every corner of the truck during its life .









______________________________

2000 4X4 LWB AUTO 3. 54 MAGNAFLOW EXHAUST FROM RIP

LIGHTFORCE 140'S

 

[Sasquatch]

Dl5treez



When I picked up the truck from the dealer today, he said the brakes weren't too badly out of adjustment, but I could tell a big difference in the way the truck stopped. It's easy to tell on this heavy truck, when the rears are just along for the ride...



My driveway is a fairly steep one, with the house at the top of a hill. I start every day by letting the truck get up a fairly good head of steam coasting down the hill, then slamming on the brakes before I hit the street. Between other comings and goings and repeating this routine, the truck gets several dozen hard stops in reverse each week. If the rears adjust effectively by this method—if they're truly "self-adjusting"—they should never get out of adjustment, because they're slammed to a stop traveling backwards far more frequently than they are going forwards.



I use my service brakes as sparingly as possible, relying on the exhaust brake to do ninety percent of the work. Nevertheless, my front pads only last about 20,000 miles, because I live in Atlanta, the truck's very heavy, and I do a lot of stop/go, service-type driving in city traffic.



I haven't contacted Ted (Jennetty) yet, because I was hoping somebody else had had a similar experience with his aluminum exhaust system, and that minor cracks such as mine were not unusual, and nothing to be worried about.



Thanks, all, for your responses. I'm going to go back to "X-rotating" the tires.

 

[ox1]

Nevertheless, my front pads only last about 20,000 miles, because I live in Atlanta, the truck's very heavy, and I do a lot of stop/go, service-type driving in city traffic.



Not quite sure how someone from Atlanta would get a handle like Sasquatch? But Okay... .



Next item - just how does living in Atlanta make your truck so heavy? I don't get it. ???



-----



I have a duelly and get aboot 30K on fronts and just checked the rears today - and it looks like it will get new rears for the first time in Dec when I put the winter skins back on. It now has over 130K on it.



I have to assume that the rears are adjusted up fine as I have never adjusted them and not only doo they slowly wear, but aboot every morning they will lock up once or twice untill you get them up to road speed once.



I use my parking brake every time the truck is parked.



I have had a truck fall on me once when using a bottle jack - as I was placing a jack stand under the axle, along the road, at night, 17 yrs old, with aboot 5 (?) other people along, at aboot -20*. Fortunately only the bumper got me and the guys were able to lift enough for me to slip out - after I waited a few seconds and realized they were still just talking to each other - I had to yell at them to get this &*%#@ truck off of me! I think every bone in my back cracked in less than a half second that night. I have a nice rollaway unit now. Cheap at any price!

 

[Sasquatch]

ox1:



Living in Atlanta doesn't make my truck heavy. Your confusion stems from the fact that I don't know where/how to place commas in a sentence.



Also, I assumed that everybody else was familiar with Atlanta topography (very hilly), which is kinda a dumbassed assumption...



The area of northwest Atlanta I live in ("Buckhead") is a little like San Francisco. You're either driving uphill or downhill. If you're on a long, flat stretch of road, and you're trying to find a Buckhead address, you're lost.



The "Sasquatch" handle was awarded me many moons ago and derives from my size (6' 6", 275 lbs) and the fact that I once let slip (again, in school) that there was a Cherokee indian in the family woodpile. I was an indian before it was "hip" to be indian, and I was rushing a fraternity at Tulane.



I just got back from a trip to Los Angeles to watch my son swim in the Olympic Trials. He's somewhere between 6' 7" and 6' 8" (depending on whether or not he feels like responding to, "Dammit, stand up straight!"), and swims for the University of Georgia.



During the drive out to LA, I stopped in Wheat Ridge, CO at "ATS" and had them install their heaviest-duty transmission, with the "Commander" lockup controller and all the bells and whistles. When I told them that Atlanta was hilly and at an elevation of 1100 feet, they looked at me as though I were a beach-dweller trying to describe sand to an Arab. Their shop is in "mile high" territory, so they consider us flatlanders...



I do remodeling and also what might be described as "handyman" work. Lots of one day jobs (hanging doors, installing windows, putting up trim, patching walls... ), so I routinely have to respond to calls where I don't know exactly which tools/materials I'm going to need. The truck is outfitted with an A. R. E commercial duty, steel camper shell. It's also got a pull-out "bed drawer," and several dozen home made bins full of every conceivable fastener, glue, calk, replacement blade, drill bit, imaginable. Also portable table saws, thickness planers, miter saws (and stands), and every hand tool you can think of, complete with a separate suite of tools for sharpening, and several portable vices. Surmounting this tool menagerie is a very heavy-duty "Kargo Master" ladder rack; it's so strong that we've put a couple of sheets of 3/4" plywood up there and watched NASCAR races from folding chairs.



So, the truck is one heavy mo' fo'...



I could've gone with a dually, but I did that years ago, and didn't like the additional maintenance (tires, etc. ) associated with the truck, the poorer gas mileage, or the ripped off fenders.



The truck is set up great for me, now. It's taken me seven years to get it this way, and it's great to work out of. The new ATS transmission, turbo, and exhaust manifold have also improved my gas milage a lot.



I'm averaging about 13 around town (up from 10) and about 21 on the highway (up from 18), so I'm thrilled.



The only problem I'm still trying to sort out is that the new ATS transmission doesn't seem to want to downshift to first gear unless I come to a complete stop. If I'm arriving at a customer's house, have slowed to make the turn into the driveway (I'm going, say, 3 mph) the truck will remain in second gear and labor up the drive when I turn, instead of downshifting automatically. I have to manually select "1" with the steering column shifter before it will drop down to first. This is sort of a pain in the ass...



Oh well, Clint and the gang at ATS will get this straightened out, they assure me. A great, great group of folks, by the way...

 

[Sasquatch]

Dl5treez:



I hear ya' about the "slack adjusters," but crawling around under my truck just makes me hungry, and eat more when I get inside.



I'm going on the "Atkins," tomorrow.

Oo.