high mileage preventive maintenance

[bigviclbi]

I have a 2004 f-250 4wd 5.4 with 130,000 miles. trying to get ready for the spring season and am trying to get as much maintenance done this winter as I can. Just did the trans fluid/filter, battery, plugs, rotors, changed the rear oil and did fuel filter.Did the ball joints last year. What else does anyone recommend that I might be missing? I tow my dump trailers with this truck so its my main vehicle and it gets alot of use, about 25-30k miles a year. Thanks.

[HPI_Savage25]

I have a truck with right at 213k miles. I always try to change the oil every 3-5k miles. I also like to check the hub bearings about once a year. Tire pressures need to be checked about once a week. It really helps out on tire wear. Sway bar bushings an links I try to check once a year also. These trucks tend to take a lot of wear on the front end more than others. Other than that its your basic stuff really.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Nate'sLawnCare]

I don't think you mentioned coolant, so you might want to drain, flush, and refill with new coolant. Just think about how hard a truck works in July. Also, if your engine accessory drive belt(s) haven't been changed before, that might be something else. Anything to prevent a breakdown. Don't forget your spare when checking tire pressure, although not as often as the other tires.

[Swampy]

Diff. Fluid both front and rear. Not so much on the front unless your in 4wd alot. Store some money aside for repair, transmission might last you another 3 years or 3 days. You did ball joints but what about tie rods, pitman, and idler arm. Thermostat might be a near future issue along with a water pump. Don't really know what to tell you without actually seeing the truck or driving it. I would talk with a trusted mechanic if your really worried about it.

[bigviclbi]

Thanks guys truck running great(knock on wood) just want to stay ahead of the curve. Def gonna do coolant flush. Did the trans/rear fluids and truck shifting smoother already.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Valk]

Spark plug wires? I agree about the accessory belts...and the possibility of a water pump with your coolant flush. Consolidating these tasks will save you time down the road.

[360ci]

Originally Posted by bigviclbi

I have a 2004 f-250 4wd 5.4 with 130,000 miles. trying to get ready for the spring season and am trying to get as much maintenance done this winter as I can. Just did the trans fluid/filter, battery, plugs, rotors, changed the rear oil and did fuel filter.Did the ball joints last year. What else does anyone recommend that I might be missing? I tow my dump trailers with this truck so its my main vehicle and it gets alot of use, about 25-30k miles a year. Thanks.

You can lube the bolts periodically that attach the rear suspension springs to the frame. Don't use petroleum based products as it can degrade the bushings.

Power steering fluid and brake fluid often go unchanged in many vehicles. If the PS fluid is black - flush it. It's worth the $80 in the long run. Heat is the enemy of any fluid, next to contamination.

Running full synthetic oil is also a viable option to lengthen the life of the engine, increase drain intervals and in some rare cases increase mileage.

When I ran a plow years ago, each fall and again in the spring I would get the truck load tested to make sure the alternator and battery were running as they should.

As it was mentioned, get the coolant tested. If it hasn't been changed in the last 60K, it'd be advisable to do so. If you're still running the OEM upper and lower coolant hoses, you might want to replace them along with the thermostat. The thermostat is a $5 piece that can cause you a lot of grief when it fails. I had a t-stat fail at 138K miles on my Durango. I wasn't towing anything at the time but I was able to get to the hardware store and use the on board tools I had to change it out. The rad cap did its job and relieved the excess pressure (steam) as the coolant in the upper hose had evaporated. After the engine cooled down a bit I was able to change out the t-stat in about an hour. It took longer then usual thanks to a complicated bolt that was only accessed by pulling the alternator up an inch! Otherwise, it would have taken me about 15 minutes.

Also, the front differential, even when you don't have 4wd engaged still turns, and the gear oil in it should be changed as well as the transfer case. It's a good rule of thumb to change both axles at the same time.