NoT Safe for the road! Ford Explorer | Rollover Recall & wheels falling off!
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
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Whenever you are in situations like this where you block the view with your arm or something trying to get something out I don't think anyone minds. We appreciate that you try your best and that's all that counts. We get to see you do awesome things 99% of the time, the 1% where the view is blocked, footage is missing or we are dropped or something doesn't matter :D (Don't listen to anyone who says it does). Thank you Ray for showing this, fantastic video!
My thoughts too, pretty much. Thanks. Thumbed up.
What these guys said.
I agree, I'm a big fan and I've watched all Ray's content. I don't mind at all that sometimes it's just not possible to see what's happening. Ray often sticks the camera into areas that he can't see, it gives us views that nobody will ever see.
When the view is blocked, I try and look over Rays arm but still can't see anything. Click
I unsubscribed after his arm got in the way. Oh wait, I'm not an idiot. Thanks for the videos Ray.... You're a treasure man.
Funny story, I blew a main hyd pressure line on my tractor this weekend, once I had the line replaced I broke out the (Baam) cleaner and made the area that had the hyd fluid on it nice and shiney, I laughed to myself in the middle of a field and thought Damnit Ray. LOL 🤣🤣
Watching you wrestle with both of those retaining rings just speaks to the soul of every single person who's ever worked on anything mechanical.
Love that you show the struggles instead of editing it all out like so many others. Keeps this real.
yea i like it to he lets us share in his victory
edit:watched more video
Seeing a successful repair accomplished is so relaxing. It means one more vehicle is that much safer on the road. If it hasn't been said before or lately, we the viewers appreciate your high standard of work ethic. Looking forward to watching another video...after my short intermission.
I could not agree more! Ray is incredible.
On the snap ring thing, I learned a few moons ago as an apprentice tearing down truck gearboxes that snap rings are designed to go in one way.
My boss asked me to look at one and tell him which way it should be put in. After about 10 mins I said I can't see why it would be wrong to put it in either way.
He pointed my attention to the 2 holes the pliers go into, they are slightly tapered so as to "hook into your pliers. If you measure the diameter of the hole at the surface on both sides, one will be ever so slightly smaller, that is the side that faces up.
Hence why I found alot of trouble removing some snap rings from blind holes, the taper was the wrong way.
P.S, make sure to wire wheel the groove they go in so they seat properly.
See metal stamping holes and tapering
super
Rear wheel bearings on these things failed regularly causing the rear end to sway also
I'm not sure that you should re-use snap rings, or circlips as we call them. It was definitely a no no in my trade as a rigger of tensioned structures. The difference I suppose, is that the ones we used had been galvanized, so would be more brittle but even so, spring steel isn't very durable. They cost pennies, but I suppose the calculation is different if you don't have replacements easily to hand.
From the way he pried on the original, I assumed he used a new one and just didn’t say so.
"Das ist nicht gut! Das ist scheiße!!" Simply nailed it xD
Google translate murders this... 😒
Ray, I’ve been a mech for 40 years. IMHO, you are a great mech and I watch almost daily before I go off to build jet engines over here in Jupiter. I hesitate to give constructive criticism because you get a lot of “help”, but I think today a simple thing could have helped. There is only so much clearance around that snap ring. If you would have cleaned it, you could possibly have saved a lot of pain. Especially snap rings that need every bit of clearance just to fit. We get these a lot on jet engines. Start one end in the groove and work it around instead of trying to snap it in.
Put a cardboard box with foam in it under your press, not worth your hand to catch parts. Have a great day! Can’t wait for the next video…
Agree, a dremel or drill with a wire-brush attachment every time. Saves a lot of grief.
Last night I saw your video in witch you find 4 colander of engen given sound and find out one push rod was binded so I WANT SEE SECOND PART OF THIS VIDEO THANKS
The issue is that snap-ring pliers are designed wrong. They function off of angular motion and they need to function off of parallel motion.
@@randallsimmons391 it depends on the brand. I found some that work far better, its just a matter of shopping around.
@@randallsimmons391 Ray should have used the 90degree snap ring pliers.
Fun fact - 20 years ago when I was a lowely tire dude at a Walmart, we were NOT allowed to state or note problems. You could reject but were not allowed to "diagnose". I remember a truck with a missing sway bar link, and being informed if I TOLD the customer I would be subject to disiplinary action. (I told them anyway with a I'm not allowed to tell you ...."). So there is a chance the customer got their tires from a "cheap" tire house.
I list everything. Seen a lot of "death traps" working there. Best one was lifting a Chrysler 300 the d.front lower control arm fell right out at the ball joint.
Jeepers 😳
Their liability insurance took a 🙈 no fault found approach?
@@AdrianNelson1507 How we do it at my store. If there is any play be it bearings, tie rods, suspension etc.
We don't go any further. Tell them to get it fixed first. We try to avoid accidents. If we feel it should be towed. We strongly advise to it.
Who the hell would trust walmart with their car? Or Sam's club, since they're the same thing.
@@colesteven1123 Some of us know what we're doing.
Ray as a guy that wrenches everyday in a shop in Bowling Green Ky I enjoy your work and teachings as I am a 50 yr old who can always learn.
I had a blowout at 12:30 at night on my 1991 Exploder at 75MPH. Calmly let the vehicle settle, rolled off the throttle and slowed down and pulled into a parking lot.
I was very fortunate, but the kicker was that my spare was stolen when I lived in Chicago and the mechanic I went to put the wrong rim as a replacement and it was the wrong bolt pattern and wouldn't fit. I called a friend that had a similar explorer and he came out and "Loaned" me his spare to get me home. Such Fun!
One of the things that make your videos so good is that when you are struggling to get the snap ring in place you bring the viewer through the whole annoying process of fails 'til you either succeed after multiple attempts or come up with an understanding of an issue (filing the ends down of the snap ring) to allow the snap ring pliers to close tighter. That is fantastic. Showing this process is a teachable moment and very satisfying. Thanks so much Ray. A fine video indeed.
Snap brings our bear walk with them I used to use my pliers close it as far as I could not use a screwdriver and tiptoe around the diameter to kind of ease it in doesn't always work they did the frustrating little buggers hey bye
Snap rings aka Jesus clips, because when they pop out and fly across the shop, only Jesus knows where they've gone.
I know them as C clips, I can't tell you what the C stands for, UA-cam won't let me.🤣
Unless it hits you in the face and you call out……
Have to hold your mouth right
Jesus clips because that’s what you shout when they pop off !
I appreciate your honest work ethic really enjoy all your videoes. Keep up your great work. GOD-BLESS you and yours.
Another great video. Watching cars get fixed is bizarrely therapeutic :)
Right?! It's strange... I do plenty of repairs and mechanical things myself in my own life but watching Ray do it does give me some of the sense of accomplishment as if I did it myself, and on the flipside I also find myself getting frustrated along with him when things don't go well. Therapeutic indeed though.
Especially the "doo dee doos", which adds to the therapy, kind of like an ASMR thing.
That's just what I was going to mention you should do good going 👍
My grandfather told me something once, and you proved it on this video. He said that there was a tool for every job, and 95% of the time, it's a hammer. keep up the great job!
When I think of all the tools I had to leave behind in my barn in Massachusetts that my brother sold when we had to sell the house, I get angry and cry just a little bit. From specialty tools to an engine hoist. ..one of my favorites was snap ring pliers.
I’m curious.. has that situation impacted you more than just the anger and blood pressure spike when you think of it? I’m just asking because a family member went through something similar and it triggered a serious hoarding issue..
I know random.. I just wondered lol
I can't thank you enough. Watching you argue with that snap ring made me smile. 40+ years of turning wrenches and I STILL hate snap rings. Seems nobody makes a really good pair of pliers for them. About the 10th time the pliers pops off the cursing starts lol. Anyway, so glad to see it's not just me. Thanks for another great video. Subscription earned :)
I just wonder same, and find set of 12 from snap-on only 500$ , yes those combination tools are garbage, anyway. I´m not mechanic, but work with my own vehicles, so those garbage pliers are for me, for Pros those sets.
nobody can make anything - because a BODY is a DEAD entity
You will find every'body' at the mortality and the cemetery
However
Every'one' is alive.
Write an essay on the importance and significance of 'One'
You should have learned this by now.
That is your homework project.
I have no doubt that my youngest students academically outclass you.
Point number two: Hate is destructive
Hate and Love cannot co-exist.
You can dislike something or some'one' but NEVER 'Hate"
remove that word from your vocabulary
another word to remove is 'Should be"
Whenever you hear that - it means that they don't know.
I always hated dealing with them. You should see the one inside a 6L80 transmission case.
I remember the damn c clips/snaprings inside the rear wheel brake cylinder of 80s GM cars. The clip was on the back side of the drum brakes dust cover, so you know it wasn't covered in road grime or rusted in place.
“Should be” is two words. You know, while you’re being the language police.
Thank you for pointing out what people do. I drive a bigger vehicle than the truck you pointed at. Currently I am 77,000 lbs. people pull out in front of us or cut in front of us for an exit all the time, not realizing how close to death they really are. I can’t stop in time if they make a mistake or hesitate….
It's crazy the cognitive dissonance going in people minds. Justifying doing something dangerous just because they've done it many times before is such an egotistical thought process but also very common among bad drivers.
And yet pulling out from a stop sign etc you should be like a sports car
Ex big rig driver here, agreed. Always good when anyone points out bad ideas around big trucks
thank you Ray for demonstrating that you can trust a mechanic to do the job well. Also in this video you mentioned how you're not doing the extra stuff. you are not in the business of working for free. If there was a significant risk to the owner I know you would have recommended work. People need to realize at the end of the day this is your job. Thanks for sharing these videos. I've learned a lot.
Those Ford sliders are made to work with no lube. If it’s on the coast, put some anti-seize on them. In this case doing one side without doing the other could cause a brake imbalance and a skid on a wet road.
Ray you are a great mechanic it makes me wonder how someone could have missed a bearing that bad. That is why it is a pleasure to watch you your channel and content.
It's possible it was okay when the tyres were fitted, but it let go not long afterwards... once it let go, it could only get worse - quickly!!
Funny story from a 2012ish Exploder. I was in HS and was driving my grandmas explorer because my pickup was in the shop. (Had been run off the road by roadrager.) I was going to school one morning and was on a really sharp corner and a dog jumped out in front of me. Being the dumb kid I was I freaked and tried to avoid the dog. Ended up with my back end getting sucked off the road by wet grass, slid sideways, hit a clump stump from some Alder that had JUST been cut down. Was only tall enough to hit the very bottom of the door. I have NO idea how the whole car didn't roll right over the trees!
As I'm on the couch watching your video, my wife's in her home office saying "Doo-dee-doo" for your sick roostering. She also enjoyed the axle cleaning and the press failure, and wanted me... to tell you... that you made her otherwise crappy day at work a little greater. Thanks for all you do & share with us!
I’ve been watching these vids for a week and I do that same
A most excellent repair! I thought for a second the customer would decline the fix, but then again, anyone who puts those Michelins on won't quibble about a wheel bearing. Thanks for the vids Ray, always entertaining and informative. If I lived in Fla, I would always come to you.
The customer was already expecting to pay for a wheel bearing replacement, just didn’t know which one was bad.
A few bucks difference between a front and a rear are not a big deal, especially when he just spent upwards of a grand on tires. And the rear might not have been higher than a front.
Very good explanation of the recall debacle. I worked at the factory that made the Firestone tires. The tires were made exactly to Ford's specifications. Our engineers told Ford that the tires were not suitable for the conditions that they were putting the tires under. They had too light of a load-bearing design and with the low-pressure condition it was a disaster. The Firestone /Ford relationship went back to the companies founding days so our management did whatever Ford wanted. Firestone ate the recall and Ford cut and ran. On a side note, the Ford "Exploders" flipped over no matter the tire brand, but we were the primary OE supplier.
I am glad to see someone put the blame where it belongs. The tires had a load rating just barely able to hold up the Explorer when it was empty and the pressure was 35 psi. When you reduce the pressure, you reduce the load capacity. I estimate that reducing the pressure by 30% , you reduce the load capacity by 30%. That made the load capacity of the tires much lower than the empty weight of the tires. Then people loaded up the vehicle and drove them with low tire pressure. That leaves nothing but failure to occur.
I had a 1975 Ford LTD with Firestone 500's. As I recall, the wobble started after about a year and became very pronounced very quickly. I replaced all 4 tires at my own expense before the issue became a high-profile national joke and before NHTSA mandated that Firestone issue any refunds. I swore that I'd never to buy another Firestone tire again!
@@georgewaring7168 Again - "The tires were made exactly to Ford's specifications." If you had a little experience in the manufacturing world, the words "...EXACTLY TO FORD'S SPECIFICATIONS..." might mean something to you!!
@@brianstough5286 I don't doubt it. My comment was really that once you are burned with bad product - and a fairly expensive product to boot. You don't really care what quality control ultimately deems to have been the root cause, the brand name of Firestone will forever be tainted.
@@georgewaring7168 as you should feel "burned" (tainted) by ford
Good on you Ray for letting all of the re's know that all things in life are not free. I grew up where you paid the man for fixing your car the right way even if it cost more than expected. It is your family's lives he is trying to protect the best way he knows how. It's about time somebody said it!
It would be awesome if you were allowed to show the customer's reaction to some of these jobs. They probably felt like they had a new vehicle when they drove away after this one. Of course, some people (like my teenage son for example), could have lost the entire wheel and would have never noticed.
Meh, some customers have no idea what it takes to troubleshoot and fix a vehicular problem and just expects the job to be done.
I had a girlfriend who never ever got an oil change or would drive on beyond bald tires and squealing brakes. Every light on the dash would be on and all she would say is "its annoying."
Just never occured to her that anything would ever wear out or need maintenance.
I don't get it. I am paranoid about my Jeep. I imagine noises and vibration. I check the oil and transmission before any trip out of town. I paint the frame before every winter.
IDK how people can just let their ride fall apart and not care.
I love that he leaves in his errors when ran he could easily edit them out.
Bit of anti-seize sprayed onto the splines of the cv shaft hub interface and the inner hat of the rotor would make the next guys job that much easier.
It's Florida. They're not even greasing brake pad/bracket interface!
EDIT: I typed that before he didn't grease it on this car. And then griped about how much work that would be. I must admit, they know their environment and maybe it will be fine. Those in salt country (or refugees who still have post-salt traumatic syndrome) can't imagining not greasing and anti-seizing things for the next mechanic (esp. if it's them.)
Dear Ray I have 41 years experience and telephone repair tech from the cables underneath the ground to the Jack and the side of your house and everything in between and the people doing my job at this day make over $40 an hour and with the obvious knowledge you have on all parts of automobiles and reasons for with I'm extremely impressed and enjoy your videos very much. Mile marker Mikey Trenton Michigan. Keep up the great work! ❤️🇺🇸👍🍕🌈🌭🚀✌️🖖🤞🇺🇸
I ran those Firestone Wilderness A/T s on my '88 suburban back then and had zero issues, they were so good in mud & snow I ran them for several years.
Ford lowering air pressure was 109% responsible
Design was the original problem. When the vehicle got to the mule stage Ford discovered a rollover problem. The correct fix would have been a redesign of the vehicle - not what management wanted. Lowering the tire pressure is what the engineers came up with. The rest is history.
Knipex makes excellent snap ring pliers, including right angle ones.
Ah, the beauty of working on a vehicle with little to no rust. Being from the 'rust belt', I would have probably gone through as many cans of PB Blaster as Ray goes through Brakleen during the disassembly. And, there would most likely have been a 'torch' wrench involved. Great videos! Keep on smiling. 🙂
No need for a torch if you have the rigid or Milwaukee 1/2 impact.
Actually, I hear DeWalt just came out with a winner as well
The old torch wrench one size fits all but they work bye
Maybe some air hammer action, too!
Ah, yes the BLUE wrench!
Most of the 02-06 models have shit the timing chains, the servo bores in the trans, or rusted to death, thank God.
As a result of that Explorer/Firestone towing wreck debacle, for a number of years (may still be, I don't know), U-Haul dealers were forbidden to rent trailers to anyone using an Explorer.
I tried to rent a U-Haul a few years ago with my Explorer and you're correct. They wouldn't rent to me.
mini blazers had the same issue but GM paid off the criminals .
@@VicSouders yes, but only Explorers. They had no issue renting to me and my a Mountaineer. Same vehicle, different trim, and part of the same recall.
I'd remember when my wife's car (Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero) right back wheel bearing went bad and started to make noise.
I'd jacked the car up and listened it crunching away. Any way, I told my wife to take the car to the local shop and tell them to change that bearing (I don't know how).
The guys there didn't believe her and changed the left on. The second they went to the test drive, they'd noticed their mistake.
Well, they were really stand up guys and changed the right one immidiately and didn't charge her.
So she got new bearings with a price of one
That’s the way I’d do it anyway, if one has failed the other one can’t be too far behind it, just got the whole job for 1/2 price
must be so rewarding to regain proper roadholding & silence from the back during final road test, even despite the frustration when refitting snap ring held you up. perhaps not designed to be easily removed & refitted with the simple hand tool, rather factory tools.
39:39 for those that don't know, those torque sticks are designed in such a way that they can't exceed their specified torque. The thin bar between where it attaches to the impact gun and the lugnut will twist and fail before it overtorques the lungnut. Just a neat little fact that viewers who don't work in shops might want to know
They're not actually designed to fail if a certain torque is exceeded, they are designed to limit the torque that is acheivable at the drive end by the torsional memory. Once your lugnut or bolt reaches the desired torque specs for the certain torque limiting extension being used then as the impacts continue the torsional memory of the extension keeps twisting the input square back to where it was the last time the impact hammer hit but once you see the lugnut stop tightening stop and move to the next lugnut you wish to tighten. Of course the step before torquing is criss crossing back and forth which is mainly done in a rundown of all the lugs to square up the wheel and bring it into proper contact with the rotor or brake drum only snugging the nuts initially then you can commence torquing but even before all of that a single drop of oil on each stud and a drop on the conical seat were the lug contacs the wheel is considered good practice. Customers tend to underappreciate a dab of anti-seize compound or "duck butter" (as my Dad used to call it.) on the studs and the conical seats when they have these big shiny wheels, I suppose it's hard to keep your wheels spotless but that's why you would use it sparingly. You'll certainly be happy if you ever need to change to the spare tire on the side of the road as this is where the benefits of both the anti-seize and the torque limiting extensions can be realized by the person who drives the vehicle. Don't misunderstand me, dealing with a flat tire on the side of the road is not only not an event that makes one happy but successfully completing it without further incident will, it is inconvenient, and frustrating, it's also quite dangerous! But if you have ever tried to loosen lug nuts that were grossly overtightened by some bozo with an impact wrench without the torque limiting extensions then the basic tire iron that comes with the vehicle is often no match for over tightened lugs. Cheers from ElMonte it's BP in the USA
@@brianpittman9460 There is nothing on my car that EVER needs an impact wrench...especially the lug nuts. I don't let anyone near my wheels with one. (tires or exhaust being the only thing I ever take my car to a shop for and being a 1968 Corolla barely over the million mile break-in period...the few things it ever needs)
Yes! The correct history of the Exploder/Firestone issue. Thank you!
The bush in that lower arm looked at bit worn out the way it moved around so easily when lining up the components to put the bolt back, I know you said about not doing extras but do you give feedback on what else may need doing to the customer?. Also, I always add a bit of copper grease to the splines of the driveshaft when re-assembling to hopefully prevent seizure and aid disassembly in future. Good to see saving old bearings or bearing parts to use for pressing is not unusual too. It's weird how after I spent yesterday doing suspension bush replacement on my car that today I sit here watching you working on cars, I can't seem to get enough of fixing cars. 😂
You put the closed side of the snap-ring into the groove, hold it there with pressure from a screwdriver or a pick, then let go of the open end you've been compressing with the snap-ring pliers. You do a few hundred of these and you get really good at it.
Yep, put the fat end in first, then compress with the snap ring pliers. It will snap into place. Also, there's much better pliers available that save your knuckles.
I was reading to see if someone else said it first . Yes closed end first push down open end with pliers.
I kept wanting to shout that to Ray, but he just wouldn't listen.
I used to have a 2005 exploder limited, I am glad I never let any bearing get that bad!!! Keep up the awesome videos.
It's always a pleasure to hear and see your attitude when working on cars. Sometimes things don't work out as easily or as expected and you set a great example for all of us. No cussing (on camera...) no complaining (other than the sarcasm) and the job gets done. Keep up the good work. I wish you had a twin here in Minnesota.
I love the way you included the struggle with the snap ring. I had occasionally thought I was doing it wrong. It turns out even a pro will have difficulty at times.
In the UK they are caled circlips, (the snap rings) I assume from circle clips. No matter what they are called they are the devils work. Never got one out without a lot of cursing and damage to the circlip.
I would have pressed out the hub first the took off the snap ring as the iner race would have dropped down
Just a little tip from my own experience, I took a dremel tool and put a slight indent on my snapring plier ends so they will seat on the snap ring. Allows the ends to get purchase on the ring to pull them out.
I recall the ones we had, the tips were slightly angled inwards. Whether by hammer or Dremel I don't know.
Don't cry too much so you'll end up with one tip longer than the other and then you'll need a new set of pliers but Ray likes to snap on truck I can tell
always done the same too. dont need much just a tiny edge to stop it from slipping
Hi Ray. An old video from Ford Boss Me popped up on a recommendation UA-cam, so I watched it. It was the one in which your past history was spoken about , as to how you really worked your a** off to get your career going. Then I remembered you’d had a job change from a dealership to where you’re now working at Pitstop. It hit me deep, where I as well as many of your viewers no doubt saw you hit “your stride” as the wonderfully entertaining and informative guy we now know as Rainman Ray, aka as Reeee. Bit late on this, but happy ONE YEAR anniversary on working at your current place that has allowed the veil of big corporate to be replaced with a mom & pop atmosphere letting you shine.
I'm not a mechanic but when I was considerably younger I was reasonably competent at doing such jobs as this and glad to see even professional's have the same problems that I used to have. "Just give it a love tap" very funny (lol)
I watch a lot of UA-cam videos but when I watch Rain Man Ray it's like catching up with an old friend.
for once I have to correct you on something a rare oddity. Explorers got the nickname exploders long before the Firestone debacle. It actually is in regards to their transmissions (A4LD or automatic 4 speed light duty) exploding, as they weren't rated for anything above a light truck (ie: Ranger.) But the bean pushers at Ford decided to put them in medium duty trucks, including the explorer SUVs, and aerostar minivans where the transmission just couldn't handle the weight of the vehicles and exploded on a routine basis
They were also quite a bit top heavy and some people would drop a wheel off the road, oversteer in response and kaboom.
yes, "EXPLODER" is a well-deserved nickname indeed!!
You need snap ring pliers with longer handles for more leverage. Learned that lesson working on transmissions
Rain man Ray your spammer is back
@@Itstime2029 The spammers are paid by UA-cam, otherwise they would remove them.
I am reporting all of the spam. Fun to check every single comment, bit I love Ray's videos and I don't mind helping the man out.
I've been watching your channel for quite some time and was going to ask you some questions about yourself as curiosity of your training and your background of how you got to where you are and how you became so good at what you do made me curious. I then came across a video which gave a brief insight into your past and how you progressed to the position that your in now. I'm a 57 year old tech from the UK and I find your channel very inspiring and a pleasure to watch and I have learnt a few things from you aswell. I have also picked up something's that annoy my workmates from you like shouting GRAVITY when I drop something ( I notice that Eric from South Main Autos now says GRAVITY when he drops something aswell) . I really hope that you continue to make video's and influence people with your experience and skills and wish you all the best in the future
Many years ago I worked at firrestone during the recall days. We in the lower end took every single firestone tire put them in a storage 10x20 and sold them for years. I had big cars back in those days so never paid for a burnout tire for a long time. Used those tires {wilderness at) on every vehicle possible and never had blow out or a shifted belt.
We used to cut the dot numbers out of the side wall thereby ruining the tire. Shortly after we were given a mini rubber scoop the could be heated to extract the dot number.
I’ve seen you time after time go the extra mile and repair stuff that you’re not getting paid for. Most people don’t know that in most mechanic shops, you guys get paid by the job and that each job is given so much time and you won’t be paid for the extra time needed to repair or fix these minor items. So when you do extra stuff out of kindness, it’s cutting into your paycheck.
So when some Karen gives you trash about passing over something we’ve seen you do before, please tell them if they insist that you do these small repairs, they can either pay you for the time needed or they can STFU.
Thank you Ray. I love all your videos and look forward to new ones coming.
Door is not ajar, it's adoor! 😁
Those snap rings can be a real fun. I'm sorry for your pain, but we have been there too. I like that you left in, the part that fell. Made it feel real. Not dry, like most videos. The no grease and extras are just that, extras. I think you did a good job esplaining. ( lol) You do a great job explaining everything. See, now it's like, what could Ray possibly have for us tomorrow??? Well you will have too tune in and see, on our next EPIC adventure with Rainman Ray! See you tomorrow am, Mr Ray.
A mechanic friend of mine used to call them "Jesus clips"! When they'd go flying he'd say, "Jesus, where did that go"?
@@DeanCharles123 yes, only Jesus could know, as they usually bounced under a heavy object
Another great video! A snap ring helpful hint...whenever space allows, I slide a screwdriver into the center space of the ring so when it comes off it doesn't fly across the room/garage.
Those snap rings are a real pain, as we both know. Great job though. The person who first diagnosed it was very wrong. I worked with a guy who is a bit of a "Know It All". Had a car come in one day, with a wheel bearing issue, & Mr Know It All tried telling me right front. I jacked up the rear, & spun the left wheel. Talk about "rumble in the Bronx"!! I replaced the entire sub assembly, because we carried them in stock.
1:38 the reason why you don't understand is because you're an honest guy, Ray. People pull out in front of vehicles like that so they can hit the brakes, hope the bigger truck rear ends them enough so they can get either a brand new car, or massive insurance money from the other driver.
It's very scummy, which is why its always smart to have dash cams in your car for both front and back.
Yes. TPMS is the result of these Exploders and Firestone tires. I also believe the Cash For Clunkers program was at least partially developed for this vehicle.
Nah cash for clunkers was aimed at Saabs and Suzuki 🤣🤣🤣can’t forget Kia/Hyundai also lmfao
@@blackandbluedress8500 Nissans!
@@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032 ahh yes the Chrysler of Japan. Can’t forget about them piles lmao
That cash for clunckers was a terrible program. Shops had to purposely destroy good working engines and vehicles. What a waste of taxpayer dollars.
EXACTLY!! another form of "government bailout" for ford!
Good morning Ray great video. That wheel bearing went in pretty darn easy all things considered.
I remember the Firestone 721 tires way back in the day. Had them on a Buick Electra 225 and one separated on the garden State parkway in Jersey at 60 miles an hour that was an experience to say the least. Anyway thanks for the video have a great day 🇺🇸🇺🇸👍😎
I bet the vehical owner fainted when they realized how bad it was. Good mechanical design, leaving no chance for a inconvenient wheel hub departure.
Naw, they wouldn't faint. Anyone stupid enough to drive a car that bad would not understand the severity of the problem.
Would never have left the lot for a test drive: it was obvious something was very wrong right off the bat.
I'm 75, it was easy as a mechanic 40 years ago , but it all seems harder now GREAT Job !
It's so nice to see that professionals have the same problems with their work that I do when I work on my own car! I made a special pair of 'o ring pliars' out of a pair of needle noses, with one nose longer than the other, so I can overlap the ends of the o rings in order to make their diameter even smaller than when the ends are butted together; it works great, all I have to do, is twist the o ring a bit and bingo! it squeezes even smaller and slides right in.
That’s amazing! This vehicle doesn’t have a parking brake. The shoes are fashionably missing! Lol
Great video as usual Ray. The May 2001 Firestone recall was the SECOND incident. In 1978 14.5 million tires were recalled for what sounded like the same situation you described. They did not learn from their mistake. I will never buy a Firestone or Ford product. I've been driving for over 50 years without an issue in GM cars with BFG or Goodyear tires.
KUDOS for never buying a ford product, but the statement from above (firestone employee) holds a lot of weight with people in the MANUFACTURING business: "The tires were made exactly to Ford's specifications."
In my personal experience GM is 2 for 2 in vehicles with design problems. None of the manufacturers are perfect.
I love the paper in the dash to take care of a dash rattle! Reminds me of my first car!
You're awesome. I changed the clutch in a Pontiac Fiero in my driveway.... in January, in Ottawa, Canada. I think that gives me some cred as a shadetree mechanic.
Friggin' snap rings. I have a scar over my right eye from one getting away and coming back at me. Four stitches. Always wear safety glasses.
Four ball joints in the front end of a Fiero; a Chevette front end with bigger brakes. The back end was a Chevy Celebrity or Pontiac 6000's front end and drivetrain with fixed linkages attaching the Macpherson struts. Pop off the brakes to change yet another balljoint; a Fiero has 6 ball joints and 8 tie-rod ends. Beat the crap out of the balljoint to get it out of the steering knuckle (in the back end!). Lower control arm on the rear of the car. Hit the balljoint retaining snap ring with pliers. "Ping!" And I'm suddenly bleeding. It could have easily taken out my eye; I was lucky.
I love what you do, Ray. Fixing cars is not easy; I know that first hand. Your honesty and integrity is what I admire most about you. Thank you.
30:55 "We are returning to loud noises momentarily" What an accurate prediction! 🤣
A larger snap ring pliers would make this easier. I was waiting for the tip to break off.
Cleaning the snap ring groove helps installation of a snap ring also if the tolerances are tight.
I loved the sunvisor repair! And I liked the anti-rattle device stuck in the center bezel around the radio. Best was Ray's warning of "loud noises" as the hub & bearing crash to the ground. I don't think he meant Those loud noises.
Sometimes when parts come flying out of the press best thing you can do is stand back and let him fly don't be a hero
Back in 2009-2010 when I worked for Mercedes-Benz we had a recall on the ML suvs for the front wheel bearing clunking. It ends up the machining of the front wheel bearing bores was just slightly off so the bearing would slightly shift in the bore making a clunking noise. The fix from Mercedes was to get new bearings and coat them in green lock-tite before installing into the bore.... yeah, don't make the correct size knuckle and do it right, just use the old one and GLUE the bearing in.
We had that problem many many years ago on the gelendewagen.. Used a three legged brake hone to correct that. Shimmed it with shim steel. Never needed the expensive locktite.
@@iHelpSolveIt that's fine. I had no choice it's what my employer wanted us to do.
You would think that a High End Vehicle Maker like Mercedes would not Fix a problem like that...
@@randybeard6040 well in South Africa there were contributory factors. Bad drivers, for one. The stub axles used ahem bend. After much abuse... In this case it wasnt manufacturer caused
In a lifetime of fixing vehicles, mainly motor cycles but a bit of everything, I had days just like that. Sometimes I thought of retraining for something like a brain surgeon, midwife, even a politician. But came back to work next day refreshed and ready to start again with these mechanical monsters.
You are a master of both tool and camera. Most impressive in this day and age. Thanks!!
You are one determined dude, love ya and your work!
My favorite thing about that torque wrench is that you don't have to run it back down to zero when you put it away. And after trying digital wrenches, I still prefer the click.
I saw a video from Eric O a couple of days ago and he talked about how much he hates flat rate, how unfair he thinks it is and how it only benefits the business owners and how he will never use it for his employees and it didn’t really click until you mentioned the slide pins on the brakes and how it’d cost you money if you did touch them up a bit, I’m very relieved they don’t use it where I live.
When I taught maintenance I had a canned speech on flat rate. It's great in the OEM shop on clean new vehicles where everything cones apart as it's supposed to. But, on older, rusty vehicles you need to use that as a starting point. Add 10% per year the vehicle has been on the road and you'll have a good idea of what time it will actually take.
Chills down my spine when you went straight into the Ford - Firestone ATX debacle. That is the first thing I thought of when I saw the video title. I was employed in the tire and automotive industry when that first unfolded. Gen I Explorer, based on the Ranger truck platform. As such, it rode like a truck. Yuppie customers didn't like that. Ford conspired with Firestone to use their cheapest, softest passenger tire casing with a 'macho' tread so that the yuppies would feel 'cool' in their new 'SUV' (that term was just coming into existence).
But that still did not take care of the 'ride disturbance' issue, so Ford then degraded the recommended pressure to 26 PSI. If you look at the Tire Guide printed publication that was present in every tire shop (no internet back then) you will see that the recommended tire for the Ford Explorer was explicitly stated to be nothing other than the Firestone ATX at 26 PSI, 'or warranty issues may apply'. It was literally a conspiracy between Ford and Firestone.
Of course, soccer moms don't check their tire pressure. People died. I also believe that this single issue was the impetus for the development of TPMS.
Your sense of humor is priceless! Where I'd be cussing, you just Crack me up! But you reminded me of working at a tire shop in Jersey in 1979 or 80 just out of H.S. ( I was road service, fixing flats on 18 wheelers!) Firestone had defective tires called the Firestone 500. The rubber separated from the metal belts ( Michelin the best) 2 passenger tires separated the exact same way and the tread zig zaged a photographer from Time magazine (rag) was there and did a story on the defects! So my hands were in time magazine!
great video, the follow up in the process is just make you feel your behind of shoulders watching it the whole time, sort of exploratory surgery, lol! driving the hub into place was a real treat of know how;thanks for sharing Ray
Nice Job. I always put Snaprings in greased. Also, put the side opposite the opening end into the groove first. Makes the job a whole bunch easier and it just slides in. Done it 100s of times that way and it never failed. Also the dust boot is damaged at 33:42 and shortly after you can see the bushing is buggered. Cheers
Hello Ray. The reason for the Explorers to flip over was due to a Ford engineering mistake at the new suspension and Ford tried to blame it on the tires and Ford want to take the tire air pressure down and the tires were overheating and blow out happens. Ford almost bankrupt Firestone but got the conclusion it was Ford fault.
Love your videos!!!
That was the previous generation explorer with a straight axle!
There are times things need to happen. It opens your eyes and your mind for new endeavors. You are a great mechanic with excellent attitude towards your customers.
It took me 25yrs. + before going on my own for 21yrs. started with 40k and had sales over 1m. for the past few year.
Soon I'll be retired .
Change is good. Go all in!
I just did this job about 6 months ago on my 05 Mountaineer... I took the easy way out a bought the rear wheel hub assembly. Pressing that bearing out can be a stubborn "B".
I drive one of these with the 4.6 v8, they’re amazing vehicles. Wheel bearings are common issues on these.
I had a 2002 exploder that ran great until the servo plugs blew out one day while backing up a brand new trailer with nothing in it. I went to replace the transmission and when i had the old one out I notice the rear of the long block had a 6 inch crack running down it. U haul would not rent a trailer to anyone who had one of these vehicles either because of the tires.
I have a 2009 Explorer and UHaul will not rent me a trailer, very frustrating, I pull boats, trailers all with no problem, but not good enough for UHaul.
WOW , Yours was the
EXPLODER edition. The plastic rad fan blades were also known to crack , make a hasty exit. Avoid standing inline with any moving belt driven fan. You could be sliced , diced , maybe killt.
correction: because of the SUSPENSION and the INFLATION RECOMMENDATION
About 1974 Firestone introduced the '500 Radial' which also had a recommended pressure of 28 psi on a full size sedan. That was crazy at a time when standard pressure across the board had been 32 psi. The side walls of these tires failed at interstate speeds at an alarming rate. Much property damage, many injuries and a few deaths were related to these failures. Ford and Firestone were sued, recommended pressures were raised to 32 psi and all tires within a specified serial number range were replaced under warranty.
Your right, I forgot about that.👍
If you recall every brand of steel-belted radial tire was advertised as being nearly indestructable. TV ads showed them driving over sharp rocks, broken glass, nails, etc.
Firestone created a defective design - steel belted radials were the cat’s meow and Firestone dove in. I had a 1974 equipped with them, risked my life but never paid for a tire because they kept replacing them when I brought the car in with a tire balance. Then Firestone resolved their adherence problem with their 421 tire - 4 surrounding 2 wrapped by 1. Never had another separation once they replaced my Steel Radial 500’s with 421’s.
@@mharrye It was actuall called the "721" I was on the team that built the first ones. (It was mostly a marketing term, we completely started from the ground up.) You do have the technique correct. Firestone "and most other tire manufacturers" were going the same learning curve as the bias-ply automobile tire was by then outdated. Michelin had perfected the radial tire and everybody else was trying to learn their "secret" manufacturing proceedures.
@@Thestargazer56 Thank you for correcting. I knew I should Google it before posting. Relying on memory too much. I remember the commercials very well, the animation of how the wire bundle is wrapped by the last. Very innovative but being an engineer, an expensive solution that needed to happen due to being in crisis mode.
Your commentary while you're working on these cars is amazing round two fight gravity click loud noises you are the best Ray
This model did not have a tire or rollover risk recall, that was on the solid rear axle early models. These were very reliable SUVs, everything needs maintenance. Great work brother.
I used to drive an Exploder. On a trip from KC to Houston, I developed a bad wobble on one of the rear tires. (I had correct pressure as during the test drive, I about lost control from the low pressure... fixed that ASAP) Went into a Firestoned about it and it was tire separation. They replaced the tires even though they weren't the defective model.
Many years in tire shops, I will say the older Firestone tires were garbage. In all fairness, many brands were. People drove them until they blew. Separation was a common problem for many tires.
Men... Do you see those lower bushing at 33:55, they're destroyed. I was hoping you check the wheel after installing it, but didn't see on the video. I think that wheel must have some movement with that bushing.
Well, at least 2 of us noticed that bushing
*3 of us!
Yay! Finally you did what I was swearing at my monitor for you to do and ground just a tiny bit off each end of that gap and are about to try fitting it at 29.20 where I've paused it to write this in anticipation of definite and fairly easy (now) success. I'm not changing it, even if you still do have trouble because I'm certain you will be able to get it now with relative ease.
Aha! As I thought, pretty much straight in. I don't understand why they'd make that so bloody tight since the ends spring apart by about 15 mm or more once in so why not give at least 1mm clearance for this, that's most of the reason you had so much trouble getting the old one out too, that's just them trying to make life difficult for everyone, especially the guy trying to do this himself, in his garage or driveway with very limited tools.
Hah! "So we are returning to loud noises". Queue everything crashing apart and making said "loud noises" 😏.
I run Michelins on my Explorer, and I've never ever had a problem. Got over 250k miles now, and no issues with tires blowing out or flipping over or anything. And yes, the spare tire from the factory is a Michelin too 🙂
And I would guess you are not driving a 1989 Ford Explorer.
@@wilbilt that would be a very good guess! Except the Explorer wasn't out yet in 1989.
Having done all that myself, it was a pleasure watching you do it.
Snap rings and all!!
Those same Firestone tires were used in the Chevy S-10 blazer which is a heavier vehicle and usually driven by younger people. Both of those things should mean it's at higher risk for blowing out its tires. But it wasn't. The explorer had the problem. And the explorer was less stable when the tire did blow, it was too narrow with a much too high center of gravity.. But people like them for some reason
Even in the modern era of car-based SUVs, you see crash videos & they're rolling over all the time when an actual car wouldn't have. Too bad they forced out station wagons -would've bought a station wagon if I could have but didn't want an suv due to high c.o.g. handling & roll risk.
@@boggy7665 of course. Physics. But the Explorer of that era was really bad. And of course it didn't have any kind of good roof strength or even good structure at all
EXACTLY!!!! "tire pressure specifications" High center of gravity, and "stone-age" front suspension were factors!!
Hey ray, i love your videos, i watch every day. I'm afraid however i must point out that you seem to have missed that the ball joint boot on the sway bar link was leaking grease as you tapped it in... i have replaced a few wheel bearings myself, so i understand the pain of snap rings all too well lol.
I was going through to see if anyone else saw that. You can see when he popped it and the air escaped. Then the grease starts to leak. It happens but he should replace it as he caused the damage.
@@TheWickedOne5150 yeah, i get that these things happen and dont always get caught when doing them. I have had that happen to me too, im just surprised he didnt pick up on it and mention it during editing.
I know you most always refer to hitting anything with a hammer as a 'Linear Impact'.
When I worked as an Aircraft Mechanic in the airline business I always referred to that as a 'Technical Tap' ... just sayin'.
Computer hardware geeks refer to such tools and procedures as "hard drive head adjustments." 🙂
Today I was working on my gas edger. I wanted to clean the greasy dirt away from the oil fill cap. Thanks to you Ray, I was able to make the oil fill cap area "nice and shinney" using brake clean. Of course, I could not help but to think of you, and I could not stop saying, "nice and shinney" the whole time! I wonder, if the phone had rung, or if I had dropped something................
Nice video on proper diagnosis and repair. The right tools like the stethoscope make all the difference. For the life of me I don't understand why anyone is still buying Ford vehicles these days. After two Exploders (1st and 2nd gen) that were constantly having issues and premature failures such as this (note the roached sun visors - who knows what else is wrong with the thing) I finally threw up my hands and in 2006 bought a new 4Runner. After all these years and nearly double the miles this 2004 Ford has, still zero problems such as this. Maintenance and normal wear items such as brakes, shocks, tires spark plugs, etc are all that have been required. Still looks, runs and drives great after 250,000 + miles.
33:37 is that grease coming out of a torn dust boot?
Better be. It's not water, so I'd bet you're correct.
You can see it spit air / grease out at 33.27 literally the last hammer impact. Tiny tear.
Good morning from the UK Ray.
ETA How the Hell could anyone let that out of the tyre shop?
Because most tyre replacing techs are only that, nothing else. They replace tyres very well, but are not paid to know anything else. They may have noticed the wobble but "not in their pay grade" They just aren't paid enough to worry about that stuff. (always some exceptions though)
In the US we’re not aloud to hold a vehicle hostage basically no matter how bad the issue is. I don’t agree with it in the slightest but we can’t do anything. Now however I will do what I can to make it as safe as possible or emphasize a tow with TONS of notes
@@iffracem Ni siquiera reemplazan "bien".... el neumático tiene una señal (flecha) con el sentido de rotación normal, allí se la ve en sentido contrario. Y los neumáticos en "V" profunda tienen manera de montarse, según sean montados en ejes tractores o conducidos, donde apoyan primero la abertura en unos y el vértice en otros, sólo basta verlos en tractores.
@@blackandbluedress8500 Nobody is talking about refusing to hand back the vehicle. How could they fail to notify the owner of the issue?
@@cesardavrieux3767 No, they're correctly fitted. The point of the V must touch the road first, thus clearing water out from the centre.
As someone who works on cars as a hobby (My own cars and family's, not random people as I do not like responsibility lol), your explanation is amazing and I feel like I am right there with you being taught.
This and the people praising your work is why I do all maintenance and repairs myself.
Had one of those Explorers except all wheel drive, same color. I had rear wheel bearings replaced several times in a few years, very glad to see that car go down the road. If I had another one I would put a solid axle under the rear, then it would be a good vehicle or at least better.