>I have a 1988 Full Size Bronco with Manual Hubs and Auto Transmission.
>I got it used and am new to the 4X4 thing.
>I get the truck wet a lot and have been told every time I get the rear end
>under water or the water gets up to the top of my hubs I should have the oil
>in in the transfer case changed and the hubs repacked.
>I have also been told that I should almost never have to do it just because
>the truck went into "deep" water.
>What is the truth?
>Thanks........
>
well, for starters, yes water is detrimental to vehicles, but with proper
maintenence and prevention your truck can live a long life, for your axles,
there are check holes, the fluid level should be right to the level of the
hole, stick your finger in and check the oil, if its got water in it you will
know, the oil will be white creamy colored, if not leave it alone, also check
your tranny fluid and your transfer case fluids for water, the transfer case
should work like axles, should be a check hole on the side, an old trick to
prevent water in the axles is vent tubes, all axles have some form of vent to
equalize pressure inside, using long tubes routed up higher will help keep
water out, i was suprised my dodge has this done at the factory! nice touch,
anyway, hubs, they can take quite a bit of abuse, for piece of mind i would
regrease em(BTW repacked does NOT mean pack it full of grease, you just need to
put a coating in there) and put new gaskets, then you should be good for quite
a while, my rule of thumb was wait til they broke after that, they never did,
you should also waterproof your entire truck, check where your air intake is
located, can it be routed higher? wires, check em, cover em, use antiseize on
connectors, liquid rubber or heat shrink tubing is great for waterproofing
stuff, one good idea that helped my trail rigs live a long life was the local
speedy lube, for 26 bucks(well thats my price on a my company account) every
few months they give it the grease over, driveshafts, ball joints, tie rods,
anyplace there was a grease fitting, this really helps keep water away, (you
can do this yourself but why bother if you can get it done cheap enough) plus
they check and fill all the fluid levels and change the oil, other tips that
come to mind, if your leaf springs dont have spacers between the leafs, squirt
em down with oil now and again, they need to flex and slide against each other,
this helps em live longer, also, polyurethane bushings rule, rubber bushings
will self destruct in short order, poly will last a lifetime of abuse, this
includes shock bushings, leaf spring bushings, etc, be aware of your cooling
fan when crossing deep water, fans can also self destruct when they hit water,
and finally get some 4wd magazines, they have tons of ideas and tricks for off
roading, hope this helps some!
79 T/A WS6 455 ,Hurst 4 spd, Blk w/ t-tops, Heavily Fortified, 4mpg
00 Ram 2500HD QC V-10 4x4,Blk,5 spd,4:10 LSD, 10mpg
98 Intruder 1400, Blk, 5 spd, 25mpg
