Attention Gas/Oil Field Workers!!

[85_Ranger4x4]

It's not the transfer case that is the problem. It's the worn out front driveshaft double carden joint that allows the DS to spin at high speed OFF CENTER that eventually destroys the T-case. I've seen many, many of those failures and the drivers that were kinda paying attention at the time say there was a bad vibration just before the explosion.

Fact is, no matter the cause, this shouldn't be happening. These trucks say Superduty on the side. Bent Bolt has seen "many, many of these failures" and that sounds like there should be a recall--one that strips off the Superduty badge and replaces it with a wet Kleenex insignia.

A recall because their maintence department didn't check the U-Joints? (according to Bent Bolt's post anyway)

From the stories that I have heard from my brother (Sr Master Ford Tech) the local rail road and power company do strange and unusual things to their trucks. And we have some mighty ambitious farmers doing creative things with their trucks in the area too... they don't compare.

 

[Jspafford]

A recall because their maintence department didn't check the U-Joints? (according to Bent Bolt's post anyway)

From the stories that I have heard from my brother (Sr Master Ford Tech) the local rail road and power company do strange and unusual things to their trucks. And we have some mighty ambitious farmers doing creative things with their trucks in the area too... they don't compare.

I like a good story.. Care to share?

 

[wahlstrom1]

Anyone with a fleet vehicle that goes offroad can tell stories that would make you cringe, take things places where they have no business being and trying things they would never do if they were paying for it...

 

[adsm08]

From the stories that I have heard from my brother (Sr Master Ford Tech) the local rail road and power company do strange and unusual things to their trucks. And we have some mighty ambitious farmers doing creative things with their trucks in the area too... they don't compare.

I like a good story.. Care to share?

Well, I have a "story". Probably belongs in the stupid RO thread though.

The first dealership I worked at was right next to a Norfolk Southern rail depot, so we got to do all the service work on the rail service trucks.

They would buy F-250 and F-350 dually trucks, get add-a-leafs added until the spring packs were 18-20" thick, put tool-box sides on them, load the back down until even those super-beefed up leaf packs had negative arch, and take the outer rear wheel off.

Then they'd go register the trucks in PA, making them subject to our inspection laws, and get pissed off when we told them that they needed axle seals every year. Kept saying we weren't putting them in right.

 

[doorgunner]

adsm..................what kinda tires did they run on those trucks THAT WOULD re-arch 18" spring-packs....


FORK LIFT TIRES?????????????????


(i'm laffin at them....not you..waaaaaaaaaaaahahahhaaaaaa)

 

[adsm08]

F-in heavy-ass duty ones.

I don't remember exactly what were on them, that was over 5 years ago.

 

[racsan]

rail vehicles ive seen have much taller tires than stock, not terribly wide, but really tall. maybe they are 22.5 school-bus/dump truck tires. i know its a weird offset rim, probly so the tires line up with the rails. most rail-service trucks ive seen around here are g.m.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

most rail-service trucks ive seen around here are g.m.

The ones here with the goofy rims and retractable railway wheels are usually GM too. Dad's old '80 K20 is actually a former Burlington Northern service truck, I don't think it ever had the funny rims and retractable wheels though.

We had a train collision right before last Easter and they had a fleet of Super Duty service trucks that moved in apparently to pull the cars back on the tracks.

I don't really remember anything right offhand (it has been a long summer) about that but it was just a bunch of goofy and severe stuff.

 

[adsm08]

No, these had the train wheels on them too. As far as I can remember they had the factory inner rim with a really heavy tire on it, just the outer rim removed and huge freaking spring packs.

I do remember the guy who was always working on them having problems getting the wheels on and off because his socket would bottom out on the wheel studs because the nuts weren't in the right spot.

 

[wahlstrom1]

They run 19.5" rubber, usually 34-35" tall and load range F/G.

 

[Will]

A recall because their maintence department didn't check the U-Joints? (according to Bent Bolt's post anyway)

U-joints last for centuries in drive shafts. And when they fail, they don't grenade the t-case. Seriously--you are going to find a way to excuse Ford for having a t-case in a Superduty that blows up into bits?

An M900 series 5-ton also has a fatal flaw. If you put the transmission into reverse with the case in low, it explodes and dumps its guts. What the hell is up with that? I've seen it happen. The truck jerks, there's a -BANG- and all the oil in the world falls onto the ground under it. They seriously approved that feature? It's not the only flaw that truck has, but I could never believe they approved it--there is a sticker that tells you not to shift into reverse while in low.

Same thing with this Superduty. This is supposed to be commercial grade stuff. Fix that shit.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

U-joints last for centuries in drive shafts. And when they fail, they don't grenade the t-case.
This is supposed to be commercial grade stuff. Fix that shit.

DO you have any idea how many of these front shafts we send out to the driveline shop to have the CV ends cut off, new ones welded on and new slip splines and rebalanced? A shit ton. Stuff wears out.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

If things wobble drive shaft wise the T-case eats it. NP 205 ....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Seriously--you are going to find a way to excuse Ford for having a t-case in a Superduty that blows up into bits?

No need. That they are still stupid common in fleet service (and in private ownership) after 12 years with the same transfer case tells me that it isn't a terribly common problem.

If they were blowing up transfer cases every other day the penny pinchers in the financal department would have a conniption fit and some other breed would take its place. Even 20 year old JY units are not terribly cheap, I can't imagine what Ford would have to eat for a new one plus a new loaded driveshaft under warrenty... and it wouldn't take long for the customer to drop them like a bad habit outside of warrenty.

My guess is that the people doing really heavy crap (like say somebody in an oilfield) beats the tar out of them. Then the running down the interstate at high speed finishes it off. Without the tar beating interstate travel wouldn't be a bother. Most people unlock their hubs like they are supposed to if not for their driveline for their gas milage on the interstate which is why it is mostly limited to heavy usage commercial trucks.

I bugged my brother about it, he has only seen one splattered in almost 5 years in a Ford garage, it was a 6.0.

 

[adsm08]

U-joints last for centuries in drive shafts.

No they don't.

I just replaced a front U-joint on another oil field truck a month ago.

I wouldn't even have noticed it was bad if he didn't drive around with his hubs locked all the time too.

When it started knocking as I slowed down I recognized the noise/vibration from the last time I lost a rear joint in my own truck.