Check your bolts!!
A bit of a close call the other day - actually quite a big deal now that I think back on it. Before heading out on our big camping trip from Miami to Door County, WI, I decided to install Bilstein 5100 rear shock absorbers on my Excursion. I had to get adaptors to mount the eyelet-style upper mounts. I finished the install, really straightforward, and off we went. We make about four stops, really take our time you know, and one of the longer pulls had us going from Northern AL into Indiana. On one of the inclines in the middle of TN, we hear a loud clunk, like we ran something over. I know we didn't - there was nothing in the road that large that could make that kind of sound that I would have missed. Felt like it bounced under the vehicle a few times (hard) and shot out behind. No clue what it was. Climbing moderate grades, nothing too bad, when the rear starts feeling spongy. By the time I look in the side mirror, the left rear is smoking. Dead flat and we were doing 65+ on an uphill climb. I manage to get us pulled over and changed. Back on the road a little sweaty and dirty but all ok. But something isn't right. Handling just isn't 'on' I don't know how to explain it. Have to baby it and slow down a lot for the remainder of the leg. We get in, and I look around, and the crossbolt for the upper rear left shock absorber is GONE. One of the mounting bolts is gone too. The new adaptor is hanging on by one bolt, while the shock itself has unsprung upward and wedged itself between the gas tank and body. I dismount the entire shock absorber, get new hardware, tighten everything up again, and just for fun check the other side. Sure enough, I can wiggle the crossbolt and the locknut is on the last few threads. The constant jarring of being loose has worked the two mounting bolts loose also, but everything is still there, so I tighten it all up again. I KNOW I tightened all this hardware up when installing!?!?! Blew a golfball sized hole in the inner sidewall of a 10 ply tire. All I can figure is you have to torque things up again like lug nuts after a few miles? I'm sure the stress of towing sped the effect, but I just can't believe it was that drastic!
