DrewE wrote:
For the most part, I do maintenance things myself. The E series chassis is not really difficult to work on; there's reasonable access to most things you need to get at on a regular basis, and it's not so heavy duty that you need unusual tools.
Chassis lube is four steering tie rod ends and the ball joints if they have grease fittings. Check the manual, but there's a good chance the differential has synthetic lubricant that does not have a scheduled periodic replacement (changing only required if you drive through water deep enough to submerge the differential).
DrewE,
I could not have said it any better.
And doing it yourself, you know it was done and done right. I find it remarkable how many times people pay for vehicle service that doesn't get done, or even damages the vehicle. I volunteer as an auto mechanic for a charity and have seen the simplest maintenance done hastily resulting in damage to a vehicle. I've seen many stripped oil drain pans with doubles gaskets on the plug. I've seen catastrophic loss of oil due to improper installation of the oil filter. Nobody will be as thorough and as careful as you the owner. It's not hard work, it saves you big money, your vehicle is better protected, and you are better educated if you become stranded or need more serious work done, a 3x win to doing as much as possible for yourself.
Ron Dittmer
