Re: Catastrophic Failure of spring/shock support pillar on 92 XLT

Not all the info given me at first was right... a body shop I've taken it to for repair has show me what was really wrong... see below:

Could be...

Turns out, the shop that looked at it first was wrong... when I got it to an actual body shop, they say the bracket is riveted-on. They're taking one of another explorer to bolt onto mine. They showed me how the flanged part of the bracket had corroded and torn away from the flat part, which is still riveted to the frame rail...

So I should go along with fools who keep "adjusting" when something else is obviously wrong? Not a chance - I want the real problem found. They adjusted it twice, then suggested a kit. Yeah, they'd find it - SURE...

Well, that may be. But you don't have to overreact if your vehicle suddenly changes configuration. ;-)

I will ALWAYS blow off any shop that cannot fix a problem so it stays fixed. In truth, my mistake was not blowing them off SOONER... a different shop might have found the real problem. What really troubles me is how often I have problems that multiple shops cannot resolve. It's almost like they are all cookie-cutter minimal trainees, none capable of solving difficult problems anymore.

My point in posting on this subject was to alert several other readers who had commented on persistent camber problems with the older explorers (negative camber, worn inside edges on front tires, etc.). They, like me, had gotten nonsensical answers on the reason (search old posts: ford designed it that way, etc.)... It's just possible that they might have a different problem. At least they can check to be sure this isn't happening.

I did... 3 different shops... but these days, it seems nobody out there is competant except for merely ordinary repair work. :(

The body shop it's at now says 300 or a bit more. One rivet-on bracket (it wasn't welded at all - it actually tore in half leaving the flat portion still riveted to the frame), and new shocks (monroe). Plus a bit of anti-rust work, and labor. Take a few days, but not as bad as I had feared.

Thanks for pointing it out, Robert. For my 92, I keep the shock towers painted - I use Rust-Oleum black - to prevent rusting. I don't know if that would have prevented your problem though. Sounds like the weld went bad. Very discouraging. I'll keep an eye on mind.

Without knowing you exact timeline and situation it's tough to say for sure... but by spreading the complaining and adjusting around to 3 shops, you're making it hard for them to spot a trend. If the same shop got hammered by you every 6 months for the same problem, they may have found the real culprit. But maybe I'm giving them too much credit.

I'll admit, I am confused... you said 3 different shops, but now you're making it sound like just one shop attempted the repairs and then suggested the camber kit. That's the trouble with Usenet... sometimes it's hard to get an accurate picture.

In any case, it's good that no one was hurt, and it sounds like you're on your way to a repair. Good luck!

Jack

Well, I did 3 successive adjustments at one shop... then two trips to other shops in an attempt to find the real problem. Only when it had failed was anyone able to identify the problem (a VIP in Waterville Maine) and even then incorrectly identified it as a failed weld. When I finally got it to an autobody shop I trust, they identified the real problem and solution. They put on a replacement bracket, new front shocks, brakeline & brakeline hose, and labor. The bracket will be bolted on (the original was riveted); the brake line & hose were damaged when the bracket's pass-thru fitting was twisted upwards, nearly tearing the brake hose off the caliper. They're also including an anti-rust treatment to prevent a recurrence. $382 total.

Yes, I was certainly lucky it wasn't worse...

You might wanna check carefully... on mine, much of the paint was still there... with corrosion underneath. The paint just flaked right off! :( So, in addition to a lot of new parts, it's gonna get a sand, primer, and paint under there... Rust-O-leum sounds like a good idea.

Oddly, it only corroded on one side... and not the side under the battery. Very strange...

Thanks Robert.

I checked them yesterday, in fact, based on your situation. They seem okay, but I supposed a catastrophic failure like that might happen rather suddenly.

Yes, the Rust-Oleum trick is great. A very light coating on anything that starts to rust does a great job. No prep needed. Just put some on a brush and swish it in. Pretty amazing how well it works.

OK, question... If you had a shop you could trust, why did it take that many tries before you went to them?

Yup.

It's basically the same stuff as Ziebart---a waxy tar in a spray can.

Because that shop is in Maine, 260 miles from where I usually am. The failure occurred up in Maine, so I went to them. The other shops were all in Massachusetts...