Preventative Maintenance for high mileage DII?

Lono

Adventurer
My '02 DII is about to turn 200,000 miles. Had to replace the engine (slipped liner) around 110K or so, but I am wondering if I should be thinking about significant PM on any of the other major systems. It is my daily driver but does get used heavily on the trails.

The rear diff was done this summer, (with a stock unit, but will be doing a locker before next summer.) and also recently replaced the rear propshaft with a grease-able Tom Woods unit. I'm wondering what, if anything I should be taking a whack at before I get left hanging somewhere. Just did the flex coupler after the original unit got shredded during a hard weekend.

Truck has an OME lift and CDL kit, along with most of the other "standard" mods. I run 265/75/16 KM2's which will be replaced with 255/85's next year. My point being I don't run anything crazy stressful tire-wise.

The truck gets used as intended, I like to think. Did the Vermont Overland Trophy this summer and am going back in '14, and would finally like to now plan and take a proper cross-country trip, and like I said, I'm just trying to stay ahead of the curve.

As always, thanks,

Steve
 

Lono

Adventurer
Hoses, a 180* thermostat, fluid flushes Ect...

Mine just rolled 200k this summer.

Thanks Kyle, and congrats on the 200K. Hopefully you made it there on Engine #1. ;)

Actually just did the hoses and thermostat this summer, the latter after it let go on a trip to NH.

I guess what I'm really asking is about the big ticket items. For instance, would anyone advocate diving into the transmission (autobox of course) prophylactically, while the going is good? On a cost/benefit analysis I don't suppose so...but I'm asking because you never know.

Same thing with the front diff, wheel bearings/hubs that haven't already been replaced and say, the axles. Is there any rule of thumb on these trucks when those parts should be gone through/replaced?

Thanks again,

Steve
 

ZG

Busy Fly Fishing
The front diff will eventually explode when you move up to 255/85s and start romping off road with them. Best way to prevent this is not spinning your tires when you don't need to, replace axle oil after every outting that involved water crossings, and of course upgrading to a tru-trac or kam open diff(or more preferably an ashcroft air locker)

I would purchase a breather kit for the vehicle, raising the breather tubes from the diffs, tranny, and t-case, all above the engine. Your transmission should be fine, and it would never be cost-effective to rebuild a ZF. So many D2s out there that you could just buy a used one from.


Take care of everything the moment something goes wrong, don't let it stay an issue and potentially mess something else up.
 

LR Max

Local Oaf
Driveshafts. I've heard of front driveshafts being questionable. If it lets go, it causes all kinds of grief.

Wheel bearings, trueness of wheels, change fluids, change filters, change fuel pump (just because it always dies at the farthest point from home...or civilization), belts, clean throttle body, clean intake manifold, check catalytic converters to see if they are clogged (they get super hot), replace power steering hoses and flush, replace transmission cooling lines and change trans filters + fluid, flush the steering system during this time, check all bushings, check steering joints, check ball joints, check sunroof for leakage and attempt to fix.

Yeah. I don't think any of that would hurt.
 

ZG

Busy Fly Fishing
I disagree to be honest- I don't think the rotoflex is as bad as people make it out to be. The original lasted 160k on my truck.
 

Lono

Adventurer
I disagree to be honest- I don't think the rotoflex is as bad as people make it out to be. The original lasted 160k on my truck.

Gonna agree with Zack on this one too...mine made it to about 196K, and only finally gave up the ghost after four days of the gnarliest abuse at the Vermont Overland Trophy. Still managed to limp home with it shredded but still somewhat connected. Would've disconnected it and ran home with CDL engaged but didn't have the right sized SAE wrnech (9/16?) to undo the front end...

Totally agree on the driveshaft though. But I learned the hard way when it let go, thankfully very close to home and no damage done. As mentioned above, replaced with a serviceable unit.

Other stuff mentioned like the front driveshafts being an issue, and doing the fuel pump, replacing/flushing PS and tranny lines is stuff I had not thought of. This is what I was looking to hear when I did the OP. Thanks guys.

Zack, is there a "one stop" breather kit available for our trucks that you know of?

Thanks guys,

Steve
 
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LR Max

Local Oaf
I agree with Zack and the others. I think the rotoflex is fine. Heck when it goes, it doesn't murder other important drive train components...unlike the cardon joints on the front drive shaft.

That said, keeping a spare isn't that expensive, space consuming, and the swamp isn't that difficult. If I was buying a 160k disco, I'd change it just for changings sake.
 

Lono

Adventurer
Motor mounts.

Iiiiiiinteeeresting. Would never have thought of that.

Exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking to hear about here.

Thanks!

454, apropos of nothing, my first car, a '77 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser was (like my DII) on it second engine, which was a...you guessed it... 454. That car had more torque than the Space Shuttle at liftoff. God I miss that thing sometimes.

Steve
 

454

Exploder
In my experience, D2's eat stock motor mounts. I'd recommend a solid mount like those from QT.

The 454 comes from a nasty incident during which I allowed a Freedom Arms 454 Casull to kiss my forehead on full recoil.
 
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ZG

Busy Fly Fishing
In my experience, every land rover V8 shreds motor mounts. I honestly don't go to an event that someone doesn't break an engine mount.
 

Lono

Adventurer
I'll have to check and see if the mounts were done when Engine # 2 went in. I'd like to think they were replaced but who knows.

We've all have a painful recoil story I'm sure, but thats a potent one for sure, 454.

Thanks guys.
 

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