Posted by Marty on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 12:51PM :
In Reply to: Late model question.... posted by Gordon Maney on Sunday, January 19, 2003 at 8:02PM :
These are just a few of the probems on the new vehicles that really piss me off. You can't tell me that Dodge isn't capable of engineering this unit so it can be repaired, as oppossed to having to replace a very very expensive unit.
Gordon, have you asked them how much this hydraulic system will cost to replace once your truck is off warranty? I'd hazard a guess that it's several hundred dollars.
As I was saying last week, I'd be oh so much more impressed if instead of re-designing the cummins to have more power & torque, Chrysler would invest the engineering time into building servicable parts that can be repaired or rebuilt on a job site.
Remember the hydraulic clutch on the english cars...MG, Triumph? The slave cylinder would give out every winter, but a $.50 seal & a hone would fix it in 20 minutes even if you weren't a mechanic.
My idea of a truck is one that can be repaired easily. There is no such thing as one that will last forever, so the one that's been designed to be worked on with the least number of disposable parts is the one for me. Look at the flat fenders...other than seals & bearings, so long as a guy doesn't abuse them, there is almost nothing on these trucks a farmer can't fix in his barn.
I realize emissions & fuel are the big concern these days, but these are not the changes that bother me. It's all the little non repairable parts that are the killer.
I just did the front brakes on my truck, took the roters & had them turned...the mechanic says "next time you'll have to get new ones, they're at the limit"
That was the first time I've turned them! What's up with that?