Those #+%^ engineers!

[WinterDeere]

To change a headlamp in my Ford F350 you have remove the grill.

That'd be bad if it were still running 1970's style sealed beam headlights. But it's been literally 30+ years since I've experienced a headlight failure on any vehicle I've owned. I wouldn't care if you told me you have to remove the whole front clip to change the headlight on any of my newer cars, they just don't fail inside of my ownership period, anymore.

 

[Oaktree]

Properly designed permanently lubed U-joints will last a long time. I had 4WD Dakota that had the rear U-joint fail at about 50K. They apparently didn't adjust the differential angle for the higher suspension so the joint ran at too high an angle. The replacement greasable joint lasted well.

Don't get Jstpssng going on that. Apparently, he couldn't keep U joints in his.
I'm with you though, had 2 Dakotas, both with well over 150k, and neither ever needed U joints.

That'd be bad if it were still running 1970's style sealed beam headlights. But it's been literally 30+ years since I've experienced a headlight failure on any vehicle I've owned. I wouldn't care if you told me you have to remove the whole front clip to change the headlight on any of my newer cars, they just don't fail inside of my ownership period, anymore.

I dunno about that. I sure see a lot of vehicles on the road with one headlight out.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive replaced lots of headlights over the years. I don’t, and won’t have led headlights, just halogen. They last a long time, but do go out. And I absolutely detest HID night blinders

 

[DarkBlack]

That'd be bad if it were still running 1970's style sealed beam headlights. But it's been literally 30+ years since I've experienced a headlight failure on any vehicle I've owned. I wouldn't care if you told me you have to remove the whole front clip to change the headlight on any of my newer cars, they just don't fail inside of my ownership period, anymore.

The headlight assemblies certainly fail.
I just did a not too old Ram and a Toyota truck. One for yellowing, hazyness that couldn’t be polished out, the other for a failed internal plastic gearbox aiming mechanism.
Both vehicles required taking off the front grill, and also going through the inner fender wells

 

[Jstpssng]

Don't get Jstpssng going on that. Apparently, he couldn't keep U joints in his.

That's because they weren't getting greased properly until I started doing them myself. I had to pack them the way that you do a wheel bearing. Sealed u-joints would have been better.

 

[dadohead]

That's because they weren't getting greased properly until I started doing them myself. I had to pack them the way that you do a wheel bearing. Sealed u-joints would have been better.

Universities have steered engineers and the MBA's (who run the companies) to the 'perfect design' concept. The theory is to follow the human body: set a life goal and design every component to hit that goal with minimal maintenance. At end of life our joints hurt, eyes stink, can't hear, and just miserable to be around ;<)

Unfortunately, the MBA's also direct that EVERYTHING is an appliance that should last 10 years... and start to fail. In testing, units get through with few U-joint and headlight failures. They know most will trade before that point. Yeah, I dont like it either.

 

[not2old]

WHY???
Sounds to me like the front drivetrain had to be always turning to wear out the front end components. Far as I know all heavy duty Ford pickups have locking hubs on them. Were the ones on your truck always locked in?

Just curious. I'm old and have driven 4x4 vehicles all my life - some with hundreds of thousands of miles on them and I NEVER had to replace front driveline u joints because the vehicle was rarely in 4x4.

I recently replaced the outer u-joints on the front of my 1990 F250 for the fourth time at 446,000 km (near 380,000 miles) The first time, I needed a cutting torch to get them out. The next three times, the needle bearings fell out of some cups before I pressed them out. I could tell they needed work as I could feel them binding while turning in a parking lot. I've only replaced the centre joint once.

 

[Jstpssng]

At 14,000 miles my father had replaced both front axles and all bearings in his 1975 Power Wagon... at his own expense. "I'm not going to take it apart and put it back together with old parts".
He then took it down and traded it. It only had a 12,000 mile warranty. Imagine that now!

 

[jjeff]

I've had several trucks and SUVs with non-greaseable u-joints, ball joints, and tie rod ends. I kept each of them for a bit over 200K miles and never had any of those components wear out. I was skeptical when I got my first truck without grease zerks but they've all been fine.

Good for you, if you've ever ripped the dust boot around it
the only way to still keep ball joints etc serviceable is if you grease them especially after a harder use on them. I've never replaced greaseable ball joints ripped dust boots or not. I pm most of my stuff anyway. I'll stubbornly support what's worked for me for years.

 

[WinterDeere]

Ive replaced lots of headlights over the years.

Old technology, sure. Me too.

I don’t, and won’t have led headlights, just halogen.

Why? Where does that stubbornness end? Will you only watch CRT's, and not flat screens? Only use a 56kbps modem instead of broadband? Only use an ice box instead of a refrigerator?

I absolutely detest HID night blinders

... says everyone who's never driven them in deer country! One time, and I was hooked. I won't even consider buying a car without them, if it's an available option. Friggin' daylight at midnight.

It only had a 12,000 mile warranty. Imagine that now!

I'd buy a new car with a 12k mile warranty, if they could get the average new vehicle purchase price back down to 16 - 20 weeks of median household income, like it was in the early 1970's. Heck, even as late as 2019, we were holding at 32 - 36 weeks of median income.

What is it today... 40 weeks? That's 2x to 2.5x more than 1971!

The trade-off, is they do legimately last more than twice as long as old cars did, and with a lot less maintenance in getting them there.