How to prepare?

[TLXregnar07]

If you were about to take your truck, which normally only sees 20-30 mile round trips with light hauling, on a 600 mile round trip, on interstate, lightly loaded? What would be proper preparations? I have already checked oil level and coolant level as well as all other fluids. i will have a couple quarts of oil with me and can get water easily. I will carry the tool box, but what else?
Maybe I'm worrying about soemthing that isn't there, after all these trucks did this kind of thing all the time in the 70's

[fitzwell]

basic hand tools. Penetrating oil, small tube of silicone. if it's a small block, a bypass hose. 6pack & the Good Book, you should be ready to go.

[Ranchero50]

I'd run the piss out of it for a couple days, then put it on jack stands and wiggle check everything, U joints, wheel bearings, tie rods, brake drag etc.

For the trip be considerate of the temps and speeds you run. 2500rpm is my max cruise rpm, less if it's hot. It also doesn't hurt to have some decent oil pressure and water temp gauges.

Of course a jack, spare tire and correct lug nut wrench might come in handy as well.

Jamie

[sargentrs]

Don't forget to check the rear end gear oil level. Oh yeah, and a couple of wire coat hangers and some duct tape.

[1972hiboy]

I'd run the piss out of it for a couple days, then put it on jack stands and wiggle check everything, U joints, wheel bearings, tie rods, brake drag etc.

For the trip be considerate of the temps and speeds you run. 2500rpm is my max cruise rpm, less if it's hot. It also doesn't hurt to have some decent oil pressure and water temp gauges.

Of course a jack, spare tire and correct lug nut wrench might come in handy as well.

Jamie

get under it get all around it get your eyes and hands on everything! if you can get it up in the air. you want to visually inspect as much as you can, check all oil levels,brakes ect. and a nicely prepaired road box is a must.

[Montana71-F100]

If you're real worried You might want to consider a AAA membership. I've used mine for towing vans but never on my '71 F100.

Before I overhauled my engine I drove it from Montana to Texas and back and after the overhaul I drove to Colorado and back. I hadn't changed my pinion seal so I brought some gear lube.

[mk]

Check out this great old thread on being prepared...


http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =32&t=9381


mike

[Kurt Combs]

I'm going to drive my 72 200 mies today, my main concern is the twenty gallons of gas it will consume. Have you done a recent oil change and have a newish gas filter? Tires in good shape and aired up? Give it a good visual inspection, don't forget coolant hoses and fan belts. If it makes it on the trips you describe, it should make it 600 miles if you have done your basic maintenance. Most major problems give us advance warning if we are listening and I would speculate that most vehicle problems are failure to start, which has little to do with the length of the trip.

[TLXregnar07]

Well the trip is over,and successful. I drove it from north Georgia to Charlotte, NC, 315 miles, all intrstate, steady at 65-70, after first 10 miles,settled down and ran perfect. Worked all week roofing a house with a group of teenagers, 20 mile commute each day, in 100 degree heat. The truck did fine. AC would have been nice.
One really odd thing. The truck used no oil on the way up, and was full when I left to go home, but at the 200 mile mark, oil level dropped enough lifter tapping was audible. One quart and it was OK again. It's weird that the same path in the same time of day,had that effect.