THE LF CORNER OF THE CAB IS OUT OF SQUARE ABOUT 3 INCHES. THE ALIGNMENT SHOP SAID THE FRAME IS STRAIGHT AND THE PROBLEM IS IN THE LEAF SPRINGS, WHICH ARE WORN OUT. THEY BLOCKED THE SPRING 1", AND WHILE THE CAB NOW SITS SQUARE (YES, THEY ALIGNED THE FRONT END TOO, OF COURSE), THE PROBLEM IS THE TRUCK FEELS FUNNY TO DRIVE. IT SEEMS TO GIVE A LITTLE WIGGLE/SHIMMY OVER EXPANSION CRACKS, WHICH I DON'T THINK IT DID PREVIOUSLY. MEANWHILE, WE HAVE AN AUGUST 2010 INVOICE (BASICALLY 2 YEARS AGO) WHERE THE TRUCK WENT IN FOR REPAIR WITH A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT AND FREIGHTLINER OF ORLANDO BILLED FOR REPLACING BOTH FRONT LEAF SPRINGS, SHACKLES, ETC. THE THING IS, THE INVOICES ALSO RECORD THE MILEAGE AND THAT WAS ONLY 2000 MILES AGO BECAUSE THE TRUCK SAT THE LAST FEW YEARS (AS BUSINESS WENT INTO THE TOILET). SO I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THEM AND THEY LOOKED UP THE RECORD AND THEN BEGAN A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT HOW IF IT HAD BEEN REPORTED INSIDE A YEAR", YADA, YADA. I WONDERED OUT LOUD IF PERHAPS THE WRONG SPRINGS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE TRUCK (CHATTING WITH THE SHOP FOREMAN) THINKING THEY MIGHT INVESTIGATE AND RECONSIDER. THEN THE SONG AND DANCE BECAME ABOUT HOW THEY WERE SLAMMED WITH WORK RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE I COULD COME BACK NEXT WEEK SO IT BEING TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, I AGREED TO RETURN NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE PROPER FRONT LEAF SPRINGS FOR THE TRUCK, WHICH IS A 2001 CENTURY S/T EXPEDITER. THE WHEELBASE (I MEASURED IT) IS ABOUT 298 INCHES, WHICH I SUSPECT IS RATHER LONGER THAN A CONVENTIONAL DUAL DRIVE-AXLE TRUCK WITH 5TH WHEEL. THE PART NUMBER VISIBLE ON BOTH FRONT LEAF SPRINGS IS A16-15657-000. COULD THERE BE A BATCH OF BAD SPRINGS? ALSO, I FIGURE JOSAM IN ORLANDO (THE FRAME ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS WHO BLOCKED THE TRUCK 1") WOULDN'T HAVE DONE SO IF THIS WERE A SAFETY CONCERN, RIGHT? *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10485793
- Incident
- Nov 19, 2012
- Mileage
- 613,900 mi