Bad design rant.

[N80]

Got to vent here. Yesterday was a work/repair day for me. I changed a torn tie rod dust boot on my Kubota. Replaced the fuel sending unit in the fuel tank. Etc etc. All of that is to say that I can do a few mechanical things. I'm a competent mechanic within my knowledge base.

But the next job was to replace the trailer wiring harness on my pickup. I won't mention the brand. It is 14 years old. The first issue is that the OEM 7 pin trailer plug socket hangs down from a flimsy bracket below the bumper with all of the wiring exposed. Bad design. My truck is a 4x4. It goes off road. I snagged a branch and tore the wires out of the socket and cracked the socket housing.

No big deal. I order a new harness. Climb under the truck to remove the damaged one. Shucks, spare tire is in the way. No big deal, how hard can it be to lower the spare. Well, it turned into a huge pain. I've never had a flat in this truck but still vaguely remembered that the crank bar was under the hood. Yes, not with the jack and stuff, under the hood. Take it out from under the hood, push it into the hole in the bumper and crank away. Nothing. Does not feel to be engaging the lowering winch. Have to get the owner's manual out. Ah, the is an anti theft key that fits on the end of the crank rod. Manual says it is in the glove box. How does it know? Of course it is wrong. I finally find it in the center console, simply amazed that it was still there sine up until that point I had no idea what it was.

You stick it onto the end of the crank rod and a tiny little clip holds it on. Loosely. And at an angle. I thread it into the hole in the bumper. Something feels wrong. It did not go into the tube that goes to the winch. It has gone between the spare and the frame. I have no choice but to pull it out. Ping! The little clip comes off and the bar comes out without the anti-theft key. I can't find it. Finally put all my weight hanging on the spare and hear it rolling around in the spare wheel. After a long while I am able to fish it out from a hole in the spare wheel. Then it takes another long while to get the little spring clip back in place. Then I get the spare down.

Remove damaged wiring harness. The new one is the wrong part and doesn't fit. (My bad.)

This was all done in the yard at my cabin in bright sunshine. Can you imagine trying to do this in the dark on a country road. In the rain? Or my wife or daughter having to do it? I do not think I have EVER seen anything so poorly designed. It's like someone tried to make it stupid. And on that dark country road it would be stupid, dangerous and possibly life threatening.

What's worse, this model of truck was the last year of its 8 or so year run. Design issues in the first model year are to be expected. Not in the eighth year. This is unforgivable and turned a 10 minute job into a nearly one hour profanity filled tool throwing mess embarrassing mess.

Sorry. Just had to vent.

The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately defeat him.
Russell Baker (1925 - )

 

[4570Man]

I'm sure the engineer that designed it never used it. If they did it was probably in ideal conditions.

 

[Creamer]

I had a friend that ran a plant that made automotive jacks. He said it was great because the statistics were that over 99% never got used so there were very few customer issues.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Try the spare on a 2010 dodge van with the stow and go seating. The spare sits underneath in between the drivers and passenger seat. After you get it to lower down, try getting it out from underneath. It is a real treat on that cold snowy night.

 

[N80]

Well, I also tried the jack that came with this truck a few years ago. Its a decent looking bottle jack. Didn't work at all. Leaked fluid. I just bought another bottle jack to keep in the tool box.

So, even under ideal circumstances changing a flat tire in this truck would have been totally impossible.

Just another reason I'm an AAA member.

 

[Rustyiron]

George, I think that day your bill just came due for not having a flat tire in 14 years, but completely understand your mini rant.:laughing:

 

[N80]

George, I think that day your bill just came due for not having a flat tire in 14 years, but completely understand your mini rant.:laughing:

Agreed!

Now I will give this particular truck a bit of praise. It has never had a front end alignment and it is easy on tires. It has 130k miles on it. It is on its fourth set of tires and the second set was used. The fourth set is brand new. They always wore evenly and I do not run them until they are bald so all of these came off the truck with some tread remaining. I've never seen anything like it.

 

[turnkey4099]

Got to vent here. Yesterday was a work/repair day for me. I changed a torn tie rod dust boot on my Kubota. Replaced the fuel sending unit in the fuel tank. Etc etc. All of that is to say that I can do a few mechanical things. I'm a competent mechanic within my knowledge base.

But the next job was to replace the trailer wiring harness on my pickup. I won't mention the brand. It is 14 years old. The first issue is that the OEM 7 pin trailer plug socket hangs down from a flimsy bracket below the bumper with all of the wiring exposed. Bad design. My truck is a 4x4. It goes off road. I snagged a branch and tore the wires out of the socket and cracked the socket housing.

No big deal. I order a new harness. Climb under the truck to remove the damaged one. Shucks, spare tire is in the way. No big deal, how hard can it be to lower the spare. Well, it turned into a huge pain. I've never had a flat in this truck but still vaguely remembered that the crank bar was under the hood. Yes, not with the jack and stuff, under the hood. Take it out from under the hood, push it into the hole in the bumper and crank away. Nothing. Does not feel to be engaging the lowering winch. Have to get the owner's manual out. Ah, the is an anti theft key that fits on the end of the crank rod. Manual says it is in the glove box. How does it know? Of course it is wrong. I finally find it in the center console, simply amazed that it was still there sine up until that point I had no idea what it was.

You stick it onto the end of the crank rod and a tiny little clip holds it on. Loosely. And at an angle. I thread it into the hole in the bumper. Something feels wrong. It did not go into the tube that goes to the winch. It has gone between the spare and the frame. I have no choice but to pull it out. Ping! The little clip comes off and the bar comes out without the anti-theft key. I can't find it. Finally put all my weight hanging on the spare and hear it rolling around in the spare wheel. After a long while I am able to fish it out from a hole in the spare wheel. Then it takes another long while to get the little spring clip back in place. Then I get the spare down.

Remove damaged wiring harness. The new one is the wrong part and doesn't fit. (My bad.)

This was all done in the yard at my cabin in bright sunshine. Can you imagine trying to do this in the dark on a country road. In the rain? Or my wife or daughter having to do it? I do not think I have EVER seen anything so poorly designed. It's like someone tried to make it stupid. And on that dark country road it would be stupid, dangerous and possibly life threatening.

What's worse, this model of truck was the last year of its 8 or so year run. Design issues in the first model year are to be expected. Not in the eighth year. This is unforgivable and turned a 10 minute job into a nearly one hour profanity filled tool throwing mess embarrassing mess.

Sorry. Just had to vent.

The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately defeat him.
Russell Baker (1925 - )

BTDT way back when. Then I Bought a 1989 F150 (used). Spare under bed. First thing was stop at parts house for an 'in bed' mount. When I need a spare I want it where I can get to it not rolling around in the mud or snow!. Yes, it is sometimes in hte way but I accept that.

 

[Egon]

Remember the days when the PU spare was mounted up on the box. One on each side at the back of the box was cool.

 

[Egon]

Well, I also tried the jack that came with this truck a few years ago. Its a decent looking bottle jack. Didn't work at all. Leaked fluid. I just bought another bottle jack to keep in the tool box.

So, even under ideal circumstances changing a flat tire in this truck would have been totally impossible.

Just another reason I'm an AAA member.

Dry seals?? Fill with oil & invert in a pail for several days. It may work???

 

[GLyford]

I have seen this one, thankfully when I found out about the key on the end of the crank rod the AAA driver told me where to look. Mine's an 03. Rumor has it, spare theft is a big problem near where some of these trucks are designed.

First time I used AAA was also a truck and a flat. I had the jack out, the bolt holding the spare wasn't frozen and I got it loose, and I had the factory lug wrench, and one of those aftermarket 4-way wrenches. And just COULD NOT get the lugs to budge, even standing on the wrench with a cheater bar. The driver had one of the cordless impacts that were only just starting to show up on the market...worked slick.

My most common reason for calling is dead batteries, either due to stupidity (leaving a light on/door open) or cold (at 10 below, it doesn't take much to kill one). I've had a couple of tows for alternators and such. I had one where the company ate the tow fee because I agreed to use their garage instead of the chain further away (and they did a good job, I've had them do other stuff for me since).

 

[Garandman]

Many videos and forum posts on what to do if you've lost your Ford spare key.

This reminds me to go out and see if our new Ford Transit has one....

 

[turnkey4099]

I have seen this one, thankfully when I found out about the key on the end of the crank rod the AAA driver told me where to look. Mine's an 03. Rumor has it, spare theft is a big problem near where some of these trucks are designed.

First time I used AAA was also a truck and a flat. I had the jack out, the bolt holding the spare wasn't frozen and I got it loose, and I had the factory lug wrench, and one of those aftermarket 4-way wrenches. And just COULD NOT get the lugs to budge, even standing on the wrench with a cheater bar. The driver had one of the cordless impacts that were only just starting to show up on the market...worked slick.

.

BTDT more than once. The problem is with the tire shops mistorqueing the lug nuts. Watch them wiork. Grab a rattle wrench buzzz, pick up torque wench and apply "CLICK" Yep it's torqued...Not correctly it isn't. All he proved is that it is _at least_ as tight as what the torque wrence is set. His problem is that he last set tje ratt;e wrench to mount great big tires on a semi or farm equipment. Last time it happened the AAA responder had a cheater bar. Barely able to loosen them...except for one. That one had been cross threaded with a rattle gun.

 

[Garandman]

Lug nut torque fir Subaru is 88 ft lbs. Garages routinely torque them to 120.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Amazing the winch wasn't totally seized. Up here in Canada, they tend to be. I remove my tire and have the undercoating guy spray the winch every year.

If we cut off hands or similar punishment for stealing, you wouldn't need that anti theft thingie.

 

[oldballs]

It pays to personally do an occasional 5 tire rotation, at which time one familiarizes oneself with the operation of the spare and its readiness. That's what I do on my 17 year old 3/4 ton. But AAA sounds like a viable option.

 

[N80]

It pays to personally do an occasional 5 tire rotation, at which time one familiarizes oneself with the operation of the spare and its readiness. That's what I do on my 17 year old 3/4 ton. But AAA sounds like a viable option.

Absolutely. I have found the air pressure in the spares in my other cars to be low after years of sitting in the trunk. Now, they are not full sized so rotation won't work. And in my case, it is my responsibility to maintain the spare and know how to use it. The problem is, even knowing how to use it doesn't help when the tool is horribly designed and the jack fails even when it had never been used before.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Absolutely. I have found the air pressure in the spares in my other cars to be low after years of sitting in the trunk. Now, they are not full sized so rotation won't work. And in my case, it is my responsibility to maintain the spare and know how to use it. The problem is, even knowing how to use it doesn't help when the tool is horribly designed and the jack fails even when it had never been used before.

On the 2004 chev suburban we added TPMS sensor to the spare, rest vehicle had it. Now shows on dash when low. Steve

 

[Creamer]

BTDT more than once. The problem is with the tire shops mistorqueing the lug nuts. Watch them wiork. Grab a rattle wrench buzzz, pick up torque wench and apply "CLICK" Yep it's torqued...Not correctly it isn't. All he proved is that it is _at least_ as tight as what the torque wrence is set. His problem is that he last set tje ratt;e wrench to mount great big tires on a semi or farm equipment. Last time it happened the AAA responder had a cheater bar. Barely able to loosen them...except for one. That one had been cross threaded with a rattle gun.

i know that feeling. first time I went to use the wrench on my car I broke it as the tire shop had way overtorqued the lug nuts. I still had to call a wrecker!

 

[Creamer]

BTDT way back when. Then I Bought a 1989 F150 (used). Spare under bed. First thing was stop at parts house for an 'in bed' mount. When I need a spare I want it where I can get to it not rolling around in the mud or snow!. Yes, it is sometimes in hte way but I accept that.

While the spare is very accessible it does get in the way of a bed liner or cover. And the sun tends to eat it too!