My 97 (4.2 RWD Reg cab, Long bed) is 20 years old but has 60k miles. So I have not replaced many.

Yesterday smoke came out of right front wheel. I guessed bad caliper. While replacing the caliper, I wondered what parts would likely go bad in 20 years (age, not mileage). Anything that has rubber? And if it fails, I will be stranded.

Master cylinder
The other caliper
Four (4) brake hoses at 4 wheels

Any other parts?
Thanks.

 

CV shaft boots. They dry rot and tear. You can wait until they tear or just change the shafts out now. I just did mine. I think it cost me $67 per shaft. You can just change the boots but it is messy and really not worth the effort IMO.

 

​​​​​​​disregard....you dont have 4wd

 

age is just as bad, worse in most cases
Seals harden and leak, plastics and rubber get brittle , coatings degrade on motor windings
fluids break down and absorb moisture and become corrosive
Things just plain oxidize and corrode from external environment, or internal

The things I would worry about that can strand you are radiator and hoses, fuel pump, alternator, heater core

after that, big ticket item is AC system. Compressor shaft seal leaking could kill it all.

Yearly changing of coolant is good idea, but replacing radiator is cheap too proactively. So is alternator.

One of my issues on my 23 yr old toyota was that inside of gas tank rusted up , clogged fuel pump, killed it . Not driving an old vehicle much, is worse than driving it everyday for sure.

 

Vacuum lines...

 

Thank you, mbb and techrep. The list is longer than I thought. I will start working on them.

One question though. I undrestand vaccum hoses, insulation on copper windings, and heater hoses. But why radiator? I thought it was all copper.

 

I would just do a good flush on it and replace the hoses

 

Radiators today are paper thin aluminum core , side tanks are plastic that is simply crimped on.
This was done to save weight . Plastic cracks...whod a thunk? Ive had that happen. But in fairness I had brass radiators in past that corroded thru and developed numerous small leaks. Simple to braze or solder, but pita. Todays radiators are so cheap you just buy another. All in all todays are more reliable generally I think than say in the 1980s.....if used with right coolant and maintained

I havent seen a brass radiator since early to mid 1990s. Perhaps the 97 had them.? I had 2 1995 vehicles with composite radiators so I ft igured they all had switched by then.

 

I just checked my radiator. Indeed it is made of aluminum and plastic. Thank you for the explanation.

 

My 86 has an aluminum/plastic radiator. So did my 85 Chevy van. They've been around awhile. They actually dissipate heat better than the brass/copper ones.