kookookachew

Hey everybody, I had a bad weekend and ended up getting my truck stuck in what can most easily be described as a swamp. I got it stuck on Friday night, and it sat in the deep water until some time, Saturday after noon. Then it sat for another night on boards while waiting for the ground to freeze more. Today I took the wheels off and broke/ melted away the ice with a torch to free up the wheels.

What should I check and do before doing any driving on the roads? I don't want to damage anything.

Heres a couple of pics to show how deep the water was,

2wd ridin high

id swap out the differential fluid, other than that it doesnt look like water could of got in the engine. if your exhaust was under water and if it froze id let the truk run for awhile to melt the ice away. but i think the differential is the only thing

carbon

Get it into a warm garage and let it thaw out. Swap out the diff fluids just to be safe and you should be set to go.

kookookachew

I do plan on letting it thaw out in the garage, I'm gonna get the kero heater going and let it sit in the warmth.

How about the wheel bearings and stuff? Anything with the brakes? I'm actually surprised that the abs still works, I figured all that ice an mud would mess up a sensor.

Also, why would the diff fluids be a problem? Aren't they sealed? I ask because I can't afford the 120 bucks it will probably cost to swap out the fluids, along with the front driveshaft I'm going to have to buy.

carbon

You can do the flush yourself for around $20. Everything else should will be fine as it gets just as wet driving in the rain or snow. The only reason for the diff flush is that it was submerged in the water and can sometimes get water in there if it has a small leak. Its way cheaper then replacing gears or an axle thats for sure.

Cain64

well diff fluids are not that much i dont think, and any time that your rear or front diff is "submerged" according to the ford manual,"any time the differentials are submerged fluid should be checked and changed." Even though its sealed

svt4cobra6

I cross streams about that deep without any problem but have not let the truck sit in the water. I think there is a vent at the top of the axle so some water may have splashed in probably a good idea to change the dif fluid as suggested. Front bearings should be ok.

Cain64

yes there is a vent on your diffs, no you can move the vent by extending it with a plastic hose connector and a piece of small rubber hosing, and run it towards your gas cap or under bed.