new2ford
03-04-05, 08:36 AM
Pity we have Territory discussion spread over three forums - some issues could do with bringing together. This post on fordaustraliaforums.com is concerning:
"Well after a long wait I received my TS AWD Territory last week, and dutifully took it out to Walhalla to do some off-road exploring over easter. Only 350km on the clock I found its Achilles Heel, which is the skid plate that covers the petrol tank and other essential appendages under the vehicle (and also very inconveniently lowers your ground clearance). It seems as you traverse any hump in a gravel road, the first thing that will touch the apex will be the skid plate - that's what it's there for (isn't it?), gallantly sacrificing itself for the good of the equipment that it covers. Unfortunately it's far too flimsy and has a tendency to buckle, doing so on a fold that is perfectly in line with the rubber boot that covers the CV joint leading from the tailshaft into the rear diff. The result? You slice open the boot which in turn makes a hell of a flapping noise as it slaps against what remains of the skid plate, and you start losing axle grease and substituting it with gravel and dust. A cursory view of the skid plate in the aftermath of the very subdued drive back to Rawson shows that this was inevitably going to happen, and no doubt has happened before when anyone else has had the misfortune of having the skidplate come into contact with the ground. Indeed the manner in which the skidplate is held onto the undercarriage is rather insubstantial, and anyone who has had the plate scrape on the ground will probably have already started it on its inevitable journey towards the boot on the rear diff...
The icing on the cake? Ford don't sell just the boot, they only sell it as part of the tailshaft, so instead of a $50 rubber part it's a $1000 assembly to replace. Suffice to say it was not a good weekend for camping ..."
I wonder whether the so-called sump guard accessory would have protected against this - doesn't sound like it, anybody know? In spite of a bit of bush-tracking the only time I've touched bottom is crossing a median strip on the Sydney Harbour Bridge (don't ask me what I was doing off-roading on the SHB!) but I often wonder about some of the vulnerable-looking gear underneath. From experience in my mis-spent youth I feel that good solid protection should be built in as standard underneath a car, not optional.
"Well after a long wait I received my TS AWD Territory last week, and dutifully took it out to Walhalla to do some off-road exploring over easter. Only 350km on the clock I found its Achilles Heel, which is the skid plate that covers the petrol tank and other essential appendages under the vehicle (and also very inconveniently lowers your ground clearance). It seems as you traverse any hump in a gravel road, the first thing that will touch the apex will be the skid plate - that's what it's there for (isn't it?), gallantly sacrificing itself for the good of the equipment that it covers. Unfortunately it's far too flimsy and has a tendency to buckle, doing so on a fold that is perfectly in line with the rubber boot that covers the CV joint leading from the tailshaft into the rear diff. The result? You slice open the boot which in turn makes a hell of a flapping noise as it slaps against what remains of the skid plate, and you start losing axle grease and substituting it with gravel and dust. A cursory view of the skid plate in the aftermath of the very subdued drive back to Rawson shows that this was inevitably going to happen, and no doubt has happened before when anyone else has had the misfortune of having the skidplate come into contact with the ground. Indeed the manner in which the skidplate is held onto the undercarriage is rather insubstantial, and anyone who has had the plate scrape on the ground will probably have already started it on its inevitable journey towards the boot on the rear diff...
The icing on the cake? Ford don't sell just the boot, they only sell it as part of the tailshaft, so instead of a $50 rubber part it's a $1000 assembly to replace. Suffice to say it was not a good weekend for camping ..."
I wonder whether the so-called sump guard accessory would have protected against this - doesn't sound like it, anybody know? In spite of a bit of bush-tracking the only time I've touched bottom is crossing a median strip on the Sydney Harbour Bridge (don't ask me what I was doing off-roading on the SHB!) but I often wonder about some of the vulnerable-looking gear underneath. From experience in my mis-spent youth I feel that good solid protection should be built in as standard underneath a car, not optional.