4X4 Sprinter Van - What You Need To Know - Is It Worth It? - Living The Van Life
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- Опубликовано: 20 дек 2021
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I have spent a lot of time out on rugged 4x4 Trails with my 2020 Mercedes-Benz 4x4 Sprinter Van. With every trail I conquer, I learn more and more about the capabilities of the van and also it's limits and weak points. In this video I discuss the weak points I have recently found in the Mercedes-Benz 4x4 Sprinter van drivetrain.
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Why not use loctite? CV Axles are packed full of grease by design in order to keep the entire knuckle and bearings lubricated. By nature the grease packs out through the entire CV joint
including the bolts and the holes they are threaded into. Using loctite in this application would be a waste of loctite as it will not adhere to any surface that contains grease.
Heavy truck mechanic here. You can still use blue loctite. You'll need to clean the threaded holes and the bolts off to be free of grease/oil. Apply loctite and install the bolts, loctite will be set in an hour and you won't have to worry about it again.
@@syndromodowns707 There are oil resistant loctites as well, I wouold use a red variant, always removable with heat if needed.
Putting lockwashers on all the fasteners *MAY* be just enough. But trial and error will teach you well. As a heavy truck mechanic that works on a similar product from Mercedes, they make good stuff. Don't lose faith in it.
@@carlmic7my guy red is not good for a DIY, also I ONLY use blue in this industry. We all only ever use blue.
@@syndromodowns707 as having many years experience as a mechanic myself, if I’m not mistaken, I’m guessing the way to clean that area would be dowsing the holes with heavy amounts of parts cleaner. Which in my opinion would be detrimental to the rest of the grease that is responsible for keeping the joint lubricated. The last thing I’d want is parts cleaner penetrating the the grease inside the cv boot and degrading it’s lubricating properties.
I’d prefer more of these kind of videos. It’s a unique lifestyle and I’d like to see more behind the scenes so we can see what all goes into it
Aye, my name's Zeke
doing maintenance next to a parts store is such an underrated piece of advice
Although tightening CV axle bolts isn't usually a maintenance check, all of what you found can be attributed to the extreme duty that you are putting the van through. While I was in the US Army as a mechanic, we had checks that were additional when we either had a vehicle at max payload for an extended period of time, or driving off road, even if the vehicle was made for carrying heavy stuff off road. I would be under that thing every time you went into town to check for things like you found. I would also keep a very close eye on all of the soft mounting points on the powertrain and drivetrain, i.e. bushings. With all of the high load and articulation the van is subjected to, those are bound to have a much shorter lifespan than normal. Keep up the good work. My wife and I have been watching your stuff together for a long time.
This is the inherent problem with the Sprinter 4WD system. Not being able to send power 50% front and 50% to the back differential. You have to drive the Sprinter much harder to get up obstacles. You're using momentum to overcome the lack power distribution. You keep driving like that and you will blow up your front differential or snap a CV axle. You should be crawling up sections like, not bouncing through it. I cringed when I saw all the weight coming down on your front tire while it was spinning....ouch! I'm impressed the front end held together, that's pretty remarkable. I believe the new 2022 Sprinters 4WD system is a 50/50 split front to back differentials.
In any case take a paint pen and make straight line through the bolt, the cam and the strut. That way you'll know if anything has moved. If it has, you can re-adjust it on the trail until you can get a proper alinement. Keep up the great content!
Hi Chad, this video is a good reality check for anyone who plans on living on the road, bad things happen. Your resourcefulness and ability to wrench on your rig saved the day.
No need to apologise for the different type of video. This was excellent diagnostics and fault-finding - fine, relevant content. Keep on trucking, sir.
Outstanding! Sorry you had to deal with those issues but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for documenting the issues and resolution so effectively! I’ll be crawling under my van in the morning.
That Sprinter still does things I didn't know Sprinter vans could do, gnarly.
Slow it down and drive it like a rock crawler and not so much like a rock bouncer. You also run the risk of tipping when you throw that top heavy van side to side so quickly and violently.
This reminds me of driveshafts in my Supervee racing car. We drill across the heads of the bolts and use stainless steel lock wire between pairs of bolts to prevent them backing out. Simple fix and well proven.
Just like safety wiring airplane bolts to prevent screws from vibrating loose! In fact look up AN bolts.
As a fellow sprinter owner this video was 10/10. Love the different type of content, thank you!
Chad, great videos and just super photography. I am an old overland driver from the 80s and 90's in different vehicles. Your videos of you driving over those roads, your speed is more than a little high for the vehicle. Sure with the ABS/substitute diff lock system you have to keep your foot in it, but your ground speed is high especially in the off camber alternate rock and roll stuff. That said..you have a US built MB van. I have a 2018 van, German built...so I would put the load on the MB US factory and I will throw them under the van. The QC on US built MB vans is suspect. Did they use thread locker? Missing bolt..I suspect not. If all 16 bolts on the axles are loose...no one checked the torque. This is a QC issue with potentially disastrous results. That said, if you are going to push the limits as you say often, you need to be under your van more often. We used to do it nightly, in the Sahara, Zaire and east Africa, running ex military trucks...the more you stress it the more you have to look and fix. If you slow down a bit, the more the vehicle does the work and the more "chair round the fire time" you have, and not the lying on the pavement wondering about clunks and knocks. Trust me I have spent too many nights fixing stuff under trucks in the middle of nowhere with nothing. Duct tape wasn't even invented! There are no Autoparts stores In the Sahara. You were lucky. Drive like your life depends on it, literally.
yeah thats what i thought as well, really nice he made that videos, but he is wayyyy too fast with that vehicle, especially with a high load van like this. Not much people like to hear this, but once in a while its important to listen to expirienced Overland-drivers. Either when you meet them when you are out, or you visit a Offroad driving lesson with your Van, they will give you special tipps to your vehicle. But keep up the good work!
I prefer the old VW van! Was one the best thing in your videos. How you can solve the small space problem and afford great adventures.
Great to see on-the-road maintenance and repairs -- truly integral to LTVL! Personally, with my Vanagon's 251K original engine approaching EOL, seeing how you troubleshoot and resolve mechanical issues is a great learning experience. Your Vanagon experience edges me toward choosing a Subaru transplant. Your cinematic videos are truly a labor of love. Maintenance videos show a love or labor -- and craft, skill, and thoughtfulness. Thank you for sharing. Happy Holidays!
Can't believe the factory didn't install any blue loctite. Would be my first mod. Also, if these issues persist maybe a torque wrench needs to find it's way into the van's loadout.
I can, Mercedes make some shoddy products these days.
they also werent designed to do what he is doing with the vehicle, these are designed to hold gear and haul to and from jobsites, homes etc... not go into the mojave and flex like he is showing, so of course it would break!
@patluxor2482 you are confusing 4x4 with off roading. Saying 4x4 just means that all 4 wheels spin…
Time to create a Mojave Mercedes.
Great video, Chad. This is a good reminder that no matter the mileage of the vehicle, it's important to get under it often and listen to your van.
Thank you so much for the video. Have the same Van. Don’t drive it as hard but will definitely check all those bolts now. Bless guys like you for taking the time to teach the rest of us what you have learned.
Awesome video, Chad! I just set a bunch of reminders on my phone for every few months to check those bolts. As always, really useful info and great footage. Thanks for taking the time to create such excellent videos!! Every one of them is top notch!
love your vids so much Chad just wish they where posted more often!, all the best for the new year and have a great Christmas!
The content u make is so incredibly refreshing! I love how you mix more traditional vanlife content, like exploring and quite mornings in the desert with informative videos like this. It's so great to have just watched the video of you off roading in the desert and then watching you examine and problem solve the issues that came from that adventure. Then you explain exactly how you fix it and what tools you use! What a beautiful blend of videos! I love what u are doing on the channel and I will definitely be hitting the notification bell :)
Thanks for coming along, Zeke! Glad you like them-
Awesome bro ,thanks for all the great info and video content. Your videos are very inspiring 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
These videos are awesome! Thanks for making these in depth 4x4 Sprinter videos as no one else is!
Coming back to this comment, I now own my own 4x4 2022 144" and will be making sure mine does not do this!
Awesome and helpful video. Thanks, Chad!
That was an awesome angle underneath the Van, you could see all the flexing of the suspension and the engine. Would love to see that angle again when it is really stressed and really working on the trails!
Thx Chad! Very nice insights and nice to get a bit of a different content from you too. Stay safe! Cheers!
I’m glad you were able to service the issues effectively to keep you on the road. It takes talent for sure.
I appreciate the video and information, much appreciated
Part of RV life is dealing with the unexpected. Glad you were able to at least get to town for your repairs. Not surprising they gave you the bolt - perhaps they recognized you. As the commercials say, you meet the nicest people when your RV. Stay safe
Awesome use of a GoPro to diagnose your van’s issues while test driving. Love it. I like that you didn’t run to a shop or dealership for help and worked on problem solving yourself.
Hugh video!!! Don't hesitate posting similar videos in the future! Invaluable info. Thanks Chad!!!
Great video brother, lots of solid information on things to look out for. I’ve shared with some other sprinter 4x4 buddies as well 🤙🏻🤙🏻
man you're awesome, you don't just drive, you listen to the sound of your car. you are taking care of him. this is really cool dude. 👍👍👍
Love to see these detailed “behind the scenes” Chad in amongst the adventures
I am SO GLAD to have your video with GOPRO to show your Mercedes’ front end problems, SO GLAD to have this self-help by you! I learned A LOT and have saved the video for future reference! Good call on Mercedes! With only 15,000 miles on it should NOT have the problems that you experienced. After all, the van was fitted for just this kind of service, you’re 4X4 for goodness sake and outfitted in the proper way! I think Mercedes’ will benefit from the video and produce a better van in the future. Good on you in Living The Van Life!
You can get drilled head CV bolts that allow safety wire to be used to keep the bolts from loosening.
Hi chad since you do a lot of hard off roading which the vehicle is not really expected to handle you will have to keep an eye on a lot of bolts and screws. Many others off roaders have the same issues. I love the gopro under the van that was a good idea.
Very interesting tech video and good idea having the cam watching for the problem - and also some very good tips for roadside repairs and tools / stuff here in the comments, really helpful content and clearly worth the time. Thank you and have a great Christmas time.
Love this kind of video. Keep them coming
This just happened to me. Been waiting for a tow for 12 hours. Someone on FB group shared this video. Thank you so much!
I feel ya man, wheeling breaks stuff haha. Doing my best to keep the truck house alive wheeling the jeep trails, see ya out there!
Like the video bud very helpful to everyone that has the same van ;) keep safe buddy
thanks for taking the chance on a different type of video! enjoyed this one. keep it up my friend :)
This video is pure gold
Merry Christmas and God’s blessings Chad. Keep the videos coming. You always go to amazing beautiful places. 🙏🌊🎄🎅
Don’t apologize. It was one of your best and I have watched them all.
Hey Chad, big shout out from a full time van lifer in the UK 🇬🇧 ✌️
Always feeling more inspired after watching your videos. Keep on Truckin brother.
Thank you Chad! Another good video. I’ll be checking my bolts this weekend.
Very informative video. Thank you for sharing.
Great vid! Important for us also to have a peek behind the scenes. I am grateful to you not only saying "This vehicle is perfect, I made it even better than perfect, has no wear or damage'" - keep on going, best wishes from Poland.
Awesome information Chad. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Maybe slow down just a tad on the rough stuff. Explore the difference between static and dynamic traction. My old 1971 Land Rover goes just as far crawling along on the bumps and undulations as my mates who hit them at speed for momentum.. the only difference is I’ve never broken anything. Even in mud and snow super slow and gentle can be far more productive than revs and spinning. Static traction vs dynamic..
And maybe an off-road driving course and/or an introduction to the concept of “fit for purpose”…..
1971 they were built like tanks🤷♂️
The low range on his Sprinter which is now on 35s does not deliver a slow enough crawl ratio. It has no rear or front lockers and the traction system relies on his brakes to stop wheel spin, which is at times slow to engage. With a gross weight of over 10,000lbs Chad has to perform a delicate dance of carrying enough momentum to overcome obstacles and not overspeed to cause damage. Bolts coming loose after this type of abuse is not uncommon even on Jeeps. I check my Rubicon before and after each trip and there are always thing I need to torque down. Just ensur eyou keep on top of preventative maintenance. Even so, I am impressed by where he drives his Sprinter. Most adventurous driver I have seen on this platform. I appreciate the effort and content Chad.
Spinning ain't winning!!! True that brother
Agree
Maintenance / troubleshooting is part of life, its good to see that LTVL isnt all green grass & roses. Ive got a garage full of tools, i cant imagine being that limited, at home
Great information !!
Great video! Love the thoroughness
Thanks for the honest update mate. I 4WD myself, I own a Mercedes as well as an Isuzu 4WD and I wouldn’t drive a big expensive Merc as hard as you do. I’d ease up just a little.
This is a very important video you just share with us I like the way you expose the good things of the van and also the issues, thanks for this excelente educational content I hope you continue doing this repair videos
Great info! Will become part of my routine maintenance routine with my van after an adventure.
I'm a week away from having a 2022 4x4-170 delivered. I feel blessed to do so and I can feel in my gut that she is strong, balanced and mechanically sound. Her name is Atheana J . I am enjoying and learning bunches from your videos.
Best of luck! Enjoy your van and Keep on Trucking! Cheers!
Chad love you man! I hope your son is well and thanks for giving us this beautiful content
Merry Christmas Chad love the videos
Issue with loose cv axle bolts and the diff itself is coming from unnatural tensions and working conditions that this van has to take due to the lift kit and wheels. Nafta Countries max size is 245/75/r16 or 245/70r17 as well as any extra lifting is strictly not recommended as exactly this will be happening. This sytem is not a toyota or jeep or anything close. It can go thru some serious off-roading but not with this mods, we have toured 5000 kilometers around Morocco which has one of the hardest roads on the planet and none of this happened because we sticked to the Factory recommendations and tuned the vans with Koni Adjustable Shocks I the front, Fox in the back, stronger leaf springs and Nafta regulated wheels. We took them thru the whole "old Dakar" road! Our Sprinters now have between 100 to 200.000 kms and are still running without any problems :) Sorry Chad, I really do admire your content a lot and follow it but you will destroy this van very fast. Next thing that will be damaged will be the main shaft in the transmission box or broken chain in it. If you will lift wheels and touch the ground while spining them fast this will come on you with the big wheels even faster. I wish this will not happen to you as the repair is expensive and it won't be guaranteed due to the modifications.
Thanks for this very interesting video !
Awesome that you were able to do the roadside repairs! If that is Moab, I’ve been to the same auto parts stores! My 4Runner had a check engine light after some wheeling near Twin Bridges, and the O’Reilly folks were nice enough to lend me a scanner. Then I went to the other store to get a replacement ring latch pin for my rear bumper 😀
It was a great video....liked very much..
Very educational and helpful
I actually loved this video. It’s real about what goes on.
Very good Chad. I hope Mercedes will reward/compensate you for this invaluable information. All Sprinter owners should watch this video. The transfer case mounts look like the bolts have rubber bushings on them and will allow movement to reduce shock. The axle bolts really should not have come apart. Looking at the axle connection, I do not believe grease or oil gets into the bolt holes as readily as you may think. Spray some brake cleaner in the hole to clean it out and use blue heavy-duty Loctite on them. You need to give that van a thorough lookover to find anything else working lose or bending on you. Take care and good job.
Anything with struts and cv axles will give you problems off road. You need a straight front axle. Love your hard work and videos.
Excellent video! Many, many thanks 🙏 from Australia 😊
Maybe you already got this advice, but a torque wrench is crucial to have in your toolbox for these bolts. And they might be stretch bolts, meaning you need to get new ones. Stretch bolts are not reusable. But check that with Mercedes
This is great, as i was thinking about getting one, now i know what to check.
This is good content. It’s not all fun and games always so it’s good you are keeping it real 👍
I liked this video, you did a great job, keep on trucking / vanning
Very educating.. thanks for sharing your experiences bro..
Chad, one of the things that my mechanic will do on the regular service visits is to look for issues of this nature and correct them before they can create an issue.
Also, that tab that you flattened may have had small side wings that are used as lock tabs. If that is the case they may need to be bent back against the bolt heads.
Awesome info, I felt the same clunk on t my front dif on the trails last weekend. Im checking all this stuff out tomorrow.
We definitely need more stuff like this!!! Thanks.
Well, Larry, isn't that a bit of a double-edged sword for me? I'm kinda thankful the ol' Sprinter is doing her part. Thanks for watching!
@@LivingTheVanLife it absolutely is for you. You obviously have cultivated something great here. I was more or less referring to the community as a whole. There are enough videos about overpriced product reviews. I spent a few hours yesterday watching some of your content and ultimately subscribed. Thanks again.
Used to have a similar thing a few years ago with VW gearboxes here in the UK. The bolts didn't have a manufac lok-tight applied at time of manufac. Rectified after a later update but the original bolts didn't have it so would see the same results.
Great content, pleas bring more of these videos. Thank you , Merry Christmas and God Bless
Bad ass stuff Chad!!!! Life has me so close to getting a rig and dipping on ordinary life.
Great video and great channel 👍🏻🇺🇸
LOVE IT
Nice repairs Chad. Stay safe buddy. Nice Nice diagnose on that broken loose parts! Around Bend Oregon out
Nice video!!! Make more of these they are cool and helpful
Glad you liked it-
Love your work. God bless you
Love this video. To get the practical, day to day issues dealt with is great. Life on the road is not all sweeping vistas and beautiful sunsets. Sometimes, shitty engineering lets you down, and needs fixing!! Good job Chad!!!
Good info there Chad...Keep on truckin! Be safe!
Great info!!! Thanks 🤙🏼
i have a vintage Jeep Wagoneer with 900,00 miles, mostly highway. I just swap an engine every 300,000. Always smart to be prepared with tools which I always carry because you never know.! Love the idea with the GoPro!
Absolutely very educational. Thank you Chad. Piece out! :-)
Thanks for the info.
Some good infos here.
Thanks for the share.
Thanks for watching!
Keep pushing it Chad, I want to know where the issues are, also, out here I've been seeing Sprinter ambulances and I'm curious whether the conversion of those vehicles has addressed those issues in rough terrain areas. If you find yourself talking to a technician, perhaps you could ask about the conversion considerations for rescue vehicles. Rescue vehicles have lots of mechanical upgrades that are tried and tested in the field which can be implemented for adventure van life.
UNBELIEVABLE, nice job identifying the problem. Pawn Shops are a great place to find tools at 70% below retail pricing.
This was a damn good video, thank you!
Don't know if it's been stated yet but those clips in between bolts on the cv axle is for even pressure between bolts to help keep a good seal and keep grease inside as well as dirt and water out
Well speaking for myself, I enjoyed the variety of your videos it can be on several different topics. Because you make it interesting.
Awesome video. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this info. As soon as it stops raining I’ll crawl under the Van with my wrenches
Nice view point Chad..! I dig it..!!