I Fixed a Mechanically Totaled $700 Range Rover. Here's How Much the Repairs Cost...

[@Samcrac]

Man I thought this deal Range Rover was good at $700 then I saw Prority Tire's Prices 😲: Get 5% off any tires and accessories on Priority Tire's site with the code 'PTSAMCRAC1223' and 10% off any Venom Power tires with the code 'VPSAMCRAC1223' until January 15th at: bit.ly/Samcrac_PriorityTire

[@DjJay]

Take out the center console, heat it up with a heat gun of leave in in the sun, you can literally scrape off the cracked rubber coating revealing nice new shiny plastic underneath it, need some elbow grease to really get rid of every last remanent of the rubberized coating though.

[@familyengineering5591]

Oy vey! A steal! And the 40% off on the install buy the two goyim?? Another great deal!

[@misternicetapemuzikk]

I know u guys love the easy jobs. but PPE should be useful sometimes. Not just in the big ware house. You don't wanna lose an eye or finger

[@yogoombah2356]

Hey, math genius, unless you're trolling, the Bentayga wasn't 1,000x more than the R.R., it was 100x.

[@richieduck67]

How does that mobile guy balance them?

[@TZanatta]

As a fellow mobile auto service (auto glass) I give those mobile tire guys a lot of respect. They have their process made!

[@iamgermane]

Any transmission that needs to be service or replaced before 250K is a POS and so is the vehicle.

[@johnhufnagel]

they also took the time to line the dots up correctly. I've seen big shops not do that. Worse I've talked to installers at said shops and had them say "what dots?" 👊

[@iamgermane]

@@johnhufnagel It only takes one guy to install the glass right? I had some guy training some guy on my vehicle once!

[@pk4459]

Huge respect for the hustle!

[@austinroesner9119]

Fellow moblie auto glass technician here💪

[@mydimeisup5103]

Nice fix. I saw though you're using red universal ATF fluid. I would say drain that stuff now, like right now. ZF transmissions are very picky and only ZF Lifeguard 6 fluid should be used. I've seen and heard of too many people adding regular red ATF, or universal fluid, into the transmission. ZF Lifeguard, Liquimoly, Motul, or any other ZF approved fluid should be used. The fluid ZF transmissions take is a semi-synthetic blend of fluid as per ZF publications. Regular red ATF will total your transmission. I actually just replaced a ZF 8 transmission this past weekend. Also the fill procedure is not just a fill until it dribbles out. With the car off and transmission fluid cold, fill until fluid dribbles out. Then turn the car on and shift through P, R, N, D and wait until fluid temp reaches 35C. While the engine is still running, transmission in P, and the transmission fluid temp between 35C - 45C crack fill plug open and fill with more fluid until it dribbles out. Close and you're good.

[@jsloden1]

Looks like he's using valvoline maxlife, which is approved for zf transmissions. I put it in my 01 BMW with a zf three years and haven't any problems with it.

[@richardscott28]

You're right. Color means nothing. Just read the specs on the container like most DIYers do.😉@@jsloden1

[@mydimeisup5103]

@@jsloden1 Thats a much older ZF, with the ZF 5 speed. If you google "ZF TE-ML 11" it'll pull up a list of approved fluids. I actually googled Maxlife and on the back of the bottle it does have ZF 6 speed listed there, but what is odd is ZF doesn't list Maxlife on their TE-ML 11, only "Valvoline Heavy Duty ATF-II". Either way, I'm a stickler for ZF Lifeguard or nothing. Too much risk for too little savings but if Valvoline says it has approval, then I'd say you're good. Just odd ZF's TE-ML 11 doesn't list "Maxlife",

[@TheHamPimp]

Vaovoline red multi-vehicle is apparently ZF approved.

[@blueribb99]

Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle (ATF) is compatible with both ZF Lifeguardfluid 6 and 8 according to their website.

[@clintharris1898]

Dropping the transmission oil pan means replacing about 8 quarts of transmission fluid. Being generous, let's say it's only $12/quart...that's $100 every time you drop the pan. Drop it twice, and that eats your savings. Pay once, cry once.

[@DougTheFresh]

I learned it as “Buy once, cry once.”

[@mrdomhare]

Just pour it through a coffee filter and back in it goes

[@matthewzepess5721]

@@mrdomhareme and my dad did this with my 1990 Chevy we weren’t so lucky fixing a solenoid 😂

[@eliotmansfield]

you just put the same oil back in it

[@bergrud]

Yeah. And never ever ever use generic fluid on a hp6 box. This will be back in limp in no time. And it will be full flush next time.

[@802Garage]

Looks like a father son tire team. Love to see the hustle!

[@geneard639]

You got a deal! You did the right thing going with the $300 set of parts, I think some of the Chinese 'referb' parts are not refurbished and are just sold as referbs to make cheap money.

[@miceinoz1181]

I have used these chinese cleaned and tested solenoids in the past with no problems. I have also used OEM with no problems. This was dependant on customer budget. Sonnax ZIP kits are brilliant and worth every cent. With his work you absolutely MUST do a redapt on the trans. Not doing so can cause clutch damage if driven a while. ZF has a specific readaption process for your Gen 1 box, but if driven normally over time it will sort itself out OK, as you found over time. You had good luck on this one Sam.

[@dandavenport4565]

Hi, I’m impressed you were brave enough to delve into the transmission like that. It is good to know that fixes can be made without replacing the whole thing.😊

[@iamgermane]

Good news: never buy a Land Rover!

[@geoffaries]

Land rover dont actually own ZF so it's hardly their fault. ZF dont claim that their gearboxes are sealed for life, that's just hype from manufacturers such as BMW who try to play down service costs to appeal to lease and fleet car owners. ZF say the gearbox needed a service every 75k miles

[@pclayton5063]

Wondering if you just purchased and reman valve body, from a trusted source, what that would have cost? I might be up to doing a valve body replacement myself but no way would I chance taking it apart and expecting it to work when I was finished.

[@valiantdiesel1332]

​@pclayton5063 Previous owner of my car had the valve body (Merc 7G-Tronic) replaced and it was £2,400 - Not a dealer price either.

[@Ariautoace]

Thank you for supporting the tire guys. I live in the Philippines and there is a huge support for calling in a mobile "kuya" to fix it. In my home country it is different. Very nice of you.

[@Cpt-Pugwash14]

Hats off to them tire installers, offering a good service for a great price :)

[@YOEL_44]

Absolutelly!! But Sam should know that the least rubber in the tire, the stiffer it is, thus making its installation harder, not easier as he claims.

[@Iam_Yu627]

Well, you get what you pay for. I worked at chevron back in the day (the yr Elvis died) when it was full service and we used the bubble level. It has its limits. Best balance machine, imo, is the hunter road force. I wouldn't trust my pilot sports with a bubble. My Jeep with cheap rock tires? Sure.

[@SuzhouChen]

@@Iam_Yu627 agree, and the tool they used might scratch the wheel, also, i didn't see them using torque wrench, and they used too much impact gun when installing, good luck next time try to take off the lug nuts...

[@iamgermane]

I went to a Discount Tire shop and the guy working on my car to an impact wrench to my ABS wheel cover lug nuts!?!?

[@alexj6408]

The only issue is the lack of steering alignment. Can guarantee the car needs alignment.

[@LiquidAudio]

I've had some experience with this ZF 6HP trans in my old E53 X5 and yeah, the sealed-for-life thing is just idiocy. I always recommend new, genuine parts vs cheap Chinese remanufactured ones, especially with something like this, so you made a great decision there and critical to reset the trans adaptations, great work there too. I would also recommend ZF Lifeguard 6 fluid. I'm not a trans guy, I work in an unrelated technical field but have a fascination with digging into any technical details. So, FWIW, back when I had my X5, I researched who made the fluid for ZF. I'll have to find my notes, but it was BP, Castol or Shell, can't recall, and it is a very specific formulation designed for this box in particular and not others. Other cross-compatible fluids will work, but they are formulated to work in a range of boxes and are not technically the same as the Lifeguard 6. This detail matters if you want ultimate shift performance with this box, but yes that ZF fluid is stupidly expensive and unnecessarily so. I bought a 25L drum of Lifeguard 6 and did a couple of flushes and this transformed the shifting of mine. Anyway, just my experience, you did an amazing job here with the mechatronics and solenoid overhaul, first-class job!

[@rogerpratchet]

Does this also mean that my way to save on original Ford oil is to find that it is actually Castrol, compare the tolerances and purchase oil from a local manufacturer with tolerances similar to Castrol, but without a Ford approval is legit? For example, the original oil is formula f, which actually was Castrol Edge with acea approval A5/b5, so I started using 5W30 a5/b5 And everything is going pretty well, at least for now.

[@sguploads9601]

thaats depends on parts and their original stiker. some parts take half of hour to change and even chiness witll work for few years. why do you need original parts wich will work 15 years more on 15 years old car? you just dont need such reability anymore- sothing else will destroy car in next 5 years.

[@pauloconnor7951]

Well said sir !

[@brettweltz8135]

@@rogerpratchet and if you’re a psychopath do it yourself like me you just tap and drill a transmission dipstick to it of course taking all the necessary measurements to know what dipstick to use

[@Saint_Vincent1735]

I'm glad you used the better solenoids. Once in awhile by accident, Land Rover makes a good one I think you’ve got one

[@garrycoates2147]

I really have a huge respect for guys who work out of a van and come to you. When you find good ones, keep them...

[@Dukefazon]

My first though: you had a lot of Range Rover in the past years, I don't know if you still have them or got rid of them, but in case you have at least 1 compatible model, I'd look into switching parts. You made the right choice of buying new! I love your videos, they are so well produced, you tell an interesting story with your narration and when you speak directly towards the camera, it's like a documentary combined with a tutorial. Keep up the great work! -A faithful viewer since 2018.

[@jackpalczynski7884]

We've had a mobile tire service come to the house and do a couple sets of wheels. They have the entire setup in the truck and are the high end mounter and balancer just like you get at a real tire shop. The stuff these guys have, I have in my garage. A $39 Harbor freight stick for tire dismount/mount and a bubble balancer.

[@ek.74.914]

Yeah I've had a mobile guy come out that had the better tools like that on his truck as well. Hopefully these guys invest in the better set up.

[@fridder.]

As Sam said, 07-09 are the best range rovers made. I have a 2008 range rover for sale in Long Island NY. 178k miles, white with ivory interior, tinted, very clean inside and out. Has a misfire and low compression on the 8th cylinder. All other cylinders good. No other faults or codes. Runs, shifts great, air suspension works, etc. Hmu if interested, $4500

[@jamesdunn3387]

The mobile tire service is amazing. Thanks for the great content. I love the high end stuff and I also love this scrappy quick and dirty.

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

Sam, I know you're making content, but even if you're not putting on a show and this is exactly the way this deal went down, man you seriously lucked out on this one.. what a score with the 6x DVD player, the basically rebuilt transmission for 5 beans.. I mean come on, yes it's the 'ugly' year, but you can absolutely doctor up those cheap plastics and make that thing a sweet soccer mom mobile! If you're in that thing all in for under 3 grand with some paint correction, dude that is a total score in my book!!

[@darylrichardson8567]

💯💯💯 this is CAR GOLD

[@StephenFogarty2023]

The exterior cleaned up good. It’s obviously not perfect, but, for the $$, very decent. Give the front headlights a buff, and this will improve the appearance a lot ! U could probably replace those worn out interior trims, such as the centre console, via parts at wrecking yards etc This would then give the interior a big lift in appearance. 👍

[@infinitydreamzz]

I agree the front lights buffing (then adding a protecting coat) and a panel from a junkyard or eBay will improve this vehicle a lot. It doesn't have to be a perfect panel, he can spray it and make it look very good

[@calvinosha6163]

This is my first time watching you. I’m a DYI guy my self. I recently damaged my fender flares on my 2015 Toyota tundra. Of course they’ve been discontinued and after doing some research. I found a company out of Canada called easy ABS repair. The guys name is Ron. It looked a little cheesy on his videos. But I took a chance and bought his flare kit repair, it cost me around $55 with shipping absolutely incredible how it welds the ABS plastic back together. Watch some of his videos and I think you can repair that whole center console. The kit goes along way. It’s not a fast process, as the dry time is approximately 24 hours. Good luck.

[@whyzee125]

Sick to see you finally scored on one of these--you've been not giving up for a while. This one's a winner!

[@82ndAbnVet]

I didn't use one, but the motorpool for the company I was assigned to, had one. One weekend for a case of beer, one of the mechanics replaced and balanced my tires on my 84 Mustang LX. Never noticed a vibration after he was done, so I would say those work ok.

[@johnelectric933]

Great buy. I think the tire service guys are great. Unless you are taking a long high speed trip, bubble balance is fine. They would have to charge you a lot more if they had to buy a spin balance machine. A bubble or static balance works fine for lower tire speed and narrow tires, the problem is at higher speeds with wider tires, the balance side to side tries to spin perpendicular to the spin axis. The heaviest points want to be the farthest from the center pulling the assembly side to side. A dynamic or "spin balance" balances each side separately. It makes a difference on the highway. I can't defend what shops charge for a spin balance, the machines are expensive, but much simpler, faster and more accurate.

[@Samcrac]

Good info

[@Miketime969]

I like to drag my balls on the tread of a tire while its on a balancer

[@mikedemarchelier9090]

Thank you for taking the time to explain the science behind it!

[@Miketime969]

@@mikedemarchelier9090 no problem , avoid getting your sack caught in the road force pressure wheel! It can sting

[@nohairdontcare8803]

@@Samcraccodes aren’t working

[@AutoExploration]

Yes I have a 2006 Range Rover sport and it’s one of the most reliable cars I own. It’s my daily driver and has 140,000 miles on it and I’ve had zero issues with it in the past 4years of ownership. A super cool car for the money!

[@arkivezaj]

100% agree. My 06 range rover sport has over 252,000 miles. All original power train starts drives and shifts like a champ. This particular generation 06-09 lr3, sport and full size with this setup is surprisingly reliable. Too and JLR gave up reliabllty for speed. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@gerardmccarthy2432]

I put the replaceable trans filter kit in. Works great. I changed fluid and filter every 75k

[@DasArab]

Dont worry Sam, give it a week it will be broken again. JLR products..........

[@Albebacck]

This is not jlr this is ford land rover. Jlr was founded in 2008 this is 2005-2006

[@UncleOodoo]

Agreed.... Sam hasn’t figured out yet that cocaine is a powerful drug.....

[@DasArab]

@@Albebacck Sorry , I do apologise. Was it built in Solihull? Nuff said..........

[@odevious8081]

Yea

[@salmoto7126]

This is a 2006-8

[@leebridge9187]

Hi Sam. Hi from the UK. I invested in a tyre changer and balancer. I bought an alloy wheel bar. It cost me the equivalent of 250 dollars but I've also bought bead seal and rim soap. It's the best investment I've made. Saved me so much on tyre changing.

[@LilYeshua]

I used to use a bubble balancer back in my service station days in the eighties. They wouldn't do as good as a speed balancer but that's what my boss had for us to use. Sometimes we'd get some wheels and possibly some tires that took a ton of wheel weights. Overall it was good enough for our customers whom were the locals that lived in the area. At the time there was several widows who owned extremely low mileage (5000miles) sixties and seventies vintage cars that were using parked in their carport. These cars looked and drove like they just came off the showroom floor. You just had to be there and drive one to experience what people drove back then.

[@edwardnelson3413]

Mobile tire installation was fantastic, as well you supported a small local business. Absolutely appriciate all the hard work you and team put into the development of your content.

[@AdamDenning]

I too have a 2006 Range Rover... on Venom Power's... with that same interior trim that pops off whenever you close the center armrest. Mine is supercharged though, but you taught me a lot of info and I felt very @'d with some of the things in this video! I didn't know the transmission was used in the other vehicles and when the time comes for me to have some tranny problems I now know that there is some good support and maintenance/repair kits. Thank you Sam!

[@cwwiss1]

Been watching Sam for years now and am genuinely impressed with the knowledge he has amased . Good job.

[@ivanc1245]

He might not say it but he’s definitely a tech knows more than enough

[@THOMMGB]

And if Sam doesn't know it, he usually has a friend who does. And one of his very best friends is Mr. Google.

[@jacklittle1624]

Same here. He has come light years from his old videos which were comically bad, but very entertaining!

[@jbranche8024]

Resetting the transmission after service or replacement can make a huge difference. Worked for company and picked up a 15ft Cargo Van with new rebuilt transmission. Pulled out parking lot and started accelerating and the shift to 2nd was so violent I thought someone crashed into me and pulled over. They said leave battery unplugged for a while which reset the computer and transmission worked fine afterwards.

[@johnelectric933]

What I like about him is he doesn't pretend to be born with the knowledge, he tells you how he got the advice. He never pretends to know it all.

[@paulmcdonald9592]

You keep your content strong. To your credit and perseverance. Love the value orientation. Please keep it up and thanks.

[@koolkar55]

I wish we had the same opportunity here in Australia. Our salvage auctions get hammered by the auto wreckers that make a packet out of recycling the parts. We also have a write off register here (WOVR) which can make a vehicle "unfixable" & an insurance write off never to be allowed to be road registered again. (apparently stopping re-vining stolen cars) We also have a smaller population, 25 M in the whole of OZ & now with no local car manufacturing anymore (NONE) if you want something cool you either need to import or be very diligent in your quest to find affordable vehicles. That Rangey would have bought AU$4500 - AU$5000 at auction here even with the tranny problem. Love your channel & been following for a long while. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.. Billy J.... Queensland, Australia.

[@jimr5703]

Same issue here in the states, but parts pickers usually go for the ugly wrecked cars that are really cheap. No margin on cars that might become road worthy when they compete with used dealers. Public might get a crack at higher mileage government fleet vehicles, but that's about it.

[@dwindeyer]

Wreckers only make bank from the parts because dealer parts prices are absurd here. $1150 AUD for a new passenger side view mirror glass. Just the glass, not the whole mirror. So a wrecker can sell it for $500. I bought a used one from the US shipped for $150.

[@Fastandpro]

Those NSW rules are criminal and they tell us to recycle. Also the attitude at the defect stations for retesting. You can only personally import brand-name parts for cars and even push bikes. Wholesale import customs will destroy anything as copyright infringement. I did it for years at under 1k a parcel because I'm a genuine parts pirate lad. But no way can you use a container load.

[@MattW-mx2rc]

@@dwindeyer Also the fact if you want to register a WOVR car you need certificate that the body measures correct as per manufacturer specs, report that the SRS system is functioning ok, repair logbook of the whole vehicle repair. Receipt for every part used and requires VIN of every used part etc. Too much hassle it just isn't worth it

[@sguploads9601]

itis actually good - if all damaged cars just go foк parts - itis actually will be good,

[@mikeletry4468]

Bubble balancers have been around for decades. I used one back in the 60-70's when I worked in a tire shop.

[@gtrgto7817]

Great video! I have a 2006 4.4 v8 with 248k on the original engine and transmission. I've owned mine for 3 years and have driven 30k miles. The best years for Range Rovers are 2006 to 2009.

[@dmcars147]

My father's shop used the "bubble balancer" exclusively for decades from the 70s on. Virtually never an issue.

[@djbmw1]

Thats because tires used to be a lot narrower and speeds slower. Static balance was fine in those days. With wider tires and higher speeds, static balancing is only doing half the job

[@cup_and_cone]

​@@djbmw1100% not the right way, especially on chunky A/T tires like those

[@pinkysgarage4517]

Sam, I love working on cars, but you do more than I would ever try. It's like you don't have a comfort zone and will attempt to fix anything. The more exotic, the better for you. Always appreciate and enjoy your ingenuity and hard work while never getting mad - like I often do working on cars! Keep up the great videos! And Merry Christmas to you and all your followers.

[@mydogpeaches1]

i have a 2006 ford explorer with the same transmission there very good transmissions this is the rover i would own because of parts but the transmission is known for this particular problem and case to valve body seals are also a issue i just did this recently i have an extra valve body because of this problem the computer was also a problem ford eventually changed it to an external computer im actually very happy you have posted this video as it’s a very common problem and not hard to fix just always watch for delayed engagement on a cold start and you will know it’s time for a valve body repair you will then get tons of miles out if it with no problems

[@richardgoodman3350]

My 2005 supercharged range rover is the most reliable car I have ever owned. Had it 10 years and all its needed is a suspension compressor and a light check module. Still puts a smile on my face except when you have got to fill it with fuel!

[@DVNelson]

Love the concept of the mobile tire service. But you're gonna have vibration with that bubble balancer...dynamic balancing is necessary on modern vehicles.

[@pricetagcitrus]

what do you mean?

[@adrianvintila5077]

I don't get why people complain about vehicles that break down a lot.. would you really like to live in a world where everything works? No more dirty hands, no more scratching your head.. Where's the fun in that? Thank you JLR!!!

[@Vestige98]

20:01 My Favorite part. The Interior in a nutshell 😂

[@VitoVeccia]

A lot of negative comments on shops replacing transmissions. People gotta remember, that any shop that doesn't specialize in transmissions, will want to replace it, because they don't understand how it works. Most dealers dont even have a transmission specialist. Nice video, but just a suggestion: tell people to use a torque wrench when installing the valve body. Very critical.

[@Tahvyy]

Great video 🤩, I have a 2006 like this but it’s the 4.2supercharged. My transmission has 197,000 miles on it and no problems so I’d say you’re good. I’m surprised it had this problem with the low mileage 🤯. The good thing about the 2006 is that you don’t have to worry about the terrain response giving you issues because it doesn’t have it. It’s just old school 4WD. And you FINALLY have a Range Rover that you can use after 3 other tries 🤣. It was great content though and that’s the point.

[@robj2704]

Yep, also noticed this 2006 has only 129,000 miles. That's highly suspicious.

[@chucklowe4166]

New solenoids is the right decision. Really enjoying be one of 1.3m subscribers.

[@ezesrebuilds1174]

Whoever is watching this video, I hope this day will be a great day.

[@nielosoweznaki]

Thanks

[@ezesrebuilds1174]

@@nielosoweznaki you’re welcome

[@justjonzing3636]

I had a similar issue on my 4L 60 transmission on my trailblazer. Only changed the torque converter solenoid and it did the trick. Was previously stuck in third gear and now it works fine.

[@artlayton1425]

Bubble balancers are old school. I haven't seen one in 30 years.😊

[@MrHarisuq]

It's just the same with my car. The transmission jumped and delayed. The dealership quoted me that the gearbox was broken, needed to replace some gears and seals, this needed around $3k cost to fix. I took my car to a friend and he only cleaned the blocked valve, cleaned the selenium, changed the oil, and cleaned the transmission sensors with only $300 cost in total....surprised it came back alive...just as before. The learn is never believe dealership, don't panic, don't give up that make you sell your broken car with a cheap price as it may only needs some services. Try it.

[@BlackLung911]

Is there a pandemic of Range Rovers getting stolen in the USA? Here in the UK it is so prevalent that the prices of cars with keyless start have made these types of cars almost unsellable. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all. 😀😀😀

[@rolfmoren6682]

Spectacular! This is great information for us Land Rover owners. I myself drive a 15 year old Range Rover Supercharge. It's all paid for long time ago and runs great, and I have no problem with it. If anything like this happens in a near future, this information could be of value.

[@richardscott28]

Maybe look into purchasing the same tire changing tools for your garage. You seem to have kind of the same mentality I do when it comes to fixing things. I don't put a dollar value on the time I spend fixing things as it is free as opposed to spending money to have someone else fix it even if they fix it in less than half the time it takes me.

[@sicily6740]

Sam, I'd check around to find somebody who can mend the broken plastic trim. If I couldn't find anyone, I'd buy several JBWeld packages and glue it together. I've had pretty good luck sticking things together and smoothing them out before they cure. I've sanded a few which weren't smooth enough.

[@christhomas277]

Sam I think it would make grerat content to fix this range rover up (tidy it up on the interior.

[@greatpennstater]

I’d watch that - breathe new life into the old girl.

[@windronner1]

I totally agree. If you value your talents, skills and efforts. Never cheap out on crap parts. Congratulations on a very comprehensive transformation.

[@DasArab]

3:02 Sam looking like Elliot Goulds doppelganger in Oceans 12

[@t.wells3212]

😂😂😂

[@7seriesmax]

By accident I figured out how to set the sport mode shifting points in my BMW. Sitting still you put the transmission into drive. Then turn the car off. Then cycle the key on and off three times. With the key off. Put the car back into park. When you start it it should say program trans which is manual mode and every time you shift it locks in the shift point. So from that point on my BMW was a beast shifting at 4000 RPMs in sport mode. It had the ZF five speed in it. 15 years ago figuring that out made me a superstar on the seven series forum.

[@maxhatty]

I was a tire guy in the 90's and early 2000's. Bubble balancers were always frowned upon. Tires are pretty high tech when it came to balancing back then. I think the real question is, how did the balance feel to you? At freeway speeds etc.

[@Fastandpro]

We used them on race cars without a problem in the 80s.

[@johnstark4723]

Used bubble balancers since the 60's without any issues on every kind of vehicle. The only people who didn't trust them are those who never learned to use them.

[@markforsell494]

I used a bubble balancer back when I was a teenager. I worked at used car lot, I think it was one of my favorite jobs . The owner was like a friend to me.👍.

[@rickchowsr2532]

Always buy OE electrical components no matter what they are for on the car

[@Unknown_Tranquility]

You made the right call going for the more expensive solenoids - no point doing the job twice. Glad it's resolved the issue. With another few hundred $$, that'll be a nice runaround.

[@adcampo7601]

Dude, that is a janky tire install.

[@andrewweltlich9065]

I don't have an issue with how the tires were replaced, but the balancing is another story. They were static balanced, which works fine on narrow tires like on a motorcycle, but car tires are much wider and require dynamic balancing. I can feel the vibration from here...

[@Notfiveo0]

@@andrewweltlich9065I don’t believe a spin balance on an all terrain tire works all that well, but what do I know.

[@armandoarias1739]

Question why haven't you got a Land Rover Lr4 ?

[@kuebby]

150 for truck tires these days is solid. My Toyo Open Country tires were 135 each about 6 years ago, but they're over 200 now.

[@martyg3757]

Sam, bubble balancers are old old school. They were replaced by modern balancers because they cannot do as good a job for highway driving as a high speed balancer. Take your RR onto the highway and see what I mean. I use a mobile tire service, but they arrive with a high speed balancer on board.

[@Skiddins]

One I've learnt from all the Wheeler Dealers episodes... almost everytime they had an auto transmission that had an issue (stuck in gear, limited gears etc) changing the trans oil and filter almost always cured it. And looking at the state of that transmission fluid when it was drained, that might have been the case here.

[@briandow2974]

My dad used to sell wheel weights back in the 70's. He had a bubble balancer. They are ok but the spin balance is a tad more accurate. I also did the same process putting new tires on my own side by side. The hardest process is breaking the bead.

[@Mr.CellophaneHart]

Going with the correct $300 solenoids was 1000% the correct decision. You would have been a fool to do the Chinese ones with all that labor, even paying yourself min wage. Congrats and well done. I think it's pretty good looking. Super score!

[@syrgrad91]

Nice fix to the transmission! My only issue is with the mobile tire installer. Not sure how truly accurate the balancer they used is, plus they mounted those crimp-on weights on the outside of the wheel. Sorry, but that looks cheap, especially on a Range Rover. Good tire shops road force balance tires and use weights on the inner side of the rim (our shop uses stick on weights, but crimp-on is probably fine). But, I understand the appeal of a mobile installer.

[@brianfitat60]

I agree with your decision to buy the new solenoids instead of the Chinese rebuilt ones. I bought the cheap set of fuel injectors ($150 for six injectors) for a Traverse with a couple bad injectors and they caused more problems than the vehicle initially had. I had them tested at an injector lab and they each put out varying amounts of fuel. So I bought a set of new injectors ($130 each) and the Traverse runs like a champ. I should have but the bullet and bought the new set initially and I would have saved $$$$ and hours of struggling with the cheap set.

[@davidvincent1093]

I grew up on bubble balance and as far as I am concerned they are as good as any electrical machine ...if the user know the right way to use them and is patient you can get just as good of a balance. Patient meaning to set the wheel on there gentle and be careful where you put the weight. I have a cheapo in the garage that I have used for years and never had any problems. To show the difference this week I took my PU to the shop that I had install front tires on day after I had to respond out of town in an emergency. They spun balanced the wheels at install. 3 weeks later when I returned I took it back to check the balance and found the reason for the problem...the R front had 4.75 oz TO MUCH! So much for modern equipment

[@Automatikvogel]

In fact the transmission computer adapted to the worn out valvebody with tired solenoids. good job!

[@JackBlack-ii1ip]

On the subject of traction, my experience is the diff-lock makes all the difference. In 4WD the wheels spin, but shift to diff-lock and away you go. As an aside, down hill on compressed snow is a lot more dangerous than up hill. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit

[@glennford7348]

I find it unbelievable you actually bought something without calling your Mom and ACTUALLY fixed it!

[@salembeeman370]

I am so impressed with your honesty. Multiple failures to find that rough stone. I'd be thrilled to have that vehicle.

[@randaldavis8976]

I used a bubble balancer for years, works good. rarely you get a tire that has dynamic problems

[@FredDent-m5b]

Mr.Samcrac you in my opinion did the RIGHT thing. All that work and the cheap Solnoids buying the new set I believe is well worth. Smart move.

[@simbad909]

I buy used .. and 2k is my avg range...and knowing the repairs ahead .. theres good deals...you got a nice deal and did the necessary fixes.. killer deal and job.

[@bradmottishaw467]

You can find ton's of videos of people using the Harbor Freight Tire changing and Wheel Balancing tools. They are super easy, and there are a lot of upgrades you can buy to do all of your own tire changes. No need to spend all of the extra money for that when it is so simple. I do all of my own now, including Motorcycle.

[@OldManBadly]

My suggestion for a follow up is to find a cheap mechanical total that has a goor interior, and do as much of the swap as you can. That truck is quite low milage for its age, and I would say you could probably shuffle it up north and find buyers for it during the winter.

[@Jeezey]

I’ve got a bubble balancer and manual bead breaker. I rarely use it, but with mounting & balancing around $40/tire now… I might go back to doing it myself

[@jerryevens9093]

Always fit OEM listen to pine hollow and diagnose Dan they always fit genuine parts and so do I the amount of trouble I've had with Chinese copy parts is unbelievable

[@drewt5962]

I did same job on my 2009 Jaguar xf installed new transmission pan filter is built in used same transmission fluid to test car ran ok. Ended up draining and fill with zf lifeguard 6 transmission fluid XF now shifts like brand new. All around $650

[@Dave_the_Dave]

Got those lug bolts torqued right to spec.

[@jimgarofalo5479]

Just a few things I noticed in the video. Having spent a career as an automatic transmission specialist, the ZF transmissions have a reputation for being tempermental and don't lend themselves to repair easily. When you mentioned the initial erratic shifting in automatic mode, the first thing I thought was the typical ZF stubbornness. Next, I wondered if you used a torque wrench in re-installing the valve body. Apparently you must have since that was a hard learned lesson many years ago for me. Another thing is the tires. You spent the money for nice tires. I would not have settled for balancing with a bubble balancer. That is primitive and inadequate. However, given that most tires need very little balancing, you will probably get away with it, but I must say that the proper way to balance tires is with a dynamic balancer. That is my opinion based on many years as a mechanic. Overall, you made a great deal!

[@marcc4303]

Well done Sam. I’m not a very mechanically inclined person. About all I can do is change my own break pads and rotors. But for whatever reason I just can’t stop watching your videos. You do a nice job of simplifying the mechanics of a vehicle.

[@xAbhimanew]

that cd changer is mind blowing. i love the old range rover when they look like box and tough these newer once are just to curvy and girly.

[@rjnation5042]

Sam your great, I bought my sister a 2010 Rangie that I spent a few bucks on making nice, I've done all of the servicing since & she thinks I'm a great brother for doing it, if you can keep the car out of a mechanic's workshop you'll save huge money, Rj in Oz

[@drumminmike]

Referring to the tire bubble balancer. I’ve used them in 86-88 while working under my father at the tire shop he managed. I’ve driven cars with and without balanced tires. Highway speeds and lower speeds. As long as the rim isn’t bent, tires are truly round (and seated), and there are no mechanical issues with the car; there was no difference in ride quality. I think balancing tires is not 100 percent necessary.

[@jeffmac3071]

Samcrac's " I bought a" series are great.

[@stubbi]

These are THE BEST Range Rovers. Try to keep them running, those are some of the best cars ever made.

[@cvmetalworks4594]

You made the right decision. The factory solenoids were definitely worth it.

[@davep3768]

You made a wise choice in buying the new solenoids

[@pormansgoldpmg5493]

Walmart is cheapest place to take tires in and have them mounted. Plus they have top of the line laser 3d wheel balancers.

[@genieb]

Hi Sam, you may solve the problem by replacing all the solenoids. I had a similar problem on my 06 and replaced the black, pressure control solenoid. It was easy as.

[@danygarage8805]

Had 2 they worked really fine and gas mpg was good

[@davidcompton4676]

As an older gentleman (codger) I remember when all tire service was manual and bubble balancing was all you had. I know a few guys that still prefer bubble balance.

[@shulerallen2625]

Am a real fan of this guy Sam Crack ,he knows his stuff real good.

[@ZhmiKnopa]

One thing about this ZF is most often you can swap out the 4 tube seals in the case and the single rectangular seal above the valve body, fill it with Maxlife and the solenoids will work again. If your car has slip-‘n-slam, this is the issue.

[@Hoosierdaddy-u2i]

I worked at a Sears auto center tire department while in high school. I’ve balance literally 1,000s of tires on a bubble balancer before spin balancing was a thing. I also install hundreds of snow tires that I used a pneumatic gun to put tungsten studs in small holes in the new tires. This was done in Michigan before tire studs were outlawed due to damage done to the road.

[@PhilFoster-z7m]

Hi Sam, I used the old bubble balance back in the 1970's. Still using them here in the Philippines. OK for older narrow rims but not so sure about these big wide 19 inch rims. Hope it works out well. All the best.

[@Ebacherville]

i have changed many tires manually like this, and got sick of tire shops BS, this last summer I bought a 12' enclosed cargo trailer and outfitted it with a touchless rim clamp tire machine and computerized balancer, a couple tools chests, a 21 gallon compressor and a generator... Its a go anywhere , fully self contained tire shop on wheels, I basically use it for my needs and friend's... I'm to old for that much manual tire changing work.. so much easier with a rim clamp machine... and saves the wheels from tire iron marks. You can get a basic tire machine and balancer for under 2k. Well worth the investment if you do more than 2 sets of tires a year.