Hello to the board..Just purchased a 1998 Eddie Bauer edition..one owner meticulously maintained 120k miles. Would like to get the boards feeling on this beast..things that i should check for as well as maintainance issues that should be addressed now. I also need four tires..would like to get all seasons..
Again thanks for your help and insight.
Peter
The following issues apply to 1st generation expeditions.
Some expys have rust issues primarily in the snow belt. (Salty roads) I would check the lower rear control arms as those have been known to rust through pretty bad. This can become a safety issue obviously if they break. The paint remains many times hiding the degree to which they are rusted. If the paint is flaking...peel it off and probe around with screwdriver. You may find the screw driver will push right through in spots. Most replace with PMT control arms or equal if this is a problem.
Exhaust manifold leaks are fairly common also as the stock studs rust through and break. This is not a major issue but can be annoying and difficult to repair.
Spark plug blow out is also an known issue with the generation one expys as they came with only about 4 threads in head per plug. You may want to check to see if they are properly torqued. Do a search here and you will find much info on this.
The cops (coil on plugs) also have a relatively high failure rate but not all have issues with these.