Multipoint Inspection - Yearly Vehicle Maintenance

Whether you just became the proud owner of another used vehicle, or you're doing maintenance to your own daily driver, a multipoint inspection should be done every year to make sure that there are no parts on the vehicle that are on their way out. Mechanical failure is more common with vehicles that are used offroad, and if you are going to have something break, count on it being at the worst possible time.

So whatever you do, make sure to inspect everything you can possibly think of to ensure yourself a troublefree ride.

Air filters should be immediately replaced when you buy a vehicle, or at least once a year on something you own. There is a chance the last owner just did it, but always check to make sure that the air filter is clean.	Since we don't like to replace anything with a stock component and always look at replacement as an opportunity for upgrade, we skipped replacing the stock element on our newest daily driver and went right for the AEM Dryflow cold-air intake system (www.aempower.com).	The AEM was a really nice kit and came with brackets to make stock components fit with aftermarket components. They even included a throttle-body spacer in the kit.
Spark plugs should be changed, or at least checked, once a year or every time you purchase a vehicle. Although spark plugs are rated for tens and hundreds of thousands of miles, off-road use and a heavy foot on the throttle can quickly trash a set of plugs. Ours were in obvious need of replacement.	The distributor cap and rotor should be checked along with your spark plugs. The rotor and cap in the ride we just bought looked like it was the original factory one from 100,000 miles ago.	Remember to check your battery. Most people take the battery for granted, and if it starts the car, they don't deal with it. Having a properly working battery is key to electrical efficiency in your vehicle, and a bad battery can attribute to a poor-running vehicle. If you do not have a battery tester, go to a local shop that does and have your battery checked at least once a year or when you buy a used vehicle.
Since we needed to replace everything in our ignition (including wires), we ordered Performance Distributors' (www. performance distributors .com) Firepower Ignition Kit for our V-8 engine.	When running new performance plug wires like these LiveWires with protective sleeving, they many times will not fit into the factory plastic plug-wire holders. They should be routed so they cross each other as little as possible and do not lay on any part of the exhaust manifolds.	The headlight housings that came off a lot of mid-'90s vehicles were made of a cheesy plastic that oxidized terribly in the sun, diminishing headlight performance and leaving you with worse visibility. We ordered a new set of all-inclusive one-piece housings from Stylin' Trucks (www.stylintrucks.com) that replaced our parking, signal, and main headlamp with one modified piece.
If the shocks on your ride haven't been changed in a long time, it will be pretty apparent with the poor ride. But sometimes this is hard to notice, as it comes on very gradually and gets worse as you drive more. Every time you do change shocks, you'll be amazed at how much better your vehicle rides after the shocks are replaced.	It should go without saying that the oil and transmission fluid levels and the condition of the fluids should be regularly checked. If you've just bought a used vehicle, then change the oil and keep an eye on what pours out when the oil is drained. If the engine oil looks very metallic, then you are probably on your way to some engine repair.	Check the level of the transfer-case fluid as well. There should be two plugs: one drain plug and one filler plug. Make sure that you are using the correct fluid when adding to your transfer case, as some transfer cases have center differentials and require special fluid.
Check the level of the transfer-case fluid as well. There should be two plugs: one drain plug and one filler plug. Make sure that you are using the correct fluid when adding to your transfer case, as some transfer cases have center differentials and require special fluid.	If you're buying a used vehicle, make sure that the rust isn't too bad on it. We actually found this particular vehicle to be pretty clean, except for one corner that looked like it had been sitting in water. The U-bolts were rusted almost all the way through, and the U-bolt plates disintegrated when we touched them.	Wiggle the driveshafts and make sure that there is no excess play in the U-joints. These are a common wear spot, and if they are not properly lubed and maintained, they could need to be replaced.
It's a good idea to have the diff cover pulled off, the fluids drained, and the differential inspected on your axle(s). If there is a limited slip diff in your axle, make sure none of the clutches are broken and that there is not too much play in the ring-and-pinion. Also take the chance to examine how much slop there is in the bearings in case they need to be replaced. We had our rear diff completely serviced by a local shop, (South Bay Truck & 4x4, (310) 219-0727) since we aren't axle specialists and wanted a professional's opinion.	Take a look at the brake pads and make sure there is a sufficient amount of material left on the pads. If the pads look even halfway worn, it might be a good idea to just replace them, so you are ensured that you don't have to for many thousands of miles.	Make sure there is not excessive play in the ball joints or that the grease boots are ripped. If they show signs of wear, replace them, as it can be very disastrous if these fail.
Our ball joints still looked very good, but we still replaced them with new greasable Moog joints (federal-mogul.com) since we had the suspension apart during a lift install.	You should always check tie rods for play as well, whether you have a rack-and-pinion steering or not. With the tires elevated, wiggle each one back and forth to see if there is any play in the steering. If there is play, make sure you find out where it's coming from and fix it.	Make sure you are aware of how much tread is left on your tires. If the tread is getting thin, you might find yourself spinning your wheels when it gets wet out.
If you don't have an alignment shop handy, or you just did some suspension work, find a set point on the tires and measure the distance in the front and rear of the tires to see how close they are to being aligned. If the distance between the two in the rear is longer, you have a toe-in problem. If the front distance is longer, then you have a toe-out problem.