4X4 Sprinter Van - What You Need To Know - Is It Worth It? - Living The Van Life

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.

It's rarely done but after each offroad adventure one should go over all nuts and bolts and a good visual of all things( Key to safer driving)
Torque specs are also key.
Locktite would help some.
Well...at least you know those are now bolts needed in the tool kit.
Rubber/composite bushings,etc.
Bigger tires.....lift kits and other suspension upgrades.....wheel offsets....all play into your problem even without off roading......then add the off roading and it multiplies real quick.
Personall I'd want a beefier front suspension where ever possible....chrome moly axles,gear sets,arms,ends,etc.

Good video. First time ai have seen a vital bolt with no lock tight seal.

I'd report those bolts to Mercedes and the NHTSA. Loss of all the bolts seems predictable--and disastrous.

Loctite? Nein! We are Germans and our bolts fo not need this! We will void your warranty! (Ahuh) I can't see how grease HAS TO slip out past bolts. I'd think about shooting some brake clear, or swabs full of solvent, into those holes to clean out assembly residue. And then loctite the bolts. Or would castle bolts and safety wire be more traditional?

Great video for DIY mechanics. It did not answer the question in the title: Is the 4x4 Sprinter Van worth it?

is not a Mercedes.....is a car made in usa

Phil from UK, sorry about the spelling my fingers are to big.

Top shout, Phil from England. Love ghe video, keel on trucking baby.😊

Always lubricate threads and torque properly. Also tighten all bolts you can see when u find this inadequate assembly.

So when do they make the extra shock mount bracket for the T1N ?

Hi Chad. A good precaution to prevent the bolt issue in the future is to use lock tight.

Thank you for posting this. Between the heavy payloads and the horror stories folks have been posting about Mercedes dealers lack of service, technicians familiar with Sprinters (especially in Colorado) and incredibly high service fees, I'll pass on MB.

doing maintenance next to a parts store is such an underrated piece of advice

Thank you life saver 💕 that was no good at all and could be dangerous for none experienced sleepy operator

These aren’t off road vehicles, the AWD is so you don’t get stuck in the snow on a paved road and can get up hills without having to gun it.

Meh…pretty sloppy assembly….was gonna look at one of these tomorrow…Think I’ll order the awd Transit instead…junkier but more common, less exotic.

You keep reiterating that the van "Only has 15,000 miles". It's really hard to say "only" after watching you crawl it through 4x4 trails in the desert! M-B didn't design it for that. Once you start abusing any vehicle by driving offroad the mileage becomes irrelevant.
When you choose to "push the limits" of a machine you'll start discovering its limits. Offroading a Sprinter isn't cheap fun. That's why I'm enjoying watching you do it! Mine's getting babied.
👍👍

I climbed under my same van and just accessing some of those bolts is almost impossible. The idea of a spot of paint to mark the heads was a great idea.

Lubricating all bolts will allow full torque without friction. Probably why they backed out. Also if problem areas exist with backing out fasteners use torque paint for a quick visible clue to problems. I don't however think you have enough front fog lights. Get more for god's sake

Put Nord-Lock washers on and it will never back out.

When I first watched this I suspected that the size of the tires was causing cv joint issues. I am glad I was wrong. Great video!

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.

Very informative video. Thank you for sharing.

I'm sure you can find some bolts capable of being safety wired? Might have to talk with a aviation supply store to find them...

Not sure if you've done one, but a monetary breakdown would be really good to see for those wanting to get into the van life.

Subbed...awesome video...when you spend that kind of money! It's good to know what will happen lol...been thinking about getting one. Please keep up the awesome videos!!

Might need lock washer and maybe loctite for all. Unimog it up. Good on testing.

question: why would you ride this truck in terrain like that? is it that you want to test the truck?

Like the video bud very helpful to everyone that has the same van ;) keep safe buddy

We definitely need more stuff like this!!! Thanks.

Too much pressure on your axles and your axle rods because of your large tires , you can easily break an Axel rod if you push it to the limit and that’s because you have larger tires, it is just physics , you have a larger and heavier diameter which needs to be pushed so it would keep traction and it would need to turn that takes a tremendous force on the axleroads the whole drive train

It seems that the Germans have decided to compete with the Chinese.
My first choice is always volvo, but unfortunately volvo does not produce products in some segments, We chose Daily 3 years ago and it has never disappointed us.

Where do you have the front towing installed? I have a similar vehicle and would like to get something in placed just in case.

Great Video! In addition to tools, do you have a code scanner / reader you like for your 2020? I need one!!! Thanks

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.

You are breaking and loosing parts because your are driving like a NUT ...... Noting got to do with manufacturing design. You built has pass the design limit and over weight. YOUR VAN WILL have MAJOR BREAK DOWNS, GUARANTEE. MUST LOCTITE ALL THE NUTS and BOLTS .... or WIRE IT.

I'm staying in my car right now saving up to get a van like this for me and my dogs lol

Very good. Thank you. Now I need to crawl under mine and check a few bolts........

All those bolts coming loose is pretty normal when you off-road and bounce around especially with your weight and it being a sprinter van not usually a off-road vehicle

Use Nord-lock washers

After finding lose bolts like that I would favour Locktite or similar product for peace of mind for the near future,

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.

As an Ol' Timer I never leave home without bailing wire and duct tape.

I appreciate the video and information, much appreciated

Great information !!

Might be unrelated but in toyota tacoma owners manual it specifically tells you when you drive offroad and rough conditions to run through the whole truck and re-torque and check all the suspension and driveline bolts and tighten and check everything. So the issue your having with bolts coming loose can be looked at as a maintenance issue.

loose cv axle screws were also an issue on several sprinter 906. they were tightened with the wrong torque. as both types share the same drivetrain this could be the reason.