With the price of a new bare-bones truck approaching $20,000, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it makes sense to treat your truck—new or old—to regular service. Periodic maintenance doesn’t require a lot of skill or time. But if you neglect your truck, you can bet it will require some costly and time-consuming repairs that are beyond the budgets of most shade-tree mechanics.
A regularly serviced truck that runs like new is a pleasure to drive. No one enjoys driving a truck that wanders all over the road and changes lanes because the suspension and brake systems are worn out. Likewise, it’s no fun to get into the truck after a hard day’s work, turn the ignition key, and wonder if you’re going to be met with the harmonious firing of all the cylinders or the death wail of an engine that won’t start and should be put out of its misery. We’ve compiled a group of basic maintenance operations that can ensure that your truck will be on the road for years to come. Any one of these practices can be easily performed in a single afternoon, or, if you’re really ambitious, all of them can be done in a day.