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F-150 Owners
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Comments
Ryan
Assuming the Blackwood goes into production, which is all but a given, one has to assume that the development costs of this new crew cab would be shared by a vastly more popular model, such as the F-150.
As many of you are probably aware, Ford, with the F-150/250 LD models, is using a "modular" wheelbase/chassis setup. What I mean by that is that the long-wheelbase regular cab pickup shares the same wheelbase/chassis as the short-bed Super Cab. In keeping with that thinking, a short-bed crew cab "could" use the same wheelbase/chassis as the current long-bed Super Cab. The rear doors/rear cab could come right off the new proposed Blackwood.
It was also recently announced that Dodge is going to have a Dakota Crew Cab for the 2000 model year, which also may encourage Ford to introduce a F-150/250 LD crew cab. Having a crew cab would also knock some of the wind out of GM's (and Toyota's Tundra**) "larger-than-Ford's" extended cabs.
Certainly is an interesting thought indeed.
** Saw the Tundra at the Washington DC Auto Show last weekend. The rear seating area on their Access Cab appears "deeper" than the rear seating area of the F-150 Super Cab.
Bob
The Jeep-esque front end on the Ram ain't gonna work, DaimlerChrysler -- It ain't gonna work. While I can laugh at the Dodge full-size pickup to pitifully attempt to overtake GM and Ford, I realized something -- Ford's F-Series is an even uglier truck! The light-duty is truly laughable while the SuperDuty is a rip-off (of a Dodge no less). If Dodge is going to get uglier, Ford can only do the same. Hopefully, GM won't make their full-size pickups ugly. I accept the T800 chassis they have now, but they just better not make them ugly in the future.
Guess I'll just have to keeping buy a new engine for my 1991 F-150 and not save any money for the new crap I see on the dealership lots.
Thanks for listening to my spoutings.
Duke
since I own a '96, but after two years the new
bodystyle still hasn't grown on me. I hate the
frontend and the flare-out along the bottom of
cab and bed. The Dodge is just plain ugly.
Why did Ford want to emulate that thing with
the heavy-duty series?
Once my hubs are locked, can I shift on the fly? Or do I have to stop, put it in neutral or anything special. What I currently do is shift on the fly into 4 wheel high. If I want to go into 4 wheel low (only if I'm stuck), I put the tranny in neutral, then put the transfer case into 4 wheel low, then put the tranny back into gear and slowly get myself out of the bad situation. I then put the truck back in neutral, put the transfer case back into 2 wheel or 4 high (depending on conditions of course) and put the truck back into gear and go.
Also, after I put the truck from 4 wheel high into 2 wheel drive, do I have to back up at all to truely disengage the transfer case? Again, I do for now but want to know for sure. Appreciate any info as this has been on my mind for years!! Thanks.
Bob
I got a black one with the sport package. Look really sharp after it is clean. It is a real pain to keep it "Black" with all the road salt and all this days. Anyway, do you mean Bright Red instead ? I thought the package only comes with Wht, Blck, silv and Bright Red. I don't quite know what you mean by "Euro" look. If you go to a dealer should have the hand out with color picture of F150s (both Red and blck). Check it out! The Red one look really sharp.
Best wishes!
Thau
Which engine are you thinking of ? Heard a lot of good new on the 99s, some problematic 5.4L engine for the 98. F150 online has a lot of info. that you might also like to look into. Good luck.
Thau
From the info I gathered in one of the topics in F150 on line msg board, some of the 98's 5.4Ls are having piston slap problem at cold start. Look like Ford took care of the problem in the 99s.
My guess is that the i.d. of the hole in the piston isn't sized exactly the same as the o.d. of the wristpin. Thus, when the connecting rod goes up the wristpin is pressing on the top part of the inner diameter of the hole (and leaving a minute gap between the wrist pin and the hole of the piston.) When the connecting rod goes back down and 'pulls' on the wristpin, the pin travels that minute bit until it reaches the lower part of the circle of the hole through the piston.
My 1983 Cutlass Cierra had this problem (as well as many other problems...)
If anyone is on AOL, you can view these vehicles at Car & Driver's AOL site. Just go to the Detroit Auto section. They have pixs and info on these and many other new vehicles, including the Lincoln Blackwood.
Bob
Bob
Does anyone know the cause and/or solution. It does not seem to affect every truck out there. My Ford dealer doesn't have any good advice.
Thanks for your comments
I am still very new to the world of truck. Just got my for about 3 weeks, still only got about 300 miles on it. Love it! No problem so far. It does make the noise as you mentioned though. I thought all truck does that due to rapid cooling at this cold weather.
cobra98
You are right about a small no. of people with 99s 5.4l still have the problem. Thanks for the correction!
Bob
Checked out the picture of F150 crew cab too, really cool! Looks like the interior is slightly larger, especially the back seat area. Wonder how much longer lengthwise it is going to be. I am have problem getting my truck into the garage, as my F150 is about 3 in. longer. It will be nice to have it in to work on it when it is really cold out.
I have a "99 SuperCab Flareside Short Box with a fiberglass tonneau from A.R.E. Looks great! Matches the "curve" of the box perfectly. Also, is styled to match the hood. The molds A.R.E uses are different for Chev, Dodge, etc. I looked at several others, but the A.R.E. looks the best to me. You can find a A.R.E dealer (and a discount coupon) at www.4are.com. Good luck.
Also, I have the 5.4L with approx. 3,000 miles and no piston slap. We have had below zero days here in Wi. and no problem yet!
Thanks for the lead on the canopy. I'll check it out. By the way, my 99 F-150 makes all kinds of clanking noises as it cools off (and when I first got it, as it warmed up). The noises seem to be diminishing as the trucks ages a bit.
Bear in mind that the F-250SD costs about the same as an F-150LD when comparably equipped, and gives you a greatly enhanced towing capacity, a really fun V10, and a larger extended cab (or optional crew cab). It will probably command a better resale value, too.
Thanks in advance
-John
Piston Slap: My '99 F150 5.4L (1500 miles)doesn't have the problem. It's been between 10 and 25 degrees F. every morning for the last few weeks.
Wylie: Why is the Dodge coming up so much cheaper? The Dodge and Ford truck prices are usually VERY close. Are you sure the trucks are comparably equipped?
I would guess that most any full size pickup could pull an aluminum 19' without a problem. Do you really need the highest tow rating? If you equip both truck with the same type axle ratio, engine and trans combo, the towing performance will be very similar regardless of what the rating is. Have you ever driven a 1/2 ton pickup towing a trailer near it's maximum weight rating? I'ts no fun. Don't do it.
I too considered the Dodge. I asked every owner I could find about them, and they all have significant problems except for one. A good friend of mine had bought a leftover '97 last winter, and put 15,000 miles on it without a problem. It seemed that Dodge had all the bug worked out of the newer trucks. If it wasn't for his testimony, I wouldn't even have been considering it. In the end, I chose the Ford.
His Dodge was at the dealer having the short block replaced last week. His wife was driving it down the highway when the engine seized. They don't know why yet...
A V-6 or a straight 6. I've just started looking
for a new truck and have seen trucks with both
types.
Coming to the same conclusion. Nice to hear from someone who's been there. I recently found a raving review (from Wards) putting the 5.4 on their top ten list. Interesting that it reaches max hp 500 rpms lower than the Vortech.
How much torque do you think you need. I don't know what the specs on the '89 straight 6 were, but the current 4.2V6 has 255 #-ft and 205 HP. That doesn't seem anemic to me. I've towed up to a couple of tons with mine without any problem, and it has only a 3.08 rear. I think it's adequate for an occasional boat-towing task which I'm sure is less weight than what I've pulled, but if you need more torque and HP, that's what a V8 and shorter axle ratio are for. The extra cost is not too great and the difference in fuel consumption may not even be perceptible. I just didn't think they were necessary for me, but if you have doubts, maybe you should get them. Re-reading your post, it sounds like you may be doing more than an occasional tow, since you mentioned towing both a race car and a boat. If that's the case, maybe you should really be thinking of a V8.
DO NOT--repeat, DO NOT use 10W40!
May void your warranty. Go with the owner's
manual, please.
I understand that Mobil 1 10W30 is a great quality synthetic oil and that a lot of folks are using it on their F150. Being that it is complete synthetic oil, is its viscosity comparable to 5W30(as specified by Fords for F150) or is its 10W30(as it is indicated)? I am just a little concern as Triton engine is known to have low tolerance toward the lack of lubrication at cold start. I have no seen any Mobil 1 with 5W30 rating anywhere. Should I assume that they don't make 5W30? Happy to hear that you got your truck and the 5.4 is running well. Happy trucking
Thau
http://www.alienmind.com/truckspy1a.jpg
http://www.alienmind.com/truckspy2a.jpg
http://www.alienmind.com/truckspy3a.jpg
Now I know you are saying, "jeez, that guy is nuts! There were maybe close to 1000 F150s on that lot, many of them loaded onto transporters and ready to ship out. How does he know that one was his?"
Well, all I can say is, please don't bust my bubble, and it definitely fits my specs, including sliding rear window, cab steps, and XLT Sport Package wheels. He he he. I should have confirmed pix in the next day or so.
How can I get any sleep tonight?????
HP
Anyway, I looked up the fuel line connections to satisfy my curiosity, and it looks like there are actually several different types of conections, depending on what part of the system you are looking at. And yes, they all require a small tool of some type to release the fitting.
Now I can actually answer questions definitively, instead of relying on general experience, which is sometimes insufficient.
HP
1. can anyone recommend an alarm system for a 98 f150 xlt 3 door that prevents the engine from starting, flashes the lights and sounds the horn?
2. I am interested in the tubular running boards. Can anyone suggest a quality brand? I have seen the ones with the molded step pad on the chrome bar that look good.
3. can i get an idea an the cost for these items?
So what makes this post different? Well, I placed my order with the dealer on 12/29. He said he give to order to the order person on the 30th. After that wait and see... So, I stopped in to the dealer last Friday, the 8th. I ALREADY had a VIN#. Talk about AMAZED! =:) WOOHOO!!!
Now I've got a VIN (and no build date on his print out) so it's off to call Gwen at the factory to see what she can tell me! I never thought it would happen so fast, but it did! $100 over invoice and I couldn't be happier with Gary Boyd at Currie Ford (see earlier post for numbers). HE will be happy to do waht he can for you! Be sure to mention my name, if you get a chance. He'll help you as best he can (he already helped Jim get a nice F350 off the lot for a great steal!).
Cheers, and I'll keep everyone up to date on the progress.
Ryan
Ryan
I placed an order for a new truck on 1/4/99 (not a Ford) and I'm just as anxious as you are. I'm just getting a kick out of watching your progress. Time sure does drag when you're waiting for a new toy....
Whether that is YOUR truck is immaterial.
I'm impressed with your spontaneity and
panache. (I bet it IS your truck).
DP