Ford Super duty - Continued III
This is a continuation of Topic 605....
Ford Super Duty - Continued.
Please continue these discussions here.
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
Ford Super Duty - Continued.
Please continue these discussions here.
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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Crazyelvis: If you strategically place your truck in Irene's way, maybe she'll pick it up and deposit it in my front yard!!!! After all, we sent you Mt. St. Helens!! (At this point I can only wish it will be scheduled sooner than later)
HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING OK!!!
Our new truck will have the 40/20/40 seat, just one more reason to eliminate the floor lever.
I ordered the mats from
http://dashmat.com
placed the order online and got the buccaneers logo which is placed on the part that covers the pass. air bag. It is OK....I would have liked to get the ulti mat that they sell...it looks a little better.....but they haven't made it for the 250's yet.
well, got the yard cleaned up after "Irene". about a dump truck full out on the street ready for p/u.
gossamar... we've ordered the telescoping power mirrors. they're manually telescoping with manual adjustment for the "spot" mirrors. only the larger mirror is "power" adjust. they fold in though like their non-telescoping counterparts (the non-telescoping doesn't have manual adjustment of the spots, though). if you can, switch your order from 54Y to 54E. you're scheduled, right? you may want to check with your dealer to determine if the switch will delay your build if you otherwise decide to do this. a few people have taken delivery on trucks with these mirrors (over on ford-diesel.com) & they mentioned that they really like them (no "vibs" at speed... really beefy even when max extended). they also extend out 2-3 inches further than the manual (54Y) ones. this is especially handy for us as our coach has the newer 8'6" width (as do most fivers built within the past 5 years or so) and it will help to see around the thing.
our truck configuration differs from most as it's our intention to pull a 12.5k fiver country wide. it was recommended by several other sites that anything grossing over 10k or so ought to be pulling with a manual tranny (if that's the primary usage). for one, they're a little more economical along with being a little more robust (and easier/more economical to repair after the warranty becomes a part of history). it's our understanding that the SD's have a really beefy (which would make sense) clutch that ought not give problems for many, miles if driven prudently. we all configure our trucks for primary usage... not what the thing may be doing on those rare occasions. what a bummer this is going to be driving about town, though. my significant other does not like that idea very much but she will only be driving it in an "emergency". have a hunch she'll be driving it more than she now thinks, though. she also doesn't like the dually config but this was also suggested for additional stability (not that singles wouldn't pull just fine as box load weight is not an issue in either case with a 2500# pin weight). the dually's make it really tough (in fact, just about impossible) to park conventionally, though. and because we ordered the CC & don't have primary usage for hauling within the bed (other than the fiver hitch & maybe an optional fuel tank behind the cab... iffy right now, though); we went with the SB to cut the turning radius by some 5 feet. The overall length remains about the same though (over the LB counterpart) because an extended king pin box is required for cab clearance on the sharper turns when parking the coach. note that we've also gone with the PSD as the primary usage is pull, pull, & pull some more.
for all pulling fivers to remember consider the bed rail height from ground. this truck's around 58" & you need 5" between the rail & the bottom of the coach additional. so from the bottom of the coach where it rides over the rails you really need about 62". most coaches (including ours) will ride a little "high" but check the specs of yours to see if you'll be within operational range. we have 59" inches (when the coach is level on level ground) of clearance with +/- 4" of operating tolerance so we're just "in-the-groove". note that all these measurements are "unloaded". we expect the truck to "settle" out about 2" down loaded & this puts us well within operational "specs" by riding only 1-2 inches "high" (from being level). we can also replace our coach tires with larger diameter ones to bring the coach level (will do this on first replacement). and if you're "close" on rail clearance most coaches can have their axle's "flipped". note that we've mentioned this scenario on previous posts so you may want to check back (from about post #720 in Ford SD cont'd) to see if we've missed anything.
boy! I'm awfully long-winded... just noticed the length of this!!
as you've probably noticed, the beginning of the VOPC menu asks if you want your info tracked via VIN or order,dealer,chassis #. when you get your VIN it may be a bit easier to check VOPC using VIN (we don't have ours yet either so haven't gone this route). the main advantage of obtaining the VIN b4 your build though is to verify it against the truck you're actually getting ready to accept from the dealer; that in fact, it is YOUR build. you just want to verify that someone hasn't done a royal screw-up b4 you take delivery. matching up the VIN's does this.
Lewac, if you missed one of my earlier posts, "Big-Blue" has been born and the "stork" is bringing him to my dealer as of the 14th. Yes, I did order 54Y, so I hope that the factory would substitute the telescoping ones in. Time will tell.
Has anybody found a good seat cover for the captains chairs yet?? None of the covers I have found so far take into consideration the fold down arm rest that is on those seats. Any info would be appreciated......
Lewac, if you missed one of my earlier posts, "Big-Blue" has been born and the "stork" is bringing him to my dealer as of the 14th. Yes, I did order 54Y, so I hope that the factory would substitute the telescoping ones in. Time will tell.
Has anybody found a good seat cover for the captains chairs yet?? None of the covers I have found so far take into consideration the fold down arm rest that is on those seats. Any info would be appreciated......
Now for some personal opinions on the truck. Just passed the 20,000 mile mark and still turn around to look at it every time i get out. Even still get compliments from strangers (i do keep it clean). Recently added the Bores Mfg. lighted bumper guides (pain to adjust/install, but look great. 2 person job). Other than a bedliner from Ford, $170, no other modifications but thinking about a bug shield when i get to it.
The cd/cass stereo is great and definitely recommend it over the standard cass/stereo. I have the small power mirrors and they do the job, but if i get the SC or CC next time, it will be the power TT mirrors. I thought they would look awkward on a reg. cab. The 3.73 is ideal. I do tow a 3500 lb boat in the summer and it handles it just fine. I think the 4.10 would be better for the local driving though, much better off the line.
The front springs squeak pretty often, but because it's a lease i can deal with it and will not pay to have them fixed unless i decide to buy it (if there's a TSB for them, will i have to pay?).
Mileage so far has been 14.5 city 17.5 highway and once got 19 highway at 70-80 mph. with the boat i get about 16 mpg @ 65mph.
For oil, have been using 14.5 quarts of Castrol 15W-40 and a Puralator or Motorcraft filter. Plan on changing the trans fluid/filter and rear end fluid sometime this winter.
Love the truck and if i don't buy this one in July 2001, will definitely replace it with another Superduty, probably diesel, and will buy instead of lease if i can afford it.
Thanks all for the great posts when i ordered and hope to help some new owners out if i can.
MikeF150
I don't know if I mentioned that I took 3 doz. Dunkin Donuts to Clayton and the gang at the railyard on the day my truck was shipped from there to the dealer. He was real nice....and real suprised that I would do that. He was a big guy...and on a bet with someone that works there about loosing weight...they are in a contest....so I don't know if he liked me bringing donuts..ha ha.....anyway....I buttered him up for you lewac...that is if you have a problem...which I'm sure you won't.......so those out there still waiting ......if you want to find out the number to the railyard in your area.....look under Yahoo yellow pages in that city.....under the heading of "railroad" .....mine popped up as the third listing. The name of the company here is allied....don't know if they are a national chain or what. Oh well....washed the truck today....had to get a telescoping brush to reach across the roof and to clean the windshield and back window....I am so happy with the power and the smoothness of the transmission......you just push on the gas and it has NO hesitation. And driving is better than driving my father in laws new towncar. I am not kidding about that either. I also have a friend that has a 550 HP Viper....I have driven that a few times.....very exciting...but I have to say that driving this V10 is a close second power wise. I half floored the petal today and what POWER. I don't want to abuse the engine yet during break in by flooring it ....but can't wait to in a couple of weeks!!!!!!!
Oh well.....I'm about as long winded as lewac...ha ha ha.......see ya all later!!!
noticed.... absolutely no difference. but with
all the other mods, can't really feel much gain
with 10 hp.. nevertheless, just did it for
"completeness" and quality sake.. it's just
psychological
shotgun1: Going from "clean and unscheduled" to "serialized, awaiting a build date" is just the natural progression of your truck's birth process. I don't know exactly what "serialized" means, but my guess is it means all the parts are available at the plant, your truck has been sequenced for production, and they just need to build some more in front of yours before your build date can be determined. I'm not sure when a VIN is assigned, but wouldn't be surprised if it was available now. The next message you should hear should be an estimated build date and ETA. Good luck.
Dave
I think from previous posts, you'll get a build date eta, as soon as all parts for YOUR truck are available..
Not sure why you lost 11 days on the DORA. Although in most cases when a DORA is delayed its the dealers fault, (they didnt order it, or they didn't have enough allotment for it).
Regardless of the delay, it seems like the SuperDuty is well worth the wait..
I'm waiting for mine as well..
and have the wife act like big deal who cares its just a truck, or tells you she is tired of hearing about it?
I have F350 on order due in by 12-1 99
I got my dora two days after i placed my order on 10-2-99 it allready has the vin# on it and that the truck will be built at the Ketucky plant.
Its going to be a XLT 4x4 crewcab with the diesel, dual wheels, privacy glass, sliding rear window, power trailer mirrors,trailer package,
hitch receiver, off road package, 4.10 limited slip rear end, auto, dual alt, shift on the fly, keyless entry, power driver seat, captains chairs, premium stero,in harvest gold.
I want to talk to the wife about it but she just doesnt understand, must be a women thing.
John
Bess, that was a good idea too to forward one of the most important posts on the board... and give credit where due. it's important because some newbies maybe wouldn't want to take the trouble to find it. oh! you do enter a # sign after each entry (as dave84 mentioned). but the VOPC menu tells you to do this anyhow.
mikef150... good to hear from an SD "oldtimer". very interesting post... we've ordered the diesel & there's not a lot of posts on it so input is especially helpful to us. sounding stupid here... what are "lighted bumper guides"? their purpose?
jraske... I think they have way different "heads" than us, that's for sure. my significant doesn't understand either how we can get so "excited" about an inanimate object like this! it's part of that "women are from venus, men are from mars" thing, I suppose.
jraske.......my wife would go hot and cold about the truck....but since it is here she really likes it....most wives don't understand why we need the extras once we have the truck.....luckily my wife is pretty understanding....and I think is afraid to ask how much money I spent this weekend on "stuff".....just like I am afraid to ask how much she spends on her beanie baby crud!!!
Oh well......back at ya's later!!!
Its good to hear your sugestions on the window vents. I live in the low desert in So. Cal and believe me it gets hot here. Also make sure your
wife dosent start putting those beanie babys all over the dash of your truck.
lewac when is yr truck due in? does it look like they are going to deliver on time?
I have herd a lot of people mention that their trucks were late. Hope mine gets here on the set date.Wait and see.Talk at you later.
John
jraske, when was the last time you got excited when your wife started talking about the day after Thanksgiving shopping sales, when it was only October? You've come to the right place to find others who are excited about the Superduty.
If you have a dark color truck, the bug shield is essential to avoid paint chips. It's not that white trucks and other light paints don't chip, it's just that they hide it better. Bugs chip paint when they're flying into the truck at 70mph. Mosquitos are the State Bird up here in Alaska in the summer. It takes hours to clean the front of my camper if I don't do it after every trip.
The wind visers are a good idea. I've been meaning to get some. They make pretty sporty looking ones. Besides not being able to keep the windows cracked while driving, I have also had water dumped on me on numerous occasions when I roll down the window at a drive thru.
My truck is filthy. Temps have warmed up a bit, but are still too cold to wash it outside (highs around 40, lows in the 30s). My biggest complaint with the duallys is not being able to take it through the car wash. The biggest problem is in the winter. Since I have a black truck, it needs to be dried inside because the water freezes like white streaks. If there is a line at the interior self wash car washes, the attendant usually won't let you spend the extra time to dry it. Small price to pay.
I wouldn't trade the duallys. Lewac, did you say that you ordered a short bed dually? I didn't think you could get a shortbed with the duallys. If you got the duallys, at first they will seem cumbersome but eventually you won't even know they are back there. My folks have a 97 PSD 4x2 with duallys. They haul a lighter fiver than you are planning on towing (about a 9,000 pound 35 footer). He said the duallys really provide a smooter, more stable hwy ride. He's got a Rhino liner and auxilliary fuel tank. I think he can go over 1,000 miles before he needs to fuel. If you did get a short bed, the auxilliary tank might not be an option. A short bed might also take away a little stability compared to the longer wheel base.
Ride is incredible. Previous truck was a Dodge Dakota (quite a change) and let me tell you, the SuperDuty is smoooooooooth. Took it on some of the same terrain I drove with the Dakota, and I'd swear the roads had been graded!! Power with the V10 is great...I'm like crazyelvis - don't want to romp on it yet but the little moments of aggression have been fun!
One thing I've learned: get some type of mud guards. I installed my stainless steel step bars Saturday AM, and then went out in the Colorado mud and snow. When I got out after some muddy roads, I couldn't even SEE the step bars. They were covered with 2" of mud! I was quite a sight out in front of my house with the hose cleaning off my rig at 9:00pm in 28 degree weather! Told my wife it was to keep the garage clean - yeah right! I know flaps won't keep the step bars totally clean, but they have to help a little. Will have those on by the middle of the week - then pray for more SNOW!!!
For those of you with MANUAL 4x4, do you have any difficulty shifting the transfer case from 4LOW to 4HI? Mine is really stiff. Maybe I'm babying it too much, but it sure seems harder to shift than my old truck. Any experience/tips?
Jimveta - you don't sound too impressed with the K&N filter. Would you still recommend it? I'm thinking about adding one, but I want to wait for a while. I know very little about them. Do they just replace the existing filter or are there mods to make? Thanks for the help.
smccarthy Congrats on getting your truck. Iam trading up from a Dakota also, like you said it will be quite a change when I get my new truck. Did your wife believe you about wanting to keep the garage clean?(are you sure it fits in the garage?) Take it easy on your transfercase shifter I would think it will loosen up a bit later its broke in.
crazyelvis I like your idea about the playmate beanie line, you could probly make enough money to pay off you truck if you decided to market them.
The baby diesel is a 4.5L V-6 that has been designed for vehicles in the 6000-8500 GVWR range. Initial figures are that it will have about 345 ft-lbs of torque. It is scheduled for intoduction in the 2002 Expedition, followed by the Econoline and F-150 and F-250LD trucks. There are no plans to introduce in the Ranger and I didn't read anything about the Explorer. Ford expects to sell 50,000 of the new diesels in 2003.
Around the same time, Ford will also be introducing a 6.0L Powerstroke to replace the 7.3L. The new engine will have 305hp and 550 ft-lbs of torque and will have a 500 pound higher tow rating. It will weigh about 200 pounds less than the 7.3L and get slightly better mpg. Initial test show it going from 0-60 in 9.7 seconds as opposed to the 12.5 of the 7.3L.
I found the links for both engines can be found at:
http://www.blueovalnews.com/engine_page.htm
Here is an intersting question to ask your wives, how much do they spend on Hair-Care, Make-up, Shoes....
Now about the new truck......BIG difference in parking the BEAST!!! Going from my F150 SC to the Crew Cab Short bed F250 is having a parking affect on me. Can't quite "whip" it in to the spots quite the same. But I can deal with it!!! Just park it farther out so no one gives me any door dings. The radio and single CD work real well....I know someone posted earlier about the radio having problems.....Are any of you putting alarms on the truck if you have it already or are waiting for delivery??????
alone anyways.. so i'm satisfied just from the
fact it's in there. decided to put it in to
complement the rest of the mods. got mine from
http://www.performanceproducts.com (at their
store though)
and yes, i'd recommend it and it simply replaces
the stock filter.
For the alarm thing, I plan to have one installed. The ford system is okay, but it does not have a shock sensor and with the side windows being so huge, just makes an easy target in my opinion. Something to consider when selecting a system. I do like the fact that the ford can be programed into the factory keyless system. However, I have a buddy that works at Best-Buy who said he would install a Side-winder system WITH remote start for a couple of hundred bucks. Can't go wrong there!!! If there is a Best-Buy in your area, you might want to check what they have for alarm systems. The even have a website...www.best-buy.com. Check it out....
Jraske... promised delivery sometime b4 Christmas, but really don't want truck until 12/1 earliest due to financial reasons (will lose some $$$ if must take delivery b4 this). shouldn't have a problem because dealer has placed order (they have excellent allotment #'s) & psd's with manual tranny's are in inventory (probably due to lack of popularity-demand). probably waiting on chassis as it's a SB CC DRW (350-we needed dual wheels).
Brutus... the CC SB Dually is available for y2k model year. maybe it wasn't last year (think it was, though). as mentioned just above, will probably opt for rhino liner (will install fiver hitch rails in bed beforehand). you're correct in regard to that 29 gal fuel tank. no options for anything else. so will probably opt for bed fuel tank later if we're not happy with range. although don't like the idea (for safety reasons) you can get paranoid about almost anything if you think about it enough. also your later post indicate a smaller diesel with more guts & greater mileage, less weight too. but not until 2002. means we really shouldn't order anything until 2003 as it's not a good idea to order major changes in the year of intro. besides, we'd have to wait another 3 YEARS for our "beasts"! and let's face it, every year there's "improvements", upgrades (just look at computer stuff for a perfect example). it doesn't mean our "old" stuff doesn't work anymore. but... sure'd like to own one of those right now, huh? maybe the NEXT one. & in regard to stability. that's the reason we went with dually's. even though they'll take a little getting used to (especially without the fiver attached), the stability gained is well worth it. we ordered the SB because we also ordered the CC (which lengthens the wheelbase considerably already over the standard cab counterpart). the SB also cuts about 5 feet off the turning radius (from the LB CC)... with little degrade of stability. the CC SB's wheelbase is about the same as a supercab LB.
mikef150... still don't know what they are (can't conjure up mental picture.. will probably recognize when we see them, though). will also order up the catalog you lead us to & have a look at the SD goodies in there! thanks.
Paull1... kind of thought that'd be the way it works (same method used to order chassis codes). thanks, will use VIN once we receive it (hopefully this week). will check VOPC thurs eve as it's really not necessary to check more often until build complete.
On the handling:
' Of course it feels stable, its too damn wide to feel tippy..'
Made me think of the pontiac ad's..
On the engine:
'Get what ever you want, you deserve it.
Oh, DIESEL? no, no diesel.
Ok, diesel if you park it outside.'
Just fyi, I went with the 5.4L gasser..
On the research and discussion of the truck:
'Ok, I've heard enough, just order or buy the thing and be done with it so you will talk about something else..'
So I'm stuck in the discussion group with ya'll.
Maybe when we all have our trucks we'll have to start the SuperDuty Anonymous group..
I was reading the posts on alarm systems. I ordered my rig with keyless entry. I was thinking about the Lo-jack system. Anyone out there have one these systems or recommend it? Thanks for listening guys. Jimsrs
My wife said the same thing when we test drove the diesel.
I didn't notice the smell otherwise..
jimsrs to bad about your old truck I know how you feel, I have a 94 Dakota that needs some money put into it to get it ready to sell I would much rather save it for when I get my new truck. Cant winn somtimes.
I thouht about the lojack system for my truck, when i talked about it to the dealer I am ordering from he said it would cost about $1500.00 ! thats more than I want to spend on it.
Has anybody else herd about a price for it, and if they are worth that kind of money? Iam sure I wouldent have any troble finding something else for the truck to spend $1500.00 on.
kermode sounds like u might have a small exhaust leak, I would have it checked out, cant be to safe.
(zipped)
http://homepages.msn.com/WindowsWay/jimsrs/SuprDty_wall_paper.zip
(not zipped)
http://homepages.msn.com/WindowsWay/jimsrs/F250_Super_Duty.bmp
Just click on the address below that and you'll be able to start the download.
I got the diesel instead of the gas because I drive 350-400 miles per week. At that rate, the difference in the payment for the diesel is more than offset by the difference mpg and $pg. Not to mention, at higher elevations, the diesel doesn't lose as much power as the gas engine. Since I live a about 9500' and work at about 6500', I need (ok, want) the power.(Besides, when I test drove both, the diesel was a lot more fun!)
Another thing to consider about the diesel, is that because of its weight, you almost have to get DRWs if you want a good sized slide-in camper. Since I didn't want to deal with that, I decided to go with the tow package instead of the camper package and look at 5th wheels.
It's good to be reminded about the bug shield and dark colors. We have one on our Explorer (dark green) and I don't see any chips on hood or roof. As for the dark color, I know my truck will never be clean as I drive 2.1 miles of dirt / mud / snow roads up-hill from the highway to get to my house but I don't like the sun bouncing off a light colored hood.
gossamar, if you're going to Colorado in March and want to compare rigs, let me know and I'll post my email address. It's snowing again tonight (3rd time this month) and it looks like we'll have to be plowed out in the morning but March is our biggest month for snow fall.
P.S., My wife (of 12 yrs with 1 beanie baby) can't wait to start calling the 800 number to check our order status. We should get our VIN and dates next week (ending 10/29).
P.P.S, Whatever happened to short posts???
would make it ride to ruff. I did take the trailer towing package.
Do you, or anyone else know if special camper jacks are needed to fit around the dual wheels or if they will fit between the standerd camper jacks?
NOTICE THE SHORT POST ?
John
http://www.pace-edwards.com
I wouldn't get the bed rug without a cover....that is a personal choice as the bedrug is rated to be in the bed without a cover. I own a sign business and sometimes haul some 4x8 and misc. signs in the bed. I used to have a duraliner and I always had to put a sheet or something down first to avoid scratches. The bed rug eliminates that for me. Plus with the roll top cover I can still put ladders in the back that hang out past the tailgate. With a clam shell type lid I would not be able to do that.
Now on to MPG.....
With the roll top cover I should get better MPG than without.
First tank...calculated manually I got 12.2 MPG where the console computer said 12.4....pretty close. Makes me happy.......We'll see if that continues.....and those figures are all city driving.