Ford Super Duty - Continued IV

rnewman

I added a set of aftermarket back-up lights to my 00'f250sd cc 4x4 v-10 last weekend. They are 55 watt halogen each and they are vantastic. I picked them up at Autozone. They come with these brackets that mount to the square tubing on the trailer tow receiver and installation is a breeze. Then came the good part. The 7 wire trailer harness has a back up light wire (black with green stripe) that is rated up to 15.5 amps. So no additional relays or power wiring was needed to get these rear mounted spot lites up and running. I can actually see where I'm going now when I back up my driveway at night. This upgrade is highly recommended.....newman

mjacob

I like the Ford SD but am concerned about the auto transmission. I want to order the V-10 with the auto. Has anyone heard anything about the reliability and performance of the auto tranny??

pistolero

Brutus - Because of my shortbed I am getting a Lance 820. Looked into Bigfoots on your recommendations, but they don't really offer their best models in a short configuration. It should load out at around 3300 wet, leaving me a good payload margin. I often take long trips with family and friends, mostly hunting and fishing, and figured the crewcab would let us take one truck instead of two and everybody will ride in comfort. I've got a supercab now, guess the back is ok for short trips but those 12-20 hour runs are killers. I'll buy a canopy for hauling gear when I don't take the camper, I also will be pulling a 16 ft fishing boat most of the time on shorter weekend trips etc.

todlake

Have a 99 F250 SD XLT CC SB 4X4 V10 Auto 3.73 LS with 14K on it. It's wonderful. Plenty of power (occasionally tow 9600Lb. TT). Tranny works very well. Most shifts are unnoticable. Main reason I got auto besides being lazy is for the boat ramps. I highly recommend the SD with V10 and Auto.

lilelmo

Are those round or square? I really like that idea. Thanks.

iconnection.com didn't work for me either.

level4turnkey

Im purching a 00250 sd 5.4 4x4 cc 3.73
main use is family car little or no towing
will the 3.73 be the prime rear end or would the 4.10 be a better choice for gas mileage and weight of the cc

Brutus

I've got over 26,000 miles on my V-10 auto trans setup with no tranny problems. About 10,000 of that is with a large slide-in camper in the bed. The auto trans is rated 500 ft-lb of torque for the PSD, so I wouldn't anticipate any problems with the lower torque V-10.

pistelero, I've never met a dissatisfied Lance Camper owner. Are you planning to get air bags? I've heard of a couple different brands with Air Lift and Firestone Ride Rite being two of the most common. If the truck squats a bit in the back and sends your headlight into the trees, you might consider them. They are adjustable. When you ride empty, you put them on the lowest level and supposedly they aren't noticeable. You put them on a higher level to provide a level ride and less side to side sway. My truck sits a little lower in the back, but not really noticably. Still, I will probably get a set this Spring. You can probably get them for around $350 installed.A

nother consideration for ride stability is Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks. I will buy the Ranchos when I replace my current shocks, probably in the Spring of 2001. My truck will probably have over 40,000 miles on it by then.

If you want to get some good feedback on Lance campers, air bags, shocks and other RV related stuff, a good site is www.happycampers.net. Go into the Chat area and you can run a search using key words. If you want to check out prices of camper and truck accessories, you might check out www.campingworld.com.

porky

I see you added back up lights to your truck ( post #795). I would like to do the same thing and have not had the chance to see what's available. Could you tell us what brand you found?? Sounds like they are easy to put on and even an Irish/Norwegian like me could do it. Thanks, Paul

crazyelvis

I called the truck performance place you left the number for.....they quoted me the borla cat back for $484.00. Dave wasn't there....some guy named Eric is who I talked to.....said it retailed for $699.00. Sounds expensive to me.....you need to convince me that 484 plus whatever I have to pay the midas guys for install is worth it vs. the flowmaster one I can get for 350 installed....I guess the flowmaster is not a cat back system....as stated the flowmaster guy is cutting the existing pipe about under the back seat area..crew cab....and starting from there....is that cat back??? I have to plead ignorance on this !!!! Thanks for the info.....

dwucher

Couldn't stand it anymore. Just changed my order from 5.4 4.10 cc sd 4x4 to V10 3.73. Dealership has large allocation. Fleet manager told me that he's getting V10's as fast as 5.4's. Will just have to beleive him, these people act as if getting these trucks is not a problem. They have tons of trucks on the lot. 10 to 12 weeks. We'll see!

baybear

Thanks for your info on the ESOF illumination. My bulb must be out or missing. I will try to pull the panel this weekend and see what's going on.
sdman, tried your link, www.icollection.com ,in your last post, no problem, took me to the web site,was able to check out the various merchandise.However, I tried to "build my own" at the ford website...couldn't do it unless I changed web browsers. I don't know what AOL uses,but Netscape seemed to work.

sdman

I can hit this site now as well. Looks like they fixed their problem...

sdman

Well, now that I can see the site, I am wondering why I wasted any time on it...not much of value on it unless you want another T-shirt or mug. I was hoping they would have "real stuff" under the accessories section. Don't really care to look at rubber bed liners. Guess Ford has to be careful not to cut their dealers out of the process.

Glad I ordered my Ford SuperDuty Accessories catalog from the Customer Assistance Center. If what they send me has the same lame stuff as this site, then I'll really be disappointed...

mainecowgirl

level4turnkey-I am only passing on what information I have learned from these guys in the last couple of weeks I have been on this site, but I think for you the 3.73 rear axle would be fine. The higher the number the more torque. The 4.10 would give you better pulling capacity from a stop and would give you more pulling power at higher speeds with a load behind you. The 3.73 won't give you as much torque, but will give you better gas mileage. The only thing I am not sure of is the added weight of the CC that you mentioned. That may make a bit of a difference. Maybe someone else can help you there.

Dave- Interesting thing happened today. I went into Kallis Ford here in Belfast (about 15 min from my house) and talked with them. They are going to sell me a truck at invoice. I got the fax today. I just need to talk down that FDAF of $250 if that's possible. Wiscasset's price was 2.5% over invoice. I mentioned Wiscasset's price to Kallis so that helped I'm sure. Tim, the sales guy, showed me the last few truck orders, and when they had come in. Seems to be 3-4 months just like Wiscasset said so I am going with Kallis. I am sure Kallis' allotment is not as high as Wiscasset's, but in reality I can wait as long as I need since my 150 is doing fine, and it'll be nice to drive a new truck in the summer months after the salt and sand leaves. It's just so nice to have deal close to home if I can. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. I would probably not have gotten a good price if I hadn't tried Wiscasset first. (Just looked, it's -5 here. I guess winter's arrived..)

cowpokes- Ever get that rear view mirror fixed on your truck or is the paint/clydey now history?

Brutus

Actually, the torque is the same for either axle ratio. It's just distributed differently. The taller axle ratio (lower number) will be cranking less rpms at any given speed than the 4.30 will be for the V-10. Someone might be able to post a comparable to give you and idea of the rpm difference. I have the 4.30 with the V-10. At 70mph, my truck is turning 2,400 rpms. The 3.73 should be turning less. My guess would be 2,100 or so, but someone else can let you know what they get. That's the main reason (and maybe the only reason) for the mpg difference. If the engine is cranking out more rpms at the same speed, the mpg will be lower than someone doing the speed and cranking out less rpms.

ezgoin

January 6th was my negotiating day. It was in the lot for 2 weeks before that but not listed on their website. I guess it was a truck that ended up on their lot from some other dealer. Believe me better deals can be had than what their offering. Darlings manager, Glen Hudgens, told me he would order me any truck to my specs for 500 over. Regardless of the 3 1/2 hr drive North I was prepared to put $ down to order the following Saturday. I lucked out as a local dealer (15 minutes away) agreed to match the offer with a little (long) talk. Believe me you'll know when to walk and when to talk after all the input everyone has offered on this site. I read you you were close to the Fisher dealer. My business travels have taken me up to Rockland, ME-SteelPro Manufacturing, many a time. I always couldnt resist stopping at Wiscasset along the way to see just what was in their lot. They have murged with Portsmouth Ford which is located close to me.

sailboat

Finally was able to test drive a v10. Compared to the V8, this engine is sweeeet. Seriously considered the V8 as a means to control cost. Not after trying the V10! If you ask me, its the right engine. If your considering V8 vs V10, I strongly suggest that you test drive both, then decide. The best comparison is between two identical trucks (both CC, 3.73, LWB, etc.) but if that's not possible, drive what's available. Ordered 00 F250 CC 4WD XLT V10 3.73 SWB 265's Still clean and unscheduled! March sounds so far away!

scott1785

Reference to horsepower and torque have been the standard engine performance measurements since before I was born. What exactly do each of these ratings measure? It seems to me that hp deals more with the ability of an engine to accelerate whereas torque deals more with the raw pulling force the engine generates. That's all well and fine... what do they measure and how?

Say you put an engine on a dynometer and it says the engine delivers 310hp with 425 ft pounds of torque. What did it measure? Does it actually exert force against the real wheels? Can anyone shed some light on this subject? I've asked this same question for years and nobody has ever been able to provide me with a satisfactory answer.

Thanks,
-Scott

KEH4x4

The bolt pattern is different on the wheels. Also, mine is a 99 Super, Crew Cab short bed, V-10,auto,4.30LS, 4x4. It is on page one, the red one and it shows my old 97F150 that I traded in on my Super.
www.f150online.com/owners/owners1.html
The tires are Denman Coyotes on stock wheels. I don't like the quality of the tires. When they wear out, I will buy another brand. But they are a full 36" tall, where as the 35/12.50BFG Mud Terrains on my 74 Bronco are only 34" tall and 11 1/2" wide.

KEH4x4

What dealer did you order your truck from?

toro98

Does anyone know where i can find an antenna for my superduty that is about 2 feet long. Being that my truck just makes it in my garage by a few inches, the stock antenna likes to flex on the garage door. I've tried various radio shops in my area, the autoparts, walmart, k-mart, etc. and havn't had any luck. Does anyone have any suggestions? I also would like to know if anyone prefers a deflecta shield lighted visor over a lund lunar. What looks the best? Thanks.

dbowers2

I'm a new member to Edmund's looking for some info on manual 4X4 hubs. I own a 94 F150 4.9L 5 SPD with manual hubs. I do occasional light towing and often need to back in to tight spaces on paved surfaces. In order to minimize the amount of clutch "riding" I need to do, I have been tempted to put the transfer case in low and leave the front hubs unlocked to get a nice low reverse. Does anyone know if this can damage the drivetrain? I am reluctant to lock the hubs on paved surfaces because of the obvious damage that can do. Any advice would be appreciated. I also recently ordered a '00 F350 V10 4x4 LWB 5SPD and assume that the answer to my first question will be true for both vehicles (true?).

floppy

Again, I have the Flowmaster on my current F150 SC. My installer (Hasen's Muffler in San Diego county) is a very reputable shop. They do installs for anything you can think of. When I was there a fella came in from Los Angeles towing a Model A frame with wheels and, engine, and drive train(restored)to have them install an exhaust system. They do work on anything from race cars to daily drivers.

The system they install bolts right up to the catalytic converter and goes back from there. Hence the term "cat back".

To repeat, (sorry) mine cost $265 out the door. Haven't had a lick of problem with it and it sounds great.

Can't wait to get my 00 SD CC V10 4X4 etc. so I can install one on it! Should sound spectacular!!

floppy

Just went to the F150 site and saw your truck. What a beauty!! Just looking at yours makes me want mine even more!!!! And I ordered just before Xmas. (Ordered mine in red also - great color.)

Soooooo, I guess I just sit back and enjoy this site and periodically look at your until mine arrives.

Thanks again!

KEH4x4

Using rear wheel drive only in low range will not hurt anything as long as you remember not to put too much throttle through just the rear drive train. You could break an axle, U joint, etc with all that torque going to just the rear axle with a heavy throttle foot. I have used rear wheel drive low range many times on paved boat launches. I hope you didn't order ESOF (auto hubs) on your new one or you will not be able to use rear wheel only low range. But you wont need it anyway with a V-10 unless it is a very heavy trailer.

dbowers2

Thanks for the response. Torque shouldn't be a problem, I'm usually just above idle speeds when backing up. No ESOF on the new toy, I prefer to keep it simple.

bess

I have a Y2K F250 xlt 4x2 SC 5.4L 5sp 4.10LS rear. I'm very happy with the 4.10, and I don't do any big towing either.. The truck is definatly NOT underpowered and I'm able to cruise/accelerate up hills in OD.. I think the 4.10 is a good match.

From what folks are posting for 5.4L's, the mileage average seems to be the same for the 3.73 and the 4.10. On the open flat highway, the 3.73 will get a little better mpg..

I've also been keepin a close eye of what folks are posting here, and it seems that that with the heavier SuperDuty trucks, (CC + 4x4 + auto), the mileage between the v10 and V8 is very close, probably less than 1mpg difference.

My average with mixed city/highway driving is right at 15mpg. (last tank came out to be 14.9).

Folks with your combination are in the 12 or 13 range with mixed driving. The V10 folks with your combo are very close to that.

Remember, mpg's vary greatly with driving habits and the type of roads you travel on. If you have a lead foot, the V10 will suck down the fuel alot faster than the V8, but you'll get to that next stoplight faster too..

jimveta

I find this helps makes it more intuitive:
HP = Torque * RPM/5252
Try this on a few points on a dyno graph and it'll
work out. Torque and HP come from the same force
(so conversely, T = HP * 5252/RPM), however, let
me note that torque is an independent variable,
that is, a measured quantity independent of this
formula, while hp is a dependent variable, one
that's calculated from this formula.

A good way to understand it is this: hp is like
the cummulation of torque, the force of the
explosion in the cylinders, in 1 min. Note that
as you increase torque at a particular RPM, so
does the HP increase at that RPM. So what's
important is the curvature of torque (which will
determine the curvature of power) across the
RPMs. HP will determine the ability to accelerate
at a given RPM. So engines with more low-end
torque means more low-end HP which means more
ability to acclerate at lower rpms -- the so-
called "pulling" power like diesels.
Why are most diesels slower?
because they don't produce enough HP (because
their redline RPMs are very low) Why are they good for pulling heavy loads? because they build
that lesser amount of HP much quicker due to the
greater amount of torque available in that small
range of rpms.
The flatter the torque curve, the better, then
you'd get better HP response across all rpms.
Usually with bigger engines, you'd get more torque
at lower rpms which means a higher slope or
sharper/greater rise in HP at those lower rpms,
but that torque would drop off in the higher rpms
and so would the slope of the HP (due to combustion effeciency; as rpms increase, to
maintain that torque, combustion needs to get
faster for complete burn, but that becomes harder with large cylinders to fill)
--so the seat of
the pants feeling is that although you may be
going faster (given the same gear) at the higher
rpms, the difference in acceleration is greater
at the lower rpms. Usually this is how exhaust
systems (headers, cat back) help, by mainting more
of that torque in the higher rpms thus increasing
HP without needing to increase peak torque much,
if any.

Sorry for all this rambling, but just a bit more
mumbo jumbo for completeness sake:
that equation comes from: 1 HP = 550 lb. ft. / sec
= 33000 lb. ft. / min; since we need to use rpms
(which is a rotational distance over time,
radians/min., which when combine with torque will
give the units of power being work over time, and
work being force * distance) and 1 round = 2pi
radians => 1 rpm = 2pi/min. so 33000/(2*pi) =
5252 thus hp = torque * rpm /5252.

jimveta

if anyone's interested: my homepage with
pics and a sound sample of my f-250 sd and mods
(including the custom dual exhuasts) at:
http://members.tripod.com/jimveta -- click on
"My truck" link.

ezgoin

Im glad I ordered red as well especially after seseing yours. Nice rig. Nice job on the lift. The add a leaf kit is a 2 1/2" kit? You actually have 5" of lift up front. My math is failing me. IS it another kit or did you double up on the leafs?

gossamar

..Yup, sounds like the guy would be cutting from just after the cat. converter. The cat-back system is a defined as one system that replaces everything from the the rear connection of the cat-converter....including muffler and tail-pipe extensions. Like everything it comes down to personal preference. I like Borla for the sound, T-304 stainless steel construction, Lifetime warranty, and excellent fit on the truck. What kind of warranty do you have with the flowmaster system and what is is made of? This is probably the reason for the price discrempencies, although I am jealous you can get it for about $20.00 less! I am working on getting a recording of my BORLA sound so that I can at least email the sound out to people. Will let group know when I have got it done.
...Short antenna's can be purchased at WAL-MART for about $4.99. It is a very short whip antenna, but I noticed no decreased ability to pick up those far away stations. The kit comes with all the hardware to install within the factory post.

payner

I am getting ready to order a 250 4X4 SC, Can
anyone tell me what kind of mileage I could expect
to get with the 5.4, 3.73 gearing and 265 Tires?
Thanks.....

KEH4x4

ezgoin,
I have had my 99SD for well over a year now, and nobody had a lift kit for them back then. So I went to a local suspension shop (Valley Spring in Phoenix AZ) and had it made. It was about $800 and included labor shocks,springs, adjustable track bar, U bolts, etc. I am happy with it. But, if I were to buy another Super, I would just put on a 2-3" leveling kit for the front and put 35/12.5/16.5 BFGs and new rims on it. I don't need near as much lift to clear my tires as I have, and BFG tires are better than the Denmans that I have, although they are an inch or two shorter..

jimveta,
Nice web page and truck. From what location in or around your truck did you record the exhaust. It sounds good, but if that is inside with the windows up, it would be too loud for me. But if that was outside several feet from the exhaust pipe, I think it would be great. Did you feel a seat of the pants boost, or does it just sound cool?

fordy1

A dealer can use any # between 10 and 89 for
a sold unit, If it's a pre sold unit it's built in order,
don't worry about the number.

jimveta

thanks. i recorded that outside a few feet from
the exhaust pipe. (yeah, if that were inside,
i couldn't stand it either) i definitely noticed
a difference in the mid to top end.
what the guy who did this custom work said that
made the most difference was changing the pipes
that connected the headers and the cat--said that
stock, at least on a '99, had some extreme bends
like u turns so he replaced them with straighter
shorter pipes.

bigred2000

The truck I ordered will have the heavy duty suspension package. Is there any advantage to purchase the camper package instead? From the specs, the only difference is the rear stabilizer bar and the camper certification. I don't plan on having a camper, so is there any advantage to paying more for the camper package?

meredith

This topic has been "frozen"....

please continue these discussions in Topic 1470 Ford Super Duty - Continued V.

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