Viperle, I think that a cat-back exhaust does help in some ways if at least sounding better. I have no complaints with my BORLA. Sounds great with the V-10 power...even outran a V-8 mid 80's T-Bird the other day!! Best thing to do is call or check some of the people whom sell these systems. I did some extensive research and talked with some local shop guys before deciding on the BORLA system. I think that BORLA claims a 4% increase in power..so if you take 310*.04=12.4 extra horsepower. For me living in a "salt-zone", the extra $$$ for the T-304 stainless was worth it and due to the fact it is backed by a lifetime warranty. I suppose like most topics discussed, it boils down to individual preference. Mainecowgirl, You will NOT regret getting the LS option, especially when the going gets yucky! Driving with a LS diff. requires MINIMUM adjustment to your driving habits. The only time one needs to be careful is going around corners that are snowpacked, muddy or icy. Then if too much gas is applied, you will get sideways. However, driving down a snow-packed road, an open differntial will do the same thing given both wheels have equal traction and if to much gas is applied. It is quite entertaining to get a 6800# truck sideways under V-10 power...the wife just shakes her head at me and says "BOYS MUST PLAY!!", you betcha!!! One tip for all with the LS option, be sure and try to keep equal tire pressure in both rear tires. Happy slidings....
Hi all, My truck is a '99 F-250SD XLT, extra cab, 4x4 V10 auto, esof, 3.73 rear. Production date is early April'98. Things were fine (excepting the usual recalls) until about 20,000 mi. when I started to notice a rattle in the motor if I backed off the gas just prior to shifting. This was Mar.99. I was also becoming aware of a constant rattle that never really went away. Five trips to the dealer provided no answers as they claimed to not be able to hear what I was hearing. The service manager was always too busy (waiting for a callback on the phone was his usual answer)to deal with me himself. Finally,after 7 mos. of visits,OCT.99,he managed to send what turned out to be the f.e./suspension guy to listen to my motor(!). NOISES CONFIRMED! They said the noises were due to piston slap/rod knock, and that a "fix" was due out in early Dec.99. All of Dec. goes by-not a word. Another visit on Dec.30th they decided that the engine tech needed to confirm that there really WERE noises. I took him for a drive around the block...He just hung his head, smiled, saying something, um, derogatory about his service manager and appologized for what he was sure I'd been going through. The tech said that Ford's description of a KNOWN problem is that the noise is caused by MISALIGNED OR MISTORQUED ROD CAPS when these motors were assembled (besides the previousely mentioned PISTON SLAP problems). He said that the 5.4 V8 was very prone to this problem, however he is seeing more V10s showing up this way. Supposedly, they have a new motor ordered and on its way. I'm told to expect about a five week wait for the V10 to be delivered. Sorry for the rambling diatribe. I hope that it isn't inappropriate. I thought someone should know....
I'll talk to Rodman and Framingham Ford. I get a trucker's magazine and both of them advertise. Drove a SC V10 today. Nice. Alas, a shortbed. The dealer said he'd try to swap for a longbed, but they're hard to find. Crazyelvis-I know the Mohawk Trail, but the Oxbow doesn't ring a bell. We've worked on a couple of power plants on the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls, and we have friends and relatives in that area. We live about 35 miles down the valley. Mainecowgirl-What a small world. My niece and my sister ride at Stonely-Burnham (the kid went to Northfield-Mt. Hermon). Their horse now boards at UMass. I'll tell her to watch for a red/black SD with Maine plates next summer. (Coming down the road sideways, right?) New favorite bumper sticker: "Honk if you love honking." My son's reply: "Honk if you hate noise pollution."
does anyone have the manual locking hubs and notice that ford made the dot to line up the lock or free on the hubs as small as can be? i check my hubs every week just to make sure no one turned 1 as a joke cause it happend to me on my 95 f-150.
i also notice as i accelerate around 30 mph that i'm getting a vibration on my driver side floor. it doesn't happen all the time but it could be the raw power of the v-10??? i dont plan on going to the dealer for it just yet i'm going to wait and see if it's just a fluke thing.
as for gas mpg i'm getting 10 city not to bad as my 97 f-350 4x4 with the 460 was getting 7 mpg back then, and i have the 265 tires with 3.73ls with the 4 speed auto trans and a very light foot.
Your better off with the LS rear.. Sure, you have to be a little more careful when cornering, BUT - You'll be stuck less often with both rear wheels pushing for you. - Your truck is heavier than the bronco, aiding traction.. Although a few bags of sand over the rear axle might help sometimes. - The Superduty wheelbase is much longer, which makes it easier to keep it in line than the shorter Bronco..
Also, I live in the sortof south, Raleigh NC. We're in the midst of an ice/sleet/snow storm now.. Even the threat of snow closes everything, a far cry from what I was used to in PA.
Bob called me around the holidays to touch base with me,said he looked for a build date of late this month or early next month. Other then that I haven't talked to him. Been checking the VOPC every week with no change. Did he give you any info of their allotments thats one thing I didn't check when I ordered.
Yep. Slicker than can be. We don't have calcium chloride or salt. Just that big ol' plow in the sky.But it's pretty (for a while).
All the nuts are out "playing." We stayed home. A lot of my friends had power outages for 3 hours-2 days (so far). We've been very lucky, a couple of dozen "blinks" but no outages. I'm sitting here with the slobber machines around my feet. Now they they think they're entitled to be inside. Next thing I know they'll want to ride in the new truck.
Dogs are pushy beasts, but I love 'em. Thanks for asking.
Oxbow is about 2-3 miles west of Shelbourne Falls...We have "funyaked' down the Deerfield River....And yes...it is beautiful there....compared to the flat lands of Florida...
I ordered a F250, XLT, CC, SB, PSD, 6SP, 3.73LS, Camper, Tow Package, Clearcoat Red, on 12/08/99. On 1/21/00, the VOPC stated it was scheduled to the plant. It is getting closer. Maybe Ford is batching all of the CCs to built at the same time. Ordered from Eatonville Ford, Washington.
Has anyone installed a K&N filter before. I hadjust purchased one and installed it on my SD. Do I need to oil the filter first? Or only when after I clean it with the cleaning kit?
BTW, the only difference I noticed with the K&N filter is the throtle response.
What was the final configuration for your choice of the SD ? I will be ordering a 2001 the end of this year and will be also buying a four horse trailer. My daughter boards/rides at Stratham, NH and competes throughout NE. A V10 looks capable of towing but also considering the PSD with 4x4 and LS.
Reference my post at #186 and the replies at 205, 206, and 207 (been there, done that) noting the almost identical configuration and the almost identical status history. All the discussion about priority and allocation in the past posts had me believing that my dealer was the cause of the delays but now that I see that another buyer has the same situation it leads me to believe that the plant is the cause of the holdup. I've also seen posts that indicate that maybe the Crew Cabs are being batched and it is now there turn in the production run. Either way it will end up being over 5 months from order to delivery. The only thing that I have to decide is if I should take back the thing I said or thought about my @&$#, ^$%@#, @!&^** dealer.
Thanks for the LS input. You know I was thinking of telling the folks that told me I'd be going sideways with an LS that everyone's going sideways with just regular rear wheel drive!
endinmaine-If you are ending in Maine how come you are in Danvers? I used to live in Beverly in my high school years. Went to Pingree in Hamilton, MA. Anyway, I got a '00 F250 SD, SB, V10, 4X4, auto, 4.30LS, 235 AS (never go off road, and I don't like wider tires), Lariat(wanted a lot of extras on an XLT, and it ended up Lariat was almost as much), tow pkg., no Ford "Class IV" hitch (you need stabilizer bars to haul more than 5000#-I think this is criminally deceiving), oh yeah, Toreador Red with Black accent! I debated the PSD, but was convinced here that I just don't drive my truck enough to be good for the diesel. My truck is my "second" vehicle and is always hooked up for almost daily trips to a barn a short distance from my home. Are you getting a 4-horse gooseneck? I have a 2-horse w/dressing room tagalong with a GVWR of 7000#. I don't know, but you may want a F350 PSD for that kind of weight. I would DEFINITELY get a 4X4. I travel to some shows in an F350 dually that pulls a 3-horse gooseneck. That thing is a joke w/o 4WD. One year at Stoneleigh-Burnham we got 7 inches of rain(!) and it took 5 hours for a tractor to get our rig out of the mud. 4X4's were leaving us coated as they left! Even pulling out of a grassy field at a show on a dewy morning can be cause to put it in 4WD (or maybe that's where LS will be handy.) Good Luck and let me know what you decide!
The K&N Filter comes from the factory preoiled. All you have to do is drop it in. When I ordered mine from Performance Products, the sales person mentioned that, and I read it somewhere on the box or in the literature that came with it.
I don't know if the SD has the same "problem" as the F-150, but thought I would throw this out for consideration. The F-150, even with mudflaps will throw up mud and other goop from the front tires and it goes up between the bottom of the door and the door jamb/door sill. Can really mess up a pants etc when getting in and out. The cure--cab steps, they seem to block it. I was always cleaning the sill and bottom inside of the doors on my 97. My Y2K has factory cab steps, no more mud!! Those of you that operate in muddy conditions might want to consider them, also a lot cheaper from the factory than after market.
mainecowgirl, don't let anybody talk you out of the LS. I always get LS and have never had a problem. You won't be sorry. Give your horses some horse treats for me, I have a couple of my own. Good Luck Bob
I have the 3:73 rear end and my tires are the same as yours but i have the all seasons,No heavy foot here either.I think the 3:73 has some effect on the gas mileage compared to the 4:10 etc..Im not sure what you have.
Thanks for sharing your selection of options. Will make my choices later this year. The reason for "endinmaine" , I have another home in Acton on Great East Lake (summer use only)and I want to get out of this "taxachusetts". I am leaning towards the 350 , for carrying capability. Do you know what a four horse trailer weights and will a bumper suffice or will I need a goose neck ?
The F-250 has a higher fifth wheel/goose neck tow rating than an equally equiped F-350, although the difference isn't much. The advantage of the F-350 is payload that you will be carrying in the cab or bed of the truck (such as a slide-in truck camper).
I've had l/s on my last two trucks. My opinion is that if you're going to fishtail into the ditch with l/s, you're going to slip into the ditch without it. My recommendation to anyone who buys any vehicle and lives in snow country is to take their vehicle to the local Walmart parking lot after it closes and have some fun on the snow and ice after a fresh snowfall. Practice stopping, accelerating, and turning at all kinds of speeds. If you've got a 4wd, practice in 4wd and 2wd.
The more you know about how your vehicle will handle in any situation, the better prepared you will be to avoid those situations or maneuver out of them. With winter accidents, speed is blamed for most of the accidents. The reality is that it is knowing your limitations and your vehicles limitations. Those same people who end up in the ditch while driving 65 would likely end up in the ditch at 45. Any speed would be too fast for their abilities.
A good example is that I can drive to work at 5am and many of us are cruising along at the speed limit with no cars in the ditch. However, on the way home at 5pm in the same conditions, traffic is moving along 20+mph slower and there are several cars in the ditch. It's not the road or the speed in most cases, it's the driver's abilities. The road and speed just make an experienced or bad driver worse.
On an unrelated subject, I voted in our straw poll last night. It was a non-binding straw poll, so voter turnout was very low (about 4,500 voters statewide). I called up my dad and gave him a hard time about not voting, so he went and voted for another candidate. According to the paper this morning, his candidate beat my candidate by one vote for third place. So much for one vote not counting!
brutus: man, you've got more good, relevant info than 5 people. Thanks in advance. I know I pick up a thing or two here and there, so the less experienced folks outta be taking huge notes.
Um... We had a straw poll last night? Guess I know why turnout was low...
wow our first real snow storm here in mass and i only needed to use the 4 wheel drive at the honey farms to pick up a few items cause the lot was not plowed out. other than that my truck made it fine in 2 wheel drive to wellesley today, i have the hubs locked and was all geared up to use it what a bummer.
i noticed your truck is very dirty i know of a couple of touchless car washes 1 is in wellesley on rt-16 at the mobile gas station and the other is in ashland on rt-126 at the mobil station. they only charge $6.00 not bad and they do a fairly good job at getting it clean. the main point is to get the salt off. my truck just fits in there it's tight but it works. no trucks over 7 feet tall or plow frames or large mirrors aka"trailor tow mirror" or anything in the back of the bed that could fly out. since our trucks are the same you should have no problem. well back to work anyone that has ordered a truck hang in there it's worth the wait.
...I could not agree more about practicing in the snow. Especially if you have never had a rig with anti-lock brakes before!
When I was teaching my son to drive a couple years ago, I took him up into the mountains to get a little snow driving practice (does not snow much here in Seattle area, but when it does it's a mess). The van we were driving had four wheel anti-lock brakes.
First time we tried an emergency stop, he started pumping the brakes, and I realized that in his driving school they never told him that in a car with anti-locks, it's better to hold the brake down firmly and just steer the car!
We had a quick contest to see if he could stop quicker by pumping the brakes, or by using the anti-lock system. The anti-lock system won by a wide margin...
well, the truck's back at KTP & probably loaded on CSX for transport to Tampa. will get update tomorrow eve. dealer's expecting it to be "in town" by Friday.
crazyelvis... that receiver DID have a reception! he had "control" of the pigskin b4 he hit the ground (no matter what happens after that is irrelevant... even if the ground causes a fumble. the fact that the "point" of the ball touched the ground first is a complete "no-matter" scenario).. a REALLY nasty call for Buc fans.
The most horses you can pull with a bumper tow is three in a slant load configuration. I pulled out all the trailer info I had. I bought a new Hawk two-horse two summers ago. Did about as much research as I have done on this truck! I found that the GVWR for the 4 horse gooseneck is 12000#. Class IV bumper hitches are only rated to 10000# so gooseneck is the way you will have to go. Keep in mind that this particular trailer is 34'6" long (including the "gooseneck" that sits over your bed.) 4 horse trailers are monsters. If you haven't already you should pick up the "RV & Trailer Towing Guide" book that Ford puts out. In the back it has the maximum loaded trailer weight capabilities of all the super duty trucks. They do vary as Brutus said, and it is surprising that F350's aren't always the stronger puller than the F250. Hope this helped.
Can anyone tell me where to get the catalog for Super Duty accessories? Also, how do I call VOPC. Only been waiting 2 months, dealer said 15 weeks but I'm sure I'll be waiting longer.
00 V10 auto 4x4 SC Lariat DRW captain chairs trailer tow pkg/mirrors 4:30 LS....Black
sdman, the 4 wheel ABS came standard on my truck because I have the duallys. They work great in the summer, but I have to admit that I still pump my brakes in the winter. When I needed to make a quick stop on icy roads, the brake system was working as fast as it could to engage and disengage, but they couldn't keep up. I stayed straight, so they functioned properly in that respect, but I believe I still stop better pumping the brakes in icy conditions. Maybe it's all in my head. One other advantage that I see is that I retain full control of my steering.
northpole, it was for Republican voters only. Then again, are there any Democrats up here in Alaska other than the people who own and work at the Anchorage Daily News or professors at UA or some teachers? Heck, even most of our select few Democrat politicians would be classified as Republicans in most states. If the current leader of a certain party.....who writes certain books full of falacies about the environment and promotes gun control and invented the internet and discovered love canal and slaved on his farm as a child (while attending prep school in DC) and was the subject of the movie love story, and would never open ANWR and would probably try to outlaw snowmachines and fishing and hunting.....manages to get elected, I suspect you will see a revival of the Alaska secession movement that faded in the late 70s. Wait, I need to tie this into the topic. If you support legislation that would require new Superduty models to be solar powered, campaign stops north of Canada are highly discouraged.
Check at www.ford-diesel.com FAQ for the complete step by step directions for using VOPC. Just remember not to talk with anybody there. use only the automated system. You will need your VIN # or the dealer #, order #, and Body Type of your SD.to check status. As far as the Accessories Catalog goes from what I gather from past post you can get them from the parts department or your salesmen.
You are tooo much man....Good synopsis on AlGore. I would move to Alaska and join in on the succession effort..... lewac....won't be long now!!! I'm sure you are going to go over the beast with a fine tooth comb. Have you contacted anyone about compensation???
Off-subject, but you mentioned living in Raleigh NC area. I need info about getting from there to Southern Pines without renting a car. E-mail me privately please. longears@fidalgo.net Thanks
Brutus: Can't speak for the SuperDuty ABS system (since I don't have my F250 Lariat yet), but the Van my wife drives has 4 wheel ABS and in my experimenting, the ABS will stop you quicker and straighter than pumping the brakes everytime. Now that said, A Chrysler minivan is a hell of a lot lighter than a F250 or F350 dually, so I cannot say your technique is wrong. Whatever stops you safely is OK with me :-) When I get my truck (week of Feb 14th according to VOPC), and head to the mountains to play, I'll try it both ways (ABS vs. pumping the brakes) and post the results here. There are a couple of fairly level parking lots up on Snoqualimie Pass that are usually packed snow and ice, and are great for experimenting. Anyone else care to try ABS vs. pumping the brakes and post the results here?
Lewac: Fingers crossed on your truck. If it does not show up this time, I think we'll have to get together a "TRUCKAID" concert for you (you know, like the FARMAID concerts a few years back...)
Funny that the topic of ABS rears its head. Could it be that a lot of us are finally getting our first real snow of the year.(Didn't think I was ever gonna get to try the 4X4) Anyway, my 2k 250 SD has rearwheel ABS only. I've noticed the following on snow; when you hit the brakes hard (panic stop) front wheels lock. Back wheels do the antilock thing for awhile but there comes a point at a fairly low speed that they too lock up. All the while you remain straight, but you obviously can't steer with the fronts locked. This is my first vehicle with any sort of ABS. Are my observations consistent with everybody else? Does it sound like the system is functioning correctly? Thanks.
Thank you both for the information. It's always great to hear from those with experience.
mainecowgirl: I will order the RV and Trailer catalog. Humm I may have to reconsider the F250 but then the F350 with PSD would certainly have the pulling capability.
ALL : regarding the ABS brakes ,, I presently have a '92 F250 HD LB and last year was going down a slight grade at 35mph rain covered newly paved road. At the bottom was a volvo at the stop light. I had approximately 125 feet to stop and felt the ABS system working and kept my foot on the brake ,,, but they did not stop me in time ! The guy in the volvo noticed I was not stopping and put the peddle to the medal to get out of the way but his tires just spun. After I hit him and pushed him forward , his tires hit a dry section of the road and he shot down the road like a hockey puck. No one was injured. The bumper on my F250 buckled some but the volvo shrunk about 6 inches. It was either hit him or a telephone pole ,, the volvo lost.
endinmaine- The RV & Towing guide is just a booklet that you can pickup at any Ford dealer in the sales dept. Like I said the 250's are no slouch when it comes to pulling. It just depends on the configuration you chose. For example in a super cab V-10 with the lower rear axle ratio the 250 4X2 can pull 700# more than the 350 4X4 dually. The booklet really is pretty helpful.
I drive a '97 Toyota 4Runner as my everyday car. I have had three 4Runners, the last two had ABS, and I hate it. In my situation you may be able to steer, but you certainly seem to get going faster with the ABS "engaged." I have been driving Maine winters for 20 years now, and I am pretty good at it. But I have learned that ABS stands for ABysmal Stopping. I, too, tend to pump my brakes, and I get much better results. The only time now that my ABS ever kicks in is when I turn off of a paved surface to gravel and am braking at the same time. That'll usually kick in the ABS and reminds me all over again how much I don't like it. I am really hoping that Ford's ABS system is better.
Now I get to feel just like you folks up north .... we got two inches of snow last night in Oky land and I got to try out the 4x4 for the first time. I think this is the first snow we've had in 3 or 4 years. We have cars with fender modifications all over town and a bunch in ditches. The 4x4 worked like a charm. My last PU was a 97 Ch**y 1500 with one wheel slip. I had to put a bunch of weight in the back in winter for the periodic ice storm or it wouldn't go anywhere. SuperDuty with LS and 4x4 LOVES the snow and ice. Even got to play with the 4 wheel disk ABS. I also tried the pump vs. stomp on it methods and the 'stomp on it' method worked great ... it stopped straight while maintaining steering control.
I know, you northern folks are saying 2 inches ... no biggy ... well the ground is usually not frozen when it snows here so the first two inches turns into a nice glaze before the rest of the snow starts to build on it. We probably really got 4 inches of snow. Add that to the fact that OKY drivers are the worst in the world, yea ever worse than Saigon or Dallas, and you have a real mess. Even when we get a little rain in the summer, there are hundreds of wrecks all over town. I've heard we may get another 8 inches today and tonight .... yea yea
After having this much fun with the snow, and with the politics being what they are, I may have to move to Alaska too .... only one question ... do you have many golf courses and how long is the golf season?
Does anyone know why, when you get ESOF, the hubs have an Auto and Lock position. Why have the lock position at all? Happy Motoring ....
MCG's post about other's advice on limited slip differentials surprised me. "Limited slip" has been around for over 40 years (I remember an uncle's 58 Chevy with the Positraction plaque on the glove box door). I can't imagine--not having it. Until recently, I lived in N. AZ. Commonly experienced the type of driving conditions where you are in-and-out of snow pack, ice, and clear. This is the beauty of ESOF, you can go take it out of 4wd when the road clears and go right back in when you need to. I prefer to shift back to 2wd anytime it looks dry, but err to the cautious side if in doubt. The "two dry tracks" (I forgot who asked the question) referrred to earlier sounds like winter road conditions to me and I would be in 4wd. You may have to leave the two dry tracks.
Wildside1, I asked the dealer the same question about the ESOP and Manual Hubs. He said if the ESOP system fails you can still lock the front hubs in or out manually. Makes sense to me. I guess it's a backup system for the vaccumn, electrical and mechanical system called ESOP. Hope this explains this. I chose to go with the manual hubs to eliminate any such problems.
Come on up, there are several golf courses up here, just be prepared to share the greens with a bear or two. I like seeing the growing number of folks playing golf, keeps them off the salmon streams and out of the woods.
Drove back to Anchorage from Seward late last night (~125 miles) in an absolute raging, blowing blizzard. Got to test out the ABS on five different occasions (moose in the road), and the stomp on it/lock-em up worked very fine. I notice real quick stops without sliding or losing the ability to steer.
Thanks for the info on ESOF. Please be patient as I haven't had 4x4 capability before and now am curious about a couple other things. So what you are saying is that if I wanted to, I could just turn the hubs to the lock position and I am in 4x4, while leaving the ESOF in the 4x2 position? If that is so, then how come the folks without ESOF have to turn the knob on the hubs to the lock position and also move an inside lever to the 4x4 position? Thanks in advance for your help. Happy Motoring ....
Sounds like you just came up with a new sport that can only be done in Alaska .... Golf/Bear Hunting. Don't imagine just hitting the bear with the golf ball will do it tho ....
Sounds like you had a real interresting ride from Seward to Anchorage .... wow
Well, gotta go. Big wig said to go home cause of bad weather. It is about 1 p.m. and we have 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. The streets probably look like Iraqs roads after we sent our tanks in ....
Forgot to put some SD info in ... getting 12.4 mpg with v-10 auto CC 250 3.73 LS 4x4 in mixed driving. Happy motoring ...
FYI, Ford is shipping some SD's faster than promised. My build date only slipped a week in the 12 weeks between being ordered and bucked. Sure enough, VOPC reported it built as of a week ago, with a scheduled due date on the lot of 2/7. OK, about what I expected. Checked the VOPC this morning: my truck was on the ramp as of Monday! Could be here tomorrow! Great, super, but I was waiting to see how the market moved before cashing out stocks for the purchase dough; I don't actually have the bucks on hand! Not really a problem, I won't lose the truck, but don't count on Ford slipping on all SD orders.
BTW, it's odd to read posts from all you snowbound folk since it snows about once a century here in Sacramento. But wouldn't you know it, the one time I actually need a jacked-up 4WD machine would be the week before it arrives. We had heavy rains over the weekend and woke up Monday to find our street flooded. Our Subaru has AWD but it's still got only a few inches between the street and the door sills. What the hell, I revved her up and aimed for dry land, praying. We shipped green water over the hood but we made it with feet dry. But jeez, if I'd spent less time mulling over short bed vs. long bed last October I'd have had the damn truck now and sailed over the murk without heed.
the beast is on it's way out of KTP... could be "at-the-ramp" by tomorrow. once again, will believe when we "see".
crazyelvis... going after Ford (rather than the dealership) although it will probably be the dealership that "eats" it. right now we need to see this truck... then we'll take it to the next step.
wildside, we had an ice storm when I lived in Dallas in 1998. I'd rather drive the roads up here. Bridges always have the potential for being slick, but I don't know if they use a different kind of material on them in the south, but they sure seemed a lot more slick than the bridges up here under the same circumstances. We also have better snow and ice removal equipment. It takes more than a foot of snow overnight to close our schools.
FYI, my sister sent an e-mail from Myrtle Beach yesterday saying they got about 4 inches of snow. It's upper 30s here in Anchorage today.
I could be wrong, but I think if your ESOF were to fail, it wouldn't work just to lock the hubs. I think the time that you would consider using the manual locking hubs, rather than ESOF might be when you are in a situation that want to insure that you are in 4wd immediately, like when you are about to enter a puddle with deep mud on the way to the fishing hole. Although my ESOF clicks almost immediately, the manual does say that could take several rotations of the axle and you need to have the tires straight. You may not be confident in certain situations that you have enough road before a hazard for the ESOF to engage.
handgunhunter, I consider myself a true conservative and Keyes addresses the problems that I consider important. Bush is almost certainly the nominee and I won't have any problems supporting him. I just think that Keyes is the better choice. Issues that I agree with Keyes:
- consumption tax vs income tax - free trade but not WTO - no Isolationism but less UN - better education & higher teacher salaries via increased competion (school choice) - no gun control (guns have been in the house forever, but kids weren't killing other kids at school with them. Go find the real problem) - more state & local control over all issues in exchange for less control by DC - open up portions of ANWR
Keyes ties all of these issues together under a moral umbrella that he substantiates using constitutional examples and examples from other documents that were drafted by the founding fathers. In the opinion of this Superduty owner (I had to tie it in somehow, although I'm still likely to get scolded by the moderator for bringing up politics), the rest of the candidates are just nibbling around the edges, although some candidates are nibbling a little better than others.
If all you do is turn your ESOF hubs to "LOCK", you will still be in 2wd, just with your front hubs locked (front axle/drive shaft turning). You need to also move the dash switch to a 4x4 position to shift the transfer case and get power to those front wheels. The option to manually lock the hubs is important in case the ESOF hub locking system (vacuum lines, electronics, etc.) were to ever fail. As long as the portion of the ESOF system the controls the transfer case is still in working order, you still have 4wd capability.
With manual 2/4 shifting, you manually lock the hubs to lock the wheels to the axle and use the shifter inside the cab to engage the front differential. You need to do both steps (lock hubs and shift to 4wd) to get 4wd. Using just the manual shifter doesn't do much and just locking the hubs will yield poorer gas mileage, no 4wd, and lubricating parts of the front end.
With ESOF, locking the hubs locks you permanently in 4wd (so be careful when you do lock your hubs - dry pavement is not recommended If the front hubs are not locked, you can also get into 4wd by using the ESOF dial inside the cab. I believe that the one of the significant purposes of the manual locking hubs is that if the ESOF does fail, you can get into 4wd (at least that was my understanding).
This SD owner should have used the word "impressed" instead of "surprised". I agree wholeheartedly with all your comments on ESOF, et.al. in your last post.
With ESOF, if you lock the front hubs you will have locked hubs, that's all (unless you also use the ESOF switch). There is a large solenoid attached to the transfer case which is operated by the ESOF switch. This is instead of the manual lever, but fulfills the same function. The manual bypass on the front hubs is in case of vacuum failure.
Incidentally, I've owned several 4x4 vehicles with Free Wheeling Hubs and have never been able to discern any difference in fuel consumption, whether locked or unlocked. If my SD was here, I'd be happy to run with the hubs locked if there was any possibility of having to use 4x4.
Dealer called, told me they are expecting my truck around the 14th, we will wait and see with crossed fingers. I asked my dealer about ESOF when I ordered, he said if your going off road to manually lock the hubs, other wise turning the knob just inside..you go in & out of 4wd when slipprage occurs, something like full time on the explorers. Like on my Durango, I have full time 4wd, part time 4wd, and 2wd....full time they say you can put it in, in Oct. and take it out in May, Part time is for off road surfaces only. But once I get my truck, I'll experiment. And read the book so I know whats going on. Very seldom I use 4wd on the street, unless we are talking a foot of snow, LS gets you thru everything else. It feels like a heat wave here......10 above with -15 windchill.....but the sun was out. One question will I be able to get a 4x4 F250 CC/265's and clearance light thru a 7 foot door, my garage is 26' long.
Comments
Mainecowgirl, You will NOT regret getting the LS option, especially when the going gets yucky! Driving with a LS diff. requires MINIMUM adjustment to your driving habits. The only time one needs to be careful is going around corners that are snowpacked, muddy or icy. Then if too much gas is applied, you will get sideways. However, driving down a snow-packed road, an open differntial will do the same thing given both wheels have equal traction and if to much gas is applied. It is quite entertaining to get a 6800# truck sideways under V-10 power...the wife just shakes her head at me and says "BOYS MUST PLAY!!", you betcha!!! One tip for all with the LS option, be sure and try to keep equal tire pressure in both rear tires. Happy slidings....
My truck is a '99 F-250SD XLT, extra cab, 4x4 V10 auto, esof, 3.73 rear. Production date is early April'98. Things were fine (excepting the usual recalls) until about 20,000 mi. when I started to notice a rattle in the motor if I backed off the gas just prior to shifting. This was Mar.99. I was also becoming aware of a constant rattle that never really went away. Five trips to the dealer provided no answers as they claimed to not be able to hear what I was hearing. The service manager was always too busy (waiting for a callback on the phone was his usual answer)to deal with me himself.
Finally,after 7 mos. of visits,OCT.99,he managed to send what turned out to be the f.e./suspension guy to listen to my motor(!). NOISES CONFIRMED! They said the noises were due to piston slap/rod knock, and that a "fix" was due out in early Dec.99. All of Dec. goes by-not a word. Another visit on Dec.30th they decided that the engine tech needed to confirm that there really WERE noises. I took him for a drive around the block...He just hung his head, smiled, saying something, um, derogatory about his service manager and appologized for what he was sure I'd been going through.
The tech said that Ford's description of a KNOWN problem is that the noise is caused by MISALIGNED OR MISTORQUED ROD CAPS when these motors were assembled (besides the previousely mentioned PISTON SLAP problems). He said that the 5.4 V8 was very prone to this problem, however he is seeing more V10s showing up this way. Supposedly, they have a new motor ordered and on its way. I'm told to expect about a five week wait for the V10 to be delivered.
Sorry for the rambling diatribe. I hope that it isn't inappropriate. I thought someone should know....
Crazyelvis-I know the Mohawk Trail, but the Oxbow doesn't ring a bell. We've worked on a couple of power plants on the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls, and we have friends and relatives in that area. We live about 35 miles down the valley.
Mainecowgirl-What a small world. My niece and my sister ride at Stonely-Burnham (the kid went to Northfield-Mt. Hermon). Their horse now boards at UMass. I'll tell her to watch for a red/black SD with Maine plates next summer. (Coming down the road sideways, right?)
New favorite bumper sticker: "Honk if you love honking." My son's reply: "Honk if you hate noise pollution."
i also notice as i accelerate around 30 mph that i'm getting a vibration on my driver side floor. it doesn't happen all the time but it could be the raw power of the v-10??? i dont plan on going to the dealer for it just yet i'm going to wait and see if it's just a fluke thing.
as for gas mpg i'm getting 10 city not to bad as my 97 f-350 4x4 with the 460 was getting 7 mpg back then, and i have the 265 tires with 3.73ls with the 4 speed auto trans and a very light foot.
- You'll be stuck less often with both rear wheels pushing for you.
- Your truck is heavier than the bronco, aiding traction.. Although a few bags of sand over the rear axle might help sometimes.
- The Superduty wheelbase is much longer, which makes it easier to keep it in line than the shorter Bronco..
Also, I live in the sortof south, Raleigh NC. We're in the midst of an ice/sleet/snow storm now.. Even the threat of snow closes everything, a far cry from what I was used to in PA.
All the nuts are out "playing." We stayed home. A lot of my friends had power outages for 3 hours-2 days (so far). We've been very lucky, a couple of dozen "blinks" but no outages. I'm sitting here with the slobber machines around my feet. Now they they think they're entitled to be inside. Next thing I know they'll want to ride in the new truck.
Dogs are pushy beasts, but I love 'em. Thanks for asking.
BTW, the only difference I noticed with the K&N filter is the throtle response.
Thx
endinmaine-If you are ending in Maine how come you are in Danvers? I used to live in Beverly in my high school years. Went to Pingree in Hamilton, MA. Anyway, I got a '00 F250 SD, SB, V10, 4X4, auto, 4.30LS, 235 AS (never go off road, and I don't like wider tires), Lariat(wanted a lot of extras on an XLT, and it ended up Lariat was almost as much), tow pkg., no Ford "Class IV" hitch (you need stabilizer bars to haul more than 5000#-I think this is criminally deceiving), oh yeah, Toreador Red with Black accent! I debated the PSD, but was convinced here that I just don't drive my truck enough to be good for the diesel. My truck is my "second" vehicle and is always hooked up for almost daily trips to a barn a short distance from my home. Are you getting a 4-horse gooseneck? I have a 2-horse w/dressing room tagalong with a GVWR of 7000#. I don't know, but you may want a F350 PSD for that kind of weight. I would DEFINITELY get a 4X4. I travel to some shows in an F350 dually that pulls a 3-horse gooseneck. That thing is a joke w/o 4WD. One year at Stoneleigh-Burnham we got 7 inches of rain(!) and it took 5 hours for a tractor to get our rig out of the mud. 4X4's were leaving us coated as they left! Even pulling out of a grassy field at a show on a dewy morning can be cause to put it in 4WD (or maybe that's where LS will be handy.) Good Luck and let me know what you decide!
the door jamb/door sill. Can really mess up a pants etc when getting in and out. The cure--cab steps, they seem to block it. I was always cleaning the sill and bottom inside of the doors on my 97. My Y2K has factory cab steps, no more mud!! Those of you that operate in muddy conditions might want to consider them, also a lot cheaper from the factory than after market.
mainecowgirl, don't let anybody talk you out of the LS. I always get LS and have never had a problem. You won't be sorry. Give your horses some horse treats for me, I have a couple of my own. Good Luck
Bob
Thx
I've had l/s on my last two trucks. My opinion is that if you're going to fishtail into the ditch with l/s, you're going to slip into the ditch without it. My recommendation to anyone who buys any vehicle and lives in snow country is to take their vehicle to the local Walmart parking lot after it closes and have some fun on the snow and ice after a fresh snowfall. Practice stopping, accelerating, and turning at all kinds of speeds. If you've got a 4wd, practice in 4wd and 2wd.
The more you know about how your vehicle will handle in any situation, the better prepared you will be to avoid those situations or maneuver out of them. With winter accidents, speed is blamed for most of the accidents. The reality is that it is knowing your limitations and your vehicles limitations. Those same people who end up in the ditch while driving 65 would likely end up in the ditch at 45. Any speed would be too fast for their abilities.
A good example is that I can drive to work at 5am and many of us are cruising along at the speed limit with no cars in the ditch. However, on the way home at 5pm in the same conditions, traffic is moving along 20+mph slower and there are several cars in the ditch. It's not the road or the speed in most cases, it's the driver's abilities. The road and speed just make an experienced or bad driver worse.
On an unrelated subject, I voted in our straw poll last night. It was a non-binding straw poll, so voter turnout was very low (about 4,500 voters statewide). I called up my dad and gave him a hard time about not voting, so he went and voted for another candidate. According to the paper this morning, his candidate beat my candidate by one vote for third place. So much for one vote not counting!
Um... We had a straw poll last night? Guess I know why turnout was low...
i noticed your truck is very dirty i know of a couple of touchless car washes 1 is in wellesley on rt-16 at the mobile gas station and the other is in ashland on rt-126 at the mobil station. they only charge $6.00 not bad and they do a fairly good job at getting it clean. the main point is to get the salt off. my truck just fits in there it's tight but it works. no trucks over 7 feet tall or plow frames or large mirrors aka"trailor tow mirror" or anything in the back of the bed that could fly out. since our trucks are the same you should have no problem. well back to work anyone that has ordered a truck hang in there it's worth the wait.
When I was teaching my son to drive a couple years ago, I took him up into the mountains to get a little snow driving practice (does not snow much here in Seattle area, but when it does it's a mess). The van we were driving had four wheel anti-lock brakes.
First time we tried an emergency stop, he started pumping the brakes, and I realized that in his driving school they never told him that in a car with anti-locks, it's better to hold the brake down firmly and just steer the car!
We had a quick contest to see if he could stop quicker by pumping the brakes, or by using the anti-lock system. The anti-lock system won by a wide margin...
crazyelvis... that receiver DID have a reception! he had "control" of the pigskin b4 he hit the ground (no matter what happens after that is irrelevant... even if the ground causes a fumble. the fact that the "point" of the ball touched the ground first is a complete "no-matter" scenario).. a REALLY nasty call for Buc fans.
'00 F350, SD, SC, 4X4, LS, almost all other bells and whistles. $100 over invoice.
Billingsley Ford, Lawton OK. Talk to Carl.
00 V10 auto 4x4 SC Lariat DRW captain chairs trailer tow pkg/mirrors 4:30 LS....Black
northpole, it was for Republican voters only. Then again, are there any Democrats up here in Alaska other than the people who own and work at the Anchorage Daily News or professors at UA or some teachers? Heck, even most of our select few Democrat politicians would be classified as Republicans in most states. If the current leader of a certain party.....who writes certain books full of falacies about the environment and promotes gun control and invented the internet and discovered love canal and slaved on his farm as a child (while attending prep school in DC) and was the subject of the movie love story, and would never open ANWR and would probably try to outlaw snowmachines and fishing and hunting.....manages to get elected, I suspect you will see a revival of the Alaska secession movement that faded in the late 70s. Wait, I need to tie this into the topic. If you support legislation that would require new Superduty models to be solar powered, campaign stops north of Canada are highly discouraged.
As far as the Accessories Catalog goes from what I gather from past post you can get them from the parts department or your salesmen.
I would move to Alaska and join in on the succession effort.....
lewac....won't be long now!!! I'm sure you are going to go over the beast with a fine tooth comb. Have you contacted anyone about compensation???
Lewac: Fingers crossed on your truck. If it does not show up this time, I think we'll have to get together a "TRUCKAID" concert for you (you know, like the FARMAID concerts a few years back...)
mainecowgirl: I will order the RV and Trailer catalog. Humm I may have to reconsider the F250 but then the F350 with PSD would certainly have the pulling capability.
ALL : regarding the ABS brakes ,, I presently have a '92 F250 HD LB and last year was going down a slight grade at 35mph rain covered newly paved road. At the bottom was a volvo at the stop light. I had approximately 125 feet to stop and felt the ABS system working and kept my foot on the brake ,,, but they did not stop me in time ! The guy in the volvo noticed I was not stopping and put the peddle to the medal to get out of the way but his tires just spun. After I hit him and pushed him forward , his tires hit a dry section of the road and he shot down the road like a hockey puck. No one was injured. The bumper on my F250 buckled some but the volvo shrunk about 6 inches. It was either hit him or a telephone pole ,, the volvo lost.
I drive a '97 Toyota 4Runner as my everyday car. I have had three 4Runners, the last two had ABS, and I hate it. In my situation you may be able to steer, but you certainly seem to get going faster with the ABS "engaged." I have been driving Maine winters for 20 years now, and I am pretty good at it. But I have learned that ABS stands for ABysmal Stopping. I, too, tend to pump my brakes, and I get much better results. The only time now that my ABS ever kicks in is when I turn off of a paved surface to gravel and am braking at the same time. That'll usually kick in the ABS and reminds me all over again how much I don't like it. I am really hoping that Ford's ABS system is better.
I know, you northern folks are saying 2 inches ... no biggy ... well the ground is usually not frozen when it snows here so the first two inches turns into a nice glaze before the rest of the snow starts to build on it. We probably really got 4 inches of snow. Add that to the fact that OKY drivers are the worst in the world, yea ever worse than Saigon or Dallas, and you have a real mess. Even when we get a little rain in the summer, there are hundreds of wrecks all over town. I've heard we may get another 8 inches today and tonight .... yea yea
After having this much fun with the snow, and with the politics being what they are, I may have to move to Alaska too .... only one question ... do you have many golf courses and how long is the golf season?
Does anyone know why, when you get ESOF, the hubs have an Auto and Lock position. Why have the lock position at all?
Happy Motoring ....
Until recently, I lived in N. AZ. Commonly experienced the type of driving conditions where you are in-and-out of snow pack, ice, and clear. This is the beauty of ESOF, you can go take it out of 4wd when the road clears and go right back in when you need to. I prefer to shift back to 2wd anytime it looks dry, but err to the cautious side if in doubt. The "two dry tracks" (I forgot who asked the question) referrred to earlier sounds like winter road conditions to me and I would be in 4wd. You may have to leave the two dry tracks.
I asked the dealer the same question about the ESOP and Manual Hubs. He said if the ESOP system fails you can still lock the front hubs in or out manually. Makes sense to me. I guess it's a backup system for the vaccumn, electrical and mechanical system called ESOP. Hope this explains this. I chose to go with the manual hubs to eliminate any such problems.
Drove back to Anchorage from Seward late last night (~125 miles) in an absolute raging, blowing blizzard. Got to test out the ABS on five different occasions (moose in the road), and the stomp on it/lock-em up worked very fine. I notice real quick stops without sliding or losing the ability to steer.
Brutus, never figured you for a Keyes man.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Happy Motoring ....
Sounds like you had a real interresting ride from Seward to Anchorage .... wow
Well, gotta go. Big wig said to go home cause of bad weather. It is about 1 p.m. and we have 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. The streets probably look like Iraqs roads after we sent our tanks in ....
Forgot to put some SD info in ... getting 12.4 mpg with v-10 auto CC 250 3.73 LS 4x4 in mixed driving.
Happy motoring ...
BTW, it's odd to read posts from all you snowbound folk since it snows about once a century here in Sacramento. But wouldn't you know it, the one time I actually need a jacked-up 4WD machine would be the week before it arrives. We had heavy rains over the weekend and woke up Monday to find our street flooded. Our Subaru has AWD but it's still got only a few inches between the street and the door sills. What the hell, I revved her up and aimed for dry land, praying. We shipped green water over the hood but we made it with feet dry. But jeez, if I'd spent less time mulling over short bed vs. long bed last October I'd have had the damn truck now and sailed over the murk without heed.
crazyelvis... going after Ford (rather than the dealership) although it will probably be the dealership that "eats" it. right now we need to see this truck... then we'll take it to the next step.
FYI, my sister sent an e-mail from Myrtle Beach yesterday saying they got about 4 inches of snow. It's upper 30s here in Anchorage today.
I could be wrong, but I think if your ESOF were to fail, it wouldn't work just to lock the hubs. I think the time that you would consider using the manual locking hubs, rather than ESOF might be when you are in a situation that want to insure that you are in 4wd immediately, like when you are about to enter a puddle with deep mud on the way to the fishing hole. Although my ESOF clicks almost immediately, the manual does say that could take several rotations of the axle and you need to have the tires straight. You may not be confident in certain situations that you have enough road before a hazard for the ESOF to engage.
handgunhunter, I consider myself a true conservative and Keyes addresses the problems that I consider important. Bush is almost certainly the nominee and I won't have any problems supporting him. I just think that Keyes is the better choice. Issues that I agree with Keyes:
- consumption tax vs income tax
- free trade but not WTO
- no Isolationism but less UN
- better education & higher teacher salaries via increased competion (school choice)
- no gun control (guns have been in the house forever, but kids weren't killing other kids at school with them. Go find the real problem)
- more state & local control over all issues in exchange for less control by DC
- open up portions of ANWR
Keyes ties all of these issues together under a moral umbrella that he substantiates using constitutional examples and examples from other documents that were drafted by the founding fathers. In the opinion of this Superduty owner (I had to tie it in somehow, although I'm still likely to get scolded by the moderator for bringing up politics), the rest of the candidates are just nibbling around the edges, although some candidates are nibbling a little better than others.
Dave
With ESOF, locking the hubs locks you permanently in 4wd (so be careful when you do lock your hubs - dry pavement is not recommended
For you golfers...we have 3 courses open May to September, but the wildlife tends to steal the balls from the fairways.
For you real adventurists, you can play in the winter on the rivers. 6 feet of ice, 18 holes not counting fissures and open holes.
Incidentally, I've owned several 4x4 vehicles with Free Wheeling Hubs and have never been able to discern any difference in fuel consumption, whether locked or unlocked. If my SD was here, I'd be happy to run with the hubs locked if there was any possibility of having to use 4x4.
It feels like a heat wave here......10 above with -15 windchill.....but the sun was out.
One question will I be able to get a 4x4 F250 CC/265's and clearance light thru a 7 foot door, my garage is 26' long.