Ford Super Duty Continued - VII

bess

Welcome anonymous.. You almost sound like our own crazyelvis.. is it really you?

'You'll have to be a little sneaky when talking to the yard or the haul away carrier cause they don't like taking calls from the public'

Oh, we need real truck info in our posts. uh, my SD averages about 15 to 16 mpg. mixed driving..

Y2K F250 XLT SC 4x2 5.4L 5sp 4.10LS

snowey

The hitch has a Ford V-5 sticker on it and it has the 500/10,000 rating without equalizer bars. That's what I've seen on all class 5's. I discoverd today that the side tubes on the hitch are not really designed for camper tiedowns, just look like it. Had a fabricating shop easily add what I needed to secure the camper down to removable bars though so it's gonna work out great. I just love the truck. It gets it's first big workout this weekend with camper and full horse trailer going over the Cascades. What a luxury!

crazyelvis

I AM NOT ANONYMOUS!!!...ha ha.
When my truck was "stuck at the yard" I went to Yahoo yellow pages...typed in railroad..for the city I knew the railhead was in....and voila...there was the number to the yard. I called.....pretended I was my salesman....said I had a VERY important client..he he....and had my truck on the transport that day. Just takes a little investigation and a little b*lls.....
Saw a new F150 SuperCrew Lariat on the lot yesterday.....$34,000....CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???!!!
I knew them things would be expensive....a hot item......

dwucher

Bess, thanks for the reply on the clunking. I was told by the ford shop foreman that it was not good to start out in second gear on the 5 speed. Another service person told me that 2 would be ok, but 1st was probably better. Does anybody have any more information on this shifting thing with the 5 speed. Also, does anyone with the 5sp cc 4x4 have the really loud clunking noise when clutching. At first I thought it sounded like extra play in the drivetrain. I checked everything that I could underneath, and everthing seems really tight. Now it sounds like the noise comes from the front end. Like something is loose. I can make it happen when I let out the clutch rather quickly in 1st and 2nd. But when I am running at 50 or 60 and let up and step on the gas quickly everything seems real tight. Dealership tells me that it is normal. But how can metal on metal banging be normal? For the money I paid, I didn't expect something like this to be normal. Any information would be very helpful. Thanks

northpole1

Is anyone else having this problem...When I play a CD, then try to eject it, I get a "CD ERR" message. I don't know what causes the error, but sometimes the player will "keep" the CD. I have to turn the ignition off then on and it "resets" then works fine for a CD or 2. The manual says to look for things like upside down CDs (duh) and too hot (200 degrees C...that's like 500 F). It did it from the first CD I played from new and it does it on them all. It's not dirt, water, or wind. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks.

summitx

WAR - RAN - TY!

Get it replaced! I just sent my stereo out of my 98 Ranger in for repair because the display lights were out. The warranty is barely expired for mileage and it cost me $220! I've heard of alot of other problems with Ford factory radios.

dwucher

I've checked underneath again. I'm almost positive that this clunk,clunk is coming from the clutch housing area. Put into 1st gear, let out slowing on the clutch until truck begins to move, push clutch back in, and cluck clunck. Any ideas.

northpole1

Yeah, I'm not afraid to use the warranty; I was just looking for a self-help fix. I know the dealer will just take the sucker out and ship it off. I'd rather not do without the radio for the 2 months it'd be gone.

northpole1

I emailed that info to you this morning about the antenna. Thanks alot!

Send me some of that 55 MPG while you're at it...my V-10 is keeping OPEC in business!!

bess

The ford shop foreman that you spoke with is mistaken.
In the 99' book I saw the ratios for all of the gears for both the 5sp, 6sp and auto tranny.
On both the 5sp and 6sp, the lowest gear (1st on the 5sp, and Low on the 6sp) is a creeeper designed to get a heavy load rolling.
The next gear (2nd on the 5sp, and 1st on the 6sp), is still a much higher ratio than 1st on the auto tranny. I which I still had the booklet (for the 99 superduty) and I would post the ratios.

Also, at the factory they drive every truck off the line starting in... 2nd gear..

Note that the SD tranny is designed different than light truck (like a Ranger) and car manual tranny's, which don't have 'creeper' low gears designed for towing.

I also hear the clunking much louder on the rare occasions I've used first.. And its difficult to get a smooth shift from 1st to 2nd because one tends to over rev in 1st.

I believe the 'clunking' we are hearing is within the tranny itself, and is likely more prevalent in 1st/2nd because the difference in meshing gear sizes is the greatest then.

I think this is normal for a truck the size of the Superduty. It's certainly not a car or my old Ranger.
Go to another and see if you can find a 5sp w/ the 5.4L or V10 to drive. You'll hear the same thing..

Speaking of hearing things. You hearing the 'exhaust flutter' which sounds a little like an engine ping when you accelerate in 3rd/4th/od?

dwucher

I read a post on ford-diesel from someone that said this noise comes from the fact that the dual mass flywheel is no longer being used. It was phased out because of high maint. He said it was better to have the noise than to get it fixed all of the time. It does seem to happen in 1st all of the time. 2nd a little bit. Sounds like you have the answer on the shifting though. 2nd sounds better to me. I have the v10 with a 4.30ls. 1st is really lowwww! It shifts smooth, and seems to get better as I go. Only 100 miles so far. I have a Toyota 4x4 v6 and shift around 2800 to 3000 maybe a bit more at times. It seems that the engine is ready to at about these rpms on the v10. When I compare it to the guide, it seems to be about right. This whole clunking thing is about to drive me crazy! But I do love the truck. I have a call in to a real good friend of mine who is a shop manager/mechanic for lincoln. I will see what he says about the clunking. If I have to live with it I will. It can be a little embarassing though, when you show someone your new beast, and it clunks.

dwucher

Got carried away. I have the dealer trying to find another cc 5sp. Not many. Drove a 6sp 450 diesel chasis, and it did not do it. But your right, to much noise to really tell. I don't hear the flutter, maybe because of the v10. It seems that the beast wants to run around in 5th gear in anything over 45/50. At 65 on the freeway I get 2300/2400 rpm with 4.30ls. My fuel gauge is on 1/2 tank of 1st tank, and I've gone 130 miles. Looks to be around 8/9 so far. Hope it gets a little better!!!

bowhuntwi

After arriving home from a trip to northern wisc. my wife was looking for something in glove box. She noticed the back side was quite hot, I guess we will be able to pick up cold cuts and hot sandwiches next time. Has anybody noticed this with there trucks.

bobh12

I think there maybe a defroster duct that runs behind there and that is what caused the hot glove box. I know it is one of the causes of the "HOT CD" indication, that shows up sometimes. Ford is aware of the problem in the F-150s and SDs, but I have read it will take a design change.

sherwoodfor

first, congrats on your truck. second, i just can't resist asking how you were able to pinpoint these sounds while driving or shifting - you must be a stuntman.

dwucher

At first I wasn't sure. Being a computer programmer I used process of elimination. I crawled under the beast and checked for anything that could possibly be loose. When that wasn't the case, I tried the shifting and pinpointed the location from inside the cab. After crawling under the truck again(which isn't hard at all) the only thing in that spot was the clutch housing. I would have let my wife try the clutch while I was looking, but we all know better than that!

djpstman

Here is perhaps an odd question:
I ordered an F350 CC in January, still a have not, and wondered exactly what the privacy glass option gets me? My understanding is that the two rear windows and the rear sliding window will be a heavy tint, which I expect. My question is does the front windshield differ with this option? Does the front windshield have that annoying heavy tint at the first 6 or 8 inches that is on many American cars? I am over 6' and have found on many vehicles that I am looking right into that heavy tint. I noticed an F150 in a parking lot that had the tint bar and it made me wonder if the SuperDuties have it. Anyone know or have the same problem?

lewac

dwucher... bess once again appears to have it correct. anyhow, people that drive manual's over the years "know" when something just does not sound right. so in the 1st couple of gears you may get some "play" if you're not "meshing" cleanly... feels "jerky" & sounds a little "clunky" too (remember when you first learned to drive a manual?). but if you're getting "clunk" with NO "jerk"?... I'd have to say something's probably amiss. finally, fwiw. the only time we have "clunk" is when I don't get a "clean" shift with a good "mesh" in the lower gears (which generally happens if I'm trying to "hurry" the truck through the gears... have to remember that this is NOT a high performance motorcycle, here). and note that the "clunk" is not a "clank"... like metal on metal contact. as Bess mentioned, I'd go to the dealer & drive a similar config (v10, 4X4, manual with the 4.3) to determine if the demo exhibits the same behavior as your truck.

off topic.. you looking at Linux at all? the stuff over there is all open source! the problem is not many app development tools but Corel is about to change that with the purchase of Inprise. this upgrade thing with MS is getting just a little bit ludicrous (I see them as nothing but revenue "generators" for MS with very little useful added functionality). these OS's ought to be faster & more robust... not clunkier, & more resource hungry than ever with suspect robustness (compared to desktop OS's like OS/2). if you've any comment on this send to email (it's on my profile).

djpstman... the tint options don't affect the front seat side windows or windshield so the shield does NOT have the "gradient" tint that you're describing.

highdesertrat

My truck has the privacy glass and the heavy tinted stripe across the top of the windshield. I'm not sure if that is standard equipment or part of the privacy glass option. Anyway, I'm over 6' also and experience no problems with the tinted stripe, but you should check it out before you buy.

lilelmo

No particular order:
Windshield/tint
I'm 6'4" and hate those top tinted windshields, too. This is not a problem on my 250 SD. No top tint and the roof is NOT in the way. Maybe it's a regional thing? The rear privacy glass is about 35% (limited by law in GA) and you get the rear slider, too. I can see great out the windshield.

CD: I had mine replaced within a week of delivery. Same symptoms: No eject, error message, stop and re start. Interesting that the owner's manual says to check for hot conditions. They pulled it and replaced it in 5 minutes. Go for it, you paid several hundred bucks for that thing.

Clunking: I've got the V10 and auto. No clunking, but when I go in or out of a driveway too fast, I get a gawd awful clunk from the suspension. I suspect that I still expect it to sound like my old 150 with front coil springs. This beast has four leaf springs. Massive, but it moves slow. If I remember this is a truck, not a toy, I don't get a sound.

Changed the oil at 1,000 miles. Figured if it's good enough for Mercedes, it's good enough for the SD. Interesting tiny crud left in the bottom of the drain pan when I recycled the old oil. Looked like tiny shavings. Glad I got them out.

I've looked high and low for low sided floor mats. The closest I could find were those from Fox Enterprises, but I just didn't want to pay $100 to wipe my feet. I finally found some trim to fits from Kraco at K-Mart that are almost just right for $30. Right color, too. Close enough.

Getting 13 mpg consistly in mixed driving with 14.5 on the road. Gas here northeast of Atlanta was $1.29 today at QT.

I like this truck. It looks just the right size after a month, but it's a pain to park. (250 CC,SB) Pity the CC LB owner. :-)

Long post, but I had to catch up.

sherwoodfor

you have a very logical approach to ascertaining your problem, but from your description it sounded like you were doing an imitation of "indiana jones" - hooked on to the bottom of your truck while the mrs. drove you around. hopefully it turns out not to be a problem at all.
incidentally, the bnsf has apparently unloaded my truck in naperville, ill (which i can't find on a map). now lets hope that the darn thing doesn't get distracted by some slick sportscar and miss it's ride here...

bfriesen

I have 250 CC PS 4wd Auto. One problem I have noticed is that after startup if I back up and turn at the same time at idle, the motor runs rough. I thought at first that it might be the power steering pump taking up too much hp, but now I'm not sure. Any other ideas?

I have had a power chip installed. MPG was 22.5 at 70 MPH for 60 miles. I couldn't belive it. There are about 10 PS in my area and all of the owners are saying there milage increase considerably.

I've noticed that several people have changed their oil before 3,000 mi on the first change. I have always understood that one should leave the break-in oil in long enough to seat the rings properly. Changing it out early may cause the motor to use more oil later on. I may be wrong about that.

bfriesen

I hate it when people use there instead of their.

sorry

ibsmurf

dwucher and bess, these are the tranny ratios per the 2000 commercial vehicles catalog:
5spd - 1st 5.72 - 2nd 2.94 - 3rd 1.61 - 4th 1.00 - 5th 0.76
6spd - low 5.79 - 1st 3.31 - 2nd 2.10 - 3rd 1.31 - 4th 1.00 - 5th 0.72
auto - 1st 2.71 - 2nd 1.54 - 3rd 1.00 - 4th 0.71

I drive a v10 5spd and always start in 2nd when unloaded. the only time 1st gets used is loaded or when I want to creep in traffic instead of riding the clutch.

tom169

My V10 with auto make the damned flutter noise. I hate it and its driving me nuts!!!

Powerstroke, as for your rough idle when backing and turning... I'VE GOT THAT TOO!!! Ford change the rear carrier and shims but its still there!

Cold start, backing up slowly and usually turning the wheel... Thump, shudder, shudder, shake. That too is driving me bonkers. I'm losing my mind litlle by little and I didn't have a lot to start with.

Any IDEAS Guys???

Brutus

psmith,

I financed my 92 truck via Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. My job transferred me out of state in 93. I bought my Superduty from a dealership in Oklahoma when I lived in Dallas and I financed it through Alaska USA. I financed my camper on the same loan, wrapping them both up in a RV loan. I had Alaska USA send the camper dealer payment in full, and then the balance of the loan to the truck dealer. I carried a cashier's check to the dealer to close the deal, but they already had a good chunk of the money before I got there. They also had a written commitment to Alaska USA to sell me the exact truck with the exact VIN before Alaska USA would give them the check, so there was no chance they could sell the truck to someone else after I flew up to get the truck.

Alaska USA will take care of your tags and registration also. Make sure that the out-of-state dealer knows that you will not be paying their local sales tax. As long as your registering the truck in Alaska, you pay our sales tax, which of course is zero. When I bought my truck in Oklahoma, I paid my local sales tax in Texas, not the OK tax.

snowey,

I have a 4,000 pound slide-in camper. I have frame mounts for my tie-downs and wouldn't have it any other way. The camper dealer put them on as part of the installation. As far as the sag, I have a dually and my truck squats a bit. It looks level, but it is definitely sitting back a bit. I've got close to 29,000 on the truck, with about 10,000 of that with the camper on. I'm probably going to put air bags on the truck in May so it rides at the level it was designed to operate most efficiently. I haven't had any handling problems without the air bags, though.

northpole,

I can't believe Walmart in Wasilla or Anchorage didn't have one. I wonder if Home Depot, Fred Meyer or Eagle Hardware would have had one? Did you know they were planning to expand the Wasilla Walmart and one is opening up in Eagle River in a month or so?

I can relate to your dirty truck. I rotated my tires yesterday and the guy looked at my truck and asked if it was black. I knew our February and March were to mild to be true. We got dumped on with about six inches of snow in town on Monday and the Hillside area got over a foot. I suspect it will be gone next week. We do have over 12 hours of daylight now and it's getting brighter every day. It's almost time to dust off the fishing gear and vacuum sealer.

dwucher

ibsmurf, thanks for the ratios, I couldn't find them anywhere.

Sherwoodfor, my truck arived at the rail in Mesquite on a thrusday, and was at the dealer on monday. Good luck! I do feal like Indiana Jones when I am driving the truck, it is great!!!

Lewac, what you describe is exactly what I am hearing. It does clunk, not clank, and it does not do it without jerking. Driving habits have really changed. Have to wait for a clearence every time I pull out. Won't race any mustangs with this thing. I will still try to drive another, just to ease my pain. I'll e-mail you about the linux.

When I get the "that's the way it's supposed to sound" from the dealer, it reminds me of how people must feel when I tell them they have to reboot ther PC's. I guess the best way is research the stuff yourself, and ya'll have made that much easier for me.

Thanks!!!!

bess

Lewac, I know what dwucher is talking about.. It is a different kind of clunk than just a bad shift.
If your in 1st or 2nd rolling along at idle, then push the clutch in.. There's a little extra thud that occurs..
Heres my theory of whats happening: simply gear mesh.. Prior to pushing the clutch in, the tranny is driving the wheels (driveshaft). When you push the clutch in, the wheels (drivshaft) is driving the tranny. At that instant, the load switches from one side of the mesh to the other.. This is the clunk..
The reason you don't hear it at high speed:
- The tranny is spinning much faster, so the transition isn't as harsh (clutch out to clutch in)
- At speed theres more road noise to hide it.
- Gear mesh might be a little cleaner..

Sorry, I don't mean to beat this subject to death.
Hopefully it makes dwucher feel a little better..

lilelmo

My theory is this: These engines are not built in a "clean room" like NASCAR garages do. They have dirt, dust, left shavings,etc. left in the block.

The first oil is the same weight as the later oil, in this case, 5W30 as recommended by the factory. No special break in oil is used. Why not get the trash out that doesn't wind up in the filter as soon as possible? The first oil is obviously washing the insides of the engine down. It was pretty filthy. Oil doesn't lose it's lubricating properties until it begins to break down at the molecular level and separate out, and the reason it starts out clean and gets dark is that the additives in the oil are catching the carbon, and other crud and taking them away from the vital spots in suspension.

So I can't really see that waiting does anything particularly good for the engine and early change may not help,but it won't hurt either. My $.02.

koakey

bfriesen, I'd have to agree with lewac. The first oil in the engine is regular oil with the addition of fluid that shows up in black light (to make leak checks easier during manufacturing). I dropped the oil (well, my husband did at 1K, nothing noticable on the magnetic drain plug. It'll probably get switched to synthetic at 3K (leaving "natural" oil in for breakin for the first 3K).

Tom169, haven't heard of any complains with cold backups before. (And I back in almost everyplace so any cold moving I do is forward.) You might check www.ford-diesel.com and see if anyone there knows whats going on or has any ideas...

northpole1

Look in JC Whitney or Cabela's. They both (and others I assume) sell a brand made by Catch All out of Ohio. These are very good, color matched, carpeted mats for both the fronts and rears, plus for the SUV community they have cargo area liners.

They're molded to fit the trans humps and anchor to the factory carpet. I really like mine; we still have a lot of snow and other assorted debris and so far they've been bulletproof.

mainecowgirl

You asked me awhile back what my build date was. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Here's my history:
Ordered: 1/20
Order "cancelled" by Ford: 2/15
Order submitted to factory: 3/7
Build date: 3/27
ETA: week of 4/17
'00 F250 SC SB V-10 auto 4X4 4.3LS Lariat Dk. Toreador Red.

When I ordered my salesman said their average had been 10-12 weeks for a truck order. So far they are right on the money. Kallis Ford, Belfast, ME. Great, honest folks.

mainecowgirl

I think my truck got "cancelled" on Feb. 28th

djpstman

Thanks lilelmo for your info, I thought I would be the only one who notices this. When I test drove a Chev@#% truck I noticed the tint right away so I ruled that off my list. When I test drove the Ford I didn't see one but it didn't have Privacy glass. I wanted the privacy glass to shield the little ones from the sun but I started wondering if the front windshield is different. I hope it is the same windshield !!!!

sherwoodfor

thank you for your info - it couldn't possibly be more specific. of those 2 numbers, who might be the best contact to get an idea of when my truck might get loaded up and on it's way to me? still shows as "unloaded" on the bnsf website. btw, what were you doing in naperville, tracking down your sd? thanks again.

sherwoodfor

thank you for your info - it couldn't possibly be more specific. of those 2 numbers, who might be the best contact to get an idea of when my truck might get loaded up and on it's way to me? still shows as "unloaded" on the bnsf website. btw, what were you doing in naperville, tracking down your sd? thanks again.

lilelmo

norhtpole1: I've been meaning to check JCWhitney. Thanks.

koakey-I didn't know about the black light tracer fluid, you are just a veritable FOUNT of information! I'm still in awe. :-) (I just gotta ask, what's your occupation? )

As big Elmo used to say, "Boy, you'll learn something new every day if you pay attention."

koakey

djpstman, I've got the privacy glass and the front windshield has no tint (although the top 1/2" has a funny little cross-hatch pattern on it).

lilelmo, check also www.performanceproducts.com . Don't know if they have the Catch-Alls yet on their web page but in their latest catalog they're in there. If you order 2 (in my case, fronts and backs) you get 10% off. I had the stock floor mats in my truck less than 12 hours (overnight). The Catch-alls were waiting for it to come home and I'm very pleased with them.

As for the 'fount of information' I'd like to take the credit but I've learned almost all of it from www.ford-diesel.com . That place is an incredible collection of knowledge (that's where I learned about the Snugtop, Catch-alls, and glow-in-the-black-light googum in the factory oil (plus tons of other things

Me? I'm a software engineer...

djpstman

Thanks for the window info. It makes me so much better knowing I won't have to sloop to see out the window !!!

When I got home last night I had a message that my truck is schedule for build the week of April 24th. VORA dated January 31. F350 XLT 4x4 CC LWB V10. Is it about 4 weeks after build for delivery? I am trying to time selling my current 93 F250. Plus, the salesman told me that he didn't have all the VIN #'s yet. He did tell me it starts with 1F. Should he know all the numbers now? I have looked at the info on this website and thought that once I have a build date, I'm serialized, and should have a VIN #. Am I assuming too much?
Thanks for the advice !!!

koakey

I don't think a build week correlates to being serialized (but I don't remember right off hand).

However, once you're serialized, you should have the full VIN. I'd also be thinking that if you have a "partial" VIN that the full VIN should be available unless your sls rep is pulling your leg and hoping that the truck will be built at KTP and give you the VIN starting with '1'.

As I sit here and try to remember, I *think* I got the VIN before the build date...

sherwoodfor

i called the number you gave me and without asking me any questions, they told me which carrier had my rig, what their # was, and who the person was that i should ask for. did that, and they told me my truck would be delivered tonight. didn't even have to be sneaky, although it helps to speak the language (used to be a distribution mgr. for proctor and gamble).
anyway, thanks again for the perfect info.
what config did you get?

all: i have looked for the darn ford-diesel site which has the checklist for picking up your rig, but can't find it. even went back to post #300 in sdvi, and still can't find it. does anyone have that thread easily at hand? much appreciated if you could post it.

adubahbi

3/21 shipped via rail carrier - God pls don't repeat Lewac's experience.

2000 F250SD CC LB Lariat 4x4 v10 auto 3.73LS green/gold tow etc

ordered 12/21, built and released 3/16

LineX, RollNLock, undercoating/rustproofing, Ford molded splash guards and Wraparound bug shield planned, 6.99% Auto Equity Loan expected

jjones673

yielded 13.6 mpg: 60/40 hwy/city driving; 250 crew 4x4 long bed v10 5-speed

dwucher

jjones673, i have the 4x4 v10 5sp cc. do you get the clunking noise in the drive train? Check post #228. My first tank is just about finished and i'm getting around 10, so it seems.

sherwoodfor, http://www.ford-diesel.com/faq/1999faq/General-NVC.htm

djptsman, i was serialized 2 days before i got my build date, and the dealer was able to get the number as soon as it happened.

roxband

adubahbi, jjones673, dwucher:
looks like y'all have the F-250SD, V-10's in 4x4 (just what I'm gonna get) and it appears the mileage is about 10-13 mpg with this engine. Any body have heavy trailer towing experience with these engines? I've heard they turn into real gas guzzlers and dogs when hooked to trailers.

I'm opting for the diesel if this is true.

dwucher

My first tank turned out to be 11.5 I have the 4.30ls so anything above this and i will love it. This was with no towing, and getting used to the weight and clutch. I would imagine that heavy towing would produce much less mileage rates than this. I am not a heavy tower, if so, i would have opted for the diesel. Ford-Diesel.com has tons of information for you, but it is seperated into diesel/gassers. Most of the information is in the diesel section. I have found the mix of ford people on this site to be very informative. There are people with diesels getting over 20 mpg, so they say, and most diesel owners tow. Good luck.

porky

We have a small travel trailer, tow behind, (not a 5th wheel) and haven't had a LOT of experience pulling it with the truck yet. What I can say is that the truck with a V-10/Auto does a real fine job of pulling 8000+ Lbs. We have a long bed crew cab 4x4 with a raised canopy, another 7500+ Lbs (I'm guessing) and so far I'm tickled PINK at the stability and power of the platform. Of course comparing it to what I used to pull our trailer with, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, it doesn't take much to please me. Not ragging on the Jeep either, it did an OK job, it's just that the trailer was longer and heavier than the vehicle -- and in a strong gust of wind I have suddenly changed lanes unintentionally!!!! My .02

porky

Well, I just pulled my travel trailer home after getting some work done on it and got an unpleasant surprise. We live in a development that is on a hillside and then flattens out on top. Our house sits on top of this hill with a long winding access road that is (guessing) a 20%-30% grade. This is the first time that I have pulled the trailer UP the hill to bring it home and decided to address the hill in SECOND gear. To my surprise, after the truck and trailer were on the hill it slowed down (slipping clutches) to a halt at 1500rpm -2000rpm and could NOT get it going !!! I shifted into FIRST and was able to go up, NO problem - in DRIVE - NO problem. This is with the overdrive turned off. I later tried going up without the trailer and tested the transmission once more, and to my dismay I got the same results. It's too late to get it in to the dealer, but I left a message with the service department and hope to hear from them SOON. HOPE that nobody else has the same problem! A friend of mine told me that FORDS "weak link" was it's transmission. I guess now I believe him.

jjones673

no clunking noise, although 1st gear is really LOW even in the 3.73; I sometimes start out in 2nd, but have quickly gotten used to going from 1st to 2nd--Jeff

jraske

Yesterday while backing out of a parking spot I noticed what felt like the front tires rubbing, as I pulled back into the space I noticed the same thing. I had the wife turn the wheels as far as possible both ways and found out they are nowhere near hitting anything. It doesn't feel like the engine is running rough.
Is this the same problem you both mention, or is mine a different problem? I am going to call the dealer Monday and have them check it out.
John