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Ford Super Duty Continued - VIII
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Another reason for going to an F350 would be to get the dual rear wheels which will make towing the bobcat feel much nicer..
I've notice alot of folks around here who tow bobcats have dual rear wheels, but they also might be carrying alot in the bed too..
I'm not sure how much more an F350 dually cost vs and F250, but for folks who own small business', its better to have a little more than you need than a little less..
fyi: you'd be happy with either one, they're both SuperDutys.
As Bess mentioned, the advantage of the F-350 is the duallys or if you are carrying a lot of weight in the bed. Your truck will probably weigh close to 7,000 pounds. The GVWR of the F-250 is 8,800, so that leaves you just under 2,000 pounds of payload. Your payload will be the tongue weight of your trailer, the weight of your gear, and the weight of you and your passengers. The F-350 GVWR is 9,900 pounds, so you've got about an extra 1,000 pounds of payload. The GVWR of the F-350 dually is 11,200.
FYI, my truck is a 99 F-350 SC dually V-10 4x4, auto trans, AT tires and 4.30 axle ratio. I've got a 99 10'11" Bigfoot/Oakland 3000 truck camper with all the options. Loaded for a trip, my truck and camper tip the scales around 11,700, which is about 500 over GVWR. I'm closing in on 38,000 miles on the truck with about 1/3 of those miles with the camper in the bed. No complaints. Heading out fishing/camping again this weekend. The silver salmon are in up here in Alaska.
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1. Any body that owns a 5.4l, 5 speed, are you satisified with the power? Do you regret buying it?
2. Gas mileage?
Thanks for the help!
& 410 lb ft. I've seen #'s somewhere about the 2000 having 310 HP but not sure about torque.
Does anyone know what specifically the changed and more importantly can I retro them to mine?
I don't regret buying it. I wanted something easy to maintain that could tow good sized loads on occasion, and I think I got that. Of course, if my funds were unlimited, I'd have gotten the PSD because I think they're pretty cool!
2) My mileage has averaged 15 mpg, 80% back roads, 20% highway gridlock. It varies about 2-3 mpg either way depending on speed, load, and traffic conditions. I have a Y2K 4x4 regular cab.
Hope that helps.
00' F250 SC 4x2 5.4L 5sp 4.10LS.
1. The power is just fine, I don't regret it at all.. Your not going to outrun folks with the v10s, sports cars etc, but the truck has more than enough power to lead average traffic from light to light..
The 5sp doesn't shift as smootly as a sports car, but the clutch pull is light and it the truck has a decent feel to it when you step on the gas!
When on the highway, in the 50 to 70mph range it goes up the hills in WVA in OD without a problem.
I really like the 4.10 rear end..
2. MPG is pretty good. Early on I had 1 tank of less than 15mpg, but since then every tank has been at least 15.5mpg doing mixed city/highway driving. I took a trip where I did highway driving for alot of a tank and I came out with a 17.9 mpg. So I think 18+ is possible.. (even though I have the 4.10 rear end).
Basically, the mpg isn't that different from folks with the diesel, (running with no load of course).
The 5.4L is a great choice to have in addition to the V10 and PSD.
Now for the bad news. I had to leave the truck for 4 days waiting service even when I had an appointment. After I got the truck home I noticed that the upholstery on the rear seat had greasy hand and finger prints all over it (leather and cloth). I also found grease on the rear carpet and steering wheel. I'm not talking about a little bit of black grease here. I looks as though the mechanic did an oil change and didn't wash his hands before removing and installing the seat or taking my truck for a test drive. I had a long discussion with the service department this morning and plan to follow up with a letter. I think the mechanic did a great job of finding all those loose bolts, but just putting his greasy hands all over my interior is inexcusable. Oh, by the way, the carpet was not put back under the door runners either but just left hanging out on both sides of the truck.
I'll keep you all posted on the results of my letter, but as you can guess I'm very upset with this service department. There only excuse is that they are busy and short of mechanics. Like that is my problem. They also wouldn't assure me that my truck would receive better care on future visits.
Sorry to go on so long about this. I really wanted to let you know about all the loose mounting bolts associated with the "clunk".
The Service department is Reynolds Ford, Norman, OK
gordonp3...Have you gone to FORD's website and "built" your truck? Then send it to about 5 dealers around the southeast. I refered to doing this in post #354. A good place to check out in the Atlanta area is Akins Ford in Winder, GA. They have a huge selection. Good Luck.
http://www.hbscomputers.com/2001ford/
Did they happen to tell you what the proper torque is for the cab mounts? The rear ones are way easy to get too, and the front ones aren't too bad if your careful with the carpet..
Maybe someone else who has the shop manuals could help with torque specifications. I haven't shelled out the $200 for mine yet, I'll wait until the warranty expires..
00' F250 SC 4x2 5.4L 5sp 4.10LS
I currently own a 97 F150 larait 5.4l 3.55 ext cab sb and I am going to be ordering a new truck (F-250sd.)My problem is to get ext cab vs cc. It took me about 6 weeks to decide motors (v10). There is no cc around me to test so any help you can offer I thank you much. My dealer said 10 weeks to get it to me so I need to get off my duff and make up my mind.
Works great for kids(under 15, unless you have big kids. My kids are are only 1 and 4 years old).
The SC with shortbed will fit it most garages as its only a few inches longer, wider, higher, than an F150 SC.
The SC will fit 3 adults in the rear, but you wouldn't want them to ride there long or often..
The rear seats fold up (60/40 split), making it nice for hauling gear around.
As far as driving around town, the SC + shortbed is pretty nice..
CC:
If your kids are big, or if you'll adults riding in the rear, them CC is better for this. I've heard that the rear seats do not fold up/down, if thats an issue.
The CC + shortbed is longer than many vehicles and may not fit in the garage. Driving around town, its a bit longer, and you'll notice it in some parking lots, but folks seem to quickly get used to it.
If your towing heavy loads, in theory the longer wheelbase will be welcome..
I think the CC+ longbed is ALOT of truck.
Also, check the hauling capacity of the CC vs SC, because I think the SC might be rated to carry more in the bed. (I don't have the book in front of me to look it up).
I've not heard of any big complaints from either truck, so you can't go wrong..
Fordtuf your brother must be a GREAT MAN lol
Thanks agian
having said that, if a cc won't fit in your garage or you live in a city where parking becomes an issue, then you'll want an sc. sorry about the longwinded .02...
everyone else: what's up with the firestone tires on our trucks v. the recall tires. they are saying that (so far)it only applies to 15" tires, but were our 16" tires made at the same facilities and/or by the same process?
My kids are 8,11,and 14 years and 5', 5'5", and 6'. The rear seat was wide enough for them and their Gameboys, backpacks, etc. I had a 94 SC when they were little and I'll probably go back to a SC when they're grown, but for now, I need to carry 5-6 all the time and comfortably.
The truck is a CC, SB,4x4 with v10, 3.73 and auto. I pulled 6,000# @ 65-75 mph up and down the eastern seaboard for a week. I got 11 mpg @ 65 with the a/c and windows up; 10 mpg @ 65 with the windows down; 9 mpg @ 70 with the windows down; 10 mpg @ 70 with the windows up and a/c.
Regarding parking, etc. This is a BIG truck with a huge turning radius. fordtuf and I participated in a focus group a couple of weeks ago. Apparently FoMoCo is considering offering a four wheel steer option to address that. It was COOL.
I had a good laugh on vacation. I was sitting at a light in a small town in Virginia near Washington, DC and I saw another guy in a 4x4, CC SD trying to make a U-turn at an intersection. He was all over the landscaping, curbing, etc. and it was a divided highway. He saw me looking at him and laughing at him in my red CC across the street and he just laughed back and waved. Sorta like misery loves company, but it's worth it in the long run.
Sorry for the long post, but if you need a CC, get one. If you don't, don't. They are extremely nice if you need the space. (and much cheaper than an Excursion).
Regarding tires. Our tires are a different size and model than the recalls. I'm HOPING they were made somewhere else. Anyone know for sure?
I was at Reynolds last week to get a new CD/radio put in because the CD player was erratic. Several others have had problems with the CD ... just hope not every problem is catchy.
Happy Motoring
The service writer said that he had seen this steering wheel problem only one other time. Didn't sound like a common problem. Good news is that they will replace it with no questions asked. (I only hope they wear their gloves when the do!).
I'm also eager to see if they replace the cup holder with the new model. Actually nothing was wrong with the old one. I just thought I would give it a try. If they replace it with the old style, I'll just have the grandkids play with it and try again. Parts take around a month to arrive. I'll let you know how this turns out.
The cab noise is very obvious. I happens especially when you are turning the truck onto an incline such as a driveway. Any time that the frame is twisted by a tight turn of some type and the front wheels go up or down such as dip in the road at an intersection. I only noticed it at low speeds. I read where you had done some serious four-wheeling. I think you would have noticed it then if you had the problem.
I haven't played the CD for any length of time. How long does it take for it to act up. I would like to test mine.
sorry about sending two messages, but I have a serious case of oldtimers.
With the installation, there are no gaps. The mounting system includes a bar that goes across the bed rail next to the cab to which the cover is fastened to. The other rails are secured on the bed caps with clamps and the last rail goes across the tailgate and is removable.
There is some bed rail cap showing as the cover gets closer to the cab. The bed walls flare out a bit by the cab to remain flush with the super-cab doors(i think). Anyway, the cover is flush by the tailgate and gradually flares in toward the cab. At the cab, there is about 1 inch of bed rail cap showing.
As with anything, the quality of final product is determined by the experience of the installer. There is a really good installer here in central ILL. that I would highly recommend if anyone was in the market in this area. The ONLY downside...CLEANING!! Bought an wash mit with extension at WALMART to help clean the cover during washing. The Xtang company DOES NOT recommend Armor-All or any of those products on thier covers.
Hope this answers your questions.....
Sorry Bess. With all these posts, it's hard to keep who said what straight.
I play the CD player a lot. Never had a problem from 12/29/99 til 7/27/00 (7 months)... never heard a skip over bumps .... 4-wheeling ... etc. Was driving some distance and after about 2 hours the CD quit for a few seconds ... then played for a few ... then quit for 10 seconds ... back on ... so I took out the CD expecting it to be too hot to handle (as reported here by other folks).... it was a little warm but not at all hot. I felt the front of the radio and didn't feel anything overly warm .... so don't know what went wrong. I tried to play it again later and it did all kinds of funny things .... skip over bumps ... quit erratically ... even played properly for 20 minutes. All this happened in Iowa where the temp was between 75-80 degrees ... not here in OKY land where it has been 100+ for weeks .... so outside temp shouldn't have been the problem. The new CD works fine so far.
Hope some of this rambling makes sense.
New problem: now I have a pop/crack noise in the center cab area under driver's seat. Seems to happen under normal acceleration or braking. Bumps don't bother it. Here we go again!!
Also I noticed that my cover on my steering wheel is loose too, just a little bit on both sides just past the cruise buttons. Has the dealers fixed this problem on any of your vechiles.
One way to get rid of the pop/crack noise in the
center cab area under your driver's seat is to have the dealer loosen the cab bolts and put gobs of grease on the carpet .... sorry .... couldn't resist that. Hope they fix it for you.
My wife had good luck with some service work on a Mercury Villager at Diffee's in El Reno. We had never used them before but wife had a great experience. I tried to buy my truck from them last Fall, but they wanted $1500 over invoice and wouldn't budge.
We bought Lincolns and Mercurys from Fred Jones in Oky City since the late 70's. Three years ago they screwed us over on a few service jobs .... about the same time they bought up most of the Ford dealerships in the City .... so I will never deal with them again.
Happy Motoring!
Wildside1: I hope to remain with Reynolds for my service. I live in Norman and they provide a shuttle that drops me off at work if I need to leave the truck. We will see how this next visit turns out. I'm going to report the new cab noise when I take it in for the new steering wheel and cup holder. I suspect that the center cab mount probably needs to be loosened and retorqued. At least the noise is easy to repeat and they will have no problem finding it.
http://www.autonews.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+autonews.nab.ShowArchiveArtical?id=229154&type=archive&query=SUPER_OR_DUTY.
Regards
But before I do, I have a few questions. What, exactly, are roof clearance lights? Are the heated seats offered on independent controls or do both seats get heated the same? I see an engine block heater option. Doesn't the diesel come with a block pre-heater? Finally, what is the reverse vehicle aid sensor?
I'm also curious about the fuel economy of the PSD. We're looking to put a camper on the new truck and go see some of God's country. The diesel seems like a good idea but, with the $4k premium, I'd like to know what the fuel is going to cost.
Thanks ahead. Great discussion group.
Has anyone noticed the bed on the 2000's not lining up with the cab. Mine is even on the right side but set in about 3/8 inch on the left. No big deal it's just the first thing I notice every time i look in the mirror. I know don't look!
The weight of the camper will impact the mpg. I know someone with a 4,000 pound truck camper on a 99 Superduty deisel and he gets around 13.5 hwy. I have the exact same camper and a very similar truck except my truck is a 99 V-10 with 4.30. I get 8.5-9 hwy with the camper on. The 4.30s cost me some mpg. I get 11.5-12 mpg hwy running empty, whereas the guys with the 3.73 seem to be getting around 2mpg better. Some of the mpg difference between my truck and the average truck with 3.73 may be that mine is a 4wd dually also.
A general rule of thumb in reference to mpg differences that appears to be pretty accurate is to figure on the diesel getting 2-5 mpg better towing and probably closer to 5-7mpg better empty. The breakeven of mpg vs initial cost of the diesel depends on your driving habits and what you do with the truck. I've heard figures as low as 80,000 miles and as high as 180,000. Remember that there are some added cost to maintain the diesel. You've got 15 quarts of oil and more expensive filters. Ford also wants about $300 more for the 30,000 mile checkup.
It all boils down to this: Personal preference! If you want a diesel and can spend the big $$ to get it, buy it! If you want a gas engine get it! Trying to figure out the economics of the gas vs. diesel debate will make you crazy. I've seen claims to a break-even point at anywhere from 60,000 miles to 400,000 miles.
Me? I am going to order the diesel. The higher gas mileage combined with expected longevity(plus I just want one) convinced me. I don't mind the smell, I like the noise, and it gives me a good reason to start changing my own oil again. I plan on running this thing till it falls apart, then putting it back together and running it some more(I like not having a payment for a while)!!
Good luck!
However, a few days ago, the popping stopped!!! ??? geez..
The biggest difference: we've had some of the coldest days this summer. (got down to the 50's, with highs in the low 80's..) The past few months its hit 95 about every day, with a low in the 70's..
I called the dealer, spoke with the service manager briefly and canceled my appointment for today. No sense wasting their time or mine if the problem can't be recreated for the techs.
He said, when it starts happening again, just drop by..
Just my luck I guess..
Does anyone have any experience with the heated seats or reverse vehicle aid sensor?
Thanks.
It took a little over two weeks for the parts to get in. Not bad, really.
Wildside1: They did forget to grease the seats this time but I'm not disappointed, ha, ha!
I'm working on a radar unit good for up to 30 feet now. The trick is if it will enable a back up alarm only when the object is detected.
I've seen the option for heated seats but not tried them out to compare them to Volvo or Cadillac units.
EEE
Thanks
Goode Luck