Ford Super duty - Continued III

Brutus · November 1999

The reason the axle ratio was changed from 4.10 to 4.30 by the dealer is because the 4.10 is only available with the 5.4L V-8 and PSD. The available axle ratios with the V-10 are 3.73 and 4.30. If you're not towing heavy regularly, the 3.73 is probably the way to go and will save you 1-2 mpg. When I bought my truck, you could not get the 3.73 l/s option with the auto or manual tranny. The only way to get the l/s with the dually 4x4 was to get the 4.30 axle ratio, which is what I got. Personally, I like the 4.30s, but the mpg wasn't a factor in my purchase.

6 1/2 hours of daylight today in Anchorage. We've got another hour to lose by 12/21, before it starts climbing back the other direction to 18+ hours on 6/21.

rindal · November 1999

Gossamar
I would be vary interested in learning more about your upgrades. Did the exhaust or Jet chip noticeably increase your performance? If so how?
Does the chip require premium fuel? Any and all performance information is my primary conference interest. Thanks

todlake · November 1999

Has anyone added the Ford molded black mudflaps to their SD? If so, how do you like them, how easy to install, quality, do they seem to help much, etc? Thanks for any info...

rflint · November 1999

ford tried to tell me they best they could do was 8.9% regardless of how much you were putting down or the years financed,screw them!! went to a local bank and rec 6.49% 4yr loan..muck better for me anyway

shotgun1 · November 1999

Snuck over to the dealer to see truck before this afternoon's p/u. To my surprise, the SC truck I ordered with bucket seats, arrived with a full bench and a 1.5 inch scratch on the passenger door! Dealer doesn't know I'm aware yet. Has scheduled a 4pm p/u so it will be dark. I'm betting he's going to try to slip the scratch by me. As for seats, can they be swapped out if the dealer orders the buckets or will there be left over holes in the floor from the bench. Any help and ammo you all can provide before I face them is appreciated.

wab3 · November 1999

If my SD shows up with *any* option different than what I ordered, I'm walking off the lot and across the street to buy a Silverado. Of course, I'm going to have a cashier's check for the full sales price in hand and that may give me more leverage than folks who are financing. But still, customers who are ordering vehicles and waiting should be treated like royalty. We represent virtually guaranteed profit to Ford and the dealership since very few customers default on orders.

Anyone got an opinion on the cornering or SD's with LS differentials? I've heard that some LS diffs can effect lock-to-lock maneuvering, like when you're cranking the wheel back and forth when parking, due to limits of free-wheel rates between the hubs.

bess · November 1999

I've been treated extremely well by my dealership, and as w/ most folks, we got exactly what we orderded..

The limited slip diff is only on the rear diff not the front. So it will not affect the turning of the front wheels at all..
Because its a 'limited slip' and not a full lock in the rear, there isn't any push either. So limited slip is not an issue when cornering..

bess · November 1999

I'm sure the dealer won't try to 'sneak' anything by you. The will repair the scratch so it better than new and bill FORD..

Brutus · November 1999

People that I know who are ordering Silverados are waiting just as long. My recommendation is buy the truck you want and don't settle for something else. A couple years down the road, you're still going to be living with the truck you buy now, and the time you waited for the order to arrive will be a distant memory. Waiting a little longer for the right truck will pay off down the road, even though it may be giving you anxiety attacks now.

whalercat · November 1999

For occasional off-road adventures how important is it to get the LS rear axle? Thanks.

Whalercat

paull1 · November 1999

I had them installed before pickup. They look great, I made a good decision. I was charged $68 for them (installed), and $77 for the Ford bug shield (also installed). I was told that was dealer cost and they didn't charge me anything to install them.

Just a comment about the shipping process via rail. My F250 Lariat was built on 10/27 and did not arrive here until 11/22. Thats almost a month! (Or did they say "snail"?)

gossamar · November 1999

....looks like you got a better deal than I did on the flaps!! Looks like the difference was the cost of installation!!
Todlake, definately try to get them to throw installation in as it is expensive.....

gossamar · November 1999

...the Limited-Slip option is worth its weight in gold for any type of off-pavement activity, or pulling boat trailers out of lakes, the cool-ness of leaving 2-black marks down the road...
In all seriousness, I the majority of us here in the group definately recommend the LS option, especially if the truck is 4x4. It will take some reading, but go back and pan through the posts and you will find many conversations in regards to your question.....

slos · November 1999

This isn't my first pickup, but this is my first with a V10 and 4.3 rear end. I do have the LS on my 99 250 4x2 CC SB. Does anyone have any experience on adding weight to the bed on these trucks to improve winter handling. On my 91 F-150 I normally had about 400 lbs of sand over the rear wheels. The sand made the truck very driveable in the little snow we get here in NW Ohio. I assume that I will need a little more on the SD due to the stiffer suspension and the higher load rating.

I noted earlier in the year that half a ton of fertilizer hardly made the rear end sag at all, even when I had it loaded way near the back. I will appreciate any thoughts on this matter.

We are planning on taking the truck to PA this holiday, hope to see what kind of mileage I get on an extended trip, as I have mainly driven it to work and around the county.

lewac · November 1999

well, the vopc shut down for holiday so no build status. hope the thing is back up Friday as we're supposed to get built this week. wow! shortest message I've ever posted!

bess · November 1999

2000 F250 XLT SC SB 5.4L 5sp 4.10 LS.

First tank = 15.5 mpg mixed 60/40 city/highway
I'm not sure if I refilled the tank as full as the dealer did, so this first estimate will have some error..

2nd tank = 16.0 mpg mostly highway between 55 and 65 mph with some good hill climbs between NC and PA. (I-77 at fancy gap VA, and R19 in WV).
I never had to shift out of OD even on the hills. I also didn't use cruise control at all since I'm still in the breakin period.

I expect the mileage will improve a little bit once the engine is fully broke in.. I've only got 750 miles on the truck..

whalercat · November 1999

Thanks. After reading the responses, I am going to add the 4.3 LS to my 4x4 order.

Whalercat

whalercat · November 1999

Thanks. After reading the responses, I am going to add the 4.3 LS to my 4x4 order.

Whalercat

ffd804 · November 1999

I drive a 95 F250 4x4 until my new F250 sc 4x4 V10 comes in. The 95 has a 4.10ls rear end and I plow snow with it. 400lbs-600lbs of weight gives me the best traction in the snow(NE Ohio), then when the roads dry out between snows I enjoy the smother ride with the added weight.

Brutus and bess I know now why my salesmen changed my rear end, I had originally planned on the V8 but changed my mind at the time of order. I didn't remember the 4.10ls was not available with the V10. as stated above I plan to plow snow with my new truck. I do pull a 22 foot boat to and from the lake twice a year but It's a very short trip. If I only will lose 1-2 mpg with the 4.30ls then I think I'll leave well enough alone. If I had been really worried about mpg I would have stayed with the V8.

qmeister · November 1999

Have had my truck on order since June 24 and finally got a build date this week... The week of December 27!!! Seems like a long time after serializing. I sure hope it ships faster than it's getting built.
Personal opinion on the limited slip... This is probably a good option to have on 2 wheel drives as well as the 4 wheel drives if you live in the snow belt or plan to do any amount of towing off road. It's surprising how much difference that extra wheel makes on a slick surface. Just don't confuse starting ability with stopping ability...no extra help there! Also you need to be careful when turning on ice with 2 wheel drive ls as it will tend to push you straight instead.

shotgun1 · November 1999

So I get to the dealer to p/u truck and he never says a word about the scratch until I do! But says no problem having it fixed. As far as the seats go, I tell him I ordered buckets and the truck has a full bench, and he says "we screwed up" but unfortunately seats of different configuration cannot be swapped at all by Ford. Never, No Way!! Whatever comes from the factory is the way it must stay. He tells me my options are to take the truck the way it is deducting the cost of the buckets I didn't get, reorder the vehicle with no shorter order time than anyone else(actually longer with the holiday factory schedule coming up), or cancel and get my deposit back. By the way wab3 my leverage was high as well. I too arrived with cash to buy this truck! After spending several hours deciding if I could live with their mistake or live without the truck, I said "if I take it this way you'll have to do something nice for me" I asked for a couple of free oil changes. Dealer writes up a ticket for 2 free oil changes, shows it to me, has me sign it and takes it for approval. A very small token for a rather large screwup don't you think?
Well it gets better. Sometime between him handing me back the ticket after approval and my leaving, I look at the ticket and the person who approved it had changed the 2 oil changes to 1!!!! I expressed my disbelief and got it changed back. I hate car dealers!!! It seems they are trained in the art of the scam. Take their money now, take some more later, and slip as much past them when they're not looking as you can! This is the forth dealer(all from different makes)that I've dealt with in the past 6 months while buying 2 new vehicles, and they've all acted the same. Anyway that's my story. By the way, these circumstances have dulled the excitement of finally getting the vehicle I've waited so long for. Regardless, it is beautiful. I love this truck. Guess that's why I was willing to go through all the trouble.

shotgun1 · November 1999

So I get to the dealer to p/u truck and he never says a word about the scratch until I do! But says no problem having it fixed. As far as the seats go, I tell him I ordered buckets and the truck has a full bench, and he says "we screwed up" but unfortunately seats of different configuration cannot be swapped at all by Ford. Never, No Way!! Whatever comes from the factory is the way it must stay. He tells me my options are to take the truck the way it is deducting the cost of the buckets I didn't get, reorder the vehicle with no shorter order time than anyone else(actually longer with the holiday factory schedule coming up), or cancel and get my deposit back. By the way wab3 my leverage was high as well. I too arrived with cash to buy this truck! After spending several hours deciding if I could live with their mistake or live without the truck, I said "if I take it this way you'll have to do something nice for me" I asked for a couple of free oil changes. Dealer writes up a ticket for 2 free oil changes, shows it to me, has me sign it and takes it for approval. A very small token for a rather large screwup don't you think?
Well it gets better. Sometime between him handing me back the ticket after approval and my leaving, I look at the ticket and the person who approved it had changed the 2 oil changes to 1!!!! I expressed my disbelief and got it changed back. I hate car dealers!!! It seems they are trained in the art of the scam. Take their money now, take some more later, and slip as much past them when they're not looking as you can! This is the forth dealer(all from different makes)that I've dealt with in the past 6 months while buying 2 new vehicles, and they've all acted the same. Anyway that's my story. By the way, these circumstances have dulled the excitement of finally getting the vehicle I've waited so long for. Regardless, it is beautiful. I love this truck. Guess that's why I was willing to go through all the trouble.

paull1 · November 1999

Ok, I know these numbers will get better, but for those of you that are interested, here are some honest mpg figures for my F250 V10 auto with less than 200 miles on it. City - 8.5/9.0 with lots of stop & go, and nothing over 40 mph. Highway - 12.0/12.5 cruising between 65-70 mph. Average between the two is about 10.0 mpg. I used figures from the trip computer only. I reset the computer and did a trip to the local computer store and back for the city miles. I reset while on the freeway and drove about 8 miles to get the highway miles.

tom18 · November 1999

Anyone know about a satellite tracking system for security purposes if truck is stolen ? - interest in cost - places to purchase - interested in mud flap info - does Ford have two kinds for the superduty one molded- will all dealers have them to see ?

crazyelvis · November 1999

Paull....you can't reset the computer and take a reading after only 8 miles. That does not give the computer enough time to avg. out anything. When I picked up my truck the computer gave me a 7.5 reading for a half and hour.....driving home on the interstate......then two days later I got 16.5 on a highway trip to Orlando.....I don't think the truck all of a sudden got 9 mpg better in two days....and I also have a 00 V10 ....with a 3.73ls.........Give the truck a tank or two and only reset the computer at the gas station....and then again when you are filling back up....plus ...give it the old manual calculation also....computers are known to "fib" once in a while.....
Shotgun.....THAT SUCKS!!!! Sounds like your dealer doesn't care about reputation. I would talk to the owner/head hohcho there. Dealers better be careful with handling people....the internet and word of mough can be VERY damaging....Hey...my finance guy tried to screw me and outright lied to me....and this was the finance manager....I called and talked to the head honcho at my dealer....and I know he was not happy to be hearing what I had to say....because within 5 minutes of talking to him the finance manager was talking to me and fixing the problems.....2 oil changes is WAY to little to get for a truck they admit to "screwing up" on. Thats me 2 cents worth anyway. Let them know that you will give less than favorable opinions about them when asked.....Hey....my truck was stuck in the YARD for a couple of weeks.....which I am finding out is getting pretty common.....and I got free oil changes for LIFE!! GET MEAN!!!!! it does work sometimes!!!!! ooops....about 3 cents in there now!!!!!

time4family · November 1999

I had a terrific experiance with my dealer. He even gave me my first oil change free. He told me it was on the house AFTER I had them do it and I came in to pick up my truck. I have a Y2K PSD. Hey for what these things cost it should be free, or at least what you want. I got the leather buckets but I could have gone either way.

MPG I have 3500 miles on my truck. (picked up 9/15/99) and the best I have done is 17.02 MPG and the worst is 14.2 MPG all a combination of town and hiway driving.

This AM FM cassette has got to have the poorest reception I have ever seen (uh heard). I am wondering if it is only my truck or are they all this bad??? it is scratchy and I only live 5 miles from the radio station.T4F

ashewitt · November 1999

I ordered my truck with the Lariat package, but now I am seeing window stickers that show something called Lariat LE, it is also on the decal on the tailgate. Does anyone know if these two are different?

Thanks

bakerdl · November 1999

Just thought I would introduce myself this morning. I am just about to order my first FORD truck (guys at work are calling me a convert or a trader - depending on the camp).

I will be ordering a F-250 Crew Cab SB 4WD and am yet undecided between the V10 and the Diesel. I do not do a ton of pulling at this time, but have always liked power. I plan to put a 4" lift and 35" tires on the truck shortly after I receive it. Does anyone have any advice between the two engines?

Has anyone lifted one of these big boys - if so, how far?

I have been told by my dealer that the tank on this truck is 38 gallons, however I have found both the 29 and 38 listed on the internet. Can someone settle this for me?

Talk Later.

shotgun1 · November 1999

I pretty confident that the short beds all have the 29 gallon fuel tank. My long bed SC has the 39 gallon tank

paull1 · November 1999

I'm not sure that I am in total agreement with you about the computer. I have 2 cars in addition to the SD and both have trip computers. In each instance I have found the readings to be accurate regardless of mileage measured. I do agree that an "average" based on longer mileage does give you a truer picture of the actual MPG used, but shorter measurements should also provide a reasonable snapshot of how the truck/car/buggy is performing at that point in time. I did not mention in my earlier post that the 10.0 average was based on about 150 miles of mixed driving. It was this that prompted me to try the 2 short mileage measurements. Based on the 10.0 initial average I was getting, I have to assume the other 2 figures are in the ball park.

In all fairness to the truck (I love it, in case I did not mention), I fully understand that a tight engine/driveline (less than 200 miles) will provide it's worst MPG, in fact my 86 Volvo did not get better than 16/17 mpg until it had about 4/5k on it. Now it gets about 20. Same was true for my Vette.

paull1 · November 1999

Forgot to mention, short bed has the 29 gal. tank, long bed has 38 gal. standard.

paull1 · November 1999

Isn't the Lariat LE a special model, only available in drw, with special paint (3-tone I believe)?

canoes · November 1999

I know this is picky but...I hate the colors. I saw a F150 in chestnut but the dealer said that F250 can't be painted that. The wedgewood blue really looks dark purple. I saw a wedgewood blue last spring that was a dark teal blue. Is there any way to get another color? or how pricey would that be?

paull1 · November 1999

Ask your dealer for a Y2K ford color chart, there are samples of all colors available for the F250+ series trucks.

ffd804 · November 1999

Very nice truck.... How do you like the 4.30 rear end with the V10? How is your gas mileage? The reason I ask is I have a F250 sc, 4X4, auto with the 4.30ls on order at this time and I'm thinking of changing to the 3.73ls any feedback would be appreciated thanks.

fonville · November 1999

i plan to buy a 2000 f250. i am leaning toward a v10, manual transmission, 3.73. can someone who has this setup comment on the mileage.

malkin · November 1999

Just looked under the hood of '99 psd and saw a rating of 250HP @ 2700RPM, is this correct?
My 2000 Excursion PSD Has rating of 235HP @ 2700 RPM. ANy input?

bakerdl · November 1999

Thanks for the input - Nice Looking Truck). Your truck is exactly what I just ordered, except color. I went with the 4.30 because of the tire size upgrade I will be doing. I am also interested in the same questions as ffd804 asked you. Looking forward to your response. Have you done any other modifications the the truck?

Talk Later,

Duane

viperle · November 1999

Fonville,

Stick with buying Dodge. I also have a Dodge and a new 2000 Super Duty Crew Cab V10 with 3.73. The gas mileage sucks at 12.5 MPG (regardless of highway or city use).

The ford SD is an overweight peace of crap.

BTW, I used to be a FORD LOVER!!!!

porky · November 1999

I, for one, do not appreciate the use of foul language in your post # 800.

I don't have a problem with you expressing displeasure (even strongly) but there are other words to choose from that will get your feelings across just the same.( and my kids will not have to see it)

So please, if you will, refrain .

Thanks for taking it into consideration.

paull1 · November 1999

1. Your mouth should be washed with soap!

2. I haven't seen any reports of wonderful mileage coming from Dodge trucks, in fact the following is a quote from the 11/99 Consumer Reports about the Dodge ram 1500. "The Dodge Ram has been eclipsed by the competition, Getting in and out is a chore, the ride is stiff, handling is ponderous, the 5.2-liter V8 is slow and thirsty, the cabin is fairly noisy, and the brakes don't perform well. Reliability has been subpar."

3. So why did you buy a Ford anyway?

jraske · November 1999

It's almost here! called checked with the VOPC and was notified that my creation has arrived at the ramp.I hope this means that I will have my truck by next week end. Can anybody tell me haw long they had to wait for their beasts after they were told it had arrived at ramp? Its delivery date is for week of 11-29 so it looks like its right on scedule. Getting excited now!
Viperle what the hell is your problem? no one wants to hear your foul mouth! if you have a complaint try to act like an adult and talk about it in a adult manner not like some 10 year old!
What kind of mpg did you think you would get anyway
20 mpg? 12.5 sounds pretty good to me for a V-10.
I currently drive a work truck were i am employed that is a 98 Dodge 3500 standerd cab auto with air and V-10 this truck has never gotten better than 8mpg from day one. Not near as good as ford, so if you continue to complain at least do it at a "G" rated level. Thank you from everyone here.

porky · November 1999

I was told by my salesperson that "arrived at ramp" meant your truck was at YOUR local delivery staging area.

Shouldn't take more than a week to get it the rest of the way to the dealership. I have been waiting for a LONG time and was given an option of a dealership rep. going to get it directly at Convoy when mine "arrived at ramp" but haven't decided.

Congrats!!! Enjoy!!!

Brutus · November 1999

Viperle sounds a lot like zbad who often claims he owns vehicles he does not really own. Hopefully, this isn't him in disguise. zbad has been kicked off the site multiple times under multiple identities for foul and offensive language and other violations of the user agreement, but he still lurks. He supposedly owns a Silverado, but the Chevy owners are very embarrassed by his presence on the site. I've never heard zbad support Dodge, but he hates Ford with a vengeance. If this isn't zbad, maybe he's related.

One thing I would say for viperle is that the things he continues to mention (mainly cosmetic) are things that he should have easily discovered before he placed his order. Did he not open the tailgate before making his $30,000 purchase? My tailgate is up and down all the time. I have to remove it regularly when I put my slide-in camper in the bed. The cables he mentions are the safety backup. The tailgate is held on by two hinges. On the one side of the truck, it is a circle. On the other side, you have to slide the tailgate into a slot. If the tailgate fell off when he opened it, except for the cables, then it was either never on properly or there is a problem with the tailgate that he needs to get fixed by his dealer.

As for the mpg, the Dodge V-10 doesn't get any better mpg than the Ford, even with the 3.55 axle ratio vs the 3.73. He's probably comparing it to a Cummins. The quote of 12.5 hwy max for a 2000 V-10 3.73 doesn't fit with what other people are quoting that have trucks with the same setup.

bess · November 1999

fonville.
I can't comment on V10 5sp 3.73 mpg, just fyi if you go with this combo, you can not get a limited slip rear axel. I know this is a popular option among many..

viperle: a. see brutus post 808, he's spot on.

Geez, I wonder if viperle has seen the in dash cupholders.. If he thinks the tailgate has a bad design (which it doesn't), then he'll really go ballistic on the cupholders.. hehe.

I also didn't get he point about building trucks like foreign automakers, and then reference Dodge.. Well, in some sense Diamler/Chrysler (spelling) is a foreign company, but no more so than Ford with it's ties to Jaguar, Mazda, and a bunch of others..

Also, he's waiting for the NEW Dodge?.. Must be cause the current Dodge isn't as good as the SuperDuty..

Jraske, for me, the truck was 'at the ramp' for 2 weeks. But the truck did arrive at the dealer on the estimated arrival date +2days.

In my case the truck was shipped via 'convoy carrier' ie, by truck from the factory, so at the ramp in my case was at the factory..

lewac · November 1999

Jraske... has your status changed since the VOPC holiday shutdown (on Wed eve)? ours has not changed & we're supposed to have been built this week (of 11/22). sure hope the beast is built & the VOPC just hasn't updated due to shutdown (just reports status as of Wed).

ALL. the BEST way to handle this scenario (with viperle) is to ignore those posts (as it is quite obvious that this entity is running extremely low on oil). I'm sending a message to the thread moderator to "lock" this entity out.

viperle · November 1999

I was really upset when the truck got scratched because of the tailgate. Sorry again.

viperle · November 1999

Brutus,

I'm not zbad. I'm the same person that's been doing the whining about the Ford SD.

It's probably because I had such a HIGH expectation of the SD that these little things upsets me so much. My dream truck was always a Ford Crew Cab ever since I was a kid.

Four years ago, I was about to buy a Ford Crew Cab, but when I went to a Ford dealer, the sales people thought that I was too young to be able to buy one so they shunned (spelling) me. I was so fed up with Ford at that moment that I went to Dodge next door and bought a 96 Ram. (I'm glad I did)

This year, I thought I would give Ford another chance. I think I was expecting that the SD would be so much better than the Dodge Ram that I had. But it didn't. May be this is why I am so resentful of Ford lately.

This is what I have found between the Dodge that I had and this 2000 SD:

1. Stereo: Hands down, Ford suck compare to the Dodge. Dodge gace me an Infinity speakers and the deck has more power. I'm not being bias on this; I had a friend compared.

2. Cup Holders: And I thought Dodge was bad.

3. Paint: Ford wins (dodge scratch easily)

4. Torque: Dodge has a wider range. But they seem equal.
5. Reliability: don't know. I hope Ford wins because I don't want to waste $32K. (no problem with Dodge yet at 87,000 miles...engine strong as ever)

6. Rear main seal: surprisingly, the dodge hasn't leaked yet.

7. Turning radius: Ford takes three lanes to do a U-Turn while the dodge needs only two.

bfriesen · November 1999

I got back late last night and my dealer left me a message that my 250/CC/LB/PS/Lariet/4WD in Dark Tourador (sp) Red was here. It was ordered 9/29, built on 10/17 and delivered 11/27 and will be picked up on 11/29.

fonville · November 1999

I APPRECIATE THE INFO ON MPG FOR THE V10. IT SEEMS THAT 12-14 IS ACCURATE. I KNOW YOU DO NOT BUY THIS TRUCK FOR ECONOMY, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A COMPARISON WITH THE POWERSTROKE. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 97 AND HE GETS 18.
AS FAR A DODGE V FORD, I HAVE HAD BOTH AND NEITHER HAS BEEN A PROBLEM. GAS MILEAGE IS POOR ON BOTH, BUT MECHANICALLY, NO PROBLEMS.
I AM GOING BACK WITH THE FORD. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE CURRENT SUPERDUTY IS THE BEST LOOKING TRUCK ON THE ROAD.
FINALLY, WHAT KIND OF DEAL OVER INVOICE CAN I EXPECT TO GET? 2% 500 OVER? ALSO, CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A DEALER IN TEXAS WHO OPERATES ON AN INVOICE FIGURE.

Ford Super duty - Continued III

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