My son's week old 04 F150 STX has about 700 miles. Great truck so far altho AC is marginal. Anyway, i was looking at the engine bay tonight and notice he already has 4 small dings/dents in the radiator. He only drives paved roads. Anyone else experiencing radiator dents? I was thinking of installing some kind of netting or wire mesh to keep the pebbles out but i dont want to restrict air flow to the radiator. Any ideas? thanks.

 

i noticed the same thing aswell. i didnt really think anything of it though. when im washing the car or i have the hood open for some reason ill lightly bend the metal plates back to strait.

 

you can look at new truck radiators at the dealer's lot and find bent fins in the radiators-some of them quite noticeable. i'm assuming these come from handling/installation. so the ones you noticed may have already been there. i bought a piece of vinyl screening material at the hardware store to cover the front of the radiator to keep bugs out, but this probably won't help reduce the stones impact on the fins. it is easy to cut & fold under the bracing. many owners (myself included) are noticing less than impressive a/c-apparently this comes standard on fords.

 

Not to be a jerk, but if you have A/C then you're not talking about the radiator. That's the A/C condensor... the radiator is behind it.

Anyways... I noticed the same thing. They sell a tool called a fin comb that you can probably get at Murrays or any auto parts store. They work pretty good.

This weekend I'm going to have a aluminum framed aluminum mesh screen made that fits in front of the condensor. I'm going to rivet 4 aluminum ears that fit into the 4 rubber condensor mounts to secure it in place. I was thinking about putting 1 or 2 on ebay to see if anyone else is intersted... funny that I thought about it before I read this thread.

I'll post some pictures when I get it done.

 

edit - stupid moment

 

I was wondering about those dents. I haven't had many miles on the highway during bug-season up here but yet there are some pretty big dents. I was wondering if some type of aluminum mesh or bug guard would stop rocks and larger bugs from slamming into it on the highway.

 

I noticed the same thing happening to my truck, so now I drive everywhere backwards. It's hell on the neck, but I think I'll get used to it.

 

TUFF...I used to do the same thing (with the wife navigating), but then I installed the Strret Scene Speed Grills and now have peace of mind driving normally, especially since that vulnerable power steering radiator in the valence opening is now protected.

 

I remember the days when your power steering pump worked all by itself, it didn't require a radiator to keep it cool. I haven't noticed any dings in the radiator yet, I do sweep out the bugs a couple times a year with a small wisk broom. Now the paint is another story, several chips I have had to touch up with the Ford supplied paint .

 

Radiator? I don't have a radiator. Am I supposed to? Damn, I got screwed again!!!

 

I was gettig some pretty big dents from the bugs so I swapped my XLT grill for an XL grill. Lets see if the little buggers have as much luck getting thru the bars and smaller honeycomb holes.

 

i have the honeycomb Lariat grille. they still get through. i know some people found problems with automatic car washes bending the fins with the high pressure water streams. radiators will inevitably have bent fins. i don't think it's a huge deal, but then again i am selling my truck.

the mesh netting or what baja150 is talking about sound like great ideas if you are determined to protest hte radiator.