Ok, my step dad has a 2004 F150 4x4 STX 4.6L reg cab. He bought it brand new and just had to start buying parts for it like brakes, u-joints...etc.. well the problem is every time he gets the parts home there the wrong ones....For example the front brakes were too small that Autozone gave him. Had to get them from Advance auto. Now the latest was the u-joints....he called me last night to ask how much a ujoint would normally cost, i said no more then $20 bucks....he said try $98....for one!! Autozone couldent even get one...so he drove an hour to another Advance auto to get one they had in stock. The people at the parts store seem to think the truck was built for over seas duty??? So my question is what the hell is going on???

 

Not to be obvious, but I am assuming he has a new body style '04 and not an '04 heritage, correct? If so, then have him look for 2005 parts to avoid confusion.

 

Stove Top hit the nail on the head. You would THINK by now the parts people would be on to that but give 'em another 10 or 15 years I guess. Probably don't pay enough to get the the cream of the crop, do they? I'm wondering how he's going to put the U-Joint in. The '04's used a non-replaceable U-joint, generally speaking you have to replace the drive shaft at an insane price. There are rare exceptions to that, but they are rare, and definitely not a normal replacement, in those rare exceptions.

Tell your step dad to tell them it's the new body '04. It works well to tell them it's an '05, since they didn't make the Heritage in '05, but there are some things that are different between the '04 and '05 new body. They changed the brake calipers and rotors and I think there were a few small additional things that were different.

 

Around here it doesn't even matter if you tell them its a new body style they still give you heritage part. I am done with those idiots.

 

There was also a change in the brakes from a TSB. If he had that TSB done, it could be the smaller pads were for the original and the larger from the TSB.

 

I went through the same deal. You can change the U joints but you have to by a special kit from the dealer that comes with a cutter to get them out cause they are kinda "crimped" in with no clips like every other normal ones. I had a vibration but It"s going away thank god, Truck sat outside for a while without being driven, I have a friend that owns a shop and said his drive shaft guy has done them way cheaper

 

My truck needed u-joints, it was cheaper (and less of a hassle) to buy a new complete drive shaft from ford, then to replace both u-joints!!

 

most parts store people are idiots. THink....I need a tail light for my car....why do they need to know if it has AC or not?

THey are reading from a screen and cannot think for themselves. Whatever mistakes are in the computer, they take as the gospel.

As others have mentioned, tell your father to tell them its a 2005. Additionally, he needs to learn how to shop online. It will be easier in the end.

 

Thanks for the replys!! Yes it is the new body style. I told him from the start just to ask for parts for a 2005 Because the Heritage was also made in 04. And the brakes im not sure the TSB has been done but when he put brakes on it they gave him pads that were way to small. Ill let him know about just buying a whole drive shaft. Advance auto just sold him one ujoint $98!! thats sick... Oh one more point...when you look up Ujoints for the 04 on Rockauto,Autozone,Advance online they give you the option for heritage or not. and the ujoints are cheap even for the new style. I've never relized there was this much confusion for one year.

 

I have the same problem. Imagine what is was like to be in the middle of a brake job and not be able to finish cause the brakes you have are the wrong size and the ones you need wont be in for two days