today i installed some LED Taillights with Load Resistors and i also tore apart my puddle lights to install some LEDs in there as well. All i can say is WOW what a difference. looks much better and all i need to do is swap the front signals and side markers for LED's and do the interior.

 

Thank you. They are Bora 1.5" spacers and they are safe as long as the original studs do not protrude past the surface of the spacer, keeping the wheel from having a flat surface to mount to. And as long as they are maintained like your normal wheels would be, lugs torqued and checked every oil change. I had to grind the tips of my studs a hair, hardly at all, but they still poked out and spaced the wheel out. Now they are fine and I didn't have to cut any threads.

 

Not so much today as yesterday.
Replaced the odometer light, not really that much of a big deal, the only problem I encountered was that cable going from the shift linkage indicating gear position, had to twist the gauge cluster around so I could access the bulb without having to disconnect the cable. Did it, and I didn't twist or kink the cable.
I'd worry about having to do this again and ask how to disconnect that cable, but my truck is 10 years old with 108,000 miles and if that bulb has lasted this long, it'll last another 10 years, so I'll have to replace it again in 2025.

 

Ordered a set of 8 new coil packs from Amazon for $47.25, supposed to get 'em on Thursday before 8.

Putting these on because of hesitation and stumble, had my brother (certified Master Mechanic) put a code reader on it and that's what it said was wrong.

 

Did he tell you what the code was?

 

Got an inspection sticker today
Replaced the shift indicator light (old one burnt out)
Order some orange paint for my brake caliper covers. (Doing something different)
Got my f150online sticker!!
More to come!!

 

I've been busy with mine. For one, its filthy. I took it for inspection, and it failed. Aside of my front tire rub, it failed due to inoperable e-brake ( accuators seized ), and drivers outer tie rod & pass side inner tie rod were shot. Dealer quoted me over $450 in parts & alignment. Ordered Moog inner.outer tie rods all 4 for $122, and fixed the e-brake accuator myself. Took me 2 evenings for the e-brakes, and today I did the tie rods. The outer was very shot, I did notice the noise it made, but I can't believe how loose it was. It seems like literally one bad pothole would have finished it. The other 'ok' tie-rods felt loose in my hands also. The Moog replacements are firm and solid. Another reason to replace everything in pairs.

I also pulled the Bora wheel spacers for now, and I also took a grinder to the stud tips so that they were fully away from the XD wheels. They were touching it just a bit, and I wasn't comfortable with that. I am awaiting UPS delivery on the other outer tie rod estimated for delivery tomorrow. Till then its still on jack stands. Alignment this week, then inspection again.

Some pics.




The seized e-brake accuators. Sanded them and cleaned with CLR, then applied anti-seize.


Functional again.


A poor lighting photo of the studs cleared by the spacer. I left a couple millimeters of the 'tip' portion of the studs. No threads were removed from the studs.

 

Did, but I forgot what it was, I'll ask him again tomorrow jus to make sure.

 

Have you done the plugs yet? If not, it would be a good time to do then while you're replacing the coil packs. Especially if there was a misfire code.

 

Wow -- this picture really shows the nasty effect Northern winters can have on the underpinnings of a vehicle! Don't miss that crap at all!

Sure liked your truck better in those photos above where it was all clean and shiny against that late-winter backdrop......

 

Darren, good work on the truck! I've still got to get around to my tie-rods. They are still tight, but I am able to freely turn them back and forth. I usually find when they get that way that they don't last too much longer.

I never trimmed my studs for my wheel spacers. The oem wheels have machined grooves where the studs would contact the wheel. After measuring, they are almost two and a half times deeper than how much stud pokes out. I have had zero issues.

I would also like to say that it's oddly refreshing seeing your truck in that state(dirty).

 

Certainly are right about that! I swear its heavy brine they drop anymore. I know it has a purpose but damn. Out of the 8 years the truck has been around ( 4 of those being in my possession ) it has seen 7 of those 8 winters. This past winter is the only one it stayed completely out of. Felt great, but even though it has already been bitten by salt. But don't worry, I have a plan for that this summer, it'll involve some of this stuff.




My XD wheels unfortunately do not have any grooves in them. It wasn't that much of a gap but it was surely enough that it wasn't worth finding out the hard way on the highway lol.

Yeah it is different seeing it a bit dirty. I have had it worse, I just don't show it .

Oh, here's one!


Oh wait, and even better one. This was the aftermath of a sudden snow storm with the road ways heavily salted, and driving on them again after the snow was melted and the salt was watery.


Now that's the worst I have ever seen it by far, it was hard to take the picture!

 

I got the other tie rod end in tonight and re-assembled. Torqued everything to spec, and did my 'YouTube how-to viewer certified tech' alignment job to get the toe more leveled until I get it aligned properly soon.

Took it for a spin, nice and tight now, however I still have a clump sound on and off. 4wd still causes the snapping sound that I reported in this thread here. So when I parked it I remembered to jack the front up and try to spin the wheels to see if the CVs are locked or not while engines running. My results, the drivers side spins free without the CV spinning. The passenger side however spins with the wheel. So the front right actuator is bad I presume. So my snapping sound is because it is always in 3x4 instead of 2x4.

Going to try a vacuum line test and see if there is IWE solenoid error, and give the vac lines a good look over. Perhaps I pinched a line when I did the brake lines in 2013, but I doubt it. But anyways since i'll need another alignment after changing an actuator i'll save my $70 at the moment and replace both front actuators to avoid any BS in the future with the drivers side. Since my IWE is the updated model i'd prefer not to change that but might even do that for peace at mind.

At this rate, looks like the truck is gonna stay in my ownership for a couple more years since I have sunk the time & money into these repairs.

 

Ah, road salt. Gotta love it

 

Darren, I don't quite understand why you would need an alignment after replacing the iwe's? Even if you pop the upper ball joint off the steering knuckle, it shouldn't need one.

I honestly cringed with the last picture you posted with the road salt, as well as yours nfld. I am glad my area doesn't really use salt.