Hey guys, i have a set of 02 L tails coming in next week and i know that i need to shim the bottom screw. Anybody know exactly how much it needs to be done? And its just the bottom one right? Thanks for any help

Can't wait to get em in! got a great deal on them too

 

do yourself a favor and go to your ford dealership and get the lower screws for the lightning tails. take it from me, i found out the hard way. the inside is so thin that anything too long makes a dimple of a damn hole. luckily, im a partsmanager at a ford dealership and was able to make a claim and return the *cough* defective lights with a defective inner lens....lol

 

but i wanted to know exactly how much shorter i'd have to make the screws so i didn't have to bother with the dealership. Then i'd have to wait for them to come in and all that. Usually my dealer gets in the wrong parts on top of that

Do you have a part # for them?

Anybody know how much i need to shim it exactly? I'll probably do it slightly over just to be safe. Thanks

 

Another thing you can do - what I did on mine - is go to a hardware store and buy some washers that will fit the screw. I just took the screw in with me and told them I needed about 10 washers to fit. $0.86 later I had my lights installed, no dimples. But marcscrew is right, just the slightest touch will tear a whole through. I have 4 washers on each bottom screw. If you can get the screws from the dealer, that would be best, but just thought I'd offer an alternative.

And yes, its just the bottom screw. You can leave the top one alone.

 

do what i did grind off about a 1/4" and youll be ok.

 

I cut mine in half with a dremmel. Worked perfectly.

-AR

 

Put mine on by using washers (thanks to this forum) and ordered the Lightning screws with washers. The Ford # is N808955-S301 for the short ones. Still havent taken the washer set up off and put the new screw in.

 

thanks HD2NV89, i'll call tomorrow and see how quick they can order them in

your truck is like my truck's big brother Got alot of the same mods, and most of the mods you have that i don't, i want to eventually get

 

why would you waste time ordering screws from ford? I used 2 washers on the top screws and 3 on the bottom ones. (3 on all if you want) works perfect and cost .89 cents

 

cuz i'd rather be safe than sorry taillights aren't here yet anyway. waiting for the man in the big brown truck to drop off my 4 sets of 02 HD lights and my set of L tails. If i could get the real L lower screws in the meantime, i'd just feel better when i install them, so i don't screw up my lights

 

I guess, I have done it though and it worked fine. I guess if you have to wait for the lenses might as well get the screws from ford. Your truck has gotten pretty wicked my man, so did they ever come out with the kit to make that hood functional?

 

thanks for the compliments!! Just installed a new mod today. i'll have pics in my gallery of it this weekend. Put in custom made matching hood scoop inserts, so it matches my upper and lower grille now!

as for the functional kit, no but even if they did i probably wouldn't have gotten it. My reasoning is this:
1.you need to put on the stock air box and cut a hole in it...i already have a 230 buck AF1 fipk that i love (sounds awsome and noticible gain in power), and don't want to mess with any of my factory parts either if i can't change it back
2. the chrome af1 looks nicer than a chopped up air box, and i'd rather have a LITTLE less performance for ALOT more looks since i do a lot of shows
3. The AF1 is worth roughly 20 hp, and thats down low, instantly giving power...the ram air kit is worth i think it said 27 hp between 35-70 mph i believe. 7 more hp isn't worth the less amount of power given down low, where i need it most
4. its expensive...200 bucks plus paint
5. the hood scoops help cool my engine and it gets cold air to my AF1 so it does help a little....semi functional


If they set up the ram air though so that i could still keep my inserts, AND so that it ran under the hood over above the filter, and could be setup with like a JL box and i could keep the chrome intake tube, i'd probably go for it, but i doubt they'd set it up wiht this, and how long it'll be until they even come out with it. LoL