Where do I start. I own a '97 F150 XL w/4.2L w/4r70w. The guys at the plant assemble a good truck for what they have to work with. Yah, that's their motto, and for the most part, they work hard. The problem that I have is with Ford Engineers, and the backwards price designing that seems to take away the "Quality" that goes into the truck.

I have the unfortunate ownership of a good looking product that is clearly NOT DESIGNED TOUGH. NOT DESIGNED TO LAST. And NOT DESIGNED FOR MODERATE PARTS REPLACEMENT.

NOT DESIGNED TOUGH
Here we'll discuss the cheap 'nylon injected ball joints and tie rod ends, pitman arm, idler arm, and rear end gears(bearings).
When you have to replace the whole upper a-arm to replace the upper ball joint-wallet gouging. When your tie rods pop off even though they are tight, causing near head on accident-cheap. When the bearings start whinning after 110,000 km-cheap tempering. When you have to pull the pitman arm to replace the cheap rusted joint-unbeleivable. Ford engineers seem to think that if they throw a cheap metal stamped ball into nylon, that it will never rust causing that newly 80 grit ball to tear the nylon away (still staying somewhat tight) to fool the average check up. Then to only hold it all together with a flimsy steel clip? Wow. I replaced my upper ball joint with the MoogK727 screw in ball joint and had it alligned. Now, in 10 years, I can replace the ball joint for a new one in 20 minutes a side, (greaseable), at about $21 a piece as opposed to $235 a side/ with allignment! My tie rod ends are aircraft 5/8" heims with "SealsIt" rubber covers, and greaseable, at $15/each (US), as opposed to the $45 Canadian I had to pay the first time round. I've machined my first replaced pitman arm for a nice $12 US double radial bearing, needing no replacement for years to come. etc, etc etc. Taking notes?

How about my intake gaskets? You knew they would go bad with the revised replacements-NO RECALL. If you could have only sent me that bloody TSB, I would have replaced them myself at my cost instead of getting Hydro-lock and rebuilding the thing!goto www.leakingfords.com How about the 4r70w? You already, after a year, knew the 1-2 accumulator o-ring would tear apart (from your tsb), yet still no warning. For $88 Canadian, my 1-2 shift is back again, but under grinding teeth-for sure. Have you no shame when you force me to watch those Ford Tough commercials? Who cares about the tough bed liner bolts when the thing can't even get to the local 7-11!!! Lucky for you when people ask me about my truck, I carry all my Ford Quality broken down parts in a box behind the seat. You'd be surprised on how many people in my part of town actually wanted to seem them after I explained Ford Quality.

Get back to the engineering table and design a truck that can prove your descriptions as seen on tv, and give your workers the quality parts that will give them the pride of "Quality is Job 1". I for just one, will do my duty and offer my opinion on my truck to anyone that inquires. Even if you offered to pay my engine rebuild, I would not relinquish my endeavor to show the facts as they are.

 

I hear ya, Good Post.

 

Nice post! Lots of usefull info in there. I too couldnt belive my ball joints were toast after only 50k! Built Ford tuff alright.

 

i like my truck every vehicle i have ever owned has had its problems, exept my 48 chevy truck now that thing was built tough and i will never get rid of it

 

ohh forgot to add my wifes 97 honda civic 150000 miles and all i had to replace was front roters and cv shafts other than that still going strong

 

I had more problems with Hondas and Toyotas than my last 2 F-150s.

 

Here in Soutern Ontario, we get something called snow and ice. The roads are built up of salt and sand, accompanied with lots of pot holes in the ice ridden roads, tend to cycle our ball joints, tie rod ends, and center link a hell of a lot more than sunny roads in Texas. We have at least four months of sand blasting grit just dying to get into our joints. As this has been the case since we've had snow and sand to put on the roads, than this just could be considered a design constraint whilst building a "tough" truck for Canada. Older vehicles in the past that have had bronze sintered bushings and pockets for the tie rod ends and ball joints respectively, could have been 'flushed' with fresh grease to keep them from drying out, and prevented dirt and sand from deteriorating the joint prematurely. As in my original post, my own re-designs have given me the assuredness of NOT hitting on-comming traffic due to some "Ford" tie rod end failure....

Are you going through the same weather as us in the snow belt areas? New York state applies the same technique of 'salt and sand' on their roads, so I assume their joints must also be subjected to similar conditions.

I'm simply suggesting that in order to advertise a 'tough' truck in Canada, weather should be a design consideration during its construction. Get me to the store and back, period.

 

Well, my truck has seen it's share of snow and ice and salt and about anything bad, including mud that's left on every part of it for months, and I let it sit in a field for 18 months, bad on a truck, and now I have ran it for 150k, and I don't do any maintenance whatsoever other than changing the oil, and so far I have changed the coil packs (they weren't bad when I changed them), the plugs, the wires, one brake caliper, a fuse, 1 tensioner pulley from on the engine, the starter and a heater hose. I run about 50 - 65 miles almost every day, rain, snow, sun, whatever, in 4x4 low range. Also, I tow quite a bit. It's safe to say that I have put my truck through the paces hardcore, and it didn't ask much back in return. It still runs today as good as the day that I bought it, and it's whole life, it's been places that a half-ton truck should never go, and it's been grossly overloaded doing it. It's pretty tough by anyone's standards if you saw what it goes through and how well it's performed.

 

Texas has a wide range of extreme weather and road conditions. Yes, you have a first year, low quality, stripped, cost designed truck that is not remotely suited for any extreme condition. It's basically disposable, like a 'Bic' lighter. It's easy to see that you were the child that cried everytime his toys broke.

 

I must admit being sarcastic in nature in the last reply. Reading it again, I could definitely see how it could be taken more personally, as it was not meant to be. I apologize.

I was pointing out problems of the truck and to my own re-designs to make it last in my original post. The main body of the post was, yes to gripe, but only to expose the faults of the '97 F150 V6, and to show Ford knew of these major malfunctions within a year of putting out the truck (and to possibly warn off anyone getting that model). I prefer automakers (or anyone for that matter) to be upfront and to own their mistakes, but as so it happens, doesn't appear a reality.

I do all the work myself in my shop, and with money being tighter in the past few years, I'm getting 'bugged' with TSB articles relating to my truck and how to fix them with the 'proper' parts at cheaper costs than not fixing them at all (or even a Ford dealer for that matter). No one has yet inquired in the details of my improvements so I will not post them in detail. My background has been building race cars for the past 7 years as a hobby, so I have the facilities to do the work myself. I have parts lists, catalog part numbers etc.

So if your Ford is running great, all the power to you. I loved my truck when I bought it, and since the major TSB's cost me so much money, I love it no longer. I still wax the thing, but not with my previous passion for sure.

Good luck with your Ford and may it give you many years of reliable service. Tim.

PS Just to let you know, this is my last reply for this posting, so you do have the last word in response if you wish.

 

You wrote: "I own a '97 F150 XL w/4.2L w/4r70w" (Why is vB disabled?! )

Just so you know, you don't own a real F150. You bought the absolute lowest line, stripped down, parts carrying, intended for use by the electric meter reader, cheapest truck on the lot.

You can't watch the 'Built Ford Tough™' commercials on TV showcase all the state of the art technology, then go to the dealership and choose to pass on all that technology to save a few dollars, and expect to have the best truck on the road.

You should've bought an XLT.

 

So do the heavy duty ball joints, tie rods, pitman arms, etc. come with the leather package or the convenience group package? Oh, and will the remote starter increase my payload capacity?

 

Lone, Are you crazy? an F150 ys a F150 there is no reason to have 2 quality in suspension components in the cheapest than in the Lariat. If you want a toughest, you need an F250 even the cheapest F150 need to meet some quality criteria, less cuality you needs to be in a lighest truck like an "F50" (yes is an hypotetical F Fifty)

The packages aree only to suit lifestiles, not quality matters. I agree with you AAlmeter!

Art

 

its not just ford, its all the manufactureres.

 

Want some cheese with that whine?

And technically, owners aren't entitled to TSB information directly from Ford, since Uncle Henry doesn't want people doing repairs that may get them killed, maimed, or that may tear up their vehicles because someone who didn't know what they're doing did the repairs per the TSB. Liability and all. That's why in fine print it says "For use by qualified dealership personel only" which I know in most cases is an oxymoron in itself, but still.

You sound like one of those people that think a TSB is some great spooky secret recall conspiracy. There's lots of F150s on the road that run just fine. Don't like it, don't buy another one.