97up-list-digest Sunday, April 25 1999 Volume 02 : Number 107



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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - 1997 and Newer Trucks and Vans
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In this issue:

FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation
FTE 97up - Y2K bug
Re: FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation
Re: FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation
FTE 97up - F-450 VIBRATION
FTE 97up - Track Bar on 1999 Super Duty
Re: FTE 97up - Classifieds
RE: FTE 97up - RE: Y2K bug question
Re: FTE 97up - The Y2K Question Again
Re: FTE 97up - Track Bar on 1999 Super Duty
FTE 97up - RE: Antenna ball

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 09:34:44 -0500
From: Landen Stoker
Subject: FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation

I am about to install a dual-band ham radio in my 98 F150, and was just
curious how the other fellow list members that are hams have mounted
theirs. Of course loving my truck like I do, I am trying to avoid
drilling holes in the dash for the mounting bracket. On a similar note,
has anyone discovered a good place to tap 10-15 amps off somewhere
inside, or is everyone running the power cables through the firewall?

Thanks
Landen Stoker

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 10:50:01 -0500
From: "Union Auto"
Subject: FTE 97up - Y2K bug

Ford vehicles will not be affected by the Y2k bug. They do not have a clock
in them. They only worry about pressure, temperature and other factors.
Error codes aren't recorded by date (although it would be nice). Ford
prints these facts out every time you do an OASIS. I've heard that on
certain GM cars the trip computer will have to be reprogramed to a past year
(I think its like '67 or something like that) so that the calendars in the
digital dash can calculate correctly for leap year.

Nathan Bernard
Union Auto, Inc.

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 09:11:26 -0700
From: denton sprague
Subject: Re: FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation

Hi all...
I ran a '98 Ford Explorer, and have an Icom dual band (uhf/vhf). Since my
rig has a remotable head, I installed the main body of the transciever in
the back of the Explorer, in the little area on the passenger side with the
netting. The transciever's head I stuck just underneath the heater/ac
controls with some double stickey sided foam tape. I used the RS brand
superstick stuff.

I also believe I have found just about the easiest way to snake coax from a
hole in the roof for antenna mounting. After you cut the hole, simply take
the whip portion of the antenna, or other stiff steel rod, and run it
through the hole, along top of the headliner, until you hit the edge of the
headliner. Pull down that small area of headliner and pull out the steel
rod. Attach your coax to the other end of the rod with some plastic tape and
pull out the other end of the rod. Sure beats trying to pull down the entire
headliner!

Landen Stoker wrote:

> I am about to install a dual-band ham radio in my 98 F150, and was just
> curious how the other fellow list members that are hams have mounted
> theirs. Of course loving my truck like I do, I am trying to avoid
> drilling holes in the dash for the mounting bracket. On a similar note,
> has anyone discovered a good place to tap 10-15 amps off somewhere
> inside, or is everyone running the power cables through the firewall?
>
> Thanks
> Landen Stoker
>
> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 12:52:48 -0400
From: Bill
Subject: Re: FTE 97up - Amateur Radio Installation

I don't know what the lower dash is like in the 98 F-150,
but my 95 F-150 I mounted my 2 meter to the lower right dash
above the gas pedal. In my 99, F-250 I mounted it in the
same area. Screw holes are very low, and hardly seen when
radio is removed. For power in both I tapped off the power
point wiring behind the dash with a wire tap (Radio Shack
#64-3052)works fine on my Kenwood TM-2570A (75 watts). Radio
makes no interference with any electronics in the truck.

Landen Stoker wrote:
>
> I am about to install a dual-band ham radio in my 98 F150, and was just
> curious how the other fellow list members that are hams have mounted
> theirs. Of course loving my truck like I do, I am trying to avoid
> drilling holes in the dash for the mounting bracket. On a similar note,
> has anyone discovered a good place to tap 10-15 amps off somewhere
> inside, or is everyone running the power cables through the firewall?
>
> Thanks
> Landen Stoker
>
> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 99 15:31:18 -0400
From: tony.zuber sbaonline.gov
Subject: FTE 97up - F-450 VIBRATION

Hi
I have a F-450 165" wb truck. I have a vibration at 40-45 mph without
load and 45-50 mph loaded. Tires have been balanced by 4 different tire
shops including a truck shop. They have been trued and wheels checked.
The drive line was shimmed down 1/2 inch by Ford dealer. Dealer called
factory and they acknowlege a problem on a few of the 99 models, but
have no answer yet. Driveline has 4.25 degree angle at pinion and center
bearing is offset about 3/4 inch to passenger side. Ford says offset is
nothing to worry about. The vibration almost feels like a bent shaft,
but has been checked out.
General dealer says nothing wrong with tires.
Does anyone here have this problem or have any ideas of what to check?
Would out of balance shaft cause this only at this certain speed?
Thanks for any help.

Tony and Janice Zuber
Florence Oregon
tony.zuber sbaonline.gov
t.zuber winfinity.com



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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 15:05:50 -0700
From: "Jeff Schapker"
Subject: FTE 97up - Track Bar on 1999 Super Duty

What is the purpose of the track bar. Superlift's 2" lift relocates the
track bar and Tuff Country's 3" lift does not. What kind of problems can a
person have by not relocating the track bar.
Thanks,
Jeff


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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 17:34:36 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: Re: FTE 97up - Classifieds

At 12:55 PM 4/23/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Where can I find a classifieds section for Ford trucks? My brother has some
>ford parts (rims) he is looking to sell.
>
>Corey A. Pratt
>blanpolice in-touch.net
>

Sometimes the answer is so obvious you don't see it.
The top of nearly every single page on the Ford
Truck Enthusiasts web site has a classifieds button.

Ken Payne
Admin, Ford Truck Enthusiasts
http://www.ford-trucks.com
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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 17:44:45 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: RE: FTE 97up - RE: Y2K bug question

>> George
>
>..well, I can't answer the *why*, but I can help out with
>the *what*. Microprocessor chips have many different
>components etched into the silicon. Naturally, you'd
>expect to find a cental processor unit (CPU), some local
>high speed memory and a bunch of other stuff including a CLOCK.
>Nearly every chip has one. This clock is used by the CPU.
>It is not the same clock that you see on your dashboard.
>
>And here-in lies the rub!
>
>This clock always remembers what time it is. It only takes
>a few electrons worth of electric charge to change a memory
>bit from 1 to 0. Therefore, the clock requires no external
>power source to maintain the pattern of 1's and 0's in the
>local memory.
>
>It always remembers the time. Even if you turn off the power
>switch. *Even* if you disconnect the battery. Doesn't matter.
>It is one persistent bugger.
>
>This applies to nearly all microprocessors, not just trucks
>and cars. By now, no one should be overly concerned about Y2K
>problems in PCs, or laptops, or mainframes down at the bank.
>But there may some cause for concern with all of the imbedded
>microprocessors in the control systems that run the
>machinery that you depend on every day. Like alarm systems,
>coolers in the grocery store, elevators, escalators, copy
>machines and so on.
>
>--Bert
>

Errrr.... not correct. CPU "clocks" are not clocks in the
general sense. CPU chips use a "clock" signal to time themselves
(ie, a 266 MHZ Intel CPU is using a 66MHZ "clock" times 4).
You are referring to embedded controllers that MAY have a
embedded **calendar** chip (not a clock). PCs have time chips,
but the are **not** embedded in the CPU. Some microcontrollers
have them, but **most** don't. 8 bit microcontrollers are
by far still the most widely sold microcontrollers in the world.
Embedded controllers can and do lose the date/time. Bubble
memory and other non voilatile memory will have bit fade over
time.

Y2k has caused way too much paranoia. The world just passed
two major Y2k milestones (April 9 and 10) without a hitch.

Frankly, I'm getting tired of the Y2k vehicle paranoia. 90%
of the people talking about it don't program computers and
don't understand the real technical reasons. The media
loves the whole issue and loves to talk about the Y2k "bug".
First, there is no "Y2k bug". A bug is a single point of
failure in a single piece of code. There are Y2k bugs (plural).
Second, just because something uses dates and times, does not
mean it will fail after 2000, even if it uses 2 digit years.
The reason why the date is used and how it is used impacts
whether or not there will be a problem.

Lastly, if people are really that concerned, read the
following from Ford's Y2k statement:

Will my Ford car or truck run?
Regarding our vehicles, our intensive investigation has
progressed to the point that we can confirm that the Year
2000 will not impact the performance of your vehicles.
The microprocessors involved with the performance of your
vehicles do not use calendar-related functions and,
therefore, will not be affected by the so-called "Year 2000
Bug".

Ken Payne

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 17:49:46 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: Re: FTE 97up - The Y2K Question Again

- -snip-

>
>Anybody out there got the _facts_ on this one?

Read Ford's Y2k statements on their web site.

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 19:35:15 -0400
From: "Keith Veren"
Subject: Re: FTE 97up - Track Bar on 1999 Super Duty

Tuff Country 3 1/2 " lift DOES relocate the track bar. I know, I was there
watching as my dealer's mechanic was cussing at it while working to make
sure it was relocated and reinstalled as perfectly as possible. Note that
some of the various lift kits that are 3" and/or less do not require the
track bar to be relocated.

Keith


- -----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Schapker
To: 97up-list ford-trucks.com
Date: Saturday, April 24, 1999 4:10 PM
Subject: FTE 97up - Track Bar on 1999 Super Duty


>
>
>What is the purpose of the track bar. Superlift's 2" lift relocates the
>track bar and Tuff Country's 3" lift does not. What kind of problems can a
>person have by not relocating the track bar.
>Thanks,
>Jeff
>
>
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
>

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Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 18:14:15 -0700
From: "Harald Stenger"
Subject: FTE 97up - RE: Antenna ball

For anyone with a large camper on their truck, a ball on the antenna would
help also. I noticed that the antenna tip rubs on the cabover section of my
Alpenlite camper which would mar the fiberglass so I installed a rubber tip
over the antenna tip. While driving down the road I noticed a squeaking
sound that I finally traced to my rubber tip. I then went with a little
dense foam ball which works great. Of course, the garage door rips this
ball off on the few occasions I pull the truck into the garage. The bearing
idea might work?!

Sincerely,

Harald Stenger


"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little....

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