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From: RubyDesert aol.com
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Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 14:35:37 EST
To: fordtrucks80up ListService.net
Subject: rusty underbody & engine braking
Sender: owner-fordtrucks80up ListService.net
Reply-To: fordtrucks80up ListService.net

Greetings. I'm a relative newbie to the world of trucks and I have a few
questions about my 98 Ford F150. Please pardon any inaccuracies in
terminology!

1. I recently decided to check the lug nuts on my tires and was surprised,
when I pulled the wheel covers off, to find a lot of rust around the lug nuts
and in the area right in the center of the wheel. That prompted me to look
under the truck and I was even more surprised to find quite a bit of rust
under there. When the truck was still on the dealer's lot I thought I looked
at it pretty carefully, but perhaps I didn't look underneath very well,
assuming that it would be fine since the truck is new -- and being a newcomer
to the world of understanding how autos work, I'm not sure I would've known
what to look for anyway. So my question is: is it normal to have a good bit
of noticeable rust on a truck that I've only had for around a month? It came
with around 120 miles on it b/c it had been a dealer trade, and I've since put
1200 miles on it, but mostly in Arizona, whose climate isn't known for
ravaging the underbellies of vehicles. Is there anything I should do about
it?

2. The car I had before this was an SUV and it had the nifty feature of
seeming to drop to a lower gear whenever I braked in order to come to a stop.
That cut down on the amount of brakes I needed to use quite a bit and I was so
used to the effect that when I first test drove the F150 I thought something
was wrong with its brakes, b/c it took so much longer to stop. Granted, it's
a heavier vehicle, but nevertheless it does not have that "engine braking"
feature and I'm wondering if that's something that can be added. I don't even
know the proper name for it! Is it an engine brake? an exhaust brake? Is it
simply a feature of the SUV's Honda engine that isn't available on the Ford
engine? FWIW, I have the 5.4L V8 engine on the truck.

Any advice, suggestions, words of wisdom, etc. most welcome! I've enjoyed
using this list thus far to learn a lot more about my new truck.

--Amy
+--------------- Ford Truck Enthusiasts - 1980 - 1996 ----------------+
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