Welp, here I am... on a Ford Forum. My Chevys gonna finally blow up after posting this.
Just kidding
But, as the title states, I'm getting ready to walk into my ford dealership and buy a new F150 EB because my baby, a rusty '86 S10 4x4 is using "a lot" of oil at 520, 000 miles on original everything minus clutch. Dad bought it new when he was my age! But... these new Ecoboosts seem to be damn superior to just about anything on the market. So, I'm going to be prauding at this F150 until it rolls out 1/2 million!
The questions I have are mostly experience based-
Which is the more desireable axle, the 3.31 or the 3.73? Whats the mpg hit from the 3.73 as opposed to the 3.31? How reliable/tough are these 6 speeds? What kind of mpg difference is there between SuperCrew and SuperCab (?) How do A/T tires such as Dynapro ATm's play into fuel economy?
I know this next question is asked to much on here but who has the most miles on there EB and what has your experience been?
I'd like to know/hear anything you have to say about your truck, how do you use it? How do you like it? What would you change and what would you reccomend me to do when I go into to pick out my next family heirloom.

I know thats a lot of questions, but Id love to hear from anybody in regards to any of those! Good day, everybody! Thanks!

 

First off welcome to the forum! There are a lot of knowledgeable people here and it really is a great forum.

So to start answering some of your questions:

1. Most desirable axle ratio: That all depends on what you will be towing if anything and how heavy it is. I bought the EGOboost with 3.73 gearing because I wanted the Max Tow option for the ability to tow up to 11,200 lbs. If you are not going to tow anything over 5,000 lbs. I would go with the 3.31's.

2. The mpg between 3.31 and 3.73 is probably on average about 3-4 mpg depending on too many circumstances that effect fuel milage to mention...the leading cause being your right foot!

3. As far as difference between screw and scab I would say it would be pretty negligible. Just a little weight difference.

4. All terrain tires WILL effect your milage...there is no way around it. More rolling resistance etc. Depending on how big the tires are will depend on how much of a hit your mpg will take. If you get all terrain tires and a lift kit it will be worse.

5. As to how reliable the transmissions are...that remains to be seen...and honestly I haven't heard of anyone having issues with them besides an occasional torque converter issue.

I don't know what you are buying your truck for so you will have to elaborate more on that for me to give you some reasons for getting one thing or another. I personally bought the platinum Screw EGOboost with 3.73 gearing. I want the ability to tow either a 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel or a trailer and didn't want to limit myself as to which one I could get. The motor runs great and is really a little powerhouse! I got the EGOboost due to it's low end torque for towing.

Ok here's the other thing...the 5.0L is a really capable motor. It doesn't have it's max useable torque at 2500 rpm like the EGOboost, however it does have great power, a great sound, and would also be able to tow up to about 9,500 lbs. (if you need to tow anything heavier you will need to get the 6.2 or the EGOboost) I would go to the dealership with an open mind and drive them all and see how you feel about them. Driving them back to back will be the best way to go about it.

Hope this helps you...I am sure others will chime in and offer their wisdom here shortly.

 

Welcome!!

I think Rob said every thing perfectly. I will add that the ecoboost seems to be more sensitive to MPG changes than the other 3 new engines. Tires, terrain, towing and the right foot foot all dictate boost and boost requires fuel.

As much as I can't stand GM for all that they've done, I can't help but be impressed with the half ton siblings right now. GM is boasting best in class MPG's, towing, payload, etc.

Ford is pushing the ecoboost MPG's as a primary reason to get the engine, the 5.0L will do as well as the ecoboost in MPG's. If you need an ecoboost for towing, then that's a different story or just to have a really fun powerful ride, then that's all good as well.

Shop carefully, none of these trucks are cheap.

 

Another welcome!

Rob pretty much covered everything you asked (Rob, still can't rep ya but tried) .

I want to contribute a bit on the axle ratio question. There are multiple threads with comments on axle ratio. I would recommend reading the following:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ear-ratio.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ys-a-week.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...uld-i-get.html

The bottom line is the new 6-speed trans are nothing like the old 4-speed. They have a super low 4.17 reduction in 1st gear and the axle gear set is no longer a limiting factor. My recommendation is if you are towing 8k lbs or less, the 3.31s will be more than sufficient and net the best fuel mileage. Since you are planning to keep the truck for a very long time, the savings from better mileage will add up quick!

My truck primarily gets used for cargo volume. There is CONSTANTLY something in the bed. A couch, snow blower, desk, motorcycle, trash for the dump run etc... . If you'll notice, the F-150 have very high bedsides. This is a plus/minus. It is a plus because all that stuff that I have back there has a better chance of staying put (although I tie everything down). The minus is they're so high that it sometimes is difficult to reach into the bed over the sides to get something. This is less of a problem as I have a shallow toolbox mounted that I can get in/out of from the sides to get tools.

This is my first "new" truck and coming from heavy duty pickups, the ride is that of a luxury car. I got the stripped-down STX model with cloth seats, non-fancy stereo and basic everything. This suits my needs just fine. The couple things I did add were mud flaps and rear wheel well liners. To me this is a must for any area seeing snow to keep the snow/salt at bay.

Good luck with the search, and again welcome!

 

If this helps you the milage on my wife's truck droped one mpg when we switched from the stock 18/275 Goodyear Wranglers to load range E 18/285 BFG ATR's. The ride got a little rougher, but the new tires cut down on sway with the camper. On the rearend question the previous posters are spot on. Get the 3.31 if you are not towing heavy, 3:73 if you are.

 

Thank you to everybody who has answered! As to what it will be used for: it will be my daily/commuter and will mostly haul other cars and trucks. The heaviest will be a '73 Highboy, on the rarest of occasions. So it looks like ill be running the 3.31's! And I figured AT's would drop the MPG, but I can live with 1mpg less. Something ive learned about these Ecoboosts is that its more of a decision. Do you want Eco? Or boost? Because you can't have both according to our '14 Escape 1.6. And I know the Coyotes a great engine, I just need boost. Climbing grades at high alt makes it a different scene with two turbochargers! And I do a lot of that. Hell, ive driven 13k miles in the past three months! I like the idea of well covers and mud flaps, that will be a must! As they kill cars out here... almost more then mileage. Ill probably Por-15 the undercarriage and frame.

 

another welcome to you sir, and now a couple of questions for you! as mentioned earlier by tseekins, with the numbers GM is boasting, just curious on your thoughts on their new trucks, and if you have or have not checked them out. secondly your thoughts on your '14 Escape. we are looking to get one for the wife this spring, or when the rebates get a little better, and thanks for your reply.

 

New GM trucks... Well, like I've said, I AM a Chevy guy and regardless I believe they're the best of the big 3 three before 2009. I think the new GM's ride great, and I find them to look pretty good, but I can't stand the transmissions. The 6L series seems to be a tough tranny, but it can't decide what gear it wants to be in! And we owned a '07, and just traded it in on the Escape due to it having more issues then my ex-girlfriend. When we traded it in, it had 88k EASY miles... It had a bad MAF, what I believe to be two sticky injectors causing it to run rich on one bank and lean on the other because the o2 sensor only controlled fuel pump resistance, a ****ed transmission, no slipping, just bad clutch packs and a fried TC which I contribute to its non stop shifting. And regardless of what we replaced, it wouldn't stop overheating.
Ford has just engineered there trucks to prevent premature wear. The transmission holds a gear longer, the EB doesn't need to rev to get to any speed and the front end components look to be beefier. The interiors are made with much higher quality materials then that of its GM counterpart... which is huge to me seeing as I want it to see a half million. The fit and finish is simply better, and because of that, I think they'll last longer. And that's why I'm betraying the Bowtie and buying the Blue Oval. When Chrysler and GM were accepting bailouts, that allowed the government to choose what they put there money towards... in the mean time, FoMoCo was sinking all of there money into what needed to be improved in there eyes, and I trust them more then the suits up top.

Our Escape is wonderful, I mean, I'm in love with this little thing. Its the 1.6 Ecoboost, SE trim, 2014 Model, 4wd. We only have about 450 miles on the ODO, but its flawless. The transmission shift strategies are perfect for the power and torque curve. The 1.6 is far from gutless and if you keep your foot out of it, use premium fuel, you can acheive 25mpg combined. The suspension is soft, yet supple. Steering is exceptional, especially for an electronic power assist. It is also surpisingly roomy for its size. Once again, beautiful fit and finish. I could also wrench on it if need be! I couldn't recommend it enough. Its been a huge factor in my decision to buy an F150 as opposed to the Silverado.

 

WOW!!!!


Inspiring post sir.

The 6R80 transmission on the F-150 is a brute. My ecoboost can travel at 80 through the mountains and never down shift unless I'm pouring the coal to her!

 

I don't know what transmission my 13 5.0 f150 has but drove it over two big mountain passes this weekend (Vail Pass and Eisenhower tunnel) and was very impressed with it, seems to shift when it should but holds the gears very well. Super impressed with my first trip in the new truck.

 

God, that's all good news! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I vowed long ago that I'd never own a vehicle with an Automatic transmission... until I drove these new Fords. They're programmed nicely, they don't disengage the engine upon closed throttle which allows the truck to begin slowing down by using engine compression first. Even on a slight down hill in the Escape, I can take my foot off the pedals and it will slow to 5mph from 25mph whilst downshifting gently in about 125 yards. I like that, especially in a truck. A family members 2013 Mercedes GL63 AMG did that when I was driving it from Denver to Custer, SD and it changed the trip. I cursed domestic automakers for not doing the same thing! And then I drove the F150
How about back up camera? Is it worth it? And what is everybodys oil change interval? Being both turbocharged and direct injected, I figured I'd change it every 3, 000 miles. To soon?
This question is in regard to all of the newer F150's, how rugged is the IFS set up on these? What fails first or requires the most replacement?
Thanks again everybody!

 

[QUOTE=Robbgt;13653299]Another welcome!

Rob pretty much covered everything you asked (Rob, still can't rep ya but tried) .
Thanks my friend.

Hmm the back up camera...is it worth it...YES YES YES.

Oh asking about oil changes is always a touchy subject. Some believe you should wait until the truck tells you to change the oil (roughly 10,000 miles depending on if you tow a lot etc.) I personally changed my oil right around 400 miles. The service manager read the odometer and said, "U, you know you only have 480 miles on your truck right?" I said, "YES...I don't want those metal shavings floating around in my new motor for 10,000 miles thanks."

After the first initial oil change (which in my mind is THE MOST IMPORTANT one..some change the first oil at 200 miles) I think it would be ok to follow the oil change intervals. I guess it all depends on how much you tow.

The Motorcraft oil is a synthetic blend so it should work well for you. Also I would stick with the Motorcraft oil filter.

One more thing...everyday I get into my truck I think how much I love it and how great the ecoboost motor feels. It is really hard to believe that it is a 6 cylinder at times because it just flat out moves and hauls like a diesel! You will NOT be disappointed with it.

 

No matter what you do, use a motorcraft oil filter.

I have the dealer change mine every 6K-7K miles. The dealer prefers that I change it at 5K but, he's being greedy. Ford says it's safe to follow the oil life monitor (OLM) which in most cases will allow for a 10K dump cycle. I'm not comfortable with that yet. If my oil pan held 8-10 qts and the filter was bigger than I'd be sold.

However, in Ford's defense: The oil filter block on all F-150 engines is water cooled. The turbos are water cooled as well and the ecoboost doesn't have to sit and allow for the turbos to cool down before shutdown, there's no issue with turbo bearings getting coked up, at least none that we've read about.

The IFS is rugged as nails, in fact, there's almost no discussion on here about it. Now in the older models with IFS (1997-2008), it seems that some are having intermittent vacuum issues. Perhaps a line or a seal begins to leak deep into the trucks life span. It's a machine and machines break.

 

Yea, that takes some getting used to. Just be aware that the truck you are looking at has EPAS also (unless you go for the 6.2L, that is still using a hydraulic setup)

Once you get used to it, and the differences in the "centering" effect it isn't that bad. PLUS there is no wine from the PS pump going full lock, since there is no PS pump (one less driven pulley = less parasitic loss to the engine)

 

Yes, I don't think 10k could fly! I've always wondered how often they changed the oil in 448AA...
Ill probably do 5k after hearing that. I guess a decent full synthetic blend is a real game changer. And yes, I'm fine with the EPAS but why the hell are they still running hydraulic on the 6.2? That's hilarious!
Another dorky question: bed sizes. The 5.5 foot just sounds to short. Can I blow up a queen size air matress and sleep back there in the 5.5 or will I need to go with the 6+? I also, on a side note, love the fold up rear seats in the Screws.. mainly for sleeping. HA! If I had a dollar for everytime I slept in my Chevy, I'd have enough cash to double my down payment
How much have y'all paid for your trucks? What sort of haggling was done, and I know its PERSONAL, but whats your monthly payment? I'm going to be putting
$5k down, and I'm sitting with solid credit(-4% APR).