My garage measures exactly 235" deep, and I would have to remove some shelving on the back wall to get it. I want a used F150 with an extended cab, and so due to the length restrictions, it needs to have a short bed.

One Used Truck dealer actually measured an F150 he had for sale, and it measured 228", which would have left 7" if I had bought his truck. So part of my question is if all F150's are the same length, do they vary by year, body style, etc..., but my main question is if it's possible to know the overall length of the truck just by having the VIN#.

Weeks ago, I found a particular "VIN Checker" website that gave me the length of one particular F150 based on the VIN#, but I didn't bother to save the VIN Checker website, and despite the fact that I've used several sites to check several trucks, the "overall length" specification has not been listed once, ever since.

So I don't know if there was something special about that particular site, or if the overall length spec is only available (via the VIN#) in certain years, on certain models, or what. So I'm asking.

The main reason is if I'm looking at a truck and I can get the VIN, and if the VIN shows that the truck is going to be too long then I don't have to call anyone or ask any questions, get them to measure the truck for me or (worst case) have to go to where the truck is in order to measure it myself. Note I see other physical dimension specs all the time, width, etc... but length is the one that I DON'T see. I don't know if this is because the VIN checking websites don't have/can't get the information, or if no one else wants it but me.

Also, while we're on the subject, if anyone has a favorite VIN# checking website, I'd appreciate the recommendation, because some of these are spammy and annoying. I like lots of information with a minimum of ads and (worst) motion video. Thanks in advance.

 

I don't see parking in a garage with 7 inches to spare ( front and rear combined) and not having problems.

 

With your space limitations and the truck configuration you want you are looking for a Supercab with the 6.5" bed, which is what was the standard bed for these, the long bed is the one you want to avoid. Just looking at the picture of the truck, you'll know what you need. Supercab with the standard bed is 229.8" according to Ford.

 

All model years? Some extended cabs have two doors and others have 4 doors with the back two being those little tiny doors. Does this change the overall length?

What about the point of my question? Can the VIN# be used to determine length? What about any VIN checkers to recommend?

 

2004-2008, the 11th gen F150. I'm not sure if the 10th or 12th dimensions are the same or not.
As for the cabs, the SuperCab is the one with the rear seat, with a rear door about half the size of the fronts. The ones with the really narrow doors are generally called regular cabs, they have no back seat at all. Your cab choices are regular, SuperCab(extended cab), or SuperCrew (crew cab), if you want a small back seat, you want a SuperCab.
As for VIN, digits 5-7 tell you the model and cab of the truck. I don't have any VIN decoder to recommend, there are quite a few out there as you know, they will all be the same info. The VIN itself does not tell you the length of the truck.
Good luck on your truck hunt.

 

Thanks. Today I'm looking at a 2003 F150 with extended cab and short bed and it has those goofy low profile tires on it. If I buy this one, I'll want to get rid of them and get standard OEM rims to replace them. Can I check for the wheel dimensions with the VIN#? (6 hole? 18", 20", etc...) I see a lot of different F150's with a lot of different numbers. I want whatever came from the factory. How do I figure this out?

 

The VIN will not tell you the wheels. Best way to know is to check to see what wheels were available for the model you're looking at (XL, XLT, Lariat, etc) and see what wheel and size was standard and what was optional. Also, search online, you can find downloadable factory sales brochures. Those will also tell and show you what was available. Good luck

 

How important is it to match the original factory? After I posted the one before this one, I spent about an hour on Craigslist looking at tires that were advertised as being for "F150" 's, and I saw 5 hole, 6 hole, 17", 18" and 20", and the tires were all over the map in terms of diameter, width, etc...

I just want reliable, and safe. I don't want low-profile 1) because you look like a punk, 2) because if you get a flat the tire is probably more expensive to replace, 3) because I think they are less safe, 4) I think a flat at high speed is more likely to damage the rim, 5) a flat at high speed is more likely to permanently destroy the tire, 6) a damaged "low profile" rim is more expensive to replace and 7) you look like a punk.

In case anyone cares to know. Maybe I'm wrong on this so feel free to set me straight. And also 8) I think they are ugly, particularly on a truck.

And I was pricing OEM factory rims and OMFGZORS. Some of these crack-smoking F150 owners want $800 for OEM wheels with dry and cracking tires on them. At first I thought I might be able to turn a profit by purchasing OEM wheels and then selling the Punk Specials, but now I feel like I'll be lucky to break even.

Has anyone else been in this situation, where the "plain old" OEM wheels are as expensive or more expensive than the so-called "custom" wheels?

 

I think an '03 was 5 lug, as for the size, I couldn't tell you. My '07 has the original 17" wheels. I don't know how your area of the country is, but here in Southern California I see OEM wheels usually fairly cheap, and the '03 and older are all over the local junkyards here.
I can't really help you with tech info on the profile of the tires, but my opinion, trucks look better with taller profiles, and they ride better than low profile 20" rims

 

I'm thinking about installing some kind of "road bump" to the concrete floor of the garage. I made one for the driveway. Took a wolmanized 4 x 4 and cut 2 1/2" of one corner off and put the cut side down on the driveway. I could anchor it to the floor of the garage using 1/2" rebar, which is (FYI) what they use to anchor those concrete "stops" in large commercial parking lots like Walmart.

I also plan on getting an automatic transmission, in order to prevent the possibility of accidentally popping the clutch and surging forward into the wall. But I agree, it's an issue. Last night I proposed to the wife that instead of an F150, we get an Explorer like the one I used to have and she vetoed that idea for reasons to dumb to describe. sigh. It's bad enough I have to listen politely to them; worse for me to make others have to do so also. Plus, you probably also have wives, who also have reasons, that you have to be polite about listening to, and then act like you think it's important.

After all, they're "equal".

 

On the driver's door post, there is a sticker with the tire info. This is what was on the truck when it was born.

 

Oh really?

When I ask Sellers for the VIN#, frequently they just text me a pic of this sticker. It never occurred to me to look there for the tire dimensions, so thanks a lot. That's really useful information for both myself and others. Someone should give him some Rep+ for this.