Ford F-450 Repair Fail (#NailedIt)

By Christian Moe - June 30, 2020

When someone takes the term “Shade Tree Mechanic” a little too literally.

It’s not exactly a secret that anyone doing work on their own vehicle will inevitably do something a little stupid or unsafe. From little things like putting blocks under a jack stand to using that 300-pound rated ratchet strap to lift that 500-pound engine, eventually, we find ourselves doing what is necessary with the tools we have on hand.

Well folks, if you need a reminder on why we try to use the right tools for the job, look no further than Jordan Jensen’s unfortunate Ford F-450. Jordan needed to take the cab off of his truck to do some major engine service, but he didn’t exactly have the right equipment or shop space to get the job done. But if you have a massive oak tree and enough ratchet straps, the job seemed easy enough. The problem you have when a stupid idea works, is that you never know just how long that stupid idea will work. A little weakness from Mother Nature, coupled with a little stress from physics, and the branch holding the truck cab snapped. The cab landed on the frame at a serious angle, and the tree did one hell of a number on the roof of the truck.

Turbos, up pipes, actuator were al fucked on the f450. So naturally being a ford, the cab had to come off. Turns out, a massive oak tree branch is not strong enough to pull.the cab off. It is however, strong enough to make a nice sized dent in your cab, and drop the cab all crooked on your chassis.

Here’s a picture story of my day.

Also…. we are having a cookout/bonfire this weekend to burn this damn branch down.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in this little kerfuffle, but it’s a good reminder that dangerous ideas can have dangerous consequences. All in though, Jensen was a good sport about the whole issue. Both he and his wife are drift racers, so a little body damage is not a new or terrifying thing. The cab is properly off the body now, so the work to fix this mighty tow rig can continue unabated.

We hope the job of getting the cab back on the truck goes a little smoother once all the work is completed. And who knows, now that some of the truck is already banged up, it could give Jensen a little incentive to throw it around a track sideways the next time he is at the track. We would love to see video of a drifting Ford F-450. Just make sure those cab bolts are torqued to spec before the sideways shenanigans begin.