I have an XLT Ecoboost Screw HD on order. Due to the length, the truck will have to be parked outside. Since our driveway has an incline, I'm wondering if it makes any difference which direction the front end is pointed (up, down).

I know that in the winter (MN), pointing it downhill will remove the need shift from reverse to drive when the transmission is cold. That won't be as convenient for plugging in the engine block heater, but not a big deal.

Any thoughts?

 

I don't think either direction is better or worse. I do recommend using the park brake. Set it before you take your foot off the service brake. Keep the stress of the tranny and the shift linkage.

 

Some say front up hill which keeps the oil in the deep part of the pan where the pick up tube is. Makes sense if it is a real steep incline. Other wise I don't think it really matters. Good advice on the park brake to keep the stress off the tranny.

 

There was a Car Talk puzzler related to this; Every time this guy left town on business for a week or more he parked his car in his driveway. He would invariably return home to find the car's battery dead. The shop could not find a problem. What was going on? His driveway was very steep and he parked the car pointing uphill, the car was on such an incline that the under hood light (controlled by a mercury-type switch) would turn on and gradually drain the battery. It was not enough draw to kill the battery overnight but after a week - dead. The easiest solution was to park the car pointing down hill.

hehe, I'm guessing this is not a likely problem these days but thought you might enjoy the story.

 

ditto on the parking brake. the best way i've found is to hold the service brake, then set the parking brake, and put the vehicle in neutral and release the service brakes to verify that the parking brake holds the vehicle ... then put it in park.

guaranteed no torque bind on the shifter linkage if you do it this way, as the parking paul never has any stress on it what-so-ever.

as for direction .... eeeh ....

also, if you read any owners manual of any make or model of vehicle, they always say to engage the parking brake always before leaving the vehicle, and to never trust the parking brake, or transmission to hold the vehicle. parking brakes seem to be one of those "use it or lose it" items.... or in my case, use it and lose it anyway. i've never had a vehicle that the parking brake worked right after about 3 years..... just the nature of the environment around here i'm afraid.

 

One more thing: parking it uphill will drain rain water out the back, which I would prefer to draining it out the front of the bed.
And if you can't make up your mind: sideways!

 

I don't think the direction that one parks is consequential. I do like the points about the brakes and strain on the shift linkage though.

 

I also don't think which way the truck is parked makes any difference. I have never liked steep driveways. Especially in climates that have lots of snow and ice.

 

My folks had an old late 70's Fairmont with its POS C3 transmission that would get hung up in park quite often if parked on an incline and didn't have its parking brake engaged before being shifted into park.

Honestly, I would never trust any transmission to hold a car in place by leaving it in gear or putting it in park on anything but a completely flat surface. A former roommate of mine found that out the hard way once when he couldn't find his car at the top of the driveway. It had popped out of gear, rolled down my driveway into the neighbor's yard across the street during the night. Fortunately their yard has a slight incline to it otherwise it may have hit their house! Needless to say he never parked witout the parkingn brake again.

 

I'm all for the parking brake also, but what happens when it freezes?

 

Lots and lots of cussing because it's a big pain. That's why I never leave mine on in the winter.

 

Gee whiz, you must have a short garage. My 231 1/2" Stupor Crew fits into my garage (with 4" to spare) and I'll betcha my driveway is steeper than yours.

btw: On an incline, set the parking brake FIRST, before putting the shift lever into Park. Otherwise you'll have to YANK the shift lever out of Park. Sooner or later, this action will snap off the parking pawl inside the trans.

Not pleasant.

 

Right, thats what I was asking. If it freezes you're kinda screwed, no?

 

Absolutely. You pull into your driveway and everything under your truck is warm and dripping...you put on your parking brake and the water drips on your cable....in the below freezing temps the cable freezes to the liner and bam your brake won't come off. It sucks.

 

Right, I avoid using the parking brake in freezing temps. Fortunately I have a garage and some flat real estate to park mine.