Build thread: Big Red Beast
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Nice setup there Turbo Dog! I wanted to get a fiberglass shell but I was on a limited budget so that dictated a used one. Let's face it, not too many other people have the 8' bed in this truck. I saw one on Craigslist but it was way over my budget, and gone within days! Apparently someone else wanted one too
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,061
Likes: 39
From: Laramie, WY
Thanks and yes, it takes a lot of patience to find a matching used topper. The cost of this one was over $3500, no used one that I could find. You can always check the place that sells toppers, they usually take the used ones in trade.
Right now I have it loaded with a couple of old school zip together sleeping bags and a couple of extra blankets. We'll be sleeping in it tonight and it's been getting down to freezing lately. That is about as cold as we tend to use it.
Right now I have it loaded with a couple of old school zip together sleeping bags and a couple of extra blankets. We'll be sleeping in it tonight and it's been getting down to freezing lately. That is about as cold as we tend to use it.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
I haven't slept in mine yet. I've been trying to get the insulation done right. Plus time and money to actually go camping haven't been working out for me lately so it looks like I'm out of luck for this year.
I paid $100 for the shell that I have, and it fits okay. I bought it from a guy that had it sitting on a 2008 F-150, and the biggest issue I have with getting it to fit is the minor differences in the exterior contours of the bed between the two generations. An aluminum cap just isn't made to take those into consideration, whereas a fiberglass would. But when I priced out a new fiberglass cap, even the cheaper ones were way over my budget. Unfortunately my fun budget keeps getting cut right now.
I paid $100 for the shell that I have, and it fits okay. I bought it from a guy that had it sitting on a 2008 F-150, and the biggest issue I have with getting it to fit is the minor differences in the exterior contours of the bed between the two generations. An aluminum cap just isn't made to take those into consideration, whereas a fiberglass would. But when I priced out a new fiberglass cap, even the cheaper ones were way over my budget. Unfortunately my fun budget keeps getting cut right now.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Update on the hubcap: I've contacted Hubcap Heaven here in Pittsburgh to see if they have/can find a used center cap to replace the one that went missing. I reached out to them and told them what I needed and provided the Ford part #. They replied back asking for a picture. I sent them three pictures from different angles. We will see where this goes. No, I am not buying new wheels! I don't have the money for that.
I blame this on those purple minions though. I really they were fooling around with my truck Monday while I was at work!
I blame this on those purple minions though. I really they were fooling around with my truck Monday while I was at work!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 205
Likes: 22
This happened to my 2007. The problem is not with the cap but rather with the wheel itself. If it's the same thing that happened to mine, you'll buy caps till the cows come home and lose every one of them. Winters, road salt, general corrosion makes the chrome separate from the steel wheel. As a result,t he cap can't go on tight enough to stay. I bought another wheel for mine (used on ebay but very nice) and ended up with a couple of caps, one of which I still have. You're welcome to it if you want it. It's frustrating and, according to the dealer I talked to, it's a known problem. I was considering putting a different set of wheels on mine but then traded it so...
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
This happened to my 2007. The problem is not with the cap but rather with the wheel itself. If it's the same thing that happened to mine, you'll buy caps till the cows come home and lose every one of them. Winters, road salt, general corrosion makes the chrome separate from the steel wheel. As a result,t he cap can't go on tight enough to stay. I bought another wheel for mine (used on ebay but very nice) and ended up with a couple of caps, one of which I still have. You're welcome to it if you want it. It's frustrating and, according to the dealer I talked to, it's a known problem. I was considering putting a different set of wheels on mine but then traded it so...
Yeah I've noticed the chrome that's on those wheels is more like a laminate than an actual chrome plating. One of the wheels feels like it has tiny stones or something between the wheel and the chrome laminate, but the cap on that one is staying on just fine (so far...) Thanks for letting me know that this is a common problem, and that it could happen to the other three wheels. Alex, thanks for letting me know about the guy in Connellsville. Hubcap Heaven didn't have what I needed at this time. Right now I'm not sure if I could afford what the dealer would want for it anyway.
If I can get a new one, I'll have to put my thinking cap on and figure out a way to prevent this from happening again
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
In other news, this past weekend I finally got around to finishing the insulation inside the shell in a way that I'm happy with it. I put up a second layer running from front to back, screwed into the inner support ribs to hold it up. The first layer was help up with screws on the side ribs, but then duct tape to the inside roof of the shell. The duct tape just wasn't holding, and was allowing the insulation to hang down. I drove around all last week not being able to use my inside mirror at all!
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,534
Likes: 85
From: penn twp.
Jim unfortunately there isn't much that you can do to prevent losing another center cap. If you look on the backside of the cab you'll find that the clip retainer is a thin stainless steel tin plate. And it just pushes onto little plastic tabs that are part of the cap itself. And those little tabs over tab become brittle and break off. Allowing that retainer to separate from the cap. But if you look at the wheel that is missing the cap and that retainer isn't still fastened to the lug nuts then that means that the clip retainer itself was out of adjustment and caused the cap to come off. In that case all you need to do is make small adjustment by bend the metal tabs on the retainer outward slightly to hold the cap tight on the wheels. But just so you know in the mean time you can always use one of the painted caps from the painted wheels so that it doesn't look quite as bad.
More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 610
Likes: 8
If you don't have any luck from Hubcap Heaven, try eBay. I can't tell exactly which type of hubcap you need, but I saw about a dozen or so that looked very similar with the search "2009 f150 hubcap".
Good luck finding it! I'm sure it won't be too hard!
Good luck finding it! I'm sure it won't be too hard!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 205
Likes: 22
Yeah I've noticed the chrome that's on those wheels is more like a laminate than an actual chrome plating. One of the wheels feels like it has tiny stones or something between the wheel and the chrome laminate, but the cap on that one is staying on just fine (so far...) Thanks for letting me know that this is a common problem, and that it could happen to the other three wheels. Alex, thanks for letting me know about the guy in Connellsville. Hubcap Heaven didn't have what I needed at this time. Right now I'm not sure if I could afford what the dealer would want for it anyway.
If I can get a new one, I'll have to put my thinking cap on and figure out a way to prevent this from happening again
If I can get a new one, I'll have to put my thinking cap on and figure out a way to prevent this from happening again
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Sorry man I totally missed that! PM me we'll make arrangements. I can meet you somewhere or come to your house, whichever you prefer. That would be awesome man, thanks!
