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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 06:26 AM
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What are these?

I was l looking at trucks online and I saw one come up with these strange covers over the front and rear brakes. Are these just shipping covers that the dealer is supposed to remove?
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:25 AM
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Those are only for shipping and should be removed by the dealership.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by markag
I was l looking at trucks online and I saw one come up with these strange covers over the front and rear brakes. Are these just shipping covers that the dealer is supposed to remove?
Correct and they also keep the rotors from rusting during shipping.

Also, you might not see these on all trim levels during shipping.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:51 AM
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I assumed they were just shipping covers, but I wanted to make sure there weren't intended to stay. I seem to recall stumbling upon a youtube video where there were similar looking objects on a super duty wheel that were indicated as balance rings or something along those lines.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:57 AM
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I drove an '18 SCrew down to another dealer to trade for my '17 in October of '17. Drove the 50 miles back to my dealer with those covers on. Looked weird. Just to protect rotors for shipping, don't know what they're protecting them from. Moisture is still going to get to the rotors.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by johnday
I drove an '18 SCrew down to another dealer to trade for my '17 in October of '17. Drove the 50 miles back to my dealer with those covers on. Looked weird. Just to protect rotors for shipping, don't know what they're protecting them from. Moisture is still going to get to the rotors.
That's what doesn't make sense. I'm sure they are not sealed. If anything, they will hold more moisture in then what they would see if they were just open to the air.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 05:55 PM
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Ford dealership technician here, a little late to the party but, those covers are intended to prevent brake pad dust from dirtying up the rims during transit is what was explained to me. They MUST be removed by the technician doing the PDI just prior to delivery.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by m-chan68
Ford dealership technician here, a little late to the party but, those covers are intended to prevent brake pad dust from dirtying up the rims during transit is what was explained to me. They MUST be removed by the technician doing the PDI just prior to delivery.
Do you have to take the wheels off to remove them? It looks like they don't just come off.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by m-chan68
Ford dealership technician here, a little late to the party but, those covers are intended to prevent brake pad dust from dirtying up the rims during transit is what was explained to me. They MUST be removed by the technician doing the PDI just prior to delivery.
I've got the 20" 6 spoke Sport wheels so they were pretty obvious. I wonder if they're on others as well, just not as obvious.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 06:55 PM
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Bitchen...makes it look like you've got Lincoln brakes on an old Ford.....
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by markag
Do you have to take the wheels off to remove them? It looks like they don't just come off.
NOPE. When we do a PDI on any of these vehicles, we are instructed to simply reach through the wheel spokes and YANK them off! On the ones equipped with wheels where the spokes are spaced far enough apart that it's relatively easy to reach through with your hands and rip them off, it's not too bad. But try doing that on the vehicles that have wheels that resemble the turbine blades of a jet engine!
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:18 PM
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Originally Posted by johnday
I've got the 20" 6 spoke Sport wheels so they were pretty obvious. I wonder if they're on others as well, just not as obvious.
They're not just on F-150s. They're on some other models as well. Just don't remember which exact ones at the moment. All I can say though, is they're a monumental PITA to remove.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2019 | 08:32 PM
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Originally Posted by m-chan68
They're not just on F-150s. They're on some other models as well. Just don't remember which exact ones at the moment. All I can say though, is they're a monumental PITA to remove.
Thanks, I bet they are.
 
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Old Feb 13, 2019 | 05:35 AM
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Another reason they exist is probably to keep transport truck drivers from running chains through the wheels and damaging them when cinching the truck down.
 
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