Ok, It's official...I'm a SD owner now! The phrase 'Love at first sight' means NOTHING after you get in and drive! WOW. Now I understand the loyalty/love for these trucks. I'm definitely a Ford girl for life now. You can see my new baby in my gallery.

That said, I have a few questions for y'all:

1. I will be putting bigger tires on the truck and possibly a lift. Will a slight lift affect the ride very much? What about oversized tires?

2. Can I go much larger on the tires without changing out the rims? The stock tires are 265/75/16's and I don't know what size the rims are.

3. Undercoating. Are there different types / brands? Any opinions on this?

4. 4X4- are there any tips or things I need to be careful of with the 4 wheel drive? Does it need a 'break-in' like engines? What about ESOF- anything to watch out for?

5. Will the air/oil filters need changing more often than the owner's manual recommends if the truck is driven in the sand pretty often? What about if the 4 wheel is used often?

6. Anything else anyone can tell me on this truck that I can watch out for or pay extra attention to would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Congrats. I felt the same way and usually I hate driving nor do I care much for any vehicle but I love my truck.

3. I do not think you need to worry much about an undercoating. You probably just need to hose it down after they salt the roads to get rid of the salt. My old F150 did not have an after-purchase undercoating and it has not rusted at all except for the chrome exhaust (I should have gotten stainless steel).

6. There are some issues with the 6.0L PSDs that you would want to be aware of incase they pop up if you got this engine.

 

I'll try a couple, alot of people will chime with advice as well. As far as a lift there are many factors to this. How much lift, brands, etc. I just installed a 4" a few days ago and the lift did stiffin up a little. Not enough to bother me. Alot of different companies have many options. Many different people have different likes and dislikes about each. I had 295/75/16's on stock rims, no rub at all and looked great. I would advise you NOT to use your 4wd on pavement, it wall cause alot of bind on your drivetrain you really don't want. I always lock in my 4wd when on the beach if I need it or not just to keep everything lubed from time to time. If you have a gas engine I would recommend 3mo. 3000 miles as the book states for your oil changes.. My PSD I change around 5000 mi. If you do alot of beach driving I would suggest checking your air filter more often. You should not need undercoating unless you just have to have it. Anyway, very nice looking truck and your soon to find out there are endless things to purchase for your SD and you WILL get bit by the bug. Ask my wife about this!! Good luck and congrats..

 

1. If you go with a slight lift, you can go with a hanger lift and that has sbsolutely no affect on the ride. The stock springs are used and just mounted lower. If you add higher quality shocks, you might even see an improvement in the ride. Oversize tires generally don't change the ride much unless you go with an aggressive mud type tire that might hum on the highways.

2. I'm not sure on this one, but you should have an 8inch or wider rim if you are going to run 12.5 inch wide tires. You could probably get away with 285s.

3. Definitely get it done if you are going to be driving on the beach. Also paint the drive shafts and other bare metal parts underneath.

4. 4x4 does not need any break in. Lock the hubs manually BEFORE getting into sand and put it in 4x4 BEFORE it is needed. The wheels usually need to be rolling for the hubs to engage so if you are already stuck and try to engage 4x4, you are SOL.

5. Yes, definitely. Offroading gets dust/dirt everywhere.

6. Gas it and enjoy it.

 

TxLimo,
Congrat's on the truck!! I see your in Corpus and a diver to boot. I am in Austin. However I make lots of trips down each year to camp and drive the full 63 mile's up Padre Island often. I have not had any problems with the ESOF or needed any extra care because of the sand. I love driving on the beach in my truck. As for under coat you may need something. I bought some spray stuff just to help in areas that I could see rust coming up from the over night stays there on the beach. It's nothing major but that salty air seems to get it going sometimes. I also wash the truck after getting off the beach to help.
Not sure how much lift you want but you can
get a lift and keep the stock ride. Stay away from Pro comp if you want the stock ride. Super Lift and Edge, are good and Donahoe racing can set you up real nice from what I understand. A sticky at the top of the forum can help you out with tires size's and what will fit best.

 

jaygos-

I've had about a 50/50 response from local people on the undercoating. I guess it cant hurt, although someone did mention that it makes some maintenance tasks difficult.
I'm looking forward to my first trip down to Big Shell in this truck. I go all the way down to Port Mansfield pretty regularly, though I never have stayed overnight. Maybe i'll do that now that i've got plenty of sleeping room right there in the back seat.

 

I did not get a lot of rust coming up but the spay did help. Like I said I used the spay can stuff.
It's not the best but I could put it where I needed it as you do not need the hole bottom covered.
I love that drive down the beach I usually
set up camp anywhere from 2 to five miles from the Mansfield cut. Not big on fishing but just
relaxing. Plus two of the shipwrecks from the 1554 Spanish fleet are at two and five miles from the cut.
I have never found any gold there but one can always hope. I think it's just fun to walk
along looking. I have heard the divining at the cut is decent but have not done it myself. Have you?
I took about six tanks down once to do it but that was last year. Tropical storm Grace was coming
in so the surf was just not going to let up. No need for that back seat just toss some sleeping bags
in the bed of the truck. As long as there is no rain it sure is nice..

 

I'll look for the spray stuff you're talking about. Mayhaps that's all I'll need.

I haven't been diving at the cut, or anywhere down that way. I usually dive the rigs offshore. I have gone into the surf at JP Luby. When the blue water is in, it sure is nice and easy diving from shore. I didnt know about the wrecks, but I'll sure look into that this summer. Bet those'll make for nice dives.
I like to drive down when the conditions are no better than fair. Put's the 4X4 to good use. I always like to walk around just seeing what there is to see. The craziest things pop up down there. Last I went, I saw a 1/2 eaten porpoise washed up. Pretty sad sight. I've seen some really huge turtles, as well. Mostly it's the odd t.v., hard hat, lumber...you know. I also don't go down for the fishing- I prefer that offshore, too. But I do see alot of people with poles in the water.
I suppose a sleeping bag in the bed would do alright, I've just always wondered/worried about the less than sane folks that frequent the place to stay overnight. Maybe with a few other people it wouldn't seem so bad.

All I know is that i'm ready for the 100 degree days to get here. I'm heading to the beach Friday come rain or shine. It's just been far too long since I've spent the day out there.

 

Can't dive the 1554 wreaks not much left to see. The state has al ready excavated most of it. A private company pulled some stuff years back but the state took most of it. There is a wreck called the Nicaragua that you can
see the top of when the tide is low. If I remember right I think it was somewhere around mile marker 32 . I think that was it. It sits in about 18 to 20 feet of water. I would like to check that out sometime when the blue water is in.
I have never had anyone bother me when camping most just drive by and wave. I am generally prepared if someone is a problem though. I always drive high in the loose stuff when I am there. Down on the pack is just no fun. Rarely have to put it in 4 wheel drive though. I just drop the swampers down to about 10 psi and go. I use 4x4 when pulling people out. I always have a tow strap or two with me as some one always try's to go farther than they should in a two wheel when conditions are bad. I don't take their money. I just enjoy seeing their faces when a big a#$ truck pulls up to pull them out. All this talk about it sure has me wanting to be there.. I think a weekend trip needs to happen soon!!

 

TxLimo...were you formerly Waitinona250? If you are, and if 'ya ain't, either way, congrats on the new truck!! Lemme see if I can help with some of your questions..

1 & 2. Some lifts seem to stiffen, and some seem to ride better, or like stock, gotta do extensive homework to get one you'll be happy with. The stock rims are 16x7, and most tire shops in Corpus won't mount anything bigger than a 285/75x16 tire on a 7" wide rim. I've got 295/75x16 BFG A/T's on my truck on the stock rims and they are riding and wearing just fine.

3. I spend a LOT of time at the beach, and it the 2+ years I've had my truck, no rust on the body has formed. But the chassis & axles are rusting like crazy! Here's a shot of my pass. frame rail. .. It looks pretty gnarly, and I'm planning to hit everything with a coat of black spray paint just to make things pretty again. The two things I didn't like about undercoating is that it makes underbody parts a PITA to remove, and it gets dirty, grimy, and fades to a dark grey. I just always make sure to give my truck a good rinsing as soon as I get back into town.

4. You SD loves sand, use the 4x4 often! I've never had an issue with my 4wd system, but I don't have ESOF.

5 & 6. I have noticed a LOT of sand in the air cleaner canister, before the filter of course. I'm changing my air filter every 10k, and the old ones are usually pretty sandy. The ducting after the filter is always clean with no 'dust' anywhere to be found, so the filter is doing its work. I would recommend spraying out your engine compartment, sand likes to stay on top of the wheelwells. I'd say keeping ontop of the regular maintainence is key on our trucks. Oh yeah, and make sure you invest in a sturdy tow strap, you'll need it to pull out the lame ducks stuck in the sand!

 

Yep Munkey- it's me. Thanks for all the advice. It sure helps to hear from the 'been there, done that' crowd. I've had the truck at the beach a couple of times now and it's been great. Never acted like the sand was a problem. You mentioned black spray paint- will that help keep the rust at bay if I spray everything under there now? I hesitate to undercoat it and muck things up underneath.
What I do when I get home from the beach is hook up my sprinkler and shove it under the truck for awhile. Works like a charm and very little effort.

 

Hey TxLimo-

I would suggest you always have these items whenever you go on the beach. I've been driving the beaches of N.C. (Cape Hatteras, Buxton, Ocracoke) for over twenty years and either need to help others or save myself! Here they are:
1. tow strap.
2. shovel ( even a frisbee will do in a pinch).
3. piece of scrap lumber ( 3'x 2x6, minimum, to act as a base for your jack if something cuts your tire and the tide is coming in....my best story to tell over a few beers.)
4. A sharp knife to cut away fishing line, nets that get entangled in axles, shafts, wheels, etc.
5. A flashlight or two w/ fresh batteries.
6. Jumper cables in case you listened to the radio while catching rays a little longer than your battery wanted you to.
7. A few road flares to assist in starting the bonfire w/ beach's driftwood.
8. A bottle opener (see #3).
9. Your humor, patience and ability to shake your head in disbelief that our fellow drivers can do some of the dumbest things while on the beach!
----Have fun w/ new truck, Congrats!

 

hmm, i like the sprinkler idea ... picturing it now ... and laughing at the strange looks that would get ... especially in my apartment complex ...

 

Sawduster-

Great suggestions! I might make a copy of that and put it on 3X5 cards and hand them out to the 'fellow drivers' there on the beach.

iskybantilus-

The sprinkler is kind of strange, but it works great and I don't know about you, but after I get off the beach, the last thing I want to do is wash the truck.

 

yea, its a great idea, i am kinda ****ed i never thought of it ..... well, i did, but it involved driving onto someones lawn and using their sprinkler ... hehe i dont like them much