Hey guys i bought a 06 F150 a couple of months back and i plan on deeping it for as long as i can. With that in mind, what should i do to it to make it as long lasting as possible? Any weak point i need to address or anything like that? The truck has dual exhaust and an aem dryflow filter in the stock intake. I also have an SCT X3 programmer from mike at 5 Star Tuning. Any thing else i need to do to my truck to extend longevity?

 

change your oil every 3-5,000 miles and keep that air filter clean

probaby wouldn't hurt to drive it nicely either...but that isn't fun



just take care of the maintenance aspect. I've had plenty of 90's F-150's go well past 100,000 miles. My record to date is 283,000 miles in a Bronco (covered F-150 shortbed).

 

Regular maintenance, wash and wax regularly, and don't drive beyond what it was designed for. Use only Motorcraft oil filters. Avoid hard acceleration from a stand still and don't over heat the engine or transmission and it'll last you a long time. I have had many Ford gas engine trucks go well beyond 100,000 miles with no problems, even late 70's F series trucks. And don't neglect the cooling system, either. Coolant needs to be changed at the recommended intervals also, especially with aluminum parts on the engine and cooling system.

 

Besides low revs and low temps, my experience is that the interior wears out long before a well-tended engine. This is based on owning two F150s for 12 years each. So I'd suggest:

- Steering wheel cover
- Seat covers
- Floor covers - both my high-mileage trucks had holes in the floor (one carpet, one vinyl) at the end
- Dash cover if you park in the sun
- Windshield covers are good long term to avoid other sun damage.

If you take reasonable care of the engine, what fails over time are switches. Power windows and power door locks. Clutch safety starter interlock. Et cetera.

So, check back with us in ten years and tell us how it goes. Good luck,

 

I ran my '97 F-150 225,000 miles and had no major failures. Its all about taking care of the truck! Change the oil regularily, keep it clean, and don't do anything stupid (lol).

I now have an '04 I plan on driving the same distance with.

 

Very true, torn seats , craked dashboard, stained worn carpet,yellowing headlamps -all take their toll also-try to garage it or cover, if possible

 

Thanks guys i already know that ford trucks are without a doubt the best trucks out there so.....

 

do you think it would be a good idea to put 3M paint protection film on the rocker panels? Looks a bit better than mud guards IMO

 

I had a 94 b4 i bought my 06. The only bad thing was it was neglected by the previous owner. Sine im the second owner of my 06 and it has 41,000 im going to try to do like you and make it last a very long time. My 94 had 192,000 when i traded it in and had a rear main leak and a oil pan leak, craked dash pad, and sloppy steering. I bought it at 15x,xxx miles

 

like mentioned above,oil and filter changes are key.

 

I agree with everyone else, If you have harsh winters with salt, and crap it's always a good idea to get the truck undercoated with an oil spray or krown once a year.

 

what do you call "low revs"? less than 3000?

 

On my 300 I-6s, I rarely took it over 2200 RPM, and usually never over 2000.

I had no tachometer in either of my recent body style trucks, so this is a guess. But I think I'm occasionally reaching 3000 when accellerating on an onramp with my current V6. I think it spends most of the time in 1600-1800. It would be good to track it, I guess.

Good luck,

 

HankMurphy spoke with some of the most profound wisdom i've ever read on a truck forum. His quote in a nutshell "probably a kia will run better than your truck looks in 12 years"!!

 

My pops was really keen on preventative maintenance on his truck. He treated it like a work truck though....amazingly enough though his 95' F150 XL truck had 479k+ on the clock at time of theft! Everything original except belts and hoses!