NEW RIG: 2012 F-150 FX4

[Mooneywa]

Also, I've heard lots of complaints about Icon being noisy, especially if you get their UCAs too.

If I were to make any real big moves with the suspension of the truck I'd probably call National Spring and get custom leafs that would reduce/eliminate the poor back ride and wheel hop.

 

[RedF]

That's a sharp looking truck! Awesome bonus that it came with that topper.

 

[stingray1300]

Nice truck! Great truck! (but I'm partial...:sombrero
I've had my '13 FX4 Eco now for almost 3 years, and have nothing but praise for it. It's taken us camping to Alaska / Arctic Circle and back, the Rockies for some off-roading and camping. Set up for overlanding has been a versatile blast!
I'd like to interject a few thoughts below...

HarshTerrain receiver mount kit

I don't think they are in business anymore, which is a shame...........small company, making awesome prodcuts

"Heavy duty receiver shackle mount made from solid steel. Designed to with stand the exteme demands of recovery and towing operations. These are approximately 3 times stronger than cast parts. Features two 5/8 inch through holes for attaching to the receiver hitches and one 7/8 inch hole for a shackle pin."

Kit Includes:
1 Receiver
1 Bow shackle 4.75 Ton

Specifications:
Material: 1018 cold rolled steel
Finish: Clear zinc
Length: 6.125 inches
Width: 2 inches
Thickness: 2 inch
Weight: 5.14 pounds


I bought one of these YEARS ago and am amazed at the high quality of this unit. I love how heavy duty the mount is, because it is solid 2" square piece.

I have beat the snot out of this mount and shackle with my last truck, a Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins

A fresh coat of paint and I will install it tomorrow

I'm wondering why one might use one of these? For over 30 years I've not seen anything used at the back of a rig but to stuff the snatch strap's eye into the receiver and use the hitch pin to lock it in. I have never seen one fail, and I've been party to pretty knarly recoveries. Saves on the extra hardware, if you know what I mean.

I was digging around under the hood tonight, realizing how dirty my air filter got in 5,000 miles...........and found something


Behind this rubber splash guard

I found this small black box

The box is marked "MOTO" and "MORIMOTO".........seems like a ballast box

Is this a FOMOCO part or an aftermarket HID box?

Definitely an aftermarket item. Check your headlights. If the P.O. installed HID capsules in a halogen housing, not only are you not getting the full HID benefit, but that set up is illegal (not likely to get cited, but if you're interested in lighting performance, and if you don't want your light scatter to blind oncoming traffic, you'll want to change them to a full housing set up)

Depending on cab style and options, the F-150 has upto a 3,100 pound payload.............mine has a 2,600 pound rating. Still great for a half ton

With the Max Tow option my truck has, I can haul up to 11,300 pounds.............again, damn good for a half ton

The Max Tow option not only has more tow rating, but also includes:

Factory tow mirrors
Trailer brake controller
Bigger radiator
More payload
Different leaf spring in back as well

The regular tow packages give you 3.73 rear, upgraded radiator, transmission oil cooler (sits right in front of the upgraded radiator), hitch in the back with the trailer plug ins next to the hitch ( which ford did a good job hiding the hitch all you see is the square receiver).

With the Max Tow, you also get a different steering ratio..........20:1 for the Max Tow vs 17:1 without

The picture of your truck (nice) - you do not have the "Max Tow" package. You have the HD tow package. The Max Tow package trucks have the 7-lug 18" wheels.

Icon or Fox shocks?

Which and why?

I had the Bilsteins. Drove like a school bus. I swapped out to the F150 Lifts BOSS coilovers (2" level) on the front. LOVE them! Perfect ride (firm). I also have the ICON UCAs (necessary to keep stock UCAs from clanking on the coil springs. I added a 1" add-a-leaf to the rear and BOSS shocks. I would like to add a 2nd set of shocks to the rear to handle back road whoopty-dos while loaded though. We did 5 passes in the San Juans in Colorado in September, never had a hiccup going anywhere we wanted to go. Although the turbos develop a noticeable lag when above 12,000ft :sombrero:
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Oh, and as mentioned, CAIs are a terrific waste of cash. If you want to keep your air filter clean(er), you will want to plug the hole in the left front fender to stop road debris/garbage from tracking up into the air box. I posted photos of how to do it in a thread on F150forum.com, but can post them here if you'd like. LMK My truck is definitely not stock, but almost all of the upgrades are OEM style or very subtle. Like the Hypertech tuner (+65hp on the "regular" tune). Have fun in your new toy!

 

[D45]

Odd, because I have the option sheet when the truck was new

Clearly says Max Tow

Thanks for all the info

I have been using the hitch mounted d-ring/clevis for 15 years

I do not like relying on the hitch pin, because I tried this one winter........the 2" receiver was packed and froze solid with snow

 

[D45]

Also, I've heard lots of complaints about Icon being noisy, especially if you get their UCAs too.

If I were to make any real big moves with the suspension of the truck I'd probably call National Spring and get custom leafs that would reduce/eliminate the poor back ride and wheel hop.

Not going to mess with the suspension, other than shocks

I can run 35" tires, which is plenty for my needs

I am currently running 34x11s

With the leveling kit and 3" tall rear block, I just want to upgrade the factory shocks

 

[RedF]

The picture of your truck (nice) - you do not have the "Max Tow" package. You have the HD tow package. The Max Tow package trucks have the 7-lug 18" wheels.

I didn't think that they made anything but the jellybean style F150 with 7 lug wheels. At any rate, what a terrible idea!

 

[D45]

Ok, who is thinks the oil filter location is stupid?

Remove the oil filter and oil drips/drains everywhere

The oil drain plug is fine and easy

I did discover the oring on the oil fill cap was cracked in half

I was able to match it up with a kit assortment I have

 

[stingray1300]

Is the plastic drain funnel in place? As a practice, I always loosen the filter enough to allow oil to drain before the filter is all the way off. Ford actually did a pretty good job of placing that funnel (I know, a surprise to me too). I do take the time to wipe the funnel after I'm done so there's no residual oil drips.
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Odd, because I have the option sheet when the truck was new

Clearly says Max Tow

Thanks for all the info
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Look at the window sticker. I do have an addendum to my statement about the size of the wheels: apparently they can be either 17" or 18" on the Max Tow pkg. Here's a link that shows a 2012 Max Tow F150 (note the 7 lug wheels). The tow mirrors is a popular upgrade that many spend the money on for their non-Max Tow trucks. (What's the GVWR on your door sticker? I can look it up for you.)

http://www.f150forum.com/f58/2012-f150-screw-4x4-ecoboost-hd-payload-max-tow-219550/
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And if you want some "under-the-hood" bling, why not try something like this (mine):
.

 

[tinbasher]

the "HD payload" package has 7 lug wheels

 

[stingray1300]

The difference? I may have been fed some mis-(or incomplete) information... (?) I have the 7200# GVWR according to my window sticker, and I've towed a 13,000 Bobcat trailer with no issues (mine's a 4x4). Not for long, mind you, but was very pleased at how well it handled it.

 

[D45]

I will check the GVWR decal and see what it is

 

[D45]

Yes, the plastic funnel drain is in place..........still leaked and spilled oil ALL OVER

 

[stingray1300]

Is the funnel clear? Did you have a pan under the correct spot to catch the oil? (silly question? Not really. Some have missed that, and suffered the "mess"). FWIW, I've never had a mess from the oil filter. Now, I did have a mess once. I was a fool for believing RCI when they said I didn't need to remove their skid plate to drain the oil out of the pan. NOT! At least 2 quarts ended up on the driveway before I could stuff the plug. Really pi$$ed me off! Now I use a Fumoto valve.
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Did you find your GVWR (on the door sticker)?

 

[D45]

Yes the front and rear funnel was clear, no obstructions

Yes, of course, I had a large drain pan and larger sheet of scrap cardboard under the front end, which caught it all

7,950 lbs is the GCWR listed on the jam decal

The truck is running good and very smooth, MPG is up around 1.5 MPG after the plugs and oil change

 

[stingray1300]

Interesting, you definitely have the Max Tow pkg. Sorry to confuse the issue. I just haven't ever seen one (until now) that didn't have the 7-lug wheels. Cool beans!
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So did you allow the filter to drain a bit before actually separating the filter from the engine block? I'm just trying to figure out why you had a mess... Hope it goes better for you next time!
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Amazing what a set of new plugs will do, eh? If you ever decide to tune your truck (insane figures like 65-85 extra hp), you will definitely want to gap the plugs at .028 - .030. And You may as well know now, that even without a tune, the EcoBoost engines like new plugs about every 15-20,000 miles. The truck will let you know when it's time. It becomes a throttle pig and can idle less smoothly.
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So, what are you going to do to your rig for overlanding? Where do you plan to go? :coffeedrink: