So much for a 'custom' build?!

[hotrodmex]

I'm curious what the reason for this is? What does painted bumpers have to do with the seating or why you can't order a specific rim package?

II do agree that once you get to the price point of almost needed a 30 year mortgage to make payments bearable, you should be able to get exactly what you want. But it is a “plant” and not clay fords garage lol.

Everything has to be ordered in a certain number, and the worst thing would be if you had too many of one part, and not enough of another. If you allow parts to go wherever the whims of the minority want, you end up not being able to build the models that make you money. It's also just more to plan and execute, which is cost. So yes, some features are paywalled, but I would want to protect my revenue, too.

I think the reason it’s limited to a certain way is how long it would take to build if you have all options available, plus how much of it could get screwed up the same way. That’s why it’s xl, xlt, limited, lariet, king ranch and just not “f150”. If you could do it any way you would have people ordering with one tow mirror on one side and a reg mirror on the other lol.

Also, from a design perspective you don't necessarily want some to be able to create "The Homer" with the aesthetics your chose. It doesn't reflect well on your brand if someone has color matched bumpers but chrome caps and sport styling but bench seats.

I quite enjoyed the feature and wish Ford would offer it in the XLT in order to be comparable to the mid level offerings from Ram and GM since you get 4 auto on BigHorns and LS / SLE's.

Ultimate cost might be an issue. I'm not sure on GMs version, but the system in the Dodge trucks seems to suck. It uses a different strategy for the clutch pack which makes it need to constantly cycle the lock-up when on and off power. Might just be cheaper overall, and thus easier to add?

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[780]

Ultimate cost might be an issue. I'm not sure on GMs version, but the system in the Dodge trucks seems to suck. It uses a different strategy for the clutch pack which makes it need to constantly cycle the lock-up when on and off power. Might just be cheaper overall, and thus easier to add?

No clue. But why not just use the same transfer case system as the 500a Lariat? I'm guessing cost wise there can't be much difference. I'm guessing it's just withheld to try and bump people into higher trim levels.

 

[hotrodmex]

I'm guessing it's just withheld to try and bump people into higher trim levels.

I mean, it worked on me.

 

[Tharnett78]

Except the lariat and above trims don't have a color match 6 seat option either.

Oh well, it'll still be a beautiful brand new truck that'll kick ass, sip gas and haul mass.

I can't wait!

 

[Snakebitten]

I don't know what all the reasons are for choice limitations, but one thing about the F150 that's hard to get your head around is the sheer quantity that has to get pumped out of the assembly line.
Something like every 37 seconds, 24/7/365

It's actually remarkable that they allow us to choose as much as they do, considering.

I'd order that 6 passenger F150 exactly how I want it, and then take my time during ownership de-chroming it if that's the only thing Ford wouldn't let you have.

Just tell yourself that you are going to enjoy customizing it to being one of a kind!

 

[Tharnett78]

I don't know what all the reasons are for choice limitations, but one thing about the F150 that's hard to get your head around is the sheer quantity that has to get pumped out of the assembly line.
Something like every 37 seconds, 24/7/365

It's actually remarkable that they allow us to choose as much as they do, considering.

I'd order that 6 passenger F150 exactly how I want it, and then take my time during ownership de-chroming it if that's the only thing Ford wouldn't let you have.

Just tell yourself that you are going to enjoy customizing it to being one of a kind!

I've got it as custom as I can get it. I'll live with the chrome and I'm working with the dealer to swap out those shit 'chrome like wheels to the machine aluminum with grey powder coat.

 

[Tharnett78]

Everything has to be ordered in a certain number, and the worst thing would be if you had too many of one part, and not enough of another. If you allow parts to go wherever the whims of the minority want, you end up not being able to build the models that make you money. It's also just more to plan and execute, which is cost. So yes, some features are paywalled, but I would want to protect my revenue, too.



Also, from a design perspective you don't necessarily want some to be able to create "The Homer" with the aesthetics your chose. It doesn't reflect well on your brand if someone has color matched bumpers but chrome caps and sport styling but bench seats.

Ultimate cost might be an issue. I'm not sure on GMs version, but the system in the Dodge trucks seems to suck. It uses a different strategy for the clutch pack which makes it need to constantly cycle the lock-up when on and off power. Might just be cheaper overall, and thus easier to add?

I'm not sure what isn't 'sporty' about 6 seats. Having the wife or one of the kids bouncing around in the box wouldn't be very 'sporty'

 

[Pedaldude]

I was always warned that the 4 auto was hard on the truck and to just use 4 Hi when necessary.

First gen. Lincoln Navigators have 2Hi locked out; so on the street, they are always in 4A and the transfer cases usually outlast the truck and since the engines are iron blocks without cam phasers it’s not unusual to see them reach 250K miles with just normal maintenance.

In the early development of the Borg Warner Torque on Demand TC, they tried to test its limits on various surfaces including sand dunes. However, these tests were performed by professional drivers who didn’t give a shit about trashing the vehicles they were driving. The average owners who rarely ever go off pavement actually test the 4A TC harder because they are worried about scraping their undercarriage, jostling passengers and cargo or popping tires. When you put the 4A TC into 4Hi/Lo it locks the clutch pack that normally approximates a center differential but the average user will leave it in 4A and while they’re driving slowly, failing to use momentum and in general trying to get stuck off road by pussyfooting; the friction disc wet clutch can overheat and will turn the truck off. There’s a bunch of reports on this with the early Raptors and a few videos on YouTube where this exact thing happened. Even in 4Hi, 4A TC can overheat under certain conditions, so the newest Raptor TC has a physical part-time 4Hi 4X4 that bypasses the clutch pack and acts exactly like the old school TC when in high or low range. Driven assertively, they should be fine for most conditions but for remote Canadian logging/mining/oil field roads; I would want to go as old school as possible.

The 4A TC was designed to be inexpensive to produce and it’s only a few hundred dollars more than the plain part-time TC that the lower trims get. Its absence on the lower trims is pure avarice; just like how in the 50’s you wouldn’t be able to get these new-fangled things like seatbelts in lower trims and even before that, they paywalled factory equipped windshield wipers and you would have to install aftermarket wipers if you wanted to see in the rain while driving a base model.

Most recently, manufacturers limited reverse cameras to higher trims until they were required to by the government because some people backed over their children and grandchildren.

I'm not sure what isn't 'sporty' about 6 seats.

There’s no console shifter to rest your hand on, so that you can pretend it’s a manual transmission.

Normally bucket seats are more sporty than benches but there’s really no bench seat option for the 2021+ F-150, since the center seat is more of a jump seat with the driver’s and passenger’s RH seats fairly well bolstered.

 

[Snakebitten]

^^^^ excellent post. Thanks for the information.
So is it as easy to retrofit the 4A transfer case into the XLT as some have stated?

If I'm not mistaken you swap the case, add the dash switche, and then Forscan the necessary AsBuilt data? Or is it more involved?

If I was bound and determined to go with the lower trim for the many reasons that it's a great value equation, the 4A mod would be at the top of my list of modifications. Probably followed by the instrument panel. At that point I wouldn't feel like I had "stepped down".

 

[780]

^^^^ excellent post. Thanks for the information.
So is it as easy to retrofit the 4A transfer case into the XLT as some have stated?

If I'm not mistaken you swap the case, add the dash switche, and then Forscan the necessary AsBuilt data? Or is it more involved?

If I was bound and determined to go with the lower trim for the many reasons that it's a great value equation, the 4A mod would be at the top of my list of modifications. Probably followed by the instrument panel. At that point I wouldn't feel like I had "stepped down".

Yep, this is the only feature I really think Ford should have included with XLT's in order to be comparable to the mid level offering from Ram and GM. To me it's a big feature that's lacking.

I think GM has had AutoTrac in there mid level trucks since what? The late 90's?

 

[thechester]

^^^^ excellent post. Thanks for the information.
So is it as easy to retrofit the 4A transfer case into the XLT as some have stated?

If I'm not mistaken you swap the case, add the dash switche, and then Forscan the necessary AsBuilt data? Or is it more involved?

If I was bound and determined to go with the lower trim for the many reasons that it's a great value equation, the 4A mod would be at the top of my list of modifications. Probably followed by the instrument panel. At that point I wouldn't feel like I had "stepped down".

I''ve snooped an seen some threads where people did this. I really wanted to add the 4A transfer case to my XL and may do so in the future if I can cement the details on how to do so.

 

[texski]

I don't know what all the reasons are for choice limitations, but one thing about the F150 that's hard to get your head around is the sheer quantity that has to get pumped out of the assembly line.
Something like every 37 seconds, 24/7/365

It's actually remarkable that they allow us to choose as much as they do, considering.

I'd order that 6 passenger F150 exactly how I want it, and then take my time during ownership de-chroming it if that's the only thing Ford wouldn't let you have.

Just tell yourself that you are going to enjoy customizing it to being one of a kind!

Bruce,
I don't see your Occupation listed. I would find it disingenuous if you were employed by Ford, it's subsidiaries, or even a dealership in some capacity and did not disclose that. Nothing wrong with working for Ford, lots of good people do. It would be nice to know that your exuberant comments did not have an ulterior motive, like hyping a brand that compensates you.

 

[Snakebitten]

Bruce,
I don't see your Occupation listed. I would find it disingenuous if you were employed by Ford, it's subsidiaries, or even a dealership in some capacity and did not disclose that. Nothing wrong with working for Ford, lots of good people do. It would be nice to know that your exuberant comments did not have an ulterior motive, like hyping a brand that compensates you.

It's true that I don't have my occupation listed. I never considered doing so. But your question is interesting because I'm surprised that my comments on the forum would suggest..........

Afterall, I rag on Ford and dealerships relentlessly, but I try to be logical and fair as well.

For 23 years I have been, and still am employed by the same General Aviation company. At 64 I don't know how many more years I will work, but this will be my last place of employment.

I do love Ford trucks!
And never more than now.

 

[texski]

It's true that I don't have my occupation listed. I never considered doing so. But your question is interesting because I'm surprised that my comments on the forum would suggest..........

Afterall, I rag on Ford and dealerships relentlessly, but I try to be logical and fair as well.

For 23 years I have been, and still am employed by the same General Aviation company. At 64 I don't know how many more years I will work, but this will be my last place of employment.

I do love Ford trucks!
And never more than now.

Well thanks Bruce. I guess I haven't seen those critical comments. I'm glad you are having a better experience with Ford than most!

 

[hotrodmex]

I'm glad you are having a better experience with Ford than most!

I'm sure it's "than some" instead of "than most." No one comes on just to talk about how their truck is working as expected, or that their purchase went normally (except all us cheerleaders in the Granger thread).

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