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amschind
Well-known member
I spent $1600 on TWO of these only to find out that there are 3 separate taillight connectors none of which are interchangeable in terms of the Putco light. The Putco website is absolutely useless for determining which light bar you need (the installation video for the F150 is done on a Sierra), and their phone support is absolute garbage. When I called Putco trying to make the FIRST light bar that I bought from Ford work or at least determine the correct light bar to buy, the Putco folks helpfully told me to pound sand on both counts.
If you are dead set on making this work, the only workable strategy that I have thus far encountered is to buy all three light bar variants for about $2500, see which one fits and then toss the other two in the garbage. I actually did that by accident, but by the time that I had actually figured out which bar I needed via that process of elimination, I was so fed up that I gave up and swore to warn anyone that I could to just stay away.
I want to stress that attempting to install a Putco light bar on my truck was the most wasteful thing that I have done in the lengthy process of customizing this vehicle, beating out my failed effort to cobble together an exhaust system and accidentally scraping an unmarked fire hydrant stub in a parking lot.
If you are dead set on making this work, the only workable strategy that I have thus far encountered is to buy all three light bar variants for about $2500, see which one fits and then toss the other two in the garbage. I actually did that by accident, but by the time that I had actually figured out which bar I needed via that process of elimination, I was so fed up that I gave up and swore to warn anyone that I could to just stay away.
I want to stress that attempting to install a Putco light bar on my truck was the most wasteful thing that I have done in the lengthy process of customizing this vehicle, beating out my failed effort to cobble together an exhaust system and accidentally scraping an unmarked fire hydrant stub in a parking lot.
rashdom
Member
- Thread starter
- #3
brother i feel your pain and i called it quits early. i was unsure that maybe this situation was unique to me since the "reviews" are all positive which now makes me think there all fake. This product has been out for over a year and the only video installation out there is this canadian on a sierra, like really?.
So not only do i have 2 of this light bars at my house colleting dust, returning them has been a hassle and im down 1200 bucks w/o counting a 20% restocking fee they plan on charging me to return their pos light bar.
rashdom
Member
- Thread starter
- #4
the only tech support i got was change fuse locations. spent 3 days trying to troubleshoot on my own thinking i messed up somehow. had no startup sequence, the lightbar lagged when brakes where applied, when brake was applied sometimes the turn signals on the bar would come on, first light bar came with an inop diode. what a nightmare.
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Sojourner
Well-known member
The other possibility is that Putco knowingly does not publish too many negative reviews (it appears that's what they did when I wrote a scathing review for one of their products).
The company may actually be A+, but not so in my limited experience. Maybe I'm missing out on good stuff, but I've decided to not "buy Putco."
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gh8toes
Well-known member
QUOTE="rashdom, post: 520166, member: 25539"]
Has anyone installed a putco freedom blade on a 2024 f150?
[/QUOTE]
I used some of the $785 accessory credit from Ford Program # 24B57 to buy a light bar for my '24 KR. It has the old style tailgate with pull out step, not the PAT that I didn't want. The Ford part number for the light bar was VRL3Z13B678C ($459), which is supposedly for F150's with LED taillights, Tow/Haul Pkg, and on-board scales. I think the Putco Part # is 9202060-38, but you'd have to double-check that with Putco. I have yet to mount it. After reading the instruction, I called their support for better instructions that would explain all the extra wiring harnesses that are included, but the ones they sent me were the same that were included in the Ford package. Not very good instructions that are incomplete with distorted photos. Very unprofessional for a company selling these expensive light bars. Maybe the owner paid his grade school son to create them? And as others have stated, the YouTube video is also worthless and most of it was a promotion for the light bar and how it functions, rather than actually installing it. Again, not very professional for a company to put out such a poor installation video. Even the Ford instructions for removing the tailgate (pages 122 & 123 in the owner's manual) are questionable. Looking under the truck, I do not see the Power Door locks in-line connector as shown in the diagram.
I called them again today to get an extra set of the thicker (1/4") plastic mounting brackets that I'll break the small tabs off and glue to the 1st set of brackets included in the box, to come up with a 1/2" thick mounting bracket. This is needed to clear the heads of the bolts of that the antitheft bracket that is screwed where the bar needs to be located. As far as removing the tailgate to mount the light bar, that would be a lot more extensive than various tailgate removal videos show. Videos are only for a normal tailgate, not a power tailgate. I'll try and mount it with the tailgate on as shown in another video, fitting it in the small opening - F150 60" Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar .
View from back showing bolts that the light bar has to mount over.
View from the left side showing the antitheft bracket that is connected to the bottom of the tailgate and the back of the truck
View from the right side showing the antitheft bracket.
As far as actually installing the light bar, I have yet to do that, so I have no idea if it will function correctly and not screw up the BLISS system or other electronics. I'll try and do an update once it is installed.
Another problem I may have when/if I get this thing installed is that I also used that $785 credit from Ford to buy a Napier Sportz pickup bed tent (Ford# VAC3Z9900038A - $319). The setup of the tent involves slipping three tie down straps between the tailgate and bed. With the light bar installed, I may have trouble slipping those straps through that space. Sure wish Ford had come out with that $785 right when I bought the truck, I could have used it to buy items previously bought like wheel well liners, mudflaps, and a Tonneau cover. As it was, I had to search the Accessory website to find something I could spend that money on and ended up with the light bar, tent, and McGard tailgate lock to fill out the $785. Whether I use that tent or not is unknown, but if not, I'll sell on Facebook Market Place. And the McGard lock is probably not necessary after looking at the work required to remove the tailgate.
Has anyone installed a putco freedom blade on a 2024 f150?
[/QUOTE]
I used some of the $785 accessory credit from Ford Program # 24B57 to buy a light bar for my '24 KR. It has the old style tailgate with pull out step, not the PAT that I didn't want. The Ford part number for the light bar was VRL3Z13B678C ($459), which is supposedly for F150's with LED taillights, Tow/Haul Pkg, and on-board scales. I think the Putco Part # is 9202060-38, but you'd have to double-check that with Putco. I have yet to mount it. After reading the instruction, I called their support for better instructions that would explain all the extra wiring harnesses that are included, but the ones they sent me were the same that were included in the Ford package. Not very good instructions that are incomplete with distorted photos. Very unprofessional for a company selling these expensive light bars. Maybe the owner paid his grade school son to create them? And as others have stated, the YouTube video is also worthless and most of it was a promotion for the light bar and how it functions, rather than actually installing it. Again, not very professional for a company to put out such a poor installation video. Even the Ford instructions for removing the tailgate (pages 122 & 123 in the owner's manual) are questionable. Looking under the truck, I do not see the Power Door locks in-line connector as shown in the diagram.
I called them again today to get an extra set of the thicker (1/4") plastic mounting brackets that I'll break the small tabs off and glue to the 1st set of brackets included in the box, to come up with a 1/2" thick mounting bracket. This is needed to clear the heads of the bolts of that the antitheft bracket that is screwed where the bar needs to be located. As far as removing the tailgate to mount the light bar, that would be a lot more extensive than various tailgate removal videos show. Videos are only for a normal tailgate, not a power tailgate. I'll try and mount it with the tailgate on as shown in another video, fitting it in the small opening - F150 60" Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar .
View from back showing bolts that the light bar has to mount over.
View from the left side showing the antitheft bracket that is connected to the bottom of the tailgate and the back of the truck
View from the right side showing the antitheft bracket.
As far as actually installing the light bar, I have yet to do that, so I have no idea if it will function correctly and not screw up the BLISS system or other electronics. I'll try and do an update once it is installed.
Another problem I may have when/if I get this thing installed is that I also used that $785 credit from Ford to buy a Napier Sportz pickup bed tent (Ford# VAC3Z9900038A - $319). The setup of the tent involves slipping three tie down straps between the tailgate and bed. With the light bar installed, I may have trouble slipping those straps through that space. Sure wish Ford had come out with that $785 right when I bought the truck, I could have used it to buy items previously bought like wheel well liners, mudflaps, and a Tonneau cover. As it was, I had to search the Accessory website to find something I could spend that money on and ended up with the light bar, tent, and McGard tailgate lock to fill out the $785. Whether I use that tent or not is unknown, but if not, I'll sell on Facebook Market Place. And the McGard lock is probably not necessary after looking at the work required to remove the tailgate.
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gh8toes
Well-known member
It will be a while till I install it. Putco sent the 1/8" mounts instead of the 1/4" I requested, received them today. Need to shim out a total of 1/2" to clear the bolt heads that are screwed to the PU bed, just right of center, unless you want to mount it will a bend.
It Wil be quite a few weeks before I mount it, even if I had the right shims. I'm going in for a double bypass on Friday, so three will be weeks and weeks of recuperation before I mount it.
It Wil be quite a few weeks before I mount it, even if I had the right shims. I'm going in for a double bypass on Friday, so three will be weeks and weeks of recuperation before I mount it.
gh8toes
Well-known member
Finally got around to installing the light bar, took a while. Didn't remove the tailgate, but instead trimmed a board to hold the Putco clips in place, and in line, and was able to stick them in place through the gap in the tailgate and bumper, then attach the light bar to the clips. The wiring was another story, way too more than what was needed, very poorly designed on the part of Putco. Was able to tuck all the excess up into the left taillight opening. Putco instructions list additional items/tools needed, but then when reading the instructions, you need 3M Adhesion promoter packets to clean the metal surface - which they don't include in the kit. All in all, it was a very messed up install, poorly designed, and worthless instructions. I would not recommend purchasing it, especially for $450 price they want for it. I only got it because I had to use up the $785 Ford gave me. The reason their YouTube video doesn't show a step by step install process is that no one would Purchas it once they saw the video. It's installed now and working, but for how long? Michigan's road salt winters are coming, how well will it hold up?
I was considering the Freedom Blade for my own truck. I hope the installation is more straightforward with the upgraded model. Thanks for the feedback on the Blade. Would still love to see pics of it installed on your Ford!
gh8toes
Well-known member
You might take a different blade than my truck did. I have on-board scales so that called for a different wiring harness. While it had OE connectors, they could have done a better job designing it. As an example, they include an in-line 7 pin connector to be placed between your main wire harness and where it attaches to the back of the bumper underneath. Not sure why it was required because the only thing that you connected to the blade wire harness from that connector was a white common wire that came out of that connector. There was also an in-line 4-pin connector that should have been able to use it's white common wire. Additionally, when you had to disconnect the main wire harness from the 7-pin connector on the back of the bumper, it had an additional plastic retaining clip to make sure it couldn't become disconnected easily. When you added the Putco inline 7-pin connector, they didn't include an extra plastic clip, so one of the connections could be prone to getting disconnected if you were doing any off-road driving and snagged it on something. The light bar will light up white when put in reverse, and one side or the other will blink in conjunction with your turn signal.
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