Rear Axle Half Shaft retaining bolt

[Northguy]

The PB definitely does not get the 9.75HD axle standard. It has to have the MaxTow option like every other model.

The PB does get a thicker frame not shown in the spec document, that only it gets.

There you go @Bob Violence - better informed person. So only us with max tow have to worry. From the logging if events does seem PB with max tow have higher frequency but lots of caveats with that statement - based on limited data collected by member of this forum and not for sure knowing the number of trucks sold.

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[RJP]

Now I am Ticked off to say the least. Ford truck support got involved after reading my post here and they called me last week to tell me the parts would be in on Tuesday and the dealership will be giving me a call to set up service.
When they didnt call, I called them and they acted like they didnt know a thing about my problem, no half shafts arrived and then told me they couldnt even fix the problem if there was not a recall on them.
Well after getting furious with the service advisor, got intouched with the ford people here and waiting to hear back from them. I will not be going back to DEALERSHIP but I will take it to another to see what they can do.

 

[RJP]

Another rant. Been to 3 dealers with the vehicle and the all want to keep the vehicle for 3 weeks or more. The CSP says they are to give us a rental to drive, however none of them could provide me one to use while the vehicle is in the shop. they ALL USE THE EXCUSE THAT THEY USE Enterprise and they only have 1 ford vehicle to rental that Ford would pay for. Maybe this is a Texas thing , I just dont know. Ford needs to get on top of this. I for one will not leave my vehicle in the shop for god only knows how long without a vehicle to drive, COME ON FORD, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS TO YOUR BUYERS !!!!!!

 

[pbm261]

Well called ford and its not a safety issue and I can still drive it. But they will fix both sides when they get the parts in and they dont know how long that will be.

well that's typical

 

[dafish]

Curious:

Aside from "We'll replace it with another axle and bolt", has there been a definitive "fix" identified that corrects this, or are the clock just ticking till these break again?

Thanks!

 

[RJP]

Update - after 2 disappointing appointments at 2 different dealers, First one told me they ordered the parts and when I contacted them 3 weeks later (after I was told NOT TO DRIVE THE TRUCK) was told they didnt know what I was talking about at which point blew a casket. I should say the Ford Truck service advisor from this page also called the dealership and thought everything was good to go as well.
On 2nd dealership told me that I would have to leave the vehicle with them for up to 9 weeks and there would be no rental available to me, they could go to hell as well.
On my 3rd dealer, they told me to leave the vehicle with them for 3 days, they would look at it and order the parts and I could drive the vehicle until the parts came in. Well to me suprised on the 3rd day they called me and it was all done and ready to go! This included the windshield wiper recall.
This dealership was a very small on in Cleveland Texas. They will have all my business for now on.

 

[people-call-me-chris]

Add me to the list of lucky winners here. Manufacturing date of June 2021. 2021 F-150 lariat 3.5 EB with MTP. I’min south Phoenix metro.

Called the local dealer and they said to bring it in tomorrow and they would try to replace the axle in a day. We will see.

 

[Snakebitten]

Curious:

Aside from "We'll replace it with another axle and bolt", has there been a definitive "fix" identified that corrects this, or are the clock just ticking till these break again?

Thanks!

Don't know.
But there are many thousands of these trucks that haven't ever broken.
Again, maybe just not "yet".

Only time will tell. But the occurrence rate is already just a trickle compared to when it first gathered steam on the forums.

Similar to the leaking exhaust heat exchanger.

The current high anxiety issue is the rash of "Stop Safely Now" and/or No-start Accessory mode only. It appears to be most prominent on 2023 trucks.

 

[dafish]

Thanks for the comments! That towing mirrors can't be had on a new PB seems pretty telling. Not sure how else to interpret that, although I see they want to package the HD axle with it too, and my take is that said "HD axle" can't take repeated PB torque forces, possibly from regen.

HD axle my ass Ford.

 

[Snakebitten]

I'm not sure Towing Mirrors not being available isn't a snafu on the configurator? It'll be interesting to see if that stands. Seems bizarre.

And I'm also not sure the bolts that break on some percentage of Powerboost axles has anything to do with how the truck is used or if it's towing or not. Rather a manufacturing/assembly defect.

 

[dafish]

I"ll check the order guide, and I suppose I can ask my dealer to seek clarification. In fact I'll do both.

I cannot tell you where I read the hypothesis, but somebody somewhere (maybe this forum) suggested the bolts (my language) are fatiguing from repeated bi-directional torque stresses. In that I've seen this kind of thing before (now that I think about it, passenger rear axle then too. Hmm) in the SxS world, so I'm pretty willing to accept it as a working assumption.

Mind you that isn't even an original thought, but something is breaking these things. BTW, I have the 9.75" floating HD and Max Tow on an '18 eco, have towed thousands of miles w/it, and it does not even flinch when towing heavy or large drag profiles.

Thanks,
-d

 

[Snakebitten]

I don't remember exactly Ford's own wording regarding, but I think it was something wrong with the thread matching between the axle and the bolt.
Who knows if that is Ford really being forthright? But no matter how pessimistic someone wishes to be, there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that the percentage of the trucks equipped with the axle that have suffered the malady is far from a majority.
I have a Powerboost built before the build date mentioned by Ford, and one built after the date. Neither have popped a bolt. (yet)

 

[Buyer2021]

I'm not sure Towing Mirrors not being available isn't a snafu on the configurator? It'll be interesting to see if that stands. Seems bizarre.

FYI looking at the 2024 Order Guide we find that for every trim where the PB is available, the description for manual or power trailer tow mirrors (option codes 54Y / 54W) includes the note "NA w/ 3.5L PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6 Engine (99D)"

We also see that same PB exclusion note note on the option "Axle Upgrade" (which is apparently needed to get the "Max Tow Axle required for maximum trailer tow capability":

It seems the PB is being consciously knocked-out of large RV towing duty, the application where Pro Power Onboard arguably has some of its greatest appeal.

Very bizarre indeed, unless Ford has determined that some characteristic of the PB stresses the 3/4-float axle where PB's dominate among the reported bolt failures (e.g. regenerative braking)??

 

[Snakebitten]

With previous years the Powerboost got the Max Tow components (axle, radiator, etc) regardless of ordering the Max Tow option. (many would point it out here)
Is it possible that Ford now reflects that with the Powerboost you don't get to choose the Max Tow option because it's a ripoff$$ to?

The mirrors are so strange. They haven't been tied to a tow package. They were very much a-la-cart.

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