Might Buy '04
01-04-2015, 09:55 PM
#1
Might Buy '04
Hey Everyone!
I recently did a build on a classic F150 and it turned out well, believed I posted a pre-build here a while ago. I recently totaled my '06 Tundra DC, 2WD mid-travel truck, had the whole Fox suspension setup with uniball UCAs and Icon AAL and all that jazz. The truck rode like a dream on the road and truly shined on the trails. After rolling the truck, it still drove and I was able to get it a mile down a trail and a few miles out to the main road. Gonna miss the old rig.
But it's time for bigger and better things. I plan on saving for an '04 4x4 Lariat Super Crew, much like this one:
http://austin.craigslist.org/ctd/4808325862.html
I'd love to have the 5.4, hearing it's quite reliable and a lot of companies make bolt on parts. That is a mean reason why I'm choosing Ford over Toyota, more avaliable parts.
I need to save for a few months before I buy a vehicle, but I'm hoping to buy a vehicle between 100k to 130k miles. The gold on black is also my favorite color scheme of any truck... Well, ever. Before a buy, any outstanding issues I should be aware of? For Toyota, it is the timing belts. I hear rumors of head gasket issues? I'm on mobile, so any links would be very beneficial, or just some insight. This truck will see A LOT of off road use, but will be a daily driver around a college campus, and most last the drive from Lubbock, Tx to Austin. Any issues with the '04 that was fixed later on? I know it's risky to buy the first year of a model. I know the tells of a work/off road truck (I rec. off road all the time, with all my buddies rigs too, and I know what those look like, aha), but anything commonly out of place that's a large tell?
The second thought is I'm going to build it using stage3motorsports products. I plan on:
-Fox 2.5 ext res coilovers
-Fox 2.5 ext res rear shocks
-Pro Comp Uniball UCAs
-ADD Stealth Front Bumper (don't want too much mud in my engine though?...)
285/75R17 Trail Grapplers on 7056 (I believe) Pro Comp wheels (I had 285/75R16s on my Toyota, love the size)
-PackRat bed storage unit
-SpinTech pro street muffler
-"Come and Take It" sticker on the back
Eventually, I will throw a whipple in there. Then ofcourse, I plan on updating all the lights (smoked halos and such) and light bars. But that stuff is easy. A couple questions involve:
-I can't find more than a single AAL? I was hoping for 6/7 leafs
-rear locker/gearing options? I was thinking 4.10 rear but can't find any credible lockers?
-rear bumpers? Any ideas? Aha
-any more suggestions?
I am currently a senior in high school and thankfully am graduating with 42 college credit hours, so I have college paid for. All my excess money will go into the rig - I am dual majoring in mech engineering and business and plan on going into the auto industry. My rig is everything and I want it done right. I want the look to be about a 3/1 lift, probably won't crank the Foxs above 2.5 though. I hope to avoid blocks in favor of leafs, but I'm willing to do a 1".
Thanks everyone for taking time to read this and hopefully I can join the Ford party soon.
I recently did a build on a classic F150 and it turned out well, believed I posted a pre-build here a while ago. I recently totaled my '06 Tundra DC, 2WD mid-travel truck, had the whole Fox suspension setup with uniball UCAs and Icon AAL and all that jazz. The truck rode like a dream on the road and truly shined on the trails. After rolling the truck, it still drove and I was able to get it a mile down a trail and a few miles out to the main road. Gonna miss the old rig.
But it's time for bigger and better things. I plan on saving for an '04 4x4 Lariat Super Crew, much like this one:
http://austin.craigslist.org/ctd/4808325862.html
I'd love to have the 5.4, hearing it's quite reliable and a lot of companies make bolt on parts. That is a mean reason why I'm choosing Ford over Toyota, more avaliable parts.
I need to save for a few months before I buy a vehicle, but I'm hoping to buy a vehicle between 100k to 130k miles. The gold on black is also my favorite color scheme of any truck... Well, ever. Before a buy, any outstanding issues I should be aware of? For Toyota, it is the timing belts. I hear rumors of head gasket issues? I'm on mobile, so any links would be very beneficial, or just some insight. This truck will see A LOT of off road use, but will be a daily driver around a college campus, and most last the drive from Lubbock, Tx to Austin. Any issues with the '04 that was fixed later on? I know it's risky to buy the first year of a model. I know the tells of a work/off road truck (I rec. off road all the time, with all my buddies rigs too, and I know what those look like, aha), but anything commonly out of place that's a large tell?
The second thought is I'm going to build it using stage3motorsports products. I plan on:
-Fox 2.5 ext res coilovers
-Fox 2.5 ext res rear shocks
-Pro Comp Uniball UCAs
-ADD Stealth Front Bumper (don't want too much mud in my engine though?...)
285/75R17 Trail Grapplers on 7056 (I believe) Pro Comp wheels (I had 285/75R16s on my Toyota, love the size)
-PackRat bed storage unit
-SpinTech pro street muffler
-"Come and Take It" sticker on the back
Eventually, I will throw a whipple in there. Then ofcourse, I plan on updating all the lights (smoked halos and such) and light bars. But that stuff is easy. A couple questions involve:
-I can't find more than a single AAL? I was hoping for 6/7 leafs
-rear locker/gearing options? I was thinking 4.10 rear but can't find any credible lockers?
-rear bumpers? Any ideas? Aha
-any more suggestions?
I am currently a senior in high school and thankfully am graduating with 42 college credit hours, so I have college paid for. All my excess money will go into the rig - I am dual majoring in mech engineering and business and plan on going into the auto industry. My rig is everything and I want it done right. I want the look to be about a 3/1 lift, probably won't crank the Foxs above 2.5 though. I hope to avoid blocks in favor of leafs, but I'm willing to do a 1".
Thanks everyone for taking time to read this and hopefully I can join the Ford party soon.
Last edited by CedarPark; 01-04-2015 at 10:05 PM.
01-04-2015, 10:09 PM
#2
Member
Greetings,
I recently posted a beginners guide take to F-150's at this link today: https://www.f150forum.com/f4/newbie-...newbie-284375/
This covers a lot of the "known issue" stuff that you hear about. While we have a few problems that are known to exist, head gaskets aren't commonly one of them at all. You're more likely to have phaser issues, VCT solenoid problems, or spark plug issues. All of this is manageable by being a responsible and reliable owner.
I too came from Toyota trucks to Ford after losing one, although mine was a mere case of 310,000 miles later my head gasket said "later, dawg." and that was the end of it. Ford trucks are great beasts and will serve you well if you serve them back. If you are planning to lift it and expand tyres invest into assuring your gear ratios are correct and everything is mechanically sound. I've come to learn that Fords are less forgiving on deviating from factory spec than older Toyota's ever were. Generally speaking, lifting and ripping them up is not always the most beneficial, but others may disagree with me. If you're going to do this kind of work do it all at once with all the appropriate mechanical work in addition... Don't piecemeal it, cut corners, or delay work to stagger costs or you'll regret it later. These are great trucks and once you get in them you genuinely start to like them.
I recently posted a beginners guide take to F-150's at this link today: https://www.f150forum.com/f4/newbie-...newbie-284375/
This covers a lot of the "known issue" stuff that you hear about. While we have a few problems that are known to exist, head gaskets aren't commonly one of them at all. You're more likely to have phaser issues, VCT solenoid problems, or spark plug issues. All of this is manageable by being a responsible and reliable owner.
I too came from Toyota trucks to Ford after losing one, although mine was a mere case of 310,000 miles later my head gasket said "later, dawg." and that was the end of it. Ford trucks are great beasts and will serve you well if you serve them back. If you are planning to lift it and expand tyres invest into assuring your gear ratios are correct and everything is mechanically sound. I've come to learn that Fords are less forgiving on deviating from factory spec than older Toyota's ever were. Generally speaking, lifting and ripping them up is not always the most beneficial, but others may disagree with me. If you're going to do this kind of work do it all at once with all the appropriate mechanical work in addition... Don't piecemeal it, cut corners, or delay work to stagger costs or you'll regret it later. These are great trucks and once you get in them you genuinely start to like them.
The following 2 users liked this post by stcolorado:
Hollabakzach23 (01-06-2015),
johnny_tucson (01-05-2015)
01-04-2015, 10:16 PM
#3
Extreme DIY Homeowner
I'd either put the "excess" $$ into a newer truck rather then the upgrades
...or into a rainy day fund....down payment on a house etc
I didn't do much to my car until after College
...or into a rainy day fund....down payment on a house etc
I didn't do much to my car until after College
01-04-2015, 10:18 PM
#4
Yeah, I just read over the thread and it was very helpful. The fixes seem like a lot of minor things, which is no issue. My grandma can change her own spark plugs. I bought the Yota at 90k and ran it up to almost 120k, about 5k being off road. I plan on doing the suspension all at once, then hacking away at the cosmetic stuff as I go (can't wait to call Fox and place that order, phew, RIP bank account).
I plan on doing the work myself but at the local 4wheelparts location (have ties) and can easily get a mechanic there to assist me if needed. I threw together the Tundra myself and it did fine until it met a rock lip and took a tumble.
If I lift the truck with coilovers, do the F150s have any CV issues? I've had to replace a CV and a Tie Rod on the old truck pre Foxes when I had 5100s on the front at max crank. Not sure if the issues were relatable or not.
How sound are the stock gearings to run 33s? I want to regear and add a locker, but can't find many options..
I plan on doing the work myself but at the local 4wheelparts location (have ties) and can easily get a mechanic there to assist me if needed. I threw together the Tundra myself and it did fine until it met a rock lip and took a tumble.
If I lift the truck with coilovers, do the F150s have any CV issues? I've had to replace a CV and a Tie Rod on the old truck pre Foxes when I had 5100s on the front at max crank. Not sure if the issues were relatable or not.
How sound are the stock gearings to run 33s? I want to regear and add a locker, but can't find many options..
01-04-2015, 10:58 PM
#5
Senior Member
Hey Everyone! I recently did a build on a classic F150 and it turned out well, believed I posted a pre-build here a while ago. I recently totaled my '06 Tundra DC, 2WD mid-travel truck, had the whole Fox suspension setup with uniball UCAs and Icon AAL and all that jazz. The truck rode like a dream on the road and truly shined on the trails. After rolling the truck, it still drove and I was able to get it a mile down a trail and a few miles out to the main road. Gonna miss the old rig. But it's time for bigger and better things. I plan on saving for an '04 4x4 Lariat Super Crew, much like this one: http://austin.craigslist.org/ctd/4808325862.html I'd love to have the 5.4, hearing it's quite reliable and a lot of companies make bolt on parts. That is a mean reason why I'm choosing Ford over Toyota, more avaliable parts. I need to save for a few months before I buy a vehicle, but I'm hoping to buy a vehicle between 100k to 130k miles. The gold on black is also my favorite color scheme of any truck... Well, ever. Before a buy, any outstanding issues I should be aware of? For Toyota, it is the timing belts. I hear rumors of head gasket issues? I'm on mobile, so any links would be very beneficial, or just some insight. This truck will see A LOT of off road use, but will be a daily driver around a college campus, and most last the drive from Lubbock, Tx to Austin. Any issues with the '04 that was fixed later on? I know it's risky to buy the first year of a model. I know the tells of a work/off road truck (I rec. off road all the time, with all my buddies rigs too, and I know what those look like, aha), but anything commonly out of place that's a large tell? The second thought is I'm going to build it using stage3motorsports products. I plan on: -Fox 2.5 ext res coilovers -Fox 2.5 ext res rear shocks -Pro Comp Uniball UCAs -ADD Stealth Front Bumper (don't want too much mud in my engine though?...) 285/75R17 Trail Grapplers on 7056 (I believe) Pro Comp wheels (I had 285/75R16s on my Toyota, love the size) -PackRat bed storage unit -SpinTech pro street muffler -"Come and Take It" sticker on the back Eventually, I will throw a whipple in there. Then ofcourse, I plan on updating all the lights (smoked halos and such) and light bars. But that stuff is easy. A couple questions involve: -I can't find more than a single AAL? I was hoping for 6/7 leafs -rear locker/gearing options? I was thinking 4.10 rear but can't find any credible lockers? -rear bumpers? Any ideas? Aha -any more suggestions? I am currently a senior in high school and thankfully am graduating with 42 college credit hours, so I have college paid for. All my excess money will go into the rig - I am dual majoring in mech engineering and business and plan on going into the auto industry. My rig is everything and I want it done right. I want the look to be about a 3/1 lift, probably won't crank the Foxs above 2.5 though. I hope to avoid blocks in favor of leafs, but I'm willing to do a 1". Thanks everyone for taking time to read this and hopefully I can join the Ford party soon.
Eventually, I will throw a whipple in there. Then ofcourse, I plan on updating all the lights (smoked halos and such) and light bars. But that stuff is easy. A couple questions involve: -I can't find more than a single AAL? I was hoping for 6/7 leafs -rear locker/gearing options? I was thinking 4.10 rear but can't find any credible lockers? -rear bumpers? Any ideas? Aha -any more suggestions? I am currently a senior in high school and thankfully am graduating with 42 college credit hours, so I have college paid for. All my excess money will go into the rig - I am dual majoring in mech engineering and business and plan on going into the auto industry. My rig is everything and I want it done right. I want the look to be about a 3/1 lift, probably won't crank the Foxs above 2.5 though. I hope to avoid blocks in favor of leafs, but I'm willing to do a 1". Thanks everyone for taking time to read this and hopefully I can join the Ford party soon.
01-05-2015, 10:36 AM
#6
uhhhh you might consider a 97-03( 04 heritage ) the 5.4's snap plugs in two and have timing chain and cam phaser issues.. Plus I have a 03 5.4 ( they only blow spark plugs if they aren't torqued right) and rusty exhaust manifolds and they are reliable as hell. Mine has 248,000 on the original motor and transmission and shifts great. Only issues body wise is rust rockers cab corners doors bedsides and tailgates.
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01-05-2015, 03:38 PM
#8
Yeah that's true, I've seen quite a few at yards. Just don't plan on leaving very much stock, aha. I like working aftermarket parts onto vehicles, what I plan to do post college.
01-05-2015, 04:49 PM
#9
Member
Don't be afraid of 04.5 and up, however. Are there phaser issues? Sure. Can you experience plug breakage? Yup. Is it by any means a worse 5.4L than the originals? Not at all. If anything, they took a great platform and made it better. What ruins these engines are the occasional manufacture defects and, more frequently, the bad owner.
01-05-2015, 05:22 PM
#10
Senior Member
One thing 04-08s are known for....the fuel pump driver module corrodes out and shorts out, which shuts the truck off and can leave you stranded. Replacements are usually better protected and not real expensive - a good thing to replace in advance.
Otherwise, the american made tritons are known for previously mentioned spark plug issues, and the 5.4s of this generation are known for cam phaser issues.
Other than that they're a solid reliable truck on the whole. But, as said, the previous generation is also a great truck (far better IMO). You can't go too far wrong with either.
Otherwise, the american made tritons are known for previously mentioned spark plug issues, and the 5.4s of this generation are known for cam phaser issues.
Other than that they're a solid reliable truck on the whole. But, as said, the previous generation is also a great truck (far better IMO). You can't go too far wrong with either.