My 1/2 ton dodge only pulls 7500 lbs, but at a rated 500 horse power it's made to haul a$$ not haul stuff.

I'll never buy a import car or truck, i own 2 dodges and i know that they are partly owned by Daimler but its still an American company. No matter how much the big 3 have messed up in the recent past, the imports will never do for America or Americans what the big three have done. They have built a economy, built foundations for families to prosper and because of them we don't speak german or japaneses. They could stop building cars today and the imports would never be able to do for Americans what these proud companies have done.

GOD bless them and GOD bless America.

And Polaris also.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Well said. In WWII Alison made the P40 and P38 engine. I heard by the end of the war that beast could put out 2400 horse power and it ran on gas. Although it was an air cooled V-12 with over 1000 ci displacement and a two stage supercharger. God bless american engineering in our times of need.

Someone said something about the Honda Ridgline, doesn't the motor and transmission sit sideways in that thing like a front wheel drive car? That doesn't sound like a truck to me.

 

I have an '05 F150. I like the truck - but I'm not happy with Ford. The 5.4L engine has an issue with the spark plugs breaking if you try to change the plugs out. This isn't on hi mileage engines - people are breaking them on 30,000 mile vehicles - because they're trying to be proactive and change them out BEFORE it's a problem and they break. The resolution for 2006?? put anti-sieze on the electrode part inside the engine so it doesn't corrode.

Evidently, the design and materials used in the plug are causing premature corrosion and buildup beyond the threads - in the head, when the buildup is too much and you try to back the plug out, the scale gets caught and the plug snaps in two - leaving half of the plug in the head.

Ford has yet to issue a recall. This is not an issue on "some" 5.4 engines in 2005...it's ALL of them. Ford has a TSB on how to remove the plugs if they break them. Also, I have read that if the dealer breaks the plug trying to remove it, they charge you for the time to extract the broken plug.

My truck has also been in for the 4wd (got stuck twice in the snow because the 4wd didn't engage - once I was towing three quads on a trailer) three times. The 4wd hubs are vacuum actuated, and if water gets in the vacuum line under the hood - they don't work. Ford's "better idea" - put a plastic hood over the tube to prevent water from getting in there. My understanding is the vacuum keeps the hubs disengaged, and when you turn the switch, the vacuum is released and the hubs are supoosed to engage. If there's water in the line, the vacuum can't purge and therefore - no hub engagement. I was so pi$$ed when I got stuck if the dealer was close by I would have been tempted to drive through the front window of the dealership after getting out. The second time I got stuck was with the Ford service manager out in back of the shop - I guess he thought I didn't know how to engage 4wd. I literally got stuck as soon as I left the roadway and all four wheels were in the snow - 6" worth. We got towed out by a '92 F150 pickup which was owned by one of the mechanics at the dealer.

The window switch was sticking on the driver's side, needed to have the clutch packs replaced in the rear - and I had to fight for that, too.

I was so pi$$ed at Ford that I went looking at Dodge, GM and Toyotas and was ready to dump it. The discouraging thing is most of these things are MSRPing at like $35k.

So far, it's been good after the last visit to the shop. If something goes out again - I'll be looking for good incentives from the other manufacturers.

Sorry for the rant. Once I get on a roll about this - it's hard to stop!

 

Originally posted by bigike: I'll never buy a import car or truck, i own 2 dodges and i know that they are partly owned by Daimler but its still an American company. No matter how much the big 3 have messed up in the recent past, the imports will never do for America or Americans what the big three have done. They have built a economy, built foundations for families to prosper and because of them we don't speak german or japaneses. They could stop building cars today and the imports would never be able to do for Americans what these proud companies have done.

Well said.

People say "My Toyota was built here so they are helping the economy". Not really - where does the research, design, testing, engineering and improved technology take place? All in Japan. Where does the real money go? Back to Japan. Meanwhile the big three are spending billions of dollars here on those same things.

 

I'll add an amen to Bigike's post.
Thanks for serving the country DeeDawg !

 

SixxGunn - thank you for your support.

 

Seen ads where Toyota was creating american jobs, funny thing is I also read somewhere else that for every one job Toyota creates, the big three loses 10. Doesn't sound good to me. My father was a F4U pilot in WWII. I truely respect the past and present Arm Forces. God blessed them.

 

rpxr400, I here you about the 5.4 plug issue but, the tsb also tells you how to remove the plugs so you wont break them. I work at a Ford/Dodge dealership, and we haven't broken one yet. Seen others that have but they were high mileage units. I have a 05 with 22000 miles and I am thinking of removing mine and putting on the anti-seized compound. On your 4 wheel drive problem, sounds like you have a seal out letting water in. Never really seen much problems with the 1/2 ton system. Seen a couple of super duties with lots of miles suck water at the hub seals. It will fill the vacuum reservior with water. What is weir to me, it takes vacuum to disengage the front also. If you don't believe me, jack up the front wheels and turn it with the engine off. The front drive shaft will turn.

 

I'm country as a turnip green'.
Teh, I love the new Tundra.
Quality products.
Sorry.
Also love my bowtie [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I won't deny Toyota makes great products. I have family that works for them at the Georgetown, Ky plant and it's a bit of a conflict for me. I don't bash them but I won't buy a new Toyota even though i could have get a new one at a discount.

Toyota and other imports have pushed the big 3 to make better vehicles which is good but it amazes me at the misinformation and lack of info though. I've had Toyota drivers I work with tell the big 3 has NO cars that are built in America. The big 3 made junk for a long time but I don't think they are getting an even break now.

I worked in a tier 3 automotive factory for awhile. Aisin, Asmo and Denso are all huge staked parts manufactures/suppliers for the Japanese automakers. More "American" content by Japanese owned companies. Twice my company worked the quality bugs out of molds and figured out how to run a part with one operator vs two to be competitive in price only 2 have the tool taken a given to a japanese owned company to make the part after the process was established. A nearby company was promised a contract from Honda. They prepped their plant for the added business and passed up less lucrative offers during a 2 year period. They eventually laid off alot of workers after Honda told them they found another supplier cheaper..... yep... a company with huge Japanese investment. Over the last 5 years I watched volume drop 40% and workers lose alot of what they had, marriages fall apart etc as the imports grew and domestics declined. To those that keep saying that Toyota is sooooo good for American workers... keep dreaming. Just because the sun shines on your house doesn't mean it does on all Americans.

Just my opinion. Everyone is welcome to their own.

peace all.