Home of the Lightning---December 2003 Questions

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Someone get this man his own forum already :db:


I only have one question for ya.. sorta, I was wondering why do about 80% of the lightnings I see in person (inlcuding mine, but just barely) have crooked beds? As in..the gap between the bed and cab is different side to side. We can fix it from what I have heard by shifting it and tightening the bed bolts...but I have always wonderd why it wasnt tight enough from the get go.

There has even been a few cases where the bed slams into the cab on one side because the gap becomes too small over time if not corrected.

I have also seen quite a few trucks where the side skirts under the door, dont line up very well with the skirts under the flare side.

My skirts line up about 98% correct..which is fine with me...my bed gaps change week to week... if I didnt have a bed rug carpet in there I would tighten the bolts down...but I dont want to take the carpet out and put it back in.
 
Gonzo said:
FORD is trying to save money and you think they will hire a new grunt? Nope - the only way they [Ford] can save themselves is to insert a new management layer somewhere between VP and "line boss"! Gotta fire 750 "worker bees" to pay for the 25 new managers, who won't know sh#t about making anything except BS for those below them.

Sorry SVT, but I tend to be down on corporate America of late, what with every day reading/seeing/hearing about some new corporate scandal, executive blunder or Golden Parachute.
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Gonzo, my man I know for a fact that the management team has given much to the benefit of the worker bees as you call them.
Management has lost their 60 cents on the dollar stock match, Profit sharing,, raises, and they have to now pay extra for health care

Peace, Suavy
 
Hey KONIG:
Since I can remember cab/box alignments and skirts on lightnings have been an issue. The guys in the plant can take some of the blame (10%) for the spacing between the cab to box and skirt to body. The rest of it lye's with process,engineering and the decision makers. Reason being, the process the guys use is 90% at best for accuracy. The engineers and decision makers treat a pickup much different then say a Jaguar. The theory of course is most pick-ups are used for work. The box/box frame/mounts are purposely engineered and designed to give, when loaded with weight or even when going over a bump. There lye's the problem. A lightning unfortunatley isn't treated any different. It's a truck, right, WRONG!!!!! You and I both know that a person who buys a lightning has no intention of using it as a work truck 99% of the time, outside of just driving to work in it. It should be assembled better than any other pick-up, just like a Jaguar I'd say!!!
Later SVT
 
Yeah, for most of us its a toy through and through, I think the biggest thing I have put in the bed was a pair of new tires. The spacing is only noticable if its an inch off or so...the ground effects however need to be dead on, because the lines are so visable.

I never balmed the workers, I had a feeling it was because of the build process. Oh well...maybe the Gen3s will be better in that area as well.
 
SVT,
Good of you to come here with your insight. My L is also a toy as many here are. 3 years old and only 13000 miles. It is simply the most fun I've ever had owning a vehicle. Mine was one of the unfortunate ones that had a motor replaced. Lower end knock, evidently 5.4 related, not just Lightnings. No harm done as the install went without a hitch. I have very little to complain about as to the fit and finish of my truck, thanks to the care of your buds at Ontario. Tell them they can be proud of my truck, because I surely am. I also work at a Ford plant in the Rouge area of Dearborn, MI. We build the Panther frame for the Crown Vics, Grand Marquis, Marauders, and Town Cars. We also will be supplying rear end components for the new F-150. We have problems also, but I have the pleasure of knowing that we are producing the strongest and most in-spec frame we've ever built at this facility. Hopefully we can do as well supplying the new Truck Plant.

Tell your co-workers, from one factory rat to another, job well done!
 
Great thread, followed a link from the corral.

ps: Fletch I bookmarked that German Shep page you have, I rescued my male from a junkyard, he was starved and his neck was raw from the chain. Now he's as happy as can be runnin' in our big ole' backyard.
 
The "box/alignment to cab" problem isn't just a Lightning or F-150 or Ontario Truck Plant problem. I'ts a problem on all Ford trucks - and present to some degree in all Ford Truck Assembly Plants - worldwide. And Ford is well aware of this issue. I participated in a group working on this problem several years ago, and observed the problem in other Ford Truck Plants, and we were able to make some improvements to minimize the variation in the total process, but not as much as we wanted to. There are many, many "variables" in assemblying the floor pan to the boxsides and headboard, variations in all the components themselves, and then the variation in the final assembly of the completed box to the frame. I'm sorry to hear that this problem still exists in the magnitude it does.
 
svt-

Thanks for posting, very interesting info. One quick question; you mentioned that the Lightning seats are manufactured elsewhere. Do you know who makes them?

Tom
 
Seat supplier:

Hey HotRodMan;
The seats are actually assembled about 10 miles down the road from us at Johnson Controls. However the trim comes stitched to Johnson Controls from someplace in the U.S.A.

Later SVT
 
Alignment

I took a good look at the new Nissan Titan. As hard as I could look I couldn't find any alignment issues with the box, bumpers, doors, panels or trim. This truck is built in the US. Why can't Ford align a bumper or even a box properly on such a low tech vehicle.

Not a flame but this just puzzles me.

RF:?
 
SVT thanks for the insight here. Hats off to you and your buddies

Does the Oakville plant offer tours? I'm going to be in the area in the spring and would love to take a tour.


I toured the 04 F150 plant in Kansas City and it was incredible.:tu:
 
99WhiteBeast said:



I toured the 04 F150 plant in Kansas City and it was incredible.:tu:
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Actually thats a good point.

SVT,

What are you building up there now? Can't be just 04 Lightnings?? All the 04 F150s are built in KC now right?

So if your open till May what else do you build there?
 
They are also building other '97-'03 style "2004 Heritage" F-150's as well, not just Lightning's
 
LightningLngIs said:
Do any of you gen 2's drift to the right? Mine is more then a "smidget"
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I've been plagued by this ever since I took delivery of my 02. Ford has even gone far enough to blame it on curb rash and to void my suspension warrenty due to some curb rash. I finally got it fixed, try some new cam bolts, they did the job for me :tu:

Thanks for this great thread SVT, very informative :hail:
 
78f1hundo said:
Do you remember me back in 99' ?

I'm number 424... I'm red, I was born 4/13/99.

You are the man..... Great thread.

I wish we could find the first Gen 2 built that would be pretty cool!
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I know where one of the first Gen2s are are, but I'm almost positive it was a PPO unit. It was bought off the B plan lot in Dearborn, and was once used as a test vehicle for powertrain. If you have ever seen the poster with the Black truck doing the mondo burnout, in the corner there is a picture taken at Sharonville with a Red one (not sure it was the first, but one of them anyway, the pciture was taken in late 1998 I think, it was the truck shown at the Chicago Auto Show, or so I'm told) Anyway, I work with the guy who bought it, he still has it and intends to drive it forever. The tranny in it was the only GEn2 I know of not built at Sharonville, it was hand built at the Livonia transmission center I'm pretty sure.

G
 
This Thread Rocks, and is by far 1 of the best Ive read on Any site. :tu: Please post pictures of anything you can we enjoy them all.
 
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Speaking of squeaks; my squeak seems to be in the suspension or body after i have been driving it for awhile. Like when I get to the parking deck at work I hear squeaks in the suspension when I run over the seams in the floor. Sometimes they seem to come from the windows when I open the rear window, or maybe I hear them better with it open. I have given up on ever fixing them until someone can figure exactly where they are coming from. I don't think mine is coming from the tailgate tho. They sound like they are coming from down near the bottom of the body, possibly in the tie rods. ?
 
I just found this one under the seat of my 2000 L. I am the original owner, and while removing the speakers and amp, I noticed this message. "In the Game" with a little drawing.. I Guess the seat makers wanted to autograph them.. My 99L has no such drawings, or message.
111972748RmpQlk
Pic
 
wondering what makes my 03 lightning move slightly forward when first cranked.a buddy of mine 01 does the same thing .thanks
 
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