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History of the FORD F-150

FORD TRUCKS have long been a part of American society; they have gotten the family through the winter storm, helped the farmer haul his cows to the sale, and taken the boat to the lake for the family vacation. The FORD F-150, a medium light duty pick-up truck met the needs of consumer who didn't need the heavy duty F-250 for pulling large loads. F150 consumers needed to haul the occasional large load but normally just wanted to haul the boat, snowmobiles, garbage, and small camp trailer for personal family needs affordably. The FORD F-150 was built just for that purpose.

The FORD F-series trucks actually started around 1948, with the F-1, F-2 and The F Heavy Duty. It wasn't until 1953 that the designations F-100, F-250 and the F-350 became common use, those names for the most part (except for F-100 no longer made) are still in use today.

The FORD F-150 PICK-UP TRUCK was introduced in 1975 more powerful than the F-100 this truck filled a niche for the American public. Even the first year of sales the F150 took over one-third of the FORD TRUCK sales. This FORD TRUCK had made it into the hearts of the consumers and has stayed there for over30 years.

The F-100 was phased out in 1984 and the engines were now designated in liters. And in 88' the FORD F150 supercab was offered for more interior space. This saw the F150 FORD become not just a hauling truck but a family TRUCK, it allowed for more passengers and only one vehicle on those boat towing family vacations. Along about 1988 the FORD F150 4x4 came with automatically locking front hubs, this meant that consumers didn't have to get out in the storm or mud to lock the F-150's FOUR WHEEL DRIVE hubs.

By 1997 FORD's best selling vehicle, not just truck, but vehicle got a whole new look, gone was the boxy shape that had satisfied consumers for almost 25 years, in came the new sleek styling seen today. New engine choices were now available for the F-150 PICK-UP TRUCK, a 4.2-liter V6 with 252 horse power, a 4.6Liter V8 with 231 horse pulling power and the 5.4-liter V8 giving the consumer a whopping 260 horses for their MEDUIM DUTY FORD F-150.

In the year 2000 FORD TRUCKS came out with a Harley Davidson F150, a SuperCab Flareside 2WD with a 5.4 liter engine. Large 20-inch wheels completed the HARLEY DAVIDSON F150 giving it a whole new look. The HARLEY DAVIDSON F-150 gave out 340-horse power to the rear wheels making it one of the fastest MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS on the road.

An all-new FORD F150 PICK-UP has made its debut, but before FORD TRUCKS brought that out, they made a HERITAGE edition to celebrate the F150's long success. At that time they also decided to appeal to the younger technical generation with an FORD STX F-150 model with an mp3 player and a jazzier low sitting look.

The FORD F150 MEDIUM DUTY PICK-UP TRUCK has long filled the need for consumers of an AFFORDABLE PICK-UP TRUCK. The F150 has earned it's place in American and worldwide society. It's sleek styling, long serving reputation, affordability, and spacious interior will keep the F150 as FORDS most popular long lasting truck for many years to come.

Winter and summer driving tips for your Ford F-150 pickup.

Driving in the intense heat of summer needs some adjustment to the driving of your Ford F150 truck. Intense heat adds to the stress of towing, stopping and starting on busy commuter routes, and to your tires and engine. Regular maintenance of your Ford F-150 is essential whether it be summer or winter. But in the summer the intense heat can put stress on your cooling system, transmission and other parts of your Ford F-150 so good maintenance and check ups are important.

Before starting on that long vacation you'll want to have a complete checkup on your A/C and transmission as the extra heavy load of boats and campers can cause over heating problems. You'll want to make sure you have changed your Ford F-150 motor oil before starting off, also you'll want to make sure all fluids are topped up as this will ensure that they available for the stress of the trip. Also be sure and have the front end checked out as the heat of summer can loosen some lubricants so fresh lubricant on the F-150 truck ball joints and tie rods can help insure good trips. You may want to have your radiator flushed and check the antifreeze level as this can insure you'll make it up that big hill to the lake with your boat. Check your Ford F-150 truck transmission service record as the heavy loads of summer trips in the heat can put even more stress on your Ford F-150 truck transmission. Having your A/C unit checked and serviced will ensure that all is working correctly and the Ford F-150 evaporator drain plug is free so that you don't get that moldy A/C smell. All of these preparations will give you the best chance of not getting stranded in 100-degree weather on the side of the road. Remember when towing up steep hills in the summer it is best to turn off you're A/C to help reduce the load on your Ford F-150 engine cooling system. You will also want to allow extra time for those long hills so you can be in the right gear for towing your camper trailer with as much ease as possible. Keep a good eye on your Ford F-150 truck temperature gauge, as stopping before the radiator blows is the best defense. Be sure to carry extra water for yourself and your truck and don't forget antifreeze in case you do have a cooling system difficulty.

In winter Your Ford F-150 truck needs extra care as well. Cold weather starting is hard on your engine as cold lubricates take time to get to the engine and begin lubricating. Make sure you allow good warm up time. Again, be sure to have good antifreeze in your Ford F-150 truck, as a frozen block is expensive to fix. A Ford F-150 truck-heating block may be essential if you are driving a Ford F-150 diesel truck, and covering the hood in extreme cold can help as well. Your Ford F-150 may need extra traction in the winter so a good set of snow tires may be necessary as well as adding a bit of weight to the rear bed of your Ford F150 truck to give the rear tires more traction. If your winter driving is long distance and you are unsure of the weather carrying a set of Ford F-150 pickup chains would help insure your arrival at your destination. If roads are icy or snow encased slowing down will help your stopping distance and allow for better traction for steering. Your 4x4 is not exempt from the zero traction of icy roads, 4 times zero traction is still zero traction, so don't be over confident with your Ford F-150 four wheel drive truck.

Keep an eye on your charging and heating gauges, all of the extra heaters, lights and cold starting can put extra stress on your electrical and heating system. Be sure to carry blankets, extra food and water for yourself as well as for your Ford F-150 truck in the winter just in case disaster does be fall you. And a cell phone can save your life is you slide off the road into an unseen ditch or gully.

Careful planning and good maintenance of your Ford F-150 truck can ensure good summer and winter traveling so be sure to plan ahead and travel safely no matter the conditions.