What have you broken on your 14 Gen F150 off road?

[Scoot]

Front diff started leaking after about 100mi off-road in New Mexico and Arizona. Stock everything except tires.

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[KartRacer25]

Interesting.
I'll try and list what Ive broken or bent so far in order ish:
prob have to come back and edit or add to it. None of it Fords fault.
adaptive air dam, slight damage then removed
regular air dam and aluminum bodywork valance above it all bent up
licensee plate and all the plastic around it, stuffed right through into alternator etc
alternator fried, $700 plus labor (Holcomb valley in the icy mud puddles snow)
Unfortunately my/our alternator(s) are on the bottom, but can be submerged.
(Steel ADD bumper now)
3 wheels bent, 20 " of course, replaced 1 with a fresh takeoff, bent 2 back with the BFH, torch optional
(Icon 17" wheels shipping now)
bent both lower control arm welded brackets, deformed one of the bolt/pin things with bushings, but still running it. cleared by 2 mechanics, will fix, weld, replace next time I need suspension work
did alignment, both fronts were out of spec (surprise...not)
mangled both OEM side steps (fabricated n welded sliders n nerf n steps)
Its possible to bend the bottom of our doors and they wont open/close. LOL (havent done that.)
Broke both those little black plastic wheel well winglet things replaced with the smaller oem ones
rotated/fanned both rear composite leaf springs, Ford fixed it, 4x new U bolts reseat, re torque to spec. Ford is the best.
dented scraped right doors, minor (Arroyo seco del diablo) (trail memories)
cracked rear tailight a bit during a recovery, minor

Dang guess I have Brocken bent a few parts.
Always brought me home though.
Must be "poor driving". LOL Much better now. "experienced".
Not best method to break things then do upgrades

Don't bring any spares yet but some friends bring cv joints, shafts, alternators, etc welder sometimes, offroad jack, winch, etc
Might rebuild my old alternator and carry as spare for planned water crossings, try to keep my low alternator out of water when I can, one side higher on bank. careful
Carry good tire plug kit and sidewall patches ( want the delux with slider ring to keep bacon in the hole) extra glue for minor tire cuts and chunks.
I bring stainless safety wire and tools, ratchet straps, gorilla tape, big ass zip ties, used em all,
mostly on other peoples toyotas, jeeps
breaker bar, pry bar, small sledge hammer no longer bring dead blow

Thanks,

Edit: also knocked the exhaust tip off in Death Valley. LOL

 

[ThumperF150]

Interesting.
I'll try and list what Ive broken or bent so far in order ish:
prob have to come back and edit or add to it. None of it Fords fault.
adaptive air dam, slight damage then removed
regular air dam and aluminum bodywork valance above it all bent up
licensee plate and all the plastic around it, stuffed right through into alternator etc
alternator fried, $700 plus labor (Holcomb valley in the icy mud puddles snow)
Unfortunately my/our alternator(s) are on the bottom, but can be submerged.
(Steel ADD bumper now)
3 wheels bent, 20 " of course, replaced 1 with a fresh takeoff, bent 2 back with the BFH, torch optional
(Icon 17" wheels shipping now)
bent both lower control arm welded brackets, deformed one of the bolt/pin things with bushings, but still running it. cleared by 2 mechanics, will fix, weld, replace next time I need suspension work
did alignment, both fronts were out of spec (surprise...not)
mangled both OEM side steps (fabricated n welded sliders n nerf n steps)
Its possible to bend the bottom of our doors and they wont open/close. LOL (havent done that.)
Broke both those little black plastic wheel well winglet things replaced with the smaller oem ones
rotated/fanned both rear composite leaf springs, Ford fixed it, 4x new U bolts reseat, re torque to spec. Ford is the best.
dented scraped right doors, minor (Arroyo seco del diablo) (trail memories)
cracked rear tailight a bit during a recovery, minor

Dang guess I have Brocken bent a few parts.
Always brought me home though.
Must be "poor driving". LOL Much better now. "experienced".
Not best method to break things then do upgrades

Don't bring any spares yet but some friends bring cv joints, shafts, alternators, etc welder sometimes, offroad jack, winch, etc
Might rebuild my old alternator and carry as spare for planned water crossings, try to keep my low alternator out of water when I can, one side higher on bank. careful
Carry good tire plug kit and sidewall patches ( want the delux with slider ring to keep bacon in the hole) extra glue for minor tire cuts and chunks.
I bring stainless safety wire and tools, ratchet straps, gorilla tape, big ass zip ties, used em all,
mostly on other peoples toyotas, jeeps
breaker bar, pry bar, small sledge hammer no longer bring dead blow

Thanks,

Sounds like you are really enjoying your truck.

Thanks for the info.

 

[KartRacer25]

Sounds like you are really enjoying your truck.

Thanks for the info.

Thumper. Thanks. Really useful thread.
Yes I still love my F150. Enjoyed lots of great trips.
Love your setup too.
Looks like it would do great on most of the trails in southwest I've done so far.
You should do Burns canyon, Pioneer town to Holcomb Valley then punch out to Big bear and home at some point. Do it in spring first, after snow, ice n mud is gone. Go with a buddy in another rig or a mellow group that's done it before. Use Gaia or On X. Download off line route. Its a Socal bucket list item. Shouldn't get any trail damage. Dont do Bull run or gold mountain etc. Bring the usual, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, straps shackles, etc.
On big trips we have a list, split it up each rig bring one or 2 items, oil, JB weld, brake fluid, steering fluid, tranny fluid, etc some toyota and jeep spare hard parts but no Ford parts yet.

Trail damage can be avoided by good planning, navigation, good skills, good weather reports, good spotters, easier known trails, or staying at home, but eventually becomes an inevitable fact that you have to accept the possibility of if you want to go out and explore deep in back country. Even trails that were easy last time change with weather and time. Like Diablo drop off in Anza Borrego. Some really epic remote places require some calculated risks to get to. When you pass the last prius, tesla, subaru, pristine overlander, your risk probably goes up. When I see nothing but side by sides, rock crawlers, motos, really built up rigs on 40's, I know I may have gone too far. LOL

Sorry I ramble on sometimes.

 

[Aonarch]

Interesting.
I'll try and list what Ive broken or bent so far in order ish:
prob have to come back and edit or add to it. None of it Fords fault.
adaptive air dam, slight damage then removed
regular air dam and aluminum bodywork valance above it all bent up
licensee plate and all the plastic around it, stuffed right through into alternator etc
alternator fried, $700 plus labor (Holcomb valley in the icy mud puddles snow)
Unfortunately my/our alternator(s) are on the bottom, but can be submerged.
(Steel ADD bumper now)
3 wheels bent, 20 " of course, replaced 1 with a fresh takeoff, bent 2 back with the BFH, torch optional
(Icon 17" wheels shipping now)
bent both lower control arm welded brackets, deformed one of the bolt/pin things with bushings, but still running it. cleared by 2 mechanics, will fix, weld, replace next time I need suspension work
did alignment, both fronts were out of spec (surprise...not)
mangled both OEM side steps (fabricated n welded sliders n nerf n steps)
Its possible to bend the bottom of our doors and they wont open/close. LOL (havent done that.)
Broke both those little black plastic wheel well winglet things replaced with the smaller oem ones
rotated/fanned both rear composite leaf springs, Ford fixed it, 4x new U bolts reseat, re torque to spec. Ford is the best.
dented scraped right doors, minor (Arroyo seco del diablo) (trail memories)
cracked rear tailight a bit during a recovery, minor

Dang guess I have Brocken bent a few parts.
Always brought me home though.
Must be "poor driving". LOL Much better now. "experienced".
Not best method to break things then do upgrades

Don't bring any spares yet but some friends bring cv joints, shafts, alternators, etc welder sometimes, offroad jack, winch, etc
Might rebuild my old alternator and carry as spare for planned water crossings, try to keep my low alternator out of water when I can, one side higher on bank. careful
Carry good tire plug kit and sidewall patches ( want the delux with slider ring to keep bacon in the hole) extra glue for minor tire cuts and chunks.
I bring stainless safety wire and tools, ratchet straps, gorilla tape, big ass zip ties, used em all,
mostly on other peoples toyotas, jeeps
breaker bar, pry bar, small sledge hammer no longer bring dead blow

Thanks,

Edit: also knocked the exhaust tip off in Death Valley. LOL

Great feedback.

On my truck I did a bunch of pre-emptive modifications before going out:

• Deleted and coded out active air dam
• Trimmed front chin spoiler (Still have an inch or so of plastic to protect painted bumper on minor dirt mound scrapes
• SPC HD Cam/ Caster kit (The one you drill for a locating stud)
• Raptor steps for now (Ordering RCI sliders before summer trips)
• Replaced rear air winglet with Ford OE delete
• Full RCI skid plates
• 34x11 Wildpeak AT4W with Duraspec HD sidewalls
• Front winch mount with 10k Warn
• Rear tow hitch shackle mount

I carry tire plugs, but not sidewall patches. I'm debating if I should...

What did you bend/ break on the control arms?

 

[KartRacer25]

Great feedback.

On my truck I did a bunch of pre-emptive modifications before going out:

• Deleted and coded out active air dam
• Trimmed front chin spoiler (Still have an inch or so of plastic to protect painted bumper on minor dirt mound scrapes
• SPC HD Cam/ Caster kit (The one you drill for a locating stud)
• Raptor steps for now (Ordering RCI sliders before summer trips)
• Replaced rear air winglet with Ford OE delete
• Full RCI skid plates
• 34x11 Wildpeak AT4W with Duraspec HD sidewalls
• Front winch mount with 10k Warn
• Rear tow hitch shackle mount

I carry tire plugs, but not sidewall patches. I'm debating if I should...

What did you bend/ break on the control arms?

Aonarch,
Been following your build, looks great, looking forward to seeing some more adventures.
Yes glue tread pack is $50. Haven't used mine yet. Friends have. On trails, sidewall cut seems to happen more often than on tread. Nice option, seems worth it. Factory spare was enough to get me to a used tire shop (Ridgecrest)for a used tera grappler, smaller diameter, then catch back up to group that night, (Trona pinnacles), and finish trip. getting new 35x12.5 RG tires, wheels, going to put factory wheel and one 33.7c11.5 RG in spare location. Close enough to finish a trip.
If you look under the front of truck the lowest part catches on rocks all the time, the welded bracket, usually just the lip bends a bit, until I hit it hard once, (Oriflamme canyon) I'll try n get a pic later.
Love the RCi skids, didn't get the fuel tank one you got (yet), good call.

OK: Here you can see dings, Suprised I never hit the lower control arm. Whish I had 4" BDS lift now. But $$$

Glue tread, peace of mind. Buddy drove on one for months. But not DOT approved for road.

Just noticed another cut here. But not leaking, will go fill with glue. LOL Why 20's only good with 37's and up.

Used tera grappler if anyone wants it in San diego.

Approach angle. Sand Hollow Utah. The funnel.

Breakover angle. Been high centered a couple times. Usually desert sand.

Departure angle:

Spares ish: batt(s), alternator, fuel, water, air.

 

[Aonarch]

Aonarch,
Been following your build, looks great, looking forward to seeing some adventures..
Yes glue tread pack is $50. Haven't used mine yet. Friends have. On trails, sidewall cut seems to happen more often than on tread. Nice option, seems worth it. Factory spare was enough to get me to a used tire shop (Ridgecrest)for a used tera grappler, smaller diameter, then catch back up to group that night, (Trona pinnacles), and finish trip. getting new 35x12.5 RG tires, wheels, going to put factory wheel and one 33.7c11.5 RG in spare location. Close enough to finish a trip.
If you look under the front of truck the lowest part catches on rocks all the time, the welded bracket, usually just the lip bends a bit, until I hit it hard once, (Oriflamme canyon) I'll try n get a pic later.
Love the RCi skids, didn't get the fuel tank one you got (yet), good call.

Nice, I need to get a cheap spare too. Normally I do a 5 tire rotation, but we can't do that due to no matching spare and TPMS.

The factory fuel tank being unprotected scared the hell out of me.

Anything on trail can puncture it, a small tree branch, a rock getting thrown by a tire, etc.

 

[KartRacer25]

Nice, I need to get a cheap spare too. Normally I do a 5 tire rotation, but we can't do that due to no matching spare and TPMS.

The factory fuel tank being unprotected scared the hell out of me.

Anything on trail can puncture it, a small tree branch, a rock getting thrown by a tire, etc.

Yes, fuel tank does scare the heck out of me too. Maybe future upgrade.
I've been reading you can put full size spare with an OEM TPMS (or aftermarket) and it will learn the location after rotation or follow reset procedure. Then ignore the spare. Haven't tried it. Maybe ask Ford.

hmmm....upon further inspection a few scrapes on fuel tank:
So plastic is tough but your addition of the fuel tank skid is probably totally worth it.
I carry JB weld, epoxy, always and spare fuel when needed.

RCI skids Kicks ass !!!

One full pic of my baby cuz she still looks rad. Even after showing all her cuts n bruises.

Best inspection I've done in a while. Always do one before a trip. Pics actually help see things I would have missed. Next is Joshua tree and Johnson Valley.

 

[Captain Dirty Beard]

Interesting.
I'll try and list what Ive broken or bent so far in order ish:
prob have to come back and edit or add to it. None of it Fords fault.
adaptive air dam, slight damage then removed
regular air dam and aluminum bodywork valance above it all bent up
licensee plate and all the plastic around it, stuffed right through into alternator etc
alternator fried, $700 plus labor (Holcomb valley in the icy mud puddles snow)
Unfortunately my/our alternator(s) are on the bottom, but can be submerged.
(Steel ADD bumper now)
3 wheels bent, 20 " of course, replaced 1 with a fresh takeoff, bent 2 back with the BFH, torch optional
(Icon 17" wheels shipping now)
bent both lower control arm welded brackets, deformed one of the bolt/pin things with bushings, but still running it. cleared by 2 mechanics, will fix, weld, replace next time I need suspension work
did alignment, both fronts were out of spec (surprise...not)
mangled both OEM side steps (fabricated n welded sliders n nerf n steps)
Its possible to bend the bottom of our doors and they wont open/close. LOL (havent done that.)
Broke both those little black plastic wheel well winglet things replaced with the smaller oem ones
rotated/fanned both rear composite leaf springs, Ford fixed it, 4x new U bolts reseat, re torque to spec. Ford is the best.
dented scraped right doors, minor (Arroyo seco del diablo) (trail memories)
cracked rear tailight a bit during a recovery, minor

Dang guess I have Brocken bent a few parts.
Always brought me home though.
Must be "poor driving". LOL Much better now. "experienced".
Not best method to break things then do upgrades

Don't bring any spares yet but some friends bring cv joints, shafts, alternators, etc welder sometimes, offroad jack, winch, etc
Might rebuild my old alternator and carry as spare for planned water crossings, try to keep my low alternator out of water when I can, one side higher on bank. careful
Carry good tire plug kit and sidewall patches ( want the delux with slider ring to keep bacon in the hole) extra glue for minor tire cuts and chunks.
I bring stainless safety wire and tools, ratchet straps, gorilla tape, big ass zip ties, used em all,
mostly on other peoples toyotas, jeeps
breaker bar, pry bar, small sledge hammer no longer bring dead blow

Thanks,

Edit: also knocked the exhaust tip off in Death Valley. LOL

Sounds like your next mod should be a trailer and a Rzr or Can-Am Maverick turbo

 

[KartRacer25]

Sounds like your next mod should be a trailer and a Rzr or Can-Am Maverick turbo

Thought about it. Cheaper to ride in my friends Yamaha, behind his new Ranger Raptor. LOL
I'm not real big into the offroad part but often its the only way to get to the epic really remote spots to camp the night and see awesome places and wildlife etc.

 

[Captain Dirty Beard]

often its the only way to get to the epic really remote spots to camp

For sure this. Unfortunately, these days that requires many hours of driving around here. The hills are alive with transplants and tourists, leaving campfires unattended and trash everywhere.

 

[KartRacer25]

Yep. I know what you mean.
I can pick up trash when I find it, but the half buried toilet paper...wtf

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