Jump to content
Ford Transit Connect Forum
   

Fifty150

T.C. Member
  • Posts

    3,552
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    177

Everything posted by Fifty150

  1. I am operating 51 PSI. My tires do not show a "chicken stripe". No discernable ride quality or handling difference. Maybe 1 MPG difference on long road trips which see all highway miles. The door sticker is a recommended inflation PSI. This is the PSI which the manufacturer believes will give acceptable ride quality, carry the GVWR, allows for adequate traction, and provide acceptable mileage. You can decrease the PSI for better traction and possibly better ride quality. Max PSI on the tire is just that, the maximum. At MAX COLD PSI, the tire will be at it's maximum lo9ad rating, usually gets a little better mileage (if you really need to increase 1/2 MPG to 1 MPG), offers a bumpy, harsh ride; and unless you are loaded to maximum load range, less traction. These are always cold PSI numbers. Check your tires in the morning, before any driving. This is when you will get the "cold PSI" reading, and the best time to make any adjustments. Obviously, not everyone has an air compressor for this, so some adjustments may not be entirely precise. On trucks & Jeeps I've learned to decrease PSI for off road and inclement weather conditions. Although I have yet to "feel" any need to decrease the Transit Connect PSI. Even driving through storm conditions, the front wheel drive van maintained adequate traction. Huge difference in traction, handling, and control on wet roads, when compared to a bigger, heavier, rear wheel drive truck. On my truck, you can actually "feel" the difference in 10 or 20 PSI difference. I am not endorsing, or in any way suggesting, that anyone else inflate their tires to 51 PSI. Everyone should do whatever they want to, or do whatever they feel is most advantageous to their driving condition. But it could be interesting to read other replies. Very interesting. I didn't think about decreasing the vehicle weight by removing seats. Do the cargo vans have a door sticker with different PSI recommendations?
  2. If one of you guys has a little hot dog cart, let me know. I'll come over.
  3. Pickup trucks with tow packages can also have different gearing for towing, and upgraded suspension,. The factory tow package on a Transit Connect is a little more than just bolting on a hitch receiver and attaching a wiring harness. But if I really had to tow, and I only owned a Transit Connect, I would consider renting a truck for the day.
  4. In my mind, I see using a Lazy Susan base. But good luck with your range of motion.
  5. Get a magnet and stick them on your fridge.
  6. Interesting. Everyone else has black fluid coming out. Your fluid stayed bright red.
  7. So now that this thread has gone way off topic...... OEM wheel specification is 16X6.5, 5X108 PCD, 63.4 mm Center Bore, 50 mm Offset, 5 ⁷⁄₃₂" Backspace OEM tire is 215/55R16 What are the specifications of the aftermarket wheel & tire combinations which you guys are using and have found to work without issue? No rubbing at full lock steering. No rubbing going over speed bumps and driveways? No rubbing when cornering?
  8. For anyone else in the future, who is looking this up, it looks like the entire set + key is available as a Ford Part. Worse case scenario is that you order the entire set from your dealership, just to get the key. Which of course, is "BS", since any competent dealership should have an OEM locking lug nut key already in it's service bay, and those techs should also have a locking lug nut removal tool set from Matca, Snap On, or whatever tool truck sells to them. Even more surprising that the service writer and/or tech could not walk over to the parts counter. I would imagine that every tire store, which installs wheels and tires, must have the proper tools for removing a locking lug nut without a key. Come On! This is a dealership. Not Gomer's shade tree garage. It's not like asking your cousin or brother in law, and getting the confused look and shrug of the shoulder. And just about any Guido could buy a set off Amazon or eBay. Absolutely no reason acceptable, why a dealership service bay does not have the correct tools to help you. If you can't find the key, don't have your own special tool, and your local dealership is so bass ackwards that they don't have an OEM wheel lock key......go to a tire shop. I would bet that even guys at corner gas stations have special purpose tools which would remove a locking lug nut.
  9. My ignorance. Americans are stupid. We don't know metric. I still fear that I will raise the wheel to the hub, and I can't get it in the hole. I should think that a little lube would glide it right in.
  10. I just don't want to be the guy who buys a wheel, and the center bore is just 1 mm off from fitting. I'm sure that a couple of taps with a dead blow hammer would encourage it into place. But it's better to start with the correct size.
  11. According to wheel-size.com, the 2nd generation OEM wheel is 63.4 mm. I see wheels for Ford Focus listed with CBD of 63.3 mm. Will that fit? Or is it just a bit outside? Is the OEM wheel hub centric, like most OEM application? Or lug centric, since OEM lug nuts are 60° conical seat?
  12. It's a free market online. In CA, Valvoline is not allowed to sell MaxLife ATF as "recommended for" Mercon V. In this case, caveat emptor prevails. The seller openly listed the item's DOT code.
  13. Probably because someone bought them for even less, and knows that someone will eventually buy it on eBay. I have seen crazier things on eBay sell for more money.
  14. Some cars have a "happy place" where everything is optimal. The car is moving just fast enough to get sufficient airflow and the fan doesn't turn on. Engine and transmission are at the best temperature, and you get the best mileage. The car seems to hold and cruise effortlessly. I think the Transit Connect does that around 50 mph, just as it shifts into overdrive. No more than 55. The RPM is right under 2,000. And even Highway Patrol officers will tell you to speed up or get off the freeway. There's a moving violation for "Impeding the Flow of Traffic".
  15. You could obsess over it with trying to decide on the perfect oil brand & formulation. Install a Fumoto valve, and then send in a sample for used oil analysis every 500 miles. Buy an $80 tool to cut open the $3 filter. Then definitively select the perfect oil, filter, and oil change interval based on hundreds of dollars worth of "science" and "research". I'm gritting my teeth. Conventional wisdom from decades past old technology. 3 months. 3,000 miles. They have brainwashed me. I am clawing my eyes out, as I await the oil change dash message. I've got 3 cases of filters and 100 quarts of oil stockpiled. Every day, I pick up my 15 mm socket, already attached to the ratchet handle, give it a few turns to hear the clicks, and feel the heft in my hand. Maybe I need to find a new girlfriend.
  16. Fifty150

    Newbie

    A Honda Grom would probably be perfect.
  17. Look at the other photos. That center console just sits between the seats, so you can't get to the parking brake. The passenger seat in the forward facing position makes it appear that it is impossible to turn and swivel 180 degrees. Who knows what the guy really did. But he did do a lot of work. Solar panel. A toilet. Microwave. It sure looks like a lot of effort, trying to do more with the van, than most other people. Even with the bungee cord to keep the microwave from sliding off the shelf, and his face next to the toilet when he lays down.........it's better than my van with a yoga mat and a sleeping bag. As I have get up to go pee a good distance away from the van. I want pee and poop at least 50 feet away, and buried.
  18. There are some problems with that photo. That is not a rear facing, swivel seat custom ordered from a dealership. Look at the center console. That armrest and cup holder combination came from some other car. It's actually sitting on the driver's seat. The OEM console has been removed and there are wires hanging out. The OEM seat belt is still on the B-Pillar, with no way whatsoever to buckle it across the passenger's body. The entire seat back obstructs the passenger side door mirror. I can only guess at what an airbag activation would do. You can form your own opinions. I think the guy unbolted the seat, flipped it around to face backwards, and bolted it back on. I can see that it's not functional or safe in any way. And if there is a swivel, it only has 1 inch to turn in either direction. No big deal if he has no passengers. Since the camping build out isn't safe for passengers to ride in either. As a solo camping van, it's probably great for 1 person. A lot of work went into that van. It looks like it's very cozy to live in.
  19. There are aftermarket seats and jump seats which have built in seat belts and headrest. A lot of options. But you will have to decide for yourself if it is safe. Your state's vehicle code may have something to say about it also. But as for function, they will all be functional once you have measured and factored in your available space.
  20. My strategy is to wait until the price goes down, or there is some sort of promotion with discounting. Surely, there must be some sort of holiday coupon coming up. Very difficult to find aftermarket wheels with exact, or close to OEM, specifications. I just don't want to buy wheels which are an inch or more wider in diameter, an inch or more wider, or with backspace & offset being another inch off.
  21. What do you guys think of these wheels? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/jnt-aly10010u20n/applications Jante Replacement Wheels ALY10010U20N Wheel Diameter 16 in. (16) Wheel Bolt Pattern (app) 5 x 108mm (8) 5 x 4 1/4 in. (8) Primary Wheel Color Silver (16) Offset +50.00mm (16) Year 2018 (14) 2017 (14) 2016 (12) 2015 (10) Wheel Width (in) 7.000 in. (16) Wheel Material Aluminum (16) Wheel Finish Gloss (16) Make FORD
  22. On what part of the vehicle, do you want to mount the spare?
  23. So just to recap..... M12 X 1.5 thread pitch 60 degree conical seat OEM lug nut should fit most aftermarket wheels which are lug centric and require a 60 degree conical seat. Don't let wheel & tire shops & installers sell you a new lug kit, as your OEM will work just fine with most aftermarket wheels.
×
×
  • Create New...