mrtn

Plenty of roof rack talk here. Use search and knock yourself out. Here's just one thread:

Mercon LV is supposedly fully synthetic. https://www.cartechbooks.com/techtips/autotransfluid

Excellent post, thanks. So the weird semi-rigid rear axle of the new shape Connect has all the characteristics of a live axle and none of the IRS? It feels at least a bit better than the previous generation with its leaf springs. I never push my cars to the limits so I never visit the performance limits. The new Connect is actually based on S-Max, IIRC, which is (was) a sporty minivan, bigger than the Focus. Even tho it still shares a big part with it as it’s normal from the production stand point, share as much between models as possible, to the point where some parts in larger vehicles fail prematurely due to underdimensioning (wheel bearings are the most apparent). There is one truck with IRS AFAIK - the Honda Ridgeline which always got crap from the real truck guys due to the missing frame and live axle.

Second facelift radio and tail lights to Europe (N/A in the US):

Correct, it was only introduced in the US with the second facelift (including the surprised looking front bumper and the new dashboard) in 2010. Europe also saw new tail light and radio design while they threw the overstocked old ones at the US. A different radio was installed in the US model mid cycle (probably the same one overstocked in the US), the European head unit followed the second facelift oval design language. The original: Original dashboard (2002-2009) First facelift radio, included in the original run (second facelift) in the US: The first facelift with a smoother bumper and the grille design used in Fords back then:

These are the original hub caps the Transit Connect came with. Only the second facelift (2010 onwards) introduced the generic looking full cover hubcaps. And yes, they fasten to the lug nuts.

No, the ones like in the picture in my previous post.

Apart from maybe the original hubcaps, which are great. Too bad I lost mine.

The temporary table is a really neat idea.

Or Aerostar:

I obviously meant just slapping different size tires on the car and expect to get away with it.

Oh, you can’t do that on a modern car And no worries, I don’t suffer from a vehicular tribalism.

You mean when turning? No, it ignores the reading when the steering wheel is out of center.

Counting rotations from ABS sensor ring and if one wheel is consistently rotating at its own rate you have a flat tire.

I love generic 5-spokes. Had these once:

I mounted winter tires on mine. Some people enjoy the steelies and you'll get decent money for them if they're in great condition.

Should be possible as European TC van models (Tourneo Connect) are equipped with rear discs.

I have no knowledge on TPMS, I managed to get the last one without it. None of my cars have it, the rest have the ABS sensor based tire pressure monitoring system.

14 mm is not that much of a stress even tho the recommendation you're talking about is probably mine. It may rub a bit in full lock as it's more towards inside of the wheel well plus the few mm of added width so it's close to 20 mm closed to the inside of the wheel well.

This is pretty close to what it would be, I guess: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/tweel-airless-tire.htm

Depends on the type and tread pattern. Studded tires are harder and the studs are ticking hard. Studless tires with arctic compound are soft, mushy and quiet. Studless for general moderate climate use (most of snow belt) have medium soft compound and are relatively quiet due to high tech geometric tread patterns.

I had the cargo van with the heaviest payload (825 kg). There was an extra leaf in the back but I didn’t really experience any extreme stiffness.

Took a while, didn’t it :D I use this site: http://www.wheelfitment.eu/ Good database with cross references.

My first set of snow tires were used Nokias (without the "n" in the end as they were not marketed in English speaking regions back then) I got from Finland in 1990 (had family there back then). Most of the studs were gone and there were about 3 mm of tread left. They were much better than summer tires but not too good on ice. This tread pattern:

Did you consider the four door Wrangler?