Fifty150

Maybe now you will consider trading in for a new model. Then you will have to do all the mods all over again, and have a new toy to play with.

The oil life monitor algorithm goes against everything that I learned to believe in. It leaves me with a lot of questions. How can that computer possibly know what the true condition of my oil is, without any way of testing the oil? I get the technology. The computer is making an estimate, based upon my driving. But it has no real way of testing a sample of the oil actually in the engine. Yet, I'm learning to adjust. I keep telling myself not to prematurely change the oil. I remind myself that the system was engineered by people who know more than I do. I am now using synthetic oil, and a larger filter, hoping that just in case the algorithm is not precise, the synthetic oil will be in better condition than the synthetic blend which the algorithm is based on. You almost have to have blind faith. Almost like North Korean Juche. If the engineers at Ford say so, they can't possibly be wrong. You have to believe what they say. Only problem is that they were wrong with the Mustang II. And they were wrong with the Edsel. And they were wrong with the Pinto. And they were wrong with the Festiva. And they were wrong with stopping sales of the Ford Ranger. I still drive an F-150. Until the current generation, trucks were not designed for comfort. Trucks were meant to be affordable tools, for getting the job done. Even today's Jeeps are luxury vehicles in comparison to what Jeeps used to be. With all that luxury, the price has gone up on pickup trucks. At today's prices, you could buy a much nicer car for the same money. How is your mileage? Bet you're saving a fortune, maybe even enough to offset your new car payments.

Ground side switching is common in JDM vehicles. It used to be that "American" autos were switched on the positive side. This was also back in the day when "American" autos were not imported, and Honda & Toyota weren't produced in U.S.A. plants. Back when an "American" car was SAE and not metric.

In my area, there is an outlet of 4 Wheel Parts. The store manager once told me that since they were an arm of Transamerican Auto Parts, there is no advertised price that they can't match, for any auto part (car or truck). Especially tires. He laughed and joked about how tires are "on sale" every day, all year around. Tire pricing is a grey market. All tire pricing is based upon market fluctuations, consumer demand, and available inventory. There is no fixed price to any tire, that any seller or all sellers, will recognize. If you have a good relationship with your corner garage, and that guy has a good rep from the distributor, you could get a better deal. Or not. Sometimes the best prices are passed down from wholesaler, to distributor, to large volume seller like Costco or Sears Auto Center, just because they have too many in the warehouse and need to move them. Surely, nationwide chains are able to negotiate better pricing, corner the market in certain popular sizes and brands, then mark them all up to offer a mark down. Now enter Amazon. Are they even warehousing inventory with tires? Several times I ordered tires online, from various web stores, only to get a drop-off from a local distributor, with a parts runner in a pickup truck. Once, I even knew the guy driving the the truck. Apparently, a lot of online websites are just brokering your purchase. Amazon now sells tires, delivered to Sears Auto Center, who will perform the installation, then offer you the warranty on road hazards and perform your rotations.

A custom shop should be able to take your seat, strip it down to the frame, then rebuild it with cushion and upholstery to your liking.

I heard about tires from China, being dumped on the U.S.A. market at below market value pricing. Meaning that Chinese companies are flooding the market with low pricing in order to gain market share. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/09/chinese-truck-tires-are-no-bargain/index.htm Consumer Reports finds Chinese tire brands are no bargain Beware of low-price pitch when it comes to these tires Last updated: September 29, 2014 02:00 PM Find Ratings Tires With prices starting at just $89, less than half the cost of better-known models, tires from China may seem like an irresistible deal. That’s why, for the first time, Consumer Reports included a few Chinese brands in our latest tests: Geostar, Pegasus, and Sunny. These were included in the recently published the results of testing 20 all-weather and all-season tires for light-duty pickups and SUVs. A fourth brand, from Aeolus, was tested but not reported when we couldn’t find a ready supply of tires for consumers. This supply issue seems to be a problem when buying “off brand” tires, because you don’t know whether the tires will be around for any length of time should you need a replacement. Tires are a global commodity, and many of the major brand names that Consumer Reports tests are manufactured in China. But those tires are designed and manufactured to quality standards dictated by the original manufacturers. Chinese tire brands don’t have that oversight, and some may not have the marketing foresight to design products well-suited to the specific requirements of the U.S. consumer. While we can’t address specific tire build quality, our all-weather tests show that these tires simply don’t measure-up to most of the well-known brands. The tested tires from Geostar, Sunny, and Pegasus finished at the bottom of our ratings. (Update: American Pacific Industries (API) told us that the tested Pegasus tire was not produced or distributed by an authorized Pegasus vendor. See note below.) The Geostar GS716 was the most well-rounded of the three, offering excellent dry braking, very good handling, and average tread life. But wet stopping performance was just average, and snow traction and stopping on ice was only fair. At $114 in our 265/70R17 test size, the Geostar tire might appeal to a cost-conscious buyer. Better known brand-name tires average about $150. The cost savings is attractive, but we’d caution you to not gloss over the performance shortfalls, as the Geostar mustered only an 18th place finish out of 20 models tested. The cheaper Sunny SN3606 ($89) and the unauthorized Pegasus Advanta SUV ($95) came in a dismal 19th and 20th, respectively. These tires stop reasonably well on pavement and offer impressive hydroplaning resistance, but they have poor snow traction and just fair ability to stop on icy roads. Both models have a stiff and noisy ride, plus they wear quickly, too. Aside from the performance lows, if value is a high priority, consider that the Pegasus cost about half as much as a top-scoring tire, the Michelin LTX M/S2. But keep in mind that the Michelin will last almost three times longer. Factor in the cost of buying two additional sets of tires, plus mounting and balancing, and you could save hundreds of dollars, not to mention get a better all-weather performing tire, if you choose the Michelin. Certainly if you are on tight budget, and who isn’t nowadays, buying a cheap tire is better than riding on worn-out tires. But as our tests show, buying bargain-priced tires such as these Chinese models isn’t the right choice for the long haul. —Gene Petersen Update: Consumer Reports has removed its ratings for the Pegasus Advanta SUV tire originally reported on page 60 of our November issue and online. Although we purchased the tire through normal retail channels, Arizona-based American Pacific Industries (API) notified us that, based on the DOT tire identification code on our tires, the model tested was not produced or distributed by an authorized Pegasus vendor. The “unauthorized” Pegasus tires performed relatively poorly for snow traction and tread life. We have not tested “authorized” Pegasus tires.

At least this gimmick is safer than guys stacking wood blocks on their jacks.

Great until you need to remove a tire. No tire changes, tire rotations, suspension work, or even just to remove the tire so that you can pull back the wheel well to change a light bulb. http://myliftstand.com/

With the numerous allegations of amateur and professional athletes using anabolic steroids and/or blood doping to enhance performance, virtually no attention has been paid to the performance enhancing properties of Dihydrogen Monoxide. It is perhaps the sporting world's dirtiest of dirty little secrets that athletes regularly ingest large quantities of DHMO in an effort to gain a competitive edge over an opponent. One technique commonly used by endurance athletes in sports such as distance running and cycling is to take a large amount of DHMO immediately prior to a race. This is known within racing circles to dramatically improve performance. Sports-medicine physicians warn that ingesting too much Dihydrogen Monoxide can lead to complications and unwanted side-effects, but do acknowledge the link to improved performance. DHMO is not currently considered a banned substance, so post-race urine tests do not detect elevated or abnormal levels of DHMO. Dihydrogen monoxide: is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid rain. contributes to the Greenhouse Effect. may cause severe burns. contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape. accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals. may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes. has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients. Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used: as an industrial solvent and coolant. in nuclear power plants. in the production of styrofoam. as a fire retardant. in many forms of cruel animal research. in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical. as an additive in certain junk-foods and other food products. Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage. Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects. DHMO is a major component of acid rain. Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns. Contributes to soil erosion. Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals. Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits. Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes. Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions. Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks. Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S. Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.

Interesting that you wanted to do all of this work to a 2011. I would have chosen a current model just to have the long wheel base. The last time that I was at the dealership, I noticed that the commercial vans were stripped down in different configurations. Some versions even had all of the auto glass. For anyone else looking to build a camper, that may be an option. A long wheel base, with windows.

This is the one that I installed on my 2016. It fits perfectly. You should have no problem installing onto your 2017. https://www.weathertech.com/ford/2014/transit-connect/side-window-deflectors/ Click image to open expanded view WeatherTech WeatherTech 80751 Side Window Deflector 3.5 out of 5 stars 4 customer reviews Price: $68.55 & FREE Shipping Ford 2014 Transit Connect Side Window DeflectorsIn-Window Channel Rain Guards FORD TRANSIT CONNECT SHOWN Representative Photo Gallery + More Images Share Vehicle: 2014 Ford Transit Connect Edit Vehicle Part Number: 80751 Step 1 - Select your set Front Pair Step 2 - Select your tint Dark Light Step 3 - Select your Quantity- 1 + 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Purchase more than one and additional quantities ship for FREE Learn how to SAVE ON SHIPPING when you bundle $59.95

Which model year are you having this problem with?

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I think IKEA has one just like the one on Amazon. Click image to open expanded view Jeronic Jeronic 11 Inches Folding Stool for Adults and Kids, Green Kitchen Stools, Garden Stool, Holds Up To 200 LBS 4.2 out of 5 stars 139 customer reviews | 3 answered questions List Price: $16.99 Price: $12.89 | FREE One-Day | FREE One-Day You Save: $4.10 (24%)

Make sure that you know what your new maximum height will be. Don't want you to drive into a garage with low hanging pipes or low ceiling. My pickup is 7'. I can't go to the airport, because the maximum vertical clearance there is 6'8". Run into a sprinkler head, and not only will water be spraying everywhere, but your brand new custom roof and AC unit will be damaged.

Harbor Freight has a folding step that may work for you also. Double click on above image to view full picture Step Stool/Working Platform Haul-Master®- Item#62515 861 ReviewsWrite A Review Get better reach and solid support with this step stool Only: $29.99

There are 2 versions. One that simply sticks on. The better version fits into the window assembly's channel between the glass and the weather seal. The stick on version uses double sided adhesive. I have seen people replace the 3M adhesive with Gorilla adhesive. I reinforced my stick on vent visors with silicone.

Automobiles should come with a warning label. Cars kill more people than handguns.

Pricing and availability trumps performance aspects for a lot of buyers. Some people will spend whatever it cost to get "the best" tires for what they need. High speed. High traction. Mud. Snow. But a lot of people buy whatever they can get the best price on. Hankooks are not bad tires. They will not spontaneously split at the tread, blow at the sidewall, or any other catastrophic failure for no reason. Ford used Hankook as OEM, selling all cars and trucks with them installed on the assembly line, when the relationship with Firestone ended. Without a doubt, many other tires have better performance ratings. But those tires cost more. If you are not racing your Transit Connect, or off-roading your Transit Connect, you will not notice much of a difference driving around in the city and on highways.

In every modern vehicle, the most fuel efficient use is with windows up for full aerodynamics, and Air Conditioning off to conserve fuel. Now try driving at freeway speeds with all the windows open. You will hear an unbearable noise.

I stopped paying attention to warning labels back when they put a warning on cigarettes and Tab Cola. Studies on laboratory rats during the early 1970s linked high volumes of cyclamate and saccharin with the development of bladder cancer. As a result, the United States Congress mandated that further studies of saccharin be performed and required that all food containing saccharin bear a label warning that the sweetener had been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Despite this, Tab remained commercially successful, and was the best-selling diet soda in 1982.

Milk crates are surprisingly strong also.

You may need to see a custom upholstery shop. They will be able, if they wanted to, to build you a nice seat. I don't think anything exist in the aftermarket that is vehicle specific to your car.

I doubt if any aftermarket company will invest the money into research and development. Aside from the aesthetic appeal to you, very little function could be found. The main reasons for a lift would be ground clearance, and being able to install larger wheels and tires. Typically, a lift kit would also incorporate heavier suspension components, and bigger brakes. Now the problem is going to be engineering the Transit Connect's front wheel drive powertrain to work with all the aftermarket parts. Is the OEM transmission and steering going to be able to handle bigger wheels and tires? Are you thinking that you could build your Transit Connect into an off-road vehicle?