Our 2004 F-150 was recently evaluated by the one and only Mr. Truck. It was… entertaining.
Featured in our new series, “No Payment Needed – To Hell and Back,” this 2004 F-150 is now on “Mr. Truck Reviews.” Mr. Truck, (AKA Kent) is our sage of all things trucks. With decades of experience, Mr. Truck has driven ’em all. Not only do we drive the Ike Gauntlet with him often, but we also use his expertise with things like – is this truck the best or worst of its generation.
His perspective on our 2004 F-150 was kind of unexpected.
He knows A LOT about this 2004 Ford F-150. Staring with the hood design, and leading to the engine, which has a cast-iron intake, he schools us on its history. The 231 hp V8 was very popular among fans, as it was known to be very dependable. This engine went from cable to electronic throttle control. The 4.6-liter was offered in the Ford Crown Victoria, this setup was used by Taxi cabs, police cars, and more.
Mr. Truck points out that this truck was ahead of its time. It offered a fully boxed frame (most other automakers were offering C-channel frames). The 2004 F-150 also was one of the first to use outboard rear shocks. This setup offered greater cornering and overall stability. This setup also gave the F-150 excellent towing and payload numbers.
Ford also gave its F-150 three cab designs. The standard cab, as we have on our base-model XL, had tiny rear doors. These were handy for accessing items placed behind the driver’s seat – such as toolboxes.
This old Ford has over 214,000 miles, but it runs extremely well. Even back in the day, with the right configuration, you could tow up to 9,900 lbs and have an up to 3000 lbs payload. Those numbers are quite good, even by today’s standards.
Another (new, for the time) upgrade Ford gave its F-150 was rack and pinion steering. We all agree, this Ford handles extremely well, even with the 2 & 1/2-inch lift we gave it. It also has a big tire and wheel setup, which could destabilize a large truck.
All in all, Mr. Truck felt that our 2004 F-150 was ranked closer to the Dodge, than our Chevy Cheyenne. Interesting…
