J braces back in stock

[jazpdx]

I'm just a little dumb struck on this. So you put a ladder rack on a truck, you are required to have this brace so the bed doesn't come apart. Come on Ford this is a truck! What next. What a querky little truck.

Sponsored

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Mine arrived at the dealer today. My trucks at the body shop having the paint fixed currently though.

 

[drenttub]

I've had my Ranger for less than a month and when I took it to the local Leer/SnugTop dealer I've done business with before he would not install the shell without the braces being installed by an authorized Ford dealer. The Ford dealer I got my truck from didn't have a clue until I told them. That may be coordinated BS. It's a shame as this is the first Ford I've purchase since 1987. My last two trucks were Tacomas and this was never an issue.

I got the email yesterday at 9:45 that the parts were available and provided a link however, no 15% discount and the link didn't work.

After a couple of hours I decided to try the Ford accessory site and found the part and ordered it and got an order confirmation at 3:55. I was overjoyed!!

At 4:55 I got the email that said it was back ordered. In this day of computers and all you'd think they would have known it wasn't available before they took my money.

I called the customer service number provided this morning on the backorder email and she didn't showed that the order was delayed or canceled. She did discuss the issue and I sent the backorder email to her to send up to another department that will handle it. She said it should take seven to ten days. I told her I paid for express shipping (1-3 days) and this was not acceptable. She said she would do what she could to expedite it.

Add to all this I reached out to Galpin Ford thinking a big dealer may have stocked some and that was a "no." They also want to charge four hours labor to install which will bring an additional bill of $1,000. Everyone I have discussed this with knows I think Ford should do a recall and do this for free. Especially with the Raptor as I believe they will go off road.

If you got this far in my rant thanks. If you have any information to share I would appreciate it as I"m sure others will too.

 

[MAV]

I guess my question about the potential of damage without installing the J-braces is how would the 95% of Ranger owners who are NOT members of this forum even know this was an issue? If I just hop down to my local Ford dealer and buy a 2024 Ranger from the lot, load it up with a cross-bed toolbox, camper shell, or whatever other accessories I might want and then two weeks later I notice the bed has cracked, how can I be held responsible for that? To my knowledge, Ford dealers aren't telling their customers about this issue, nor has for issued any formal notification process like they do for recalls.

So if my bed does have damage due to me using my truck like a...well, like a truck, then is Ford really going to tell me to go pound sand?

 

[SubaruRaptor]

I guess my question about the potential of damage without installing the J-braces is how would the 95% of Ranger owners who are NOT members of this forum even know this was an issue? If I just hop down to my local Ford dealer and buy a 2024 Ranger from the lot, load it up with a cross-bed toolbox, camper shell, or whatever other accessories I might want and then two weeks later I notice the bed has cracked, how can I be held responsible for that? To my knowledge, Ford dealers aren't telling their customers about this issue, nor has for issued any formal notification process like they do for recalls.

So if my bed does have damage due to me using my truck like a...well, like a truck, then is Ford really going to tell me to go pound sand?

Ford requires the j braces if you select their camper option now. Rumor is they are being installed from the factory for the 25s. Its not exactly the dealers telling folks, its just they simply dont know. Most dealers dont get a ton of rangers. There are 2800 dealerships or so, They have made some where around 50k rangers total so far. That averages out to 18 trucks per dealer in an entire year. Compared to f150 and mav throughput, im not surprised they dont know.

Also, no one has reported damage to their bed from not having the braces. There was 1 post on here but that poster ghosted so no one knows the full story. TFL had a GoFast camper on their without them and they off roaded it and slept in it, and its been fine. The wording around the J-braces is for Extreme Off-Roading (yes there is some mixed wording from Ford depending on what paper you are looking at as well).

I honestly believe most trucks will be fine without them, but obviously Ford does know some specific scenario where the bed can get damaged without them. The issue currently is, if someones truck does break without them is Ford gonna deny a warranty claim with out them.

 

[Bmadda]

I just think that for the nominal cost, compared to what I paid for this vehicle, it is a no-brainer. I do agree with some who say this should be a "freecall" but to me it's cheap insurance, and I just don't want the dealership hassle/runaround/bs. I don't have any current plans to add a topper/camper etc, but you never know when a good deal on one will pop up. This way I will be ready!

 

[EcoRanger]

I've had my Ranger for less than a month and when I took it to the local Leer/SnugTop dealer I've done business with before he would not install the shell without the braces being installed by an authorized Ford dealer.

My 2019 Ranger didn't require an extra brace for a topper but the 2024s do that's unacceptable.
Ford decided to save a couple of bucks during production so they can sell you the braces for $169. Ford just keeps piling on the reasons to quit buying their increasingly bad vehicles.

 

[drenttub]

Ford requires the j braces if you select their camper option now. Rumor is they are being installed from the factory for the 25s. Its not exactly the dealers telling folks, its just they simply dont know. Most dealers dont get a ton of rangers. There are 2800 dealerships or so, They have made some where around 50k rangers total so far. That averages out to 18 trucks per dealer in an entire year. Compared to f150 and mav throughput, im not surprised they dont know.

Also, no one has reported damage to their bed from not having the braces. There was 1 post on here but that poster ghosted so no one knows the full story. TFL had a GoFast camper on their without them and they off roaded it and slept in it, and its been fine. The wording around the J-braces is for Extreme Off-Roading (yes there is some mixed wording from Ford depending on what paper you are looking at as well).

I honestly believe most trucks will be fine without them, but obviously Ford does know some specific scenario where the bed can get damaged without them. The issue currently is, if someones truck does break without them is Ford gonna deny a warranty claim with out them.

I was told by two Leer/Snugtop dealers and Galpin Ford accessory department that they will not install a camper shell unless I can bring them paperwork from Ford that it was done.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

I was told by two Leer/Snugtop dealers and Galpin Ford accessory department that they will not install a camper shell unless I can bring them paperwork from Ford that it was done.

Because they don't want the liability.

 

[jeffers]

My 2019 Ranger didn't require an extra brace for a topper but the 2024s do that's unacceptable.
Ford decided to save a couple of bucks during production so they can sell you the braces for $169. Ford just keeps piling on the reasons to quit buying their increasingly bad vehicles.

I was a mechanic, aviation and cars, worked on a lot of other things, there aren't any perfect machines. They all have flaws built in during the engineering process. The question is how many flaws and how bad are they.

 

[EcoRanger]

I was a mechanic, aviation and cars, worked on a lot of other things, there aren't any perfect machines. They all have flaws built in during the engineering process. The question is how many flaws and how bad are they.

Some flaws are engineered in to save money on production costs.

 

[OddEntity]

I was told by two Leer/Snugtop dealers and Galpin Ford accessory department that they will not install a camper shell unless I can bring them paperwork from Ford that it was done.

Yep same here, but my Leer dealer offered to do the j brace install if I supply the parts. Leer topper is now on order, and I got the j brace from Australia a couple of weeks back.
I'm ready for this stupidity to be behind me!

 

[greaserman]

I have a gelling the j braces are hard to get because ford never thought the demand would be so high. As previously mentioned, these are for extreme cases. My ranger will probably never see more then a dirt road, just like 95% of them out there.

We are feeding off each other fears without any real evidence we really need these.

 

[DirtDad]

Got an email it was back in stock, ordered 10/3/24, same day got an email its back ordered. I have owned 12 pick up trucks in my life. I have never worried about the integrity of the bed. I have stood on top of the rails and shoveled gravel. I have never given a 2nd thought as to wether I could put on a camper shell. Its a truck, rough use is to be expected. Ford has bragged about "Ford Tough". Guess not any more.

 

[jazpdx]

I agree with the last guy. Are these necessary. It’s a truck for Gods sake. Break the bed, it’s unheard of.

Sponsored