What the ____ Ford! Load box reinforcement kit no longer available!

[Epsilon Phui]

Yes. I guess their volume is large enough to earn priority. It took about 2 weeks wait, then it was shipped.

An additional note. On a separate thread, it was pointed out that the technical bulletin from Ford about the issue only called out the trucks made in Michigan. So if you have one made in Kentucky, you may not need it. I recommend crawling under and checking to be sure based on pictures on yet another thread that shows "build 1" vs "build 2".

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[John E Davies]

Any reputable body shop will install the kit for less than 2 hours labor, and they should also warranty the labor for any future problems. My nearest Ford dealer told me they always send the truck to a subcontractor for body work. I got my OEM kit quickly from Australia and had it installed by my favorite body shop in no time. The labor cost was about $120.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[mtremmel]

That's fine. You got a brace and a good price on installing it but why are we paying for Fords mistake. This whole issue really bothers me . What happened to Built Ford Tough.

 

[jrRaptor]

Any reputable body shop will install the kit for less than 2 hours labor, and they should also warranty the labor for any future problems. My nearest Ford dealer told me they always send the truck to a subcontractor for body work. I got my OEM kit quickly from Australia and had it installed by my favorite body shop in no time. The labor cost was about $120.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Plus, I would trust a body shop over the dealership. When I took mine in for my AC issue, I inquired about them installing my J-braces, which I had already ordered with my Fordpass points. They said they would have their body shop do the work. They also said they might be able to get them installed on warranty, was up to the manager. I never went through with it because I trust myself to do a better job and not screw anything else up in the process. Plus it's always a major inconvenience to part with the truck and trying to get a loner or rely on dealership driver.

Point is this whole fiasco is very much YMMV. Might be an inconvenience (trust me, I know all about that) but try the next dealership over.

 

[Oreo_Five8]

Ford reps no longer follow this site regularly. They posted and stated that.

As to the Ford J Brace availability, I made an appointment for this Thursday with the local dealer to have the kit installed. When they called to confirm and stated that Ford would not cover the cost, they told me that the total cost would be $910! … I cancelled the appointment, then went to the dealer and bought the kit (saved $20 by showing an online discounted price). For the $750 dealer labor cost, I’ll install it myself.

So my suggestion would be to ask the dealer if they have the kit.

Can you post the part number for the kit?

 

[bossy]

I had it done under warranty, simply be bringing in the customer campaign number. My dealership (Ford of Bellevue) took care of entirely, even tought I did not buy the truck from them. They sourced the braces and installed. Could not be happier..

 

[Jason B]

Can you post the part number for the kit?

For Ranger Raptor, it's VN1WZ-2627726-B. $140 at Levittown Ford.
You can try code SAVE50SHIP to save 50% on shipping.

Check your build date, you may not need it.
PLEASE NOTE: This kit is NOT required for trucks with a build date of 9/13/2024 or later.

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