1998 FORD F250 Owners Manual

²Use D (Drive) or a lower gear
when towing up or down steep
hills. This will eliminate
excessive downshifting and
upshifting for optimum fuel
economy and transmission
cooling.
²Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
Servicing after towing
If you tow a trailer for long
distances, your vehicle will require
more frequent service intervals.
Refer to the Severe Duty Schedule
in your ªService Guideº for more
information.
Trailer towing tips
²Practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area before
starting on a trip to get the feel
of the vehicle trailer
combination. When turning,
make wider turns so the trailer
wheels will clear curbs and
other obstacles.
²Allow more distance for
stopping with a trailer attached.
²The trailer tongue weight should
be 10±15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
²After you have traveled 80 km
(50 miles), thoroughly check
your hitch, electrical
connections and trailer wheel
lug nuts.
²When stopped in traffic for long
periods of time in hot weather,
place the gearshift in P (Park)
Driving
121
ProCarManuals.com

(automatic transmissions) or 1
(First) (manual transmissions)
and increase idle speed. This
aids engine cooling and air
conditioner efficiency.
²Vehicles with trailers should not
be parked on a grade. If you
must park on a grade, place
wheel chocks under the trailer's
wheels.
Launching or retrieving a boat
When backing down a ramp during
boat launching or retrieval,
²Do not allow the static water
level to rise above the bottom
edge of the rear bumper and
²Do not allow waves to break
higher than 15 cm (six inches)
above the bottom edge of the
rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow
water to enter critical vehicle
components, adversely affecting
driveability, emissions and
reliability.
If the rear axle is submerged in
water, the rear axle lubricant
should be checked and changed, if
necessary. The rear axle is filled
with a synthetic lubricant and does
not normally require a lubricant
change for the life of the vehicle.
Rear axle lubricant quantities
should not need to be checked
unless a leak is suspected.
Driving
122
ProCarManuals.com

Recreational towing (all wheels
on the ground)
Follow these guidelines for your
specific powertrain combination to
tow your vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground (such as
behind a recreational vehicle).
These guidelines are designed to
ensure that your transmission is
not damaged due to insufficient
lubrication.
2WD (manual and automatic
transmissions)
1. Place transmission in N
(Neutral).
2. Maximum speed is 56 km/h
(35 mph).
3. Maximum distance is 80 km
(50 miles).
If a distance of 80 km (50 miles)
or a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph)
must be exceeded, you must
disconnect the rear driveshaft.
With the rear driveshaft
disconnected, the maximum speed
is 88 km/h (55 mph) and there are
no mileage restrictions.
See your dealer for help with
disconnecting the driveshaft.
4WD ± Lever operated transfer
case (manual and automatic
transmissions)
1. Place transmission in P (Park).
2. Shift the transfer case to N
(Neutral).
Driving
123
ProCarManuals.com

3. Lockout the center disconnect
by capping off one of the front
axle vacuum motor lines. See your
Ford dealer for assistance.
4. Vehicle speed should not exceed
88 km/h (55 mph) and there are
no mileage restrictions.
4WD ± Electronic shift transfer
case
1. Place transmission in N
(Neutral).
2. Shift the transfer case to 2H
(2WD high).
3. Lockout the center disconnect
by capping off one of the front
axle vacuum motor lines. See your
dealer for assistance.
4. Maximum speed is 56 km/h
(35 mph).
5. Maximum distance is 80 km
(50 miles).
If a distance of 80 km (50 miles)
or a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph)
must be exceeded, you must
disconnect the rear driveshaft.
With the rear driveshaft
disconnected, the maximum speed
is 88 km/h (55 mph) and there are
no mileage restrictions.
See your dealer for help with
disconnecting the driveshaft.
SNOWPLOWING
Ford recommends the following
specifications for low speed,
personal use snow removal:
Driving
124
ProCarManuals.com

²F-150/F±250 4WD Regular Cab
long wheelbase
²4.6L or 5.4L engine
²Heavy duty service package
²Super engine cooling
²Heavy duty front suspension
package
²Automatic transmission with
auxiliary automatic transmission
fluid cooling
²All-terrain tires
Do not install a snowplow and
plow with your vehicle until it has
been driven at least 800 km (500
miles).
Installing snowplow
Read the following instructions
before installing a snowplow:
²Front GAWR must not exceed
63% of the GVW. Add ballast
weight to the back of the
vehicle, if necessary. Refer to
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label to find Front
GAWR.
²The Front Axle Accessory
Reserve Capacity and the Total
Accessory Reserve Capacity
listed on the bottom right of the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label will determine whether or
not the addition of a snowplow
will overload your vehicle.
²The weight of the snowplow and
supporting components
distributed to the front axle
Driving
125
ProCarManuals.com

must not exceed the front
accessory reserve capacity.
²The total weight of the
snowplow and aftermarket
equipment must not exceed the
Total Accessory Reserve
Capacity.
²The weight of the installed
snowplow and aftermarket
equipment must not load the
vehicle beyond the GAWR
(front/rear) and GVWR listed on
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label.
²The total weight of the
snowplow and aftermarket
equipment must be considered
part of the payload and must
not exceed the Gross Combined
Weight Rating (GCWR) for
towing.
²Federal and most local
regulations require additional
exterior lamps for
snowplow-equipped vehicles.
Consult your dealer for
additional information.
²After installing a snowplow to
the vehicle, ensure the vehicle's
front toe alignment and front
ride height are within
specification (reset if required).
These specifications are located
in the vehicle's Workshop
Manual. Adherence to the toe,
tire pressures and ride height
specification is important for
proper tire wear, ride, handling
and headlight aim. Also,
Driving
126
ProCarManuals.com

maintain the engine oil and
transmission fluid change
intervals.
Do not exceed the GVWR
or the GAWR specified on
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label.
Removing snowplow
Read the following instructions
before removing a snowplow:
²After removing a snowplow from
the vehicle, ensure the vehicle's
front toe alignment and front
ride height are within
specification (reset if required).
These specifications are located
in the vehicle's Workshop
Manual. Adherence to the toe
and ride height specification is
important for proper tire wear,
ride, handling and headlight aim.
Snowplowing with your air bag
equipped vehicle
Your vehicle is equipped with
driver and passenger air bags. The
air bags are designed to deploy in
a collision with a solid barrier at a
range of 13 to 23 km/h (8 to 14
mph) or a parked car at a range of
25 to 45 km/h (16 to 28 mph).
Careless or high speed driving
while plowing snow which results
in vehicle decelerations equivalent
Driving
127
ProCarManuals.com

to or greater than the air bag
deployment impact speeds listed
above can deploy the air bag. Such
driving also increases the risk of
accidents.
All occupants of the
vehicle, including the
driver, should always wear their
safety belts.
Never remove or defeat the
ªtripping mechanismsº designed
into the snow removal equipment
by its manufacturer. Doing so may
cause damage to the vehicle and
the snow removal equipment as
well as possible air bag
deployment.
Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint
System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Engine temperature while
plowing
When driving with a plow, your
engine may run at a higher
temperature than normal because
the attached snowplow blade will
restrict airflow to the radiator.
If you are driving more than 24 km
(15 miles) at temperatures above
freezing, angle the plow bladeH
C
Driving
128
ProCarManuals.com