More cost cutting, or just stupid design? (Bed Drainage idiocy)

[NOVA_Ranger]

Hmmm...I wouldn't look twice at 10x more ice there. Probably mumble something like, "It will fly off" as I hop in and hit the road. Pro tip, don't sweat the small stuff.

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[Gsxrdoug]

What is that clear stuff on your drive-line?, and how could it add more?
Just kidding, love messing with people that have awesome weather.

 

[Rp930]

Oh the humanity.

 

[KJRR]

Oh hell, now before I go anywhere in the Ranger, I'm going to have to sniff the oil to see if there is fuel in it, see if it's level or left leaning, and crawl underneath in the snow to see if there is ice on the driveshaft.
I'm trading it in for a bicycle. Much less to worry about.

Seriously though, looks like the water may have been coming down from between the bed and the cab as I see drips around there. Pretty sure the bed drains on the edges as I've seen water coming from there when I've washed out the bed. My truck sits outside and has been through plenty of thaw/freeze cycles and haven't seen ice on the driveshaft. Have seen it other areas underneath going to the ground though.

 

[got3fords]

So he's not worried that there is actually ice on the driveshaft, just that Ford should have done a better job to prevent it. Huh? I am not worried a snow storm is coming, just that the weatherman should have done a better job to prevent it.
If there is actual data to support this as a problem, I may change my mind.

 

[Sailor]

It's winter shit happens......and them when I was four lol

 

[Cabose-1]

Ever have mud go in the inside if the tire after being offroad? Then drive down the highway!!??

Thats a bad vibration!!

 

[erty176]

Your giving me good vibrations... Duh duh duh good vibrations... Sorry couldn't help it. But yeah all vehicles are a compromise in some form or fashion. If everyone got exactly what they need/asked for everyone would be an auto engineer with a shed. It's likely that it drains there because it avoids a lot of body areas which are thinner and can rust quicker whereas the middle of a vehicle is generally pretty safe and made of heavier duty stuff. Plus look at this way, when it rains instead of ices, it cleans your driveshaft as you go.

 

[Apples]

Wow! Another solution, waiting for a problem. Reminds me of the tailgate damper solution!

 

[Grumpaw]

It's an alien plot to overthrow the world...
First ice on the drive shaft...
Next sun on the exterior, then rain, then dust, then it sits outside at night...
We will all lose needed sleep, lying awake at night wondering if we will wake to find ice has accumulated on our drive shafts. Lack of sleep leads to low productivity, and will thus lead to the down fall of the world as we know it...
All to put you into a fit of frenzy, not noticing that aliens are secretly taking over...one segment of the population at a time...
First to go were the Ford engineers....and now look what has happened !!!
Next they will start to secretly change the front grill opening, a bit at a time, to look like a Toyota...
OMG !!!!!

 

[Deleted member 1634]

What makes you think they didn't consider it? Maybe they did consider it, worked out what would happen to that ice once the driveshaft started moving, and concluded it was not a concern.

I'm no Ford engineer, so I can't say what they did or did not consider. However, I have considered the fact that there's quite a number Rangers that are now routinely parked outdoors in freeze/thaw climates, and I've not yet seen one report of damage to the driveshaft itself or any items in the vicinity.

THIS!!^^^

Every feature has a purpose and has been considered. Just because the layman can't think of it doesn't mean there isn't one. Just because the layman thinks it's stupid, doesn't mean it actually is in the grand scheme of things. Everything is a compromise.
Ford is a multi-billion dollar company with tens of thousands of engineers working day and night, and you (OP) think they didn't think of where the water would drain from the bed?! You (OP) really think this was just an accident and something that was overlooked? You (OP) yourself have stated how important the driveshaft is, so I wouldn't be surprised that there was a whole team of engineers dedicated solely to ensuring there was no interference to its safe function.

There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

 

[Grumpaw]

The engineer who supervised the Ford bed drainage so ice would form on the driveshaft...
This was his previous project.....

 

[got3fords]

https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/threads/ice-formation-around-drive-shaft.33175/

 

[Megawatt]

Engineers and designers will want any bed drainage to go to the center of the truck. Just happens to be where the drive shaft is. A reason is because they don’t want what’s in the bed to drain near or under the tires where it could affect the traction. Water is not that great a acp converts but what if you had fuel or petroleum product that spilled in the bed? You don’t want it to drain anywhere near the tires.

Otherwise the thread would read “More cost cutting, or just stupid design? (Bed Drainage idiocy) caused me to crash due to loss of traction.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Yeah... a lot behind the scenes... like improper programming of robots that place and weld body panels incorrectly. Or, the assembly worker that wadded up his candy wrapper and stuffed it into my part bracket... or, the assembly worker that passed my front wheel alignment with crash bar interference... yeah, mass production technique is good for Ford but why do most other manufacturers get it right? Many of the issues that many of us have had to accept with our ~$50k trucks are not present when the same vehicles are manufactured in Asia. The perception of quality is in the eye of the beholder. I think Michigan puts out a crappy product to the NA market because they think they can get away with it. I love the design of my truck but Ford has allowed sub par assembly in their Michigan plant. Then they blame their failures on "mass production". I strongly disagree! Mass production technique is used in the Asian plants. Why is their process so superior?

Yeah... a lot behind the scenes... general disrespect for this NA market customer, Ford investor demand and greed, unionized workers that feel entitled... a lack of effective QA... NA customers that accept poor treatment while paying premiums that aren't commensurate with a quality product. Don't even get me started on the warranty process... Wow! ?

UAW is the answer you seek.

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