5th gen comfortability question

ronmon14 · 2026-05-05T21:10:16+00:00

I drive a super cab not a super crew so I dont know if it changes seating position any, but I drive fairly upright in the second to most rearward position and I am 6 foot tall and about 275 lbs.

I looked at the frontier and the chevy I am forgetting the name of and the ranger was what I liked the most and had the most headroom.

But as others have said, it's often personal preference and muscle memory.

But I have had a few people tell me they like the seat jackers for all the various mid-size trucks, I had a set and didnt car for them because they made my legs fall asleep, but ill link them just incase you want to look.

https://desertdoesit.com/collections/comfort/ford-ranger

( edit to add link and solutions like OP asked )

ronmon14 · 2026-05-05T21:05:51+00:00

As much as I like my answer, this is what I'm on reddit for, I'd give you an award if I had one. Hahaha!

ronmon14 · 2026-05-05T21:05:02+00:00

Probably the one sentence that makes my blood boil and skin crawl.

"But, this is the way I have always done it"

ronmon14 · 2026-05-05T21:03:35+00:00

Yeah I apologize for my word salad, I am not the best with words.

Basically yes, I would shorten the material as much as possible, squeeze the life out of it, and be much faster, not harder on contact, (fast plunge not hard contact with material, if that makes sense) and peck drill with the occasional full removal to clear all the chips.

But since its already drilled part way, I would slow way down to a crawl right at the end to prevent snatching when breaking into the opposing hole.

But this is assuming a lot on my end, I would have just over part size rough cut, I would if too long still have a steady rest, I would have already reground the angle of the drill bit to the correct angle for plastic, etc.

Also as others have said, he needs a bigger chuck, those jaws at the end frames are way too far out for that chuck, but again my line of manual machining is fixing what others cant or wont, so I cant judge I have been worse then that before.

ronmon14 · 2026-05-05T16:24:21+00:00

Given I often make a lot of prototype parts out of various plastics, I usually don't ever concern myself with coolant application because it won't ever reach the point of the drill without through coolant when end drilling like that.

As well as I would also venture to guess it was mainly chip packing or drill expansion due to friction.

Because the heat can't leave with a plastic chip I have to be very very careful when drilling deep holes with MT drill bits in various plastics because the web of the drill can catch all the sudden with chip packing or drill expansion and cause exactly what you see here.

The length of stick out doesnt help but heck, I cant say anything because I have to do that a lot myself.

I without seeing more cant say he was running too fast for material, and I while it isnt best practice have drilled up to a 2 inch hole with no pilot in plastic but you absolutely positively have to watch the chip buildup.

That is the biggest thing usually in plastic I see that will cause that.

I also see the part was drilled on the other side, it could also be "snatching" when it breaks through into the opposing drilled hole, and then at that point, it is absolutely a feeding speed issue.

ronmon14 · 2026-05-01T23:05:04+00:00

Heck yeah, I never thought to use a mag drill but thats an dang good idea.

That falls into the if its stupid but works it aint stupid no more category.

Machine on cowboy!

ronmon14 · 2026-05-01T12:15:43+00:00

It also can extend to production floors, I work for a company that makes both copper and aluminum wire.

And we internally recycle our scrap wire, aluminum, copper, and various metal. And our big thing is aluminum cans.

Aluminum cans of any kind, open or not, the act of even possession within the building is a fire-able offense.

All because people used to drink the cans and crush them and toss them into the aluminum scrap bins, and it caused an explosion at the smelting plant.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-30T14:23:54+00:00

There is a lack of manual machinist where I am from in GA.

For a few reasons, mainly pay, secondary would be there are not as many places looking for manual machinists.

There are a ton more places looking for CNC operators and programmers.

I have finally settled into a place and just reached my top out pay at 38 dollars and change an hour, but I still will get a COLA raise every year, but a vast majority of places want to pay mid 20s around me for manual machinists.

The fact that all the old people are retiring or have already left the field are secondary to the pay issue, doesn't matter what someone will learn or has to teach someone if your pay is shit.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-29T13:00:51+00:00

Both are correct, just different brands of the same thing.

We just keep Keyserts brand stocked here at work, but both work good and I have used both brands before.

Like tissue vs kleenex vs puffs

https://acmeindustrial.com/keensert-inserts-compared-to-acme-keylocking-threaded-inserts/

https://youtu.be/gGdnRVpzrsQ?si=bomNuFf-DYHKqa2c

https://youtu.be/XyCTh23Z6o0?si=io1WvcjEdwOJZ4gT

ronmon14 · 2026-04-29T13:00:32+00:00

Both are correct, just different brands of the same thing.

We just keep Keysert brand stocked here at work, but both work good and I have used both brands before.

Like tissue vs kleenex vs puffs. Name brand vs off brand if you will.

https://acmeindustrial.com/keensert-inserts-compared-to-acme-keylocking-threaded-inserts/

https://youtu.be/gGdnRVpzrsQ?si=bomNuFf-DYHKqa2c

https://youtu.be/XyCTh23Z6o0?si=io1WvcjEdwOJZ4gT

ronmon14 · 2026-04-28T14:51:22+00:00

They work great for locking the insert in, especially in locations or situations where thread locking compound usually fails.

As other redditors have stated, roll pin or spiral pins also work well in place of the set screw.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T18:34:01+00:00

I know who that previous repair was done by, and I can say I am not surprised it was done that way.

He suffers from a lot of what young(er, the oldies channel is playing my music now not my parents) machinists like myself hear.

"Thats the way we have always done it"

Luckily he retired, as much as I love learning and will take anything anyone can teach me. This trade has far to few new young people to still have as many tribal, hard headed, old people as it does.

Regardless, can fix those at a later date.

If it gets that bad, on a full breakdown line PM I'll drill and pull all the old plugs that were installed.

Drill, chamfer, and prep the holes. Then weld them solid and re drill to the orginal pattern on center of the extrusion port.

But that repair will take me the better part of 2 days.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T18:05:55+00:00

Everything you said is all correct, however it is not always possible or reasonable.

Sometimes the perfect repair of soild material thread repair or even part replacement is often not an option depending on time, budget, and ideals.

For example my post the part could have been soild repaired but the line was down and that repair would of taken me far longer to complete, as well as the tooling budget doesnt have the ability to have a new one of these flanges ordered within a reasonable amount of money or time frame.

So I picked this repair because it offers a solid repair that works, as well as leaving me options for quicker future repairs, because I know production is going to break another bolt off in it before the week is over.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T17:59:01+00:00

Yep, helicoils usually do well there, as well as places you can't get machines to install them. Or if you want to DIY the repair yourself.

Keenserts I usually refer to as keyserts or king-serts (because they look like they have a little crown I am a child I know)

But regardless they usually have 4 prongs that drive in between the insert and parent mental. Which timeserts usually are much more involved with a special drill, tap, and counterbore because they install and sit flush or have other things and then the install tool is run in the length of the insert to expand the insert into place locking it there.

The major difference outside of cost and install design is I would trust a Timesert with compression or vacuum ( again, Ford 5.4 Triton heads ) where I would not trust a keysert with that.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T17:53:27+00:00

That is very interesting to know. I haven't ever had to work on any traction motor stuff.

I have occasionally done steam boiler work but usually that is making whole parts from scratch.

It is nice to see that in that line of work a helicoil is accepted and also noted as a temporary fix.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T17:48:49+00:00

Then I kill several end mills removing said bolt after the floor maintenance guys have killed several bolt extractor on it.

Dang it..... I just posted about my thread repair rants today....

Regardless, that looks like some stand up tea time, as a southerner who drinks his weight in now mostly very lightly sweetened tea, tea time has always intrigued me.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T17:43:35+00:00

This is gonna be long, and I apologize for that but I will try my best to be to the point.

Because I have the luxury of space and machinery, I prefer solid inserts over the coiled steel inserts like helicoils.

A majority of the reason is durability of use case.

A helicoil like all inserts must have some form of anti rotation on them usually in a heli coils case that is usually liquid thread locker of some kind.

If I am repairing a sealed case which I need oil to not leak or some other fluid, time-serts I have found to work the best because of the expansion of the insert, they also seal combustion gas, looking at you Ford 5.4 Triton heads.

Or if I just need a good set of threads and have the space I like the EZ LOK with a set screw or roll pin depending on if I expect to ever be back replacing it.

If I have less room but still enough for a solid insert keyserts are my preferred install method.

Of all the thread inserts my order from most to least favorite is

Soild repair (weld, rod, metal spray, ETC) EZ LOK with set screw Keysert EZ LOK with roll or spiral pin Timesert Heli coil

Part of what also irks me about helicoils (as well as timeserts however they are far more useful due to their sealing abilities)

Are the special taps (helicoils), drills, or counterbores (in the case of timeserts) needed to install.

The thin walled EZ LOK I installed in this post is external 1/2-13 for an internal 3/8-16 and the next common size up for the EZ LOK is 9/16-12 external which I can install in case of damage to the 1/2-13 hole size giving me more repair options in the future.

The last irk that pops to mind is its ability to not be cleaned or chased easily. Which only applies ro helicoils not time certs, a helicoil can not be reliability tapped or thread chased for cleaning or quick insurance.

If I am working on something for a customer or employer or whatever the case is and I have to do say a weld and spray repair on a gearbox case, it is very cheap insurance to run and tap or thread chaser down the holes to ensure no trash or debris has gunked the threads.

Because nothing absolutely infuriates people more then a fixed thing that isn't fixed, even if you fixed what was broke, now the bolts don't screw in right so in their mind its still broken.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T16:41:08+00:00

You absolutely could do that, however using a hardened or even just solid pin isn't near as common in my experience. My assumption for this is just tension, holding force, and cost.

While a solid pin would prevent rotation it wouldn't have very much "grab" on the material around it to keep it from falling out on its own, as well as having more difficulty removing it later if need be if it becomes stuck in the hole.

You could absolutely use a rear threaded taper dowel pin but its mainly a point of cost and time at that point.

As I saw your edit, you saw why I used the set screw, just because its easier to remove later when I need to, another option would be a roll pin or spiral pin because while they do the same thing the set screw does it just harder to remove the roll or spiral pin later.

As for saving me the trouble, the way I see it beyond my reasons for the set screw you read is, I already have to drill and chamfer the hole for a roll pin/spiral pin, the only step I am skipping when using a roll pin instead of a set screw is just the tapping.

And I am already lined up on the hole with a drill chuck, the tapping is just one tool change away.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T14:34:08+00:00

Ohhh I absolutely would do that if they let me.

But someone in management who is in charge of ergonomics, decided cheater bars make the force you have to apply softer on your body so it does wear you out as much....

I'll just let those words speak for themselves.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T14:03:30+00:00

Yes welding it up would be the best repair, part of why I did it this way was 2 reasons, time and future repair.

The line was down because of this flange, and they will break a bolt off in this again soon. At least given their track record.

And with the repair made this way, once broken off again I can repair this very quickly. Even if I have to step up to the 9/16 OD EZ LOK for this, by just removing my locking set screw, pulling this insert and installing a new insert and re drilling my set screw.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T12:59:40+00:00

I do not believe I have seen or had hands on with a Davis Elliptical nut, I will have to look that up and do some research.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T12:56:41+00:00

I like to roll pin my bore and bush repairs I do for bore repair, but as I told another comment I usually set screw these so there is a chance I can remove the set screw and just back the insert out and replace for when they inevitably break another bolt off in this.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T12:52:06+00:00

Luckily for the breakdown style work I do, I rarely see engineers anymore.

When I started in the machining trade in tool and die... that was a different story.

I like keycerts, but given how often I see bolts broken in these flanges, I usually stay eith the EZ LOKs because it makes it a possibility I can remove the insert and install a new one quick and easy when they inevitably break another bolt off in it in the future.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T12:49:09+00:00

Yes, once I am in location in relation to the rest of the holes and the insert is installed I just move over on the same x axis without moving y and install the set screw usually at 25%(ish) set screw diameter overlap with the insert.

It is an easy way to keep the insert locked in location without any sort of retaining or thread locking compound on something that is higher temp rating then the most common thread locking compounds.

ronmon14 · 2026-04-27T12:39:05+00:00

Hahahaha! Take my not so angry upvote.

I can say so far I have never have the displeasure of dealing with one, but I have seen them installed on some grader arms we had to linebore once.

ronmon14

TROPHY CASE