- First Name
- Rob
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2020
- Threads
- 7
- Messages
- 247
- Reaction score
- 532
- Location
- Santa Clara, California
- Vehicle(s)
- 2012 Subaru STi hatch, CG 2022 Badlands Sas
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
Back in March 2024, I purchased the Ford Performance Severe Duty Steering Rack.
Since I already had the Ford ProCal (Pro-Tune) device, I figured I'd save a few bucks and use it to program the rack.
A couple of friends went with pre-programmed racks from BroncBuster, and their installs were completely plug-and-play. No issues at all. Meanwhile, as I researched doing mine, I kept seeing post after post about programming problems. That was enough to make me hesitate… for a long time. The box ended up sitting in my bedroom for over two years.
Dealerships didn’t want to touch it. Even a local Ford Performance shop declined the job.
Then came Pop's Tire Shop in Fremont, CA.
Lo (the owner) is a friend and part of our Bay Area Bronco community. His shop mainly does tires, wheels, and alignments, and he always takes care of us—especially after trail runs. He’s got both an alignment rack and a full automotive lift.
We had talked about installing “the rack” before, but I wasn’t confident. On a recent visit for an alignment, we brought it up again. This time, Lo said he had successfully installed and programmed his own severe duty rack and felt confident he could handle mine.
So I brought it in.
Day 1: Rack installed with no issues.
Day 2: Programming problems. The voucher showed a download should be available, but when we connected the ProCal device, there was nothing there.
The next 7 days were spent trying to get a new code from Ford Performance Support. We kept getting routed to the same rep (“Tom”). Whether he was overwhelmed or just not equipped to resolve it, the process was extremely frustrating. He mentioned sending emails that never arrived, and we basically made zero progress.
Meanwhile, my Bronco was tied up on the only lift in the shop.
Lo and I started discussing worst-case scenario—putting the stock rack back in. He even told me he wouldn’t charge me if it came to that. So no upgrade for me, no payment for him. Lose/lose.
On the final day, Lo and his team went full persistence mode—taking turns calling and hitting redial until they finally got someone on the line. This time, we got the correct code.
The download finally worked. Program loaded to the ProCal device… then into the rack.
SUCCESS.
Huge relief all around. But honestly, it shouldn’t have been that difficult. It's a code. It doesn't cost Ford anything.
After everything, I asked Lo if he’d be willing to take on another one of these installs. His answer: “Yeah.”
So if you’re in the Bay Area and you’ve got one of these racks collecting dust, there is a path forward.
Since I already had the Ford ProCal (Pro-Tune) device, I figured I'd save a few bucks and use it to program the rack.
A couple of friends went with pre-programmed racks from BroncBuster, and their installs were completely plug-and-play. No issues at all. Meanwhile, as I researched doing mine, I kept seeing post after post about programming problems. That was enough to make me hesitate… for a long time. The box ended up sitting in my bedroom for over two years.
Dealerships didn’t want to touch it. Even a local Ford Performance shop declined the job.
Then came Pop's Tire Shop in Fremont, CA.
Lo (the owner) is a friend and part of our Bay Area Bronco community. His shop mainly does tires, wheels, and alignments, and he always takes care of us—especially after trail runs. He’s got both an alignment rack and a full automotive lift.
We had talked about installing “the rack” before, but I wasn’t confident. On a recent visit for an alignment, we brought it up again. This time, Lo said he had successfully installed and programmed his own severe duty rack and felt confident he could handle mine.
So I brought it in.
Day 1: Rack installed with no issues.
Day 2: Programming problems. The voucher showed a download should be available, but when we connected the ProCal device, there was nothing there.
The next 7 days were spent trying to get a new code from Ford Performance Support. We kept getting routed to the same rep (“Tom”). Whether he was overwhelmed or just not equipped to resolve it, the process was extremely frustrating. He mentioned sending emails that never arrived, and we basically made zero progress.
Meanwhile, my Bronco was tied up on the only lift in the shop.
Lo and I started discussing worst-case scenario—putting the stock rack back in. He even told me he wouldn’t charge me if it came to that. So no upgrade for me, no payment for him. Lose/lose.
On the final day, Lo and his team went full persistence mode—taking turns calling and hitting redial until they finally got someone on the line. This time, we got the correct code.
The download finally worked. Program loaded to the ProCal device… then into the rack.
SUCCESS.
Huge relief all around. But honestly, it shouldn’t have been that difficult. It's a code. It doesn't cost Ford anything.
After everything, I asked Lo if he’d be willing to take on another one of these installs. His answer: “Yeah.”
So if you’re in the Bay Area and you’ve got one of these racks collecting dust, there is a path forward.
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