Need accurate height measurement for 2025 Flash

[Dawg7478]

Hi, I want to pull the trigger on a new Flash, and I need to make sure that it fits the 80-inch high opening in my basement garage. The dealers with the best prices are 70+ miles away, and I can't drive one to my house to test fit. I want to get an accurate measurement, such as using a straight edge across the two black boxes on the cab roof and measuring from the extended straight edge down to a level floor. Can anyone help? The official specs say that the vehicle will fit, but I want to confirm before I commit. Thanks, Bill B

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[TaxmanHog]

Is there an approach angle to driving into your garage, ie. sloping up/down driveway as you pull over the threshold? This could affect the effective clearance if it is that close already.

 

[Henry Ford]

The official speck of 77.2" is very close. If your garage is 80" and it's a straight approach it will fit easily.

I've used a parking garage listed at 6'6" (78"). The antennas on the back of the cab bumped the PVC height checker but I knew I was okay because I was parking at an EV charger on the first floor which has higher ceilings. I wouldn't chance it wilth a concrete ceiling.

Edit: added a photo to prove I'm not full of

 

[hturnerfamily]

while it's nice to ask, none of us can assure you, even with our own measurements... your entry angle into your garage, and your tires, etc., will all have an impact... drive the 70 miles and measure it. You'll feel better.

 

[Henry Ford]

while it's nice to ask, none of us can assure you, even with our own measurements... your entry angle into your garage, and your tires, etc., will all have an impact... drive the 70 miles and measure it. You'll feel better.

Inches are a pretty universal unit of...uh, let me try again...if you live in the United States, Liberia, or Myanmar, inches are a pretty universal unit of measurement.

 

[Dahveed]

Inches are a pretty universal unit of...uh, let me try again...if you live in the United States, Liberia, or Myanmar, inches are a pretty universal unit of measurement.

That's not what he was getting at. If the truck approaches the opening while descending an incline the effective height will be different.

 

[Henry Ford]

That's not what he was getting at. If the truck approaches the opening while descending an incline the effective height will be different.

That's been mentioned. Driving 70 miles and measuring the truck in person isn't going to clear that issue up at all.

 

[Dahveed]

That's been mentioned. Driving 70 miles and measuring the truck in person isn't going to clear that issue up at all.

Unless you're going to measure the approach angle (if there is one) and do some math, yes, you're right. OP would be better off working out a deal with the dealer to allow an overnight test drive. Mine allowed me to do that.

Anyone else here in the Athens, GA area that wants to go see if their truck fits in OP's garage?

Barring anything else, might just have to visit a closer dealer, take a test drive, and then ghost 'em if their pricing sucks.

 

[flyct]

As close as you are to the spec you must check it out yourself to be sure.

I found that the approach angle is critical. I could not park my F-350 SRW in my garage pulling in head first. The door would hit the roof of the cab. When I backed it easily cleared the door.

 

[bc1]

It's not just the header of the door that you are measuring which the lowest point is probably at the back of the header because of the incline going in (concrete sloping away from the door) with your front tires already in the garage. Most garage doors hang down lower than the header which is what you have to use. I had to adjust my door to stop higher up above the header than what the door installer did. Your door may or may not adjust much higher.

Also keep in mind that your house and/or the concrete may have settled and may not be level so you need to check both with a level and multiple measurements.

Don't forget to measure the depth of your garage if you aren't used to having a pickup in there. They take up a lot of room and it's a pain driving in all the time if you only have a foot or two of clearance.

When I first needed to put my Expedition in the garage, I cut a couple inches off the radio antenna so it didn't catch every time. These antennas are loaded and shorter so no problem there.

 

[majorgearhead]

Something that may help if you test drive one to where you want to test the height; the antenna is meant to be a canary in a coal mine. It is slightly taller than the top. If it hits then you know the cab won’t fit.

 

[RickLightning]

Something that may help if you test drive one to where you want to test the height; the antenna is meant to be a canary in a coal mine. It is slightly taller than the top. If it hits then you know the cab won’t fit.

Well, since it's slightly taller, if it hits you need to be careful.

My antenna hits every time. I clear the roof by several inches.

It's not just the header of the door that you are measuring which the lowest point is probably at the back of the header because of the incline going in (concrete sloping away from the door) with your front tires already in the garage. Most garage doors hang down lower than the header which is what you have to use. I had to adjust my door to stop higher up above the header than what the door installer did. Your door may or may not adjust much higher.

Also keep in mind that your house and/or the concrete may have settled and may not be level so you need to check both with a level and multiple measurements.

Don't forget to measure the depth of your garage if you aren't used to having a pickup in there. They take up a lot of room and it's a pain driving in all the time if you only have a foot or two of clearance.

When I first needed to put my Expedition in the garage, I cut a couple inches off the radio antenna so it didn't catch every time. These antennas are loaded and shorter so no problem there.

Many don't realize that you can adjust a garage door's opening height, I did this to both of mine years ago to make them open just above the actual opening.

As to depth, I had to laugh at part of your comment "it's a pain driving in all the time if you only have a foot or two of clearance". You're kidding, right? My garage is 20' deep. The Lightning ends up with maybe 1" of clearance on the front, and at most 3" on the back. I have a 4x6 on the front to stop the tires, and on the back I removed a door handle that wasn't necessary to give me more clearance.

Before buying a Lightning, even though I had checked measurements, I borrow my dealership's loaner and pulled it in carefully.

Most people would be uncomfortable with parking my truck. When I pull in to the 2-car space, the Lightning has to clear the Mach-E on the left, and the frame of the garage door on the right. I started closing the mirrors as I entered, then reopening them, same on reversing, but now I don't do that. I enter at a slight angle, then move right as I pull in, leaving around 6 diagonal inches on the back right corner, my wife fits through there, I barely do.

 

[bc1]

Guess I've only eyeballed the antenna but I thought it was shorter.

Rick, no way I'd park in your garage. That said I've studied garage design since buying a house with a double garage and a 16' door. That deals with how much room is needed on the door sides for drivers and passengers to fully open doors, etc. and most don't allow for it. As it is, driving into the garage with one vehicle while mine is on the side of a 20' wide driveway (same as the garage size) involves a little bit of angle driving to allow for door openings and not banging doors. Same for how close to the edge to get if just parking in the driveway.

The OP also needs to measure the height back where the antenna is at the rear of the cab as that is probably the highest point and by then the truck is halfway in.

Also when you measure these vehicles from mirror edge to mirror edge that overall width will scare you. When I was chairman of our city planning commission and we reviewed site and parking lot plans, I always brought that up as some of the cheap skate developer standard parking stall sizes were being brought in for compact cars and not some of the boat sized pickups everybody drives in Kansas. If I can't find a handicapped stall, then I park out where I can take up 2 stalls to keep the riff-raff with 900 dents from parking next to me.

 

[RickLightning]

Guess I've only eyeballed the antenna but I thought it was shorter.

Rick, no way I'd park in your garage. That said I've studied garage design since buying a house with a double garage and a 16' door. That deals with how much room is needed on the door sides for drivers and passengers to fully open doors, etc. and most don't allow for it. As it is, driving into the garage with one vehicle while mine is on the side of a 20' wide driveway (same as the garage size) involves a little bit of angle driving to allow for door openings and not banging doors. Same for how close to the edge to get if just parking in the driveway.

The OP also needs to measure the height back where the antenna is at the rear of the cab as that is probably the highest point and by then the truck is halfway in.

Also when you measure these vehicles from mirror edge to mirror edge that overall width will scare you. When I was chairman of our city planning commission and we reviewed site and parking lot plans, I always brought that up as some of the cheap skate developer standard parking stall sizes were being brought in for compact cars and not some of the boat sized pickups everybody drives in Kansas. If I can't find a handicapped stall, then I park out where I can take up 2 stalls to keep the riff-raff with 900 dents from parking next to me.

My wife won't pull the truck in or out. If I was building a house, I would have a 24' deep bay at least, and wider stalls. I can't pull the truck into the single door opening (3 car garage, 2 and 1 width), and due to the length of the truck, you can't get to it without opening the big door, so both vehicles are side-by-side. We don't get in the passenger side of the Mach-E until we pull out unless the weather is bad, and then carefully.

We didn't build this house, so we couldn't alter the dimensions. And we're done with homes probably, so that's that.

I did proposed putting a free-standing garage at the head of the driveway, but it would block the view out the family room side windows, and the boss lady so no way in hell, so that's that.

I do plan on widening the driveway apron when I get it repaved this year, adding about 2 feet so I can back out and turn easier.

 

[RLXXI]

...and when all else fails do what I did and build a carport

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