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Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 04:00:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: owner-small-list-digest ford-trucks.com (small-list-digest)
To: small-list-digest ford-trucks.com
Subject: small-list-digest V2 #134
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Sender: owner-small-list-digest ford-trucks.com
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small-list-digest Saturday, May 16 1998 Volume 02 : Number 134



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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - Ranger, Explorer, Bronco 2 and Aerostar
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In this issue:

FTE Small - RE: Tires for Aerostar
FTE Small - Re: Aerostar Heater Core Madness
Re: FTE Small - Paint splatters on my truck!!
Re: FTE Small - Paint splatters on my truck!!
FTE Small - 98 4 door Ranger
FTE Small - Edelbrocks
FTE Small - Tire Spring Rates
FTE Small - Auto Hubs
Re: FTE Small - A REAL 98 4 door Ranger

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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:30:27 -0400
From: Chuck Anderson
Subject: FTE Small - RE: Tires for Aerostar

The XW4 is a great tire. The OEM size is 215/70R14. You should expect with
proper care about 70,000 possibly 80,000 miles with these tires. A friend
of mine got 81,000 miles out of a set on a 93 Aerostar. But remember, this
thing with handling, lean, sway and all of the other stuff is not totally
related to tires. Yes, tires to play a crucial role in the ride and
handling of the vehicle. But, does your van have a factory installed
handling package? This option makes the biggest difference in the world in
the handling of a vehicle. Also remember, you have a van built on a truck
frame. It is not going to handle very good anyway, nothing close to many
cars on the market. If ride and handling is what you really want, buy a
Windstar. If not, use your Aerostar, they have the best towing and hauling
capabilities of most mini-vans on the road today.
Chuck Anderson,
Southeast Community College

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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:59:17 -0700
From: Pat Brown
Subject: FTE Small - Re: Aerostar Heater Core Madness

Richard wrote of his heater hose woes:

>
> MY QUESTIONS:
> How can I convert to normal American hoses?
> How can I create my own "y" assemblies?
> How can I convert the hose-end fixtures to something sane, and yet be
> able to get the hoses off the heater core?
> After the conversion, how do I then get the new fixtures to release the
> hoses? What kind of tool do I then need?
>

I had an '87 Aerostar, with the same setup. A LONG time ago, I
replaced the hoses with standard 5/8" hose. I can't remember
exactly how I got them off, but I didn't use any special tools.
As I recall, the plastic retainers had a couple of snap ears that
I was able to pry up with a small screwdriver, the hoses then slid
right off. It wasn't easy, like you said, there is only enough room
too look in there, or put your hand in there, not both at the same
time. Remove all the remaining o-rings, and you can put new hose
right on the nipples with normal clamps. Don't use grease to lube
the hoses, use anti-freeze. Grease will stay slippery forever, there
is no lip on the nipples to keep the hoses from popping off. The other
end of the hoses was more of a problem, as the stock hoses flared to
larger nipples. Mine didn't have a 'Y' tube, but I remember the guy
down at NAPA came up with one while he was looking for universal type
hoses for me. We eventually came up with a couple of hoses that could
be spliced in between everything to make it work. I never priced the
Ford hoses, but if I was to do this again I would probably buy them
from ford if they weren't rediculously expensive. Between the universal
hoses, clamps, adapters, etc, I probably spent $30.

BTW, you don't need any tools to install the stock connectors, they
just snap together, similar to the A/C connectors.

Pat Brown
Sebastopol, California

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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 14:13:40 -0400
From: "Anthony Rifici"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Paint splatters on my truck!!

If it won't come off with soap and water, I would try using a solvent that
is safe for your finish. There are cleaners like this available at your
local auto paint store. I have used PPG Acryli-Clean or maybe it is
Acryli-Clear without incident. I think the part number is DX330. It should
be able to take the paint off without ruining your truck's paint. It is a
prep for auto painting. You use it to clean the surface between coats.
Like cleaning the primer before the top coat. It is safe for the clear coat
if your careful. Do not rub hard with it. Do not let it dry on you truck.
Use it with a clean rag and have plenty of water handy to rinse it off.
When your done, be sure to wash the area with soap and water to make sure
all of it is gone. If you get to aggressive or careless, it will damage
your finish. This stuff will also take off the wax, so you will have to
redo that when your done.

Good Luck,
Tony

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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 15:36:31 -0400
From: "Anthony Rifici"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Paint splatters on my truck!!

Duplicate?? I may have sent the first in the wrong format.

If it won't come off with soap and water, I would try using a solvent that
is safe for your finish. There are cleaners like this available at your
local auto paint store. I have used PPG Acryli-Clean or maybe it is
Acryli-Clear without incident. I think the part number is DX330. It should
be able to take the paint off without ruining your truck's paint. It is a
prep for auto painting. You use it to clean the surface between coats.
Like cleaning the primer before the top coat. It is safe for the clear coat
if your careful. Do not rub hard with it. Do not let it dry on you truck.
Use it with a clean rag and have plenty of water handy to rinse it off.
When your done, be sure to wash the area with soap and water to make sure
all of it is gone. If you get to aggressive or careless, it will damage
your finish. This stuff will also take off the wax, so you will have to
redo that when your done.

Good Luck,
Tony


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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 22:04:17 -0400
From: Phil Snider
Subject: FTE Small - 98 4 door Ranger

Picked up my 98 4 door Ranger today at Mize Ford, the first in
Chattanooga. It is sweet. Latches are at the top and bottom sill, with
what looks like a beefed up cross member going across the cab and
another going from the center towards the windshield. Can't comment on
the underside until I can get a look at a regular extended cab.

The downside is the seatbelts are in the rear doors ala some of those GM
products like the Grand Am. The jumpseat seat belt attaches to the rear
door and you are warned in the manual not to open the rear door when
someone is belted in the jumpseat. OUCH!! Waist reduction.

Traded in a 97 and there is no comparison twixt the two, IMHO. The 98 is
much, much better product. I paid the price for jumping on a 97 at the
end of it's model year. Improvements were 1) Seat belt easier to latch
and release is a "push down release", not a "push button in" 2) Center
arm rest on 60/40 seat is supported on both sides of the pivot
point 3) Parking brake has a hydraulic feel when you set it and it
REALLY holds the truck on a good incline 4) Mo' better acceleration
compiments of the 15 more horses 5) Rack and pinion steering...gotta get
used to small corrections making a big diff where the truck goes.

That's my take on the first 30 miles. Thanks to Dianne Marshal at Mize
for working the deal and calling me as soon as it got off the truck
today.
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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 22:09:56 EDT
From: SNOOP22222
Subject: FTE Small - Edelbrocks

Anybody here put new IAS on a 2x4
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Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 16:57:54 -0700
From: Richard
Subject: FTE Small - Tire Spring Rates

Here's a reply to Thom Cheney

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:55:08 -0800
From: Thom Cheney
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Tires for Aerostar

Thom wrote:
I thought the ride of a vehicle had a lot more to do with spring rates &
shock absorbers than tires... at least when comparing similar sized
tires. Beyond tread differences and tire "ingredients", how much
difference can there be (realizing that these differences affect
cornering, grip and wear more than "cushion").

Richard:
Tires will have spring rates of their own. They are air-filled
chambers, with resonant frequencies and harmonics, as well as the
"bounce" rate of the assembly. The width of the steel belts will affect
tread-edge wear and stability. The tire's flex ability will affect how
it transmits or absorbs small -- even tiny -- bumps. On my '74 Honda
Civic, Michelin XZXs made you literally feel a dime in the road and the
car darted jerkily, over-responding, hard to control; Riken tires tamed
all that. This was, as you've implicated, a suspension issue at the
core: Honda designed the suspension for fabric-belted tires.

Putting steel radials on my Valiant convertible was likewise an
almost-disaster: the car tracked beautifully while the body rolled
almost violently in reaction. Its suspension was tuned for tires with
lots of bias-ply side-slip. It would have been interesting to have
changed to "racing" shocks and stiffer T-bars (yeah, right). And then
see how the thing handled.

So, the total suspension picture includes the characteristics of the
tires. I know, the Aerostar ain't no sports car, but I'd like for it to
be as good as it gets, but not at the expense of my butt.

My own limited experience with tires has been that the tire construction
can affect ride dramatically. In my tour of the neighborhood in an
"oem"-equipped Aerostar, I noted how the (70-series) tires soaked up the
small bumps: the numerous 1" potholes, manhole covers, etc. While I've
had to let 1/3 of the spec air out of my (60-series) and they still hit
those same bumps hard.

Dunno. Did I answer your question?

Richard

PS: Are you related to my former teacher, Timothy Cheney, of Hartford
Connecticut?
- --
!! NOTE: TO REPLY, REMOVE THE STRING: "REMOVE.THIS.TO.REPLY" FROM MY
ADDRESS !!


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------------------------------

Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 00:01:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Andrew
Subject: FTE Small - Auto Hubs

Hi all;

I have a '87 4x4 Ranger. Are there auto hubs available for it
(front). A guess is ok, or just a company to look into is ok too. Have the
stock manuals now.

Thanks
Andrew


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------------------------------

Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 21:33:14 -0700
From: "Bill A'Hearn"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - A REAL 98 4 door Ranger

Now is Ford would only release a REAL 4-door...

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 5/15/98, at 10:04 PM, Phil Snider wrote:

>Picked up my 98 4 door Ranger today...



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