small-list-digest Monday, November 23 1998 Volume 02 : Number 325



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

FTE Small - Re: About that ABS...
FTE Small - Vehicle dynamics and ABS braking
Re: FTE Small - Explorer Rear Wiper Blade Assembly
FTE Small - ADMIN: 1999 F-100 Supernationals, Pigeon Forge
FTE Small - new Ranger webring
Re: FTE Small - new Ranger webring
Re: FTE Small - Explorer Rear Wiper Blade Assembly
Re: FTE Small - new Ranger webring

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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 09:21:16 EST
From: BFunk33 AOL.COM
Subject: FTE Small - Re: About that ABS...

In a message dated 11/22/98 3:47:41 AM US Mountain Standard Time, owner-small-
list-digest ford-trucks.com writes:


Subject: FTE Small - About that ABS...

...
So, these questions:

1. Does the ABS really kick in when the cruise control senses a
significant overspeed?

Don't know, but I don't think so. On my F-250 ('91) there's no way)

2. What was on Ford's mind when they made it only for the rear end?

Cost.

3. Is there any advantage to rear ABS?

You bet. With rear ABS, you can threshold brake the front wheels, without
having to worry about your rear end waving to you as it passes. The vast
majority of braking power is on that front axle.

4. Would those of use who are "Rear ABS Impaired" be better off if we
were to disable our ABS systems?

No.

5. Why not?

See above.
Rear-only ABS can be looked at as the best of both worlds. With it, you can
threshold-brake to your heart's content, and not have to worry about the
lighter rear axle locking up before you've gotten much braking out of the
front axle.
I'm one of those who learned to threshold-brake a long time ago. With the
F-250, I found that it was actually much easier to do so, once I got used to
the brake pedal stutter. After realizing that the stutter was just a sign of
the ABS helping me out, I could brake better, whether the truck was loaded or
empty.

6. Is there a way to get the most out of our rear ABS systems, reliably?

Practice. Practice.Practice.

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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 08:00:33 -0800
From: "Alan Heaberlin"
Subject: FTE Small - Vehicle dynamics and ABS braking

I have followed the threads about adding weight to the Ranger's bed to
improve traction and about ABS with equal amusement.
Any discussion about vehicle handling and control must be accompanied by an
understanding of vehicle dynamics. The (extremely) basic terms here are
those of understeer (front wheels lose traction first) and oversteer (rear
wheels lose traction first). Weight transfer to the front and rear under
acceleration or braking will change the vehicles propensity to either
oversteer or understeer. This is a result of how much contact patch there is
from each of four tires under various conditions.
Detroit automotive engineers have been designing more and more understeer
into our vehicles for years now. This is because it is inherently safer
(especially for inexperienced drivers) to have the front wheels skid first,
the car travels in the direction of its inertia and then stops of its own
volition or hits something with the front end.
From my own experience, Rangers, Bronco II, and Explorer are all with a
tendency to oversteer. Rear wheel drive and high center of gravity all
contribute to this. This is why wrecks with these vehicles often end in
rollover and side impact collisions (from end-swapping oversteer).

In spite of one opinion I read, ABS is not for "stupid people." Everyone
doesn't have the opportunity to learn advanced threshold braking. I feel
safer knowing my wife has ABS in her Explorer.
Whether it was a good idea or not, installing rear ABS on trucks and
sport-utes was an attempt to replace a tendency to oversteer with understeer
in hard braking maneuvers. Obviously they have decided that 4-wheel ABS is a
better option.

I'm very sure that our trucks were designed for optimal handling (and
economy) with no load in the bed. Otherwise the owner's manual would direct
you to load 300 lbs. of s**t in your truck before driving in the snow.

My advice is to go to a high performance driving school for an introductory
class in vehicle dynamics. Get a ride in a skid car if you can and take your
wives and kids too. You will think differently about driving when you have
some knowledge about how it really works.

My expertise and knowledge comes as an Automotive Engineering Technician
(Test Driver) with "B" certification for speeds of 150 mph. My employers
were Kett Engineering, Honda America and Mercedes Benz.

Alan Heaberlin
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.buffalorun.com
Buffalo Run Enterprises

"Law is a matter of statistical probability and truth is finally
a matter of whichever of the many geometries best suit your needs."
George Elliot

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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 11:53:41 -0700
From: Bob Fiddes
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Explorer Rear Wiper Blade Assembly

Jim,

I haven't seen anyone answer you yet so here goes,

Pull the wiper arm mechanism away from the window. When it is up as far as it will go, you will find a small tab on the
bottom where the blade attaches to the shaft. This tab pivots away from the wiper arm. When it is all the way out, you
will be able to slide the arm off the splined shaft.

Hope it gets the job done for you. I can do it easier than trying to describe how to do it.

Bob

Jim Bielecki wrote:

> Can anyone tell me how to remove the rear wiper blade assembly from a '93
> Explorer? I don't mean the wiper blade itself, but the entire rear arm
> assembly that appears to be attached directly to the motor spindle. Are
> these things just pressed on? Or is there a hidden release catch someplace
> that I can't find?
>
> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 15:16:31 -0500
From: Ken Payne
Subject: FTE Small - ADMIN: 1999 F-100 Supernationals, Pigeon Forge

The 21st annual F-100 Supernations, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee,
is scheduled for May 13-16, 1999 at the Grand Hotel.

This show features both old and new trucks and is the largest
show of its kind. Last year, over 800 trucks were registered
in the show. Ford Truck Enthusiasts had very good attendance,
especially since it was our first year. We had 32 people (not
including spouses) from our group there. Already we are nearly
double the size we were in April of 98. We're hoping to have
over 100 people attend in 1999.

As many of you may know, several of us are trying to incorporate
a non-profit Ford truck club. We hope to have this together
by the show. Regardless of whether or not this happens by then,
we'd like to put together a committee to plan for the event.

If you would like to be part of the planning, and/or you plan to
attend the show, you can be on this committee by sending an
email to majordomo ford-trucks.com with the following in the
body of the email:

subscribe pfgroup-list ford-trucks.com

This is the only way to subscribe.

Full information about the show will appear on the web site events
guide this evening.

Regards,
Ken Payne
CoAdmin, Ford Truck Enthusiasts


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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 16:14:58 PST
From: "Joe Mitchell"
Subject: FTE Small - new Ranger webring

I know nobody wants to hear my advertising, so I'll make it short. I
have a new Ranger webring. Anybody with a Ford Ranger website may submit
their site. For more information, check out my VERY new webpage.
(http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.angelfire.com/tx/tru2datank/club.html) A lot of changes are
being made to the webpage, so don't laugh :) Thanks for reading...
- --
Joe
- --
I'd push a Ford before I drove a Chevy, but I don't need to.
- --
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.angelfire.com/tx/tru2datank/index.html


______________________________________________________
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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 18:47:52 -0000
From: "John Becker"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - new Ranger webring

your are right about that Joe.
I have a 92 ranger with 140k on it.
Only had 2 problems with it.
1 ran out of gas once
2 had a flat tire.

John
Louisiana, Missouri.


> I'd push a Ford before I drove a Chevy, but I don't need to.

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Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 21:16:34 -0600
From: Jordan
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Explorer Rear Wiper Blade Assembly

At 09:14 AM 11/21/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Can anyone tell me how to remove the rear wiper blade assembly from a '93
>Explorer? I don't mean the wiper blade itself, but the entire rear arm
>assembly that appears to be attached directly to the motor spindle. Are
>these things just pressed on? Or is there a hidden release catch someplace
>that I can't find?
>
>
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
Just pull, I have a shop manual and I believe from reading that it is
merely a friction fit. I'm going to take mine off b/c the stupid thing
stopped working anyway.

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Date: 23 Nov 98 00:24:53 -0500
From: Michael Brennan
Subject: Re: FTE Small - new Ranger webring

I have a 92 ranger
same situation - only one problem with it in 6 years - 1 flat tire
oh, and I have gone through 3 headlamp bulbs.

Now if they could only make better tires :)

LOVE that truck

>your are right about that Joe.
>I have a 92 ranger with 140k on it.
>Only had 2 problems with it.
>1 ran out of gas once
>2 had a flat tire.

>John
>Louisiana, Missouri.
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