The drier on my 96 ranger just got a rust hole in it and all the freon is gone. My question is can I install a new one and refill the system myself or does it HAVE TO go to the shop to vacume the system down?? Has anyone just put one on and recharged the system?????

 

Sure, you can just bolt a new one up and recharge it without vacuuming it first. Of course, it will work like crap and you won't know how much oil is in the system.

 

You can always do it wrong and do it twice.
Yes it must be evacuated.
And No you don't have a drier unless you have aftermarket AC and it is mounted at the condenser and is connected between the condenser discharge line and the expansion valve.

You have an accumulator, it is between the discharge line of the evaporator and the suction line of the Compressor.