Ranger Represents Rear-Drive Trucks Everywhere

Ranger is lifted on 37-inch wheels and it handles serious mud without four-wheel-drive.

Most Ford Ranger owners who plan to go off-roading will make sure to buy a truck with four-wheel-drive, but this week’s Muddy Monday video shows that having a 4×4 isn’t a requirement. This video from the Toje Labs YouTube channel shows that with a good set of tires and careful line selection, a rear-drive Ranger can play in a serious mud pit just as well as the bigger, four-wheel-drive pickups. Even when it gets stuck in the middle of the watery pit, the driver is able to make some moves to get himself back to dry land.

Third Generation Ranger

The details on this Ford Ranger are limited to the fact that it is riding on 37-inch tires. As you can see, the tires are considerably taller and wider than any stock tire, wrapped around Cragar wheels that extend out well past the body. We are guessing that this truck has been lifted a bit to help these tires clear the body and to provide some extra ground clearance, but we don’t know for sure.

Based on the grille and overall body style, we believe that this model was from the 1998 through 2005 era of the third generation. As for the powerplant, it sounds like a V6 with an open exhaust setup and a manual transmission. There were three V6 engines offered during the third generation of the Ranger, all of which were offered with a manual transmission, so we don’t know what is under the hood.

We do, however, know that the front tires aren’t helping this Ranger dig through the mud. This compact Ford either doesn’t have four-wheel-drive, it has four-wheel-drive and it is broken, or the driver simply isn’t using it. In any case, while the rear tires sling mud everywhere, the fronts just creep along at the speed of the vehicle.

Attacking the Slop

The video begins with the Ford Ranger driving along the edge of what appears to be a small pond. The bank of the pond is muddy and deep, with similar footing in the water as well. This looks like the kind of situation in which you wouldn’t want to drive a rear-drive pickup, but the Ranger easily makes its way along the far bank, turning across the back and then cutting through the deep middle. At no point does the compact Ford struggle, even with only the rear wheels spinning.

After the first successful lap, the Ranger driver powers back into the pit in reverse, then heads out for another lap. The path starts off the same, but when the driver gets to the far edge, the truck shoots off into the deeper grass. After a few seconds, the Ranger heads back into the water. The driver then tries to make a left, but when he meets resistance, he backs up and on the end of the path that was completed earlier.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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