My husband paid $600 for an 88 ranger. It has over 160k miles. He's convinced it is a good truck. I am not so convinced. It shakes terribly at low speeds and smooths out at 65mph. The previous owner put on 15in tires...and I'm guessing rims too since I can't see 15in tires on a 14in rim...anyway, would changing the tires and rims back to 14in make a difference? What else should be checked out. I'm thinking it might be more than just a tire and rim problem.

Thoughts?

 

Tire size shouldn't cause shaking.. But a bent wheel or a bad tire can and will..

 

Sounds like the rims need to be inspected, if they are straight and true, then check the alignment.

If all else fails start checking ball joints and end links

$600 is a decent deal if that is the only problem

 

Thank you! I'll be sure to have someone check the rims, ball joints and end links.

I'm hoping that is the only problem too.

I grew up in a Chevy family and married a Ford guy. That itself might be the problem. lol

 

The tires are, what I consider anyway, to be bald...smooth and appear really old. they will be replaced on Wednesday and hopefully that helps.

Thanks for the response.

 

Ranger 88,

Welcome to FTE!! Perhaps hanging out here will convince you to leave your evil past being part of a Chevy family!

With smaller rims and tires, you should do better on fuel performance. As already noted here, front end suspension or bent rims could be at the root of your issue. I've been looking for use rims to replace mine (aiming for the same size) but a key concern about buying used is whether or not the rims are true. Have that checked - severe wobble is a safety concern. But because your truck smoothes out at highway speed, it might suggest that the front end is loose.

Good luck on the trouble shoot and hopefully the group here can help you and your husband out with your Ranger.

Kevin

 

I've had a similar problem with my old truck, and it was caused by a bald/flat spot on a tire. Caused from slamming on the brakes and dragging the front tires to avoid an accident. The wobble/bump/shake was a lot more noticeable at slow speeds than fast.

Once I replaced the tires the shake was gone. Hope this helps.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Well, now I am an import gal, instead of Chevy...does that help, considering Ford bought Mazda's technology and all?

Thanks for the tip on the rims. By this weekend we should know more about the problem and hopefully (crossing fingers) it is a simple problem. If it is the front end, is that a challenge for a mechanic to fix then...or can it even be fixed?

And, thanks for making me laugh.

 

Thanks for the response!!! I certainly hope we have a similar problem and nothing more serious...driving it now makes me really nervous.

 

I never heard that before?

 

Seriously?

 

seriously...I have never heard that if you get smaller tires you will get better gas mileage...........I would think that if the choice was between 14' and 15' tires "on average" you would get better MPG's with the 15".............I don't know much about the subject..........but if you get better mileage with smaller tires why not use 13' tires?.....I kind of thought that is why the smallest tire on new cars is 16".....why don't they have small tires on the new cars?..........you practically have to order 14" ties these days if you want them

 

Power,

When I started doing the research here on how to squeeze an MPG or two out of a Ranger, I came across information here that spoke on tire size. I also was able to confirm it in a couple locations on the internet with a couple of articles that were published that suggested moving to a smaller tire size. As I'm looking for a set of used aluminum rims to replace my rusty steelies, I'm keying in on keeping the same size (despite my interest in economy, I think the 14" are too small).

I'm in Taiwan at the moment and as I'm looking around, many vehicles here run 12", 13" and 14". One truck I passed had 14" on the front, 12" duals on the back. Fewer vehicles have 15" or larger, but it decends as you might suspect. If I had to guess, I would suggest that the reason we have larger tires these days is because it is a market driven requirement (bigger is better). The mopeds/scooters here, and there are tons of them, run itty-bitty tires.

Off Topic: Here in Taiwan, our Rangers would be some of the larger vehicles on the road. Even the flatbed truck with duallies I saw looks smaller and lower than the average Ranger.

Regards,

Kevin

 

Yeah, I'm a bit of a jokester. I tend to have an eye for the individual setup by the unsuspecting and take advantage of the situation. Life is short and better to put a smile on someone's face than make them cross (so my mother preached). It sunk in!!

Working on the front end requires various levels of skill and knowledge. There are lots of threads here at FTE that can help you or your husband perform many repairs. The key here in my opinion is to start on smaller fixes and graduate up. SAFETY is a paramount consideration, so keep that in mind. For instance, I am reasonably handy and curious to try many repairs, but I shyed away from doing some of the front end repairs because of the front coil spring. There are ways to minimize the risks, such as clamps to hold the spring to allow you to safely work on your vehicle, but I didn't get that comfort level I needed. Just me I suppose, but if your inner voice sends out a warning, I tend to listen to it. I recommend investing in a Haynes or Chilton's Manual for your Ranger; will pay for itself on the first repair and they note many tips on the repair and safety considerations.

Having a tight front end is imortant for proper performance and safety. I did some of the work on mine myself and the rest done at a reasonably priced repair shop. I only have 97K, but the truck rides like it is new. It gives you improved confidence on the reliability of the vehicle. Good luck on your repairs and come back here for advice. I'm a novice here by most standards, but there are a couple following this thread now that are crack mechanics!

Kevin

 

I'll agree that wheel size does have to do with appearance, but it also has to do with the size of the brakes. As time goes on cars got heavier and there is a need for bigger brakes to stop that weight, so naturally the wheels need to be bigger. Because the safety standards in other parts of the world are much lower cars can be built cheaper and lighter and doesn't require as much stopping power.