I have posted on here before about this very issue, thinking it was primarily the transmission. In additon to a hard upshift/downshift (it almost feels like getting a little "kick" from behind while in the truck) I was getting a flashing O/d light, etc.

Since then the tranny died. No shifting at all. I was able to find a useable replacement from another truck (the guy sideswipped a pole, and decided he was done with it, as he tweaked the front frame slightly), which was working fine (before the accident).

I swapped the units out (trans and T/C), and the truck has life again! No flashing O/D light, nice power, and good gas mileage (I went from pre-failure 15mpg to 20mpg now).

However, the kick has never gone away.

So, what next? How much "play" should there be in the driveshaft when the vehicle is parked? I can move it a little bit. Should I consider servicing/replacing the U-joints? Or should I now suspect the rear diff to be the culprit, and how can I best determine this?

Also, can you switch out one rear end for another? If you can, is there any any paricular one that is better to use for towing/hauling as opposed to, let's say, off-roading or city driving?

As for the vehicle in question, it's a 1995 Ranger XLT extended cab with a 3.0V6 and auto trans. I believe it's supposed to have a limited-slip diff, but how do I determine this?

You guys have always been awesome and in the know on this stuff, so this is the first place I have looked for answers. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Not sure about that year, but on my '04, there's a tag on the driver's side door frame that has a bunch of codes on it - one of those is an axle code - if you find this tag on your truck, post the axle code and someone here might be able to decode it for you.

 

Found it - according to the tag the code is F6 (so long as the PO didn't swap it out at some point).

 

According to Ranger Station, "F6" is a 7.5" Limited Slip; 2750lb Capacity; 3.73:1 Ratio axle.

This "kick" you describe - when does it happen? Do you hear any noise from the rearend like a whining or growling?

 

Thanks for the quick response.

As for the noise, I have not heard anything like that, but then again, I may not be listening all that carefully...

As to when it happens, I usually get a little kick between 1-2 both up and down. On occasion, I get a major kick, someitmes just seems like a hard shift. There are even times I will go into drive or reverse from park, and it will be a hard shift with a bit of a "clunk" sound to it.

Some people have told me that Rangers just naturally shift a bit harder than other vehicles, but I find that kinda hard to believe...

As to the tranny, I did a complete flush when I changed it out, so there shouldn't be any sludge or the like causing shift issues.

 

If I understand this correctly, the "kick" happens when the transmission shifts gear - either upshift or downshift - not while the truck is cruising at a constant speed.

How many miles are on the truck? What kind of history does the truck have (i.e. was it a service truck or has it had a "rough life" in any way?) When was the last time the oil in the differential was checked?

Here's what I'm leaning toward - maybe someone else on here can correct me or add to it - It sounds to me like the teeth on the ring & pinion gears in the diff might be worn causing an excessive amount of gap between them - this might cause the "kick" you're describing - I had a similar issue with the rearend on my old Gran Fury...

I think I would try putting the rear of the truck up on stands and, with the truck in "Park" (and front wheels chocked), try turning the back wheels back & forth - the idea is to see how far the wheels travel without turning the driveline - this may or may not tell us much as, if it is gear wear, it doesn't take much for it to be noticeable under certain conditions...

Anybody else have any ideas?

 

Thanks again for the prompt response!!!

You are correct. It seems to be only during a shift (that I notice it, anyway)

I don't know the full history on the truck. What I can tell you is that I purchased it from a young man who was thinking of turning it into a prerunner, but was then offered another opportunity (a Toyota). It had 122K on it at the time, but a freshly rebuilt motor. As of now, I have around 170K on it, and do not drive it hard. The most it has ever had to endure is towing a boat or two (at most 50 miles) on 2-3 occcasions, and one tent trailer 500 miles (after which was when the previous tranny failed). I've done no towing yet with the replacement, but I am planning a 700-mile camping trip within the next week or so, and would hate to have something fail so far from home.

I have yet to check the differential oil. I was considering that as a next step, but have delayed since I am not sure the unit has a drain plug; if not, I realize it is a time consuming and messy job, to say the least.

I do kinda suspect the rear differential, though...

which lends itself to the next question: is there a "better" assembly I can install for towing? I do plan on using this vehicle regularly for towing trailers, boats, etc.

Any advice is welcome!!

 

That's a question I'll have to defer to someone else to answer...

 

Another website (therangerstation.com) suggests I can swap this one out with one from a 1995+ explorer, which has a higher weight rating. Aside from having to have a bit of welding done, it provides the benefit of four-wheel disc braking.

Here's the link:
Ford Ranger Rear Axles - The Ranger Station

Something I may have to consider, dependent upon how things look with the current unit..

 

Update:

Ok, so I remove the cover, and the gears look ok. No metal filings or anything in the oil. A little burnt, though.
The U-joints all look good. There is no play in them.

New question:
Should there be any play in rear end? With the driveshaft removed and the rear wheels on the ground, there is about 3 degrees of travel in the plate where the driveshaft connects to. Should there be any movement at all, or is this movement (even slight) the reason for the sloppiness and kicking in the rear of the truck?

 

Every rearend I've ever worked on had a little bit of play - I don't know what could be considered excessive but I do know it doesn't take much for it to be felt.

 

Okay, it's probably time to revive this posting, since some time has passed...

The truck now has 181K on it (60K on engine). I still get an annoying kick, but have dealt with it. I think I am looking at two problems now:

(1) Every so often, I get the O/D light flashing again, plus it seems the truck lacks power. I'm thinking the transmission is starting to slip, so a replace/rebuild may be in order.

(2) I'm still not hearing any distinct whine from the rear end while driving (but then again, there are so many other noises to contend with). But, I do hear a clunk when rounding curves. I raised the back of the vehicle, and noticed I have in/out play when I pull on the wheel assembly. So now I suspect worn out bearings - is this correct?

Maybe it's time to get out of this truck altogether. As it is, I need something with more seating so I can take family members and friends when I go camping. I'm considering the Explorer, but I'm reading a lot of negative things about the older (90s, early 00s) models.

But if I do keep the truck: since I can't seem to easily find another 3:73 limited slip 7.5" differential out there, what years are compatible (aside from the gear ratio) with this model? My Haynes manual covers '93-'05. Is this the range? Or is it more like '93-'97? Ideally, I want to find something I can just "slap" in (with, literally, no modifications), and then rebuild the original in my spare time.

Oh, I also had an opportunity to replace the u-joints within the past 8K miles (since I was never 100% sure of them anyway). It didn't solve the problem, though.

You guys are awesome! Any input you can give me is much appreciated!!

 

The in/out play of the rear wheels is normal.

For the clunk when going around corners, check to be sure the battery isn't able to slide around in it's tray. I've had that problem before, and it's an easy fix. Hope it isn't something harder to deal with...

 

All this time with this truck.. have you ever pulled the codes?

 

Thanks for the quick response, guys...

As for the clunk around corners, it is definitely coming from the back of the truck. The battery is secure, so it is not the problem.

As for pulling codes? I'm not aware of how to pull codes from the tranny (or can you get them while using an obdii reader?), and that problem happens very rarely. The only codes I have pulled recently are P0133, P0153 (I am changing out both O2 sensors in the next day or so), and once (weeks ago) a P0764 (shift solenoid C, I believe).

With the transmission, during a recent longer trip (100+ miles),the O/D light started flashing, it seemed like I lost overdrive. I pulled over and shut off the vehicle. When I restarted it, the flashing ceased, and overdrive was operational again.

The problem with the "kick" though? It's been there since I first acquired the truck years ago. Sometimes it just seems worse than other times.