My Ranger, nothing wrong.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,006
Likes: 0
From: Coastal North Carolina
I have had some friends riding with me that own wranglers.
They both said my truck handled better and rode smoother than either of theirs ever thought about.
And why arent the Dukes on any more? They used to be on TNN, but they stopped showing it.
They both said my truck handled better and rode smoother than either of theirs ever thought about.
And why arent the Dukes on any more? They used to be on TNN, but they stopped showing it.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,237
Likes: 3
From: Belleville, Ontario
Here's the list of parts that I have changed on my 97 Ranger:
1 lic.plate bulb, 1 set of front pads, 3 air filters, 1 fuel filter, 1 pcv, many oil changes, tires, put platinum plugs in @ 37k/km, & air shocks on the back. End of list. EVERYTHING else is original.
This 2.3 powered Ranger towed a 72 340 Duster from Calgary to Toronto & still runs like a champ!
I'd like to see the other brand trucks take the beatings & loads I've put on my Ranger and still be trouble free!----NOT!!!
1 lic.plate bulb, 1 set of front pads, 3 air filters, 1 fuel filter, 1 pcv, many oil changes, tires, put platinum plugs in @ 37k/km, & air shocks on the back. End of list. EVERYTHING else is original.
This 2.3 powered Ranger towed a 72 340 Duster from Calgary to Toronto & still runs like a champ!
I'd like to see the other brand trucks take the beatings & loads I've put on my Ranger and still be trouble free!----NOT!!!
New User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: 315 Reed Street, Houston, MO
A truck worth keeping
My 94 Ranger, the plainest and cheapest I could find, has 187,000 miles on it and still going strong. The most remakable thing it did was survive a river csossing. My son-in law said we could drive through this river near Summersville, MO no problem. Well when the water got hlfway to the door hanles and we lost traction and the engine died I fiqured we were in for a long walk. Much to my suprise I was able to restart the the truck back up a bit and with a running start drive on out of the stream. Only damage being an exhaust leaak caused I assume by excess pressure. I think I'll be driving more Fords in the future.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,777
Likes: 1
From: Perry,Ga.
Originally posted by AG4.0
Notice that most of the troubles here are with older Rangers, that have seen their better days. True, makes and models have some problems prematurely in all, but all in all, Rangers have been one heck of a good vehicle. My 93 has been tearin through this 12" plus drifting snow like mad. I can't wait to see what she'll do after I get my Traction-Loc rebuilt in the rear end. I'll just say I had fun pulling people out and plowing through drifts my buddies '94 Cherokee wouldn't go through.
Notice that most of the troubles here are with older Rangers, that have seen their better days. True, makes and models have some problems prematurely in all, but all in all, Rangers have been one heck of a good vehicle. My 93 has been tearin through this 12" plus drifting snow like mad. I can't wait to see what she'll do after I get my Traction-Loc rebuilt in the rear end. I'll just say I had fun pulling people out and plowing through drifts my buddies '94 Cherokee wouldn't go through.
I think that is not true!!The older Ranger that are not taking care of might have problems,but just because it is old dose not make it BAD!I have a 1989 4x4 Ranger that my DAD bought new and the only big problem it has had is the ac had to be rebuilt.The truck is my daily driver now with 103389 on the clock it gets me to work and back every day.It is on its 3rd set of tires and brakes.I have had to replace the radator and powre sterring pump but thats it as far as work on it,yea plugs,air/fuel filters and oil changes! It is a 2.9{best v6 ford made}auto trans ,push botton t-case, auto locking hubs and they ALL STILL WORK!!
SO LETS HERE IT FOR THE OLD RANGERS!!
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: dallas
One year around new year, i was on the highway headed home from work in a bad freeze. common sense says be careful on overpasses, right? well i go a little further and try to avoid them. anyway, this pimpin little s10 passed me as i took an offramp to avoid an overpass. he went out of control, hit the bridge median, and flew into the ditch ahead of me. i stopped to help. they ended up calling a tow truck, but when the tow truck got there, the guy wouldnt put his truck into the ditch because he was scared to get stuck. so i ended up backing my beat up 89 ranger down into the ditch and pulling the guy's truck out...... and my transmission was goin out too, i had lost overdrive a few months previous. i pulled their truck to where the wrecker could get to it and then took them on home. hows that for a chevy versus ford story?
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: formerly Brooklyn NY now
i have a 99 ranger i bought new in 99. i love this truck!!! i started out working for a forklift dealer when i first got it and id use this thing as sort of a service vehicle parts runner, and daily commuting for work.it could haul alot of stuff and got excellent mileage.and was reasonably comfortable
the company folded within a year andi went iinto business as a contractor. i cant tell you what kind of thngs ive put in my ranger tons of rock brick sheetrock cabinets wood etc. the ranger tows my boat a 20 footer all over the country. ive hauled pickup cabs in the bed and the worst i ever pulled was a tow dolly with a chevy c20 on it from almost MD in PA on I 81 to Old Bridge NJ. shes got 80K on it now and i have only replaced the front pads twice four air filtersand change the oil every 2500 miles tranny oil at every 30K and i got rid of the firestone tires. In addition its been hit in the rear good one time and hit on the side while parked, both hits have been repaired. I love my ranger and would love to get a new one
oh yeah my ranger is a four banger automatic too and it goes through snow and tows people out of the ditch too
the company folded within a year andi went iinto business as a contractor. i cant tell you what kind of thngs ive put in my ranger tons of rock brick sheetrock cabinets wood etc. the ranger tows my boat a 20 footer all over the country. ive hauled pickup cabs in the bed and the worst i ever pulled was a tow dolly with a chevy c20 on it from almost MD in PA on I 81 to Old Bridge NJ. shes got 80K on it now and i have only replaced the front pads twice four air filtersand change the oil every 2500 miles tranny oil at every 30K and i got rid of the firestone tires. In addition its been hit in the rear good one time and hit on the side while parked, both hits have been repaired. I love my ranger and would love to get a new one
oh yeah my ranger is a four banger automatic too and it goes through snow and tows people out of the ditch too
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 213
Likes: 3
From: Phx/Az
I bough tmy Ranger used, I'm 2nd owner, with 25k miles on a 2.3l 5speed manual std cab. As is stated above only do general and prevent maint. I did put larger tires/rims on it and am now looking into reseting my speedo, it's actually going faster than the sppedo says. I also swaped out the bench seat for a 60-40 slipt bench, replaced the tail geta with an air-gate, rear bumper (damaged in an accident, Ranger 1 bumper Le Mans hood head lights radiator engine and driver going to jail PRICELESS) with a dual tube and put a Gibson cat back exhaust (slight modification). So far it has weathered 4 Az summers and what WE call winters.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 0
From: York, NE
Originally Posted By GrayRanger4x4
I think that is not true!!The older Ranger that are not taking care of might have problems,but just because it is old dose not make it BAD!
I think that is not true!!The older Ranger that are not taking care of might have problems,but just because it is old dose not make it BAD!
Last edited by AG4.0; Jan 28, 2004 at 08:24 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
From: Central Iowa
It was about a year ago, My buddies and I were cruising the local loop on a saturday night. The weather had been off anf on, and finally it was hovering about 0 F. A friend stopped me and told me that he had driven his truck (3/4ton Dodge 4x4) out on the ice on a nearby river. So i followed him to a river access and watched as he did doughnies on the frozen river. My truck being a tiny ranger i went down the boat ramp. We went nearly 2 miles on frozen river, hopping drifts and dodging logs jutting out of the frozen ice. I never once had to use 4x4. We went down a little further, and we heard a sound that sent chills down all of our spines. Cracking.
We got the heck out of there and booked it back to the boat ramp only to be met by a county sheriff. The dodge led the way up the ramp and was soon flagged down by the law. I turned the other way and circled around the park to avoid being questioned.
I met him back in town. And he never got a ticket. He just warned him that driving on the ice could be dangerous.
I met another fellow ranger driver who had heard the report of truck out on the frozen river on his scanner, and said they ran the plates to the dodge.
I was never worried about the cop, but realized that two days later i could see open water when i crossed the bridge near the river access.
We got the heck out of there and booked it back to the boat ramp only to be met by a county sheriff. The dodge led the way up the ramp and was soon flagged down by the law. I turned the other way and circled around the park to avoid being questioned.
I met him back in town. And he never got a ticket. He just warned him that driving on the ice could be dangerous.
I met another fellow ranger driver who had heard the report of truck out on the frozen river on his scanner, and said they ran the plates to the dodge.
I was never worried about the cop, but realized that two days later i could see open water when i crossed the bridge near the river access.
Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 3
From: California Desert
I try not to even walk on frozen bodies of water. Then again, kind of hard to find frozen water in the middle of the desert. All I have to say is that 79redranger got extremely lucky the ice was thick enough to support him AND the Dodge. Now, the dumbest thing I've ever done in my Ranger...I was booney cruising at night in an area I hadn't been to before. My friend was following in his ZR2, trying to stay out of my dust. Suddenly my headlights lit up nothing, and I slammed on my brakes. Had I been going any faster I would have gone flying into a 30 foot revine. I got lucky again that my friends S-10 could stop fast enough or he would have hit my truck, sending it over the side. Moral of the story, don't haul **** when you don't know the road.