I have a 96 ranger 4x4 and am looking at an 06 2wd 2.3 for gas mileage. My concern is that the new one is 2wd and my 96 seems to spin real easy in 2wd. If i were to get a limited slip installed does it really enhance the traction of the 2wd or is it just to light of a truck? I want to be able to go some in the snow and wet grass etc. Thanks

 

Yes it will help, but I wouldn't look at a limited slip, I would look into one of two types of rear diff upgrades - one is a true-trac, it basicaly works oposite of a limited slip - when a wheel starts to spin it transfers power to the wheel not spining, if the wheel spins it goes back to the other - it will ratchet back and forth from wheel to wheel. I've never seen one in the snow or ice, but have watched one work on a trail on loose dirt/gravel surface and in the sand - pretty amazing how it works. Wendell Borrower has one and might chime in some better info about it.

Ok the other is the least expensive, yet most durable - but also requires you use a little heads up driving. Loc-right. I've converted my last ranger and present ranger to a loc-right. I've never used it in the snow but have in the mud, sand, and on wet slick streets. I absolutely love the traction I get on wet slick streets - but you can't drive like an idiot in those conditions, if you want to go hang foot in it going around corners, sooner or later your gonna hit something because you can loop the truck in an instant without much effort if you don't drive heads up. Now saying that - don't take it the wrong way, as long as your not hangin' foot in it when you corner in the rain it's not a problem at all and you will enjoy the added traction when taking off in a straight line from lights or stop sighns on slick pavement. Anyway hope this helps you out some -

 

Get a selectable locker (ox locker gets my vote) especially if you let your woman drive the truck!!! Go to a good welder and have him fab up some brackets on the frame behind the rear end so you can add steel plate weights to the rear end and
keep the rear planted in the snow!!! Then if you are going to haul something take the weights off! Even 150lbs aft of the axle will help with traction!!! There is some benefit from traction bars too!!

 

I have been driving two wheel drive Rangers since 1995, had a 4x4 new from 1988-1992. I live in the snow belt and have no problem, I own 4 cyl 5speed combos and they are well balanced. Put a good set of tires on it and use some weight in the bed if it gets real slick out.

In my opinion the 4x4's are worthless in two wheel drive because of all the weight on front end and they have V6 and usually auto trans.

I also would say that my current 1999 model is better than my 1995 was due to the larger 15" tires instead of the 14's.
Dan

 

uhh hey yeh I am gonne have to just disagree with what your saying about 4x's being useless in 2x mode. Look at the pix in my profile of my truck - I would be more inclined to say it all depends on how you distribute the weight in your truck. Mine, with a truck top and my full sized spare in the very back of the bed as close to the tailgate as possible - I go places in 2 wheel drive, 4x's are not useless when not engaged (but very handy to have when it all goes to he!!), you just have to know how to distribute the weight, and how you drive, some people don't understand how to drive on the many difrent terrains - it's not always foot to the floor, and some people just don't get that, they don't understand how much stuff you can drive through crawling without ever touching the gas -

 

I had a '99 2.5L 2wd reg cab open diff until this spring. With good tires and 400# sand, It would handle any minnesota winter... I didn't go searching for mud during the summer, especially if the tires were worn or I had no weight in the back.

If I had LS, good tires and a bit of weight in the back, I bet it would have gone through a lot. I think Ford LS is plenty good if you're looking for a little extra help in low traction scenarios(snow,ice,mud)

good luck -jim

 

I have an '03 2wd 2.3L manual. It originally had P225/70R15 tires, with 3.73 gears. The original tires were replaced with LT235/75R15 Liberator A/Ts from Wal-Mart, and 4.10 gears with a Ford Limited Slip was install.

The limited Slip was a HUGE improvement in traction, and even more so in highway stability in heavy rain, snow and ice. It did make the tail come out a bit easier on tight corners - BUT - once it was sliding, with the limited slip, it was much more controllable. Before the limited slip, I found it very difficult to control once the tail had begun to slide. With the limited slip; it was easy and fun.

Regarding the Liberator A/Ts - they are good in the snow, great in deep water on paved roads, and incredibly durable. After 40K miles, they have more than 3/8" of tread depth (the un-used spare has less than 7/16" tread depth).

Nigel

 

another option if you occasionally drive in snow is a good set of tire chains.

 

Thanks for all the quick replies! The true trac i believe is just a gear type limited slip which means it will last longer than the clutch type, its like what the fx4 level II has. Thats what i would like i don't want a lock especially a non-selectable one. I'm glad to hear that the limited slip does help alot and i like the idea of tire chains i think that would work great or studded tires. Thanks

 

I like those liberators also. Good tires can make up for lost traction due to a single tire slippage.

 

I don't know what it is with everyone and these wally world liberators....I had a set on my 97 F350 and I wouldn't have peed on them if they were on fire. They were on the truck when I got it(bought the truck from my dad so I know when they were installed) and with about 3/4 tread I took them off. Only thing I found they were good for was putting on my trailer. I swapped them out for a set of Goodyear Workhorse tires. They didn't ride bad and they were quiet but the traction level of them was disappointing. Maybe they work better on a Ranger but I wouldn't have them on a full size.

 

I have the factory L/S and it's gotten me out of some of those "what was I thinking" situations. I drive a lot of Arizona's washed out fire roads. L/S for sure isn't a rock crawler but it does pretty good.

 

91 Ranger. 2wd. 195/70/14s out front. BFG all terrian T/As out back 27x8.5x14. 3.0L V6. 5 speed manual. 3.45s out back. Good shape LSD I bought off ebay. 350lbs of sand, and I never have a single issue in the snow this last winter. I could easily get the tires to spin, but with the right finess(sp) I could easily take off. There is nothing wrong with the stock LSD available for the ranger, as long you're not using it in a performance oriented unit.


Even when I had no sand, I still had little issues. I found it slidding more than I wanted around corners, so I added the sand. I think I had 420lbs of sand in the back by the time I was done. Mainly just becuse it was buy one get one free on sand bags one day.

 

Dana60 - the true trac actualy works oposite the factory limited slip. Lets put it like this, with a factory limited slip, if you put one wheel in the air and one on the ground and then give it gas - the truck will go no where, the wheel in the air will spin - your stuck. True-trac same situation - the wheel on the ground will turn and you will keep moving. A true-trac will bias the power to the wheel of most resistance - if a wheel spins it will transfer power to the other wheel and vise versa until you get traction. Because it's a gear driven system and not a clutch pack type system - it does not kind of work when it's new and then pretty much work like a single track much like the factory limited slip with a clutch pack will as it gets older. Also the true track - when you give it full power - it pretty much then works like a locker, evenly distributing power to both rear wheels. It is definately the better of the two systems, and a more rugged/durable system (probably more $$$ too..go figure).

 

The tru-trac is an awesome unit, it's gear driven (no clutches to wear out) it requires no modifiers. It delivers power to the wheel with the most traction, but does send power to both wheels, more like a 30/70 split, nomore than a 40/60 slip at any one time, unlike a locker which is a 50/50 split. Because it doesn't do a 50/50 split, it allows for exellent street mannors, it will power in and out of turns, it won't jackknife like a full locker on ice, but still delivers awesome traction when needed. They also make it for the ford 7.5. A selectable locker isn't worth the price unless your building a pre-runner or something, besides it requires you think, the tru-trac thinks for you hee hee. The tru-trac and torson are the best in lsd out there, about the only thing better is a detroit locker as far as strength and durability. There's some really good clutch style lsd's out there like auburn, but the tru-trac and torson does away with the clutches, they need no maintence. Just install and thier good for the life of the truck. They will grab and go , a difference of night and day between a TT and a factory lsd. I love mine and I'm totally sold on this unit, one will be going in my jeep as well. I've had a lot of lsd in my time, but the TT is by far the best I've ever had, it pulls like a locker, but has the street mannors of an open diff. If you power hard out of a corner, you may get a little tire chirp once in awhile, but nothing too severe like a locker, that chirps the tires, hops and rachets. Locker are not recomended for ice and snow as the rear end will come around on you in a heart beat.