How many ranger lovers?
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Southeast MI
Mine did a pretty good job this morning of bouncing around the rutted hardpack this morning. A storm came pretty close worst case for us up here. Overwhelmed the plows big-time with 1/2 a foot. My dad got me out of a flu-induced nap to get the buggy out to drive Mom home. I did have to think through my gears in a big way and those mudders don't seem to shed packing snow worth a darn. The guys with the heavier trucks seem NUTS out there. One slip and rebound hard off a curb or other hidden hazard with 6000 pounds of truck? Then shovel a path so Mom could egress. Back to hazy flu resting for me.
At least until somebody needs something again. My youngest brother home from college who can barely drive it on a clear day. Just torture on my sidewalls.
O yeah, given all that, that thing's grown on me some more if it can be that manageable. Probably have to work on vent controls soon. Didn't clear enough packed crud to keep something happy (motor or something) & had to pit for more wiping.
At least until somebody needs something again. My youngest brother home from college who can barely drive it on a clear day. Just torture on my sidewalls.O yeah, given all that, that thing's grown on me some more if it can be that manageable. Probably have to work on vent controls soon. Didn't clear enough packed crud to keep something happy (motor or something) & had to pit for more wiping.
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,595
Likes: 0
From: IL
Having grown up in nasty northern winters there's a little trick some of you may not know of or have tried so I'll pass it on. When coming to or anticipating a stop in an auto trans slide her into neutral. It helps and every little bit helps in bad weather.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,378
Likes: 3
From: nebraska
Those Rangers are awesome. Ive had mine for six months an dont know how i ever got along with out it. Now winter as hit an starts right up everyday even in below 0 weather. Mines is just a 2 wd an gets 25 MPG pretty consistently. I use mine every day an have hauled everything with it. I know a lot off eighties Rangers running around with several hundred thousand miles an never miss a beat. Have you noticed how all the parts places Napa, Advanced auto parts an others use Rangers more then any other truck. Thats the only truck that can take the hard use by the different people that drive it everyday. I talked to the boss off one off those places an he said those Rangers hold up while the others dont. I like to say take a lickin an keep on ticking.
BTW Scott very good tip I did that yesterday with all the ice. Makes for as safe stop.
BTW Scott very good tip I did that yesterday with all the ice. Makes for as safe stop.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 527
Likes: 1
From: Streamwood,IL
Yeah, and have you noticed that some of the parts chains have to "order" parts for Rangers-never understood that, even common parts-I told one manager that there must be 10,000,000 of these on the road, and you don't have this part-gimme a break..that stopping in neutral isn't a bad thing, I do it when I drive 18-wheeler at work....
Last edited by drb1956; Dec 20, 2008 at 07:23 AM. Reason: spelling
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 549
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, KS
Good tip.. used to do that in my S10 years ago. My Ranger though is a 5spd and there is a night and day difference driving in bad weather. Manuals are alot easier to control.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Southeast MI
Yeah, there is something to that notion of using neutral. OTOH, it's way to easy to slip just a hair too far when you're really busy- into reverse. My brother ruined a HD TH400 in a Chevy van doing something equivalent to that. A stick is much better to cancel out the stubborn output of the A/T torque converter. And then you can even use the gears to slow down with hardly any use of the brakes. Well, actually we're supposed to do that with mild application of the brake except the sync'd M5OD makes me lazy most of the time.
I love that tranny. It's awesome on ice - just look behind you while you do it. Easy to get rear-ended.
I love that tranny. It's awesome on ice - just look behind you while you do it. Easy to get rear-ended.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 2
From: central ohio
i had to use the "neutral" stop tip with our old chevy astro van, it had a high idle and would push itself through stop signs. my ranger is awesome in snow, but yes, it dont stop any better.
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
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From: Southeast MI
Wendell, I'm assuming you mean nice for A/T trucks I hope. The ABS manages mostly to tic me off whenever it manages to activate as quickly as I can keep it under control. Not once has it pulsed my pedal yet this winter & I fixed the issue it had when I bought it, so it's happy. For a Northerner who can drive in natural arctic elements, ABS is worthless & excess weight.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,147
Likes: 0
No, I have a manual. I just came back form town and the abs kept me from running a red light or slidding out of control. It doesn't matter what tranny you have. When you go to stop with a manual, the clutch is pushed in anyway. Instead of the brakes locking and the *** end sliding around, it just came to a slow pusating stop. With the icey roads we have around here today, it really made me appciate the abs feature. The mariner is an auto and it helps there as well. I was caught day dreaming, but it didn't happen twice today after the first scare. I also realized that down shifting wasn't a good idea today as the rear would start skidding. It's very cold and icey here today. It's the worst that it has been all year. I like snow covered roads better than ice.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Southeast MI
Yeah, ice & black ice is the only real use of domestic ABS. Still, when you really get the knack of driving in this stuff, the ABS will hamper you. I don't bother pumping the pedal anymore unless I figure how to properly pull the ABS function, but I've usually found when you anticipate the conditions ahead, a smooth stop is relatively possible with careful decel & smart downshifting. I don't clutch if possible on ice for starters, but some things I do without conscious thought, so experience & YMMV.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,147
Likes: 0
You don't have to pump the pedal with abs, it pusates for you. I allways down shift to save on the brakes a little, just wasn't working for me today. Then again, I useally give myself plenty of stopping distance and I'm not jamming to Bon Jovie and day dreaming. I slammed on the brakes and the old ranger stayed straight as an arrow and pusated to a stop as my knuckles turned white and terror raced across my face. The only places it was icey was at intersections, go figure. I had fun comming up my driveway, it's on a hill and was icey. I turned in and stopped to check the mail. I left it in 2wd and nailed, the *** in went one way then the other as the torson lsd did it's thing, it was a blast. Then I drove it back around the barn doing doenuts and sliding sideways. The ground is so froozen I didn't even need 4wd back there. GEE!!!!!!!!!!! I love my ranger!!!!!!!!
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Southeast MI
Icy intersections has come up over & over on Joe Clark's Icebike list. Hot engines idling over the mash, snow, water, whatever & gets re-frozen. That's what I meant of anticipating. Also, I know about correct use of ABS. If I hated it enough, I'd pump them anyway just to screw them up. I actually got reckless today & tried to get them active. Seems somebody messed with it already or something's amiss even though brakes work well otherwise, except for an occasional twitch with right/ left proportions & the lights are good. Fluid's great. O yeah, it occurred to me I referred to domestic a bit oddly. I was thinking hipo (Corvette full-race/ Viper, etc) vs commuters. I know in sports car racing a couple years ago, the Vettes were blowing away the Vipers just from having ABS overall.
Also, I know about correct use of ABS. If I hated it enough, I'd pump them anyway just to screw them up. I actually got reckless today & tried to get them active. Seems somebody messed with it already or something's amiss even though brakes work well otherwise, except for an occasional twitch with right/ left proportions & the lights are good. Fluid's great. O yeah, it occurred to me I referred to domestic a bit oddly. I was thinking hipo (Corvette full-race/ Viper, etc) vs commuters. I know in sports car racing a couple years ago, the Vettes were blowing away the Vipers just from having ABS overall.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 934
Likes: 0
From: The 'Loops
I have had my Ranger for a year and 2 months now, my wife does not really like trucks, drove mine a few times and suddenly we have 2 Rangers. Both 91 4x4 4.0 5spd S cabs, mine lifted hers not, it is cool how different but the same they handle. Mine weighs a couple of hundred pounds more. The first thing I noticed when I researched what small xcab truck to get was that no matter how irritating the problem people still loved their Rangers, and that sold me. Here are the pair [IMG]
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