ok this truck is a great daily driver and hauler and pretty much does everything i need it to do... and... i do live with freezing cold-salt on crappy roads etc... but......

the constant maintenance is getting ridiculous..
it seems like it's falling apart...

last couple years... replaced...

both front coil springs - 1 busted
all 4 shocks ( 2 were toast..)
all 4 leaf spring hangers and shackles busted
cat
evap solenoid+purge valve .. codes
iac
pvc valve
belt tensioner- no tension
idler pulley-squawking
alternator- seized bearings
power steering lines rusted leaking
brake lines rusted leaking
timing belt busted...
water pump+t-stat housing disintegrated
center shaft bearing

and other misc. stuff i can't even remember now...

so the question is.. am i alone ? what have you replaced on your ranger
of similar vintage?

should i get out of this thing before it costs me the price of a new ranger? lol

 

i have a 97 4.0 5speed 2wd ... and in the last 4 or so years i have owned it i must admit that other than fighting a CEL (which wound up bein a 5 dollar fix, figured out thanks to guys on this site) just regular repairs that would be expected, brakes, tune up, clutch occasionally ( i have a bad habit of putting WAY too much weight behind it than what it was ever made to pull) but all in all no, mine is going strong, the only thing out of the "ordinary" was drivers side ball joints, pass side needs changed, but thats due to 1. way too many heavy loads taking its toll, and 2. Pa pothole filled highways

 

Judging by your signature, I'd guess your truck is a '97 model. You live in an area where a lot of salt is used on the roads during the winter. The rust related problems are a result of where you live and are not unusual.

How many miles do you have on your truck? Some of the other items on your list are mileage related. If you have between 60K and 120K miles on it, you either replace them according to your Owner's Manual or when they give out.

 

Honestly had great luck with my 96 2.3l ranger. Besides the usual brake job and oil changes, I really had few issues. Replaced the shocks once, the plugs twice, battery twice, alt. and starter once, carrier bearing twice, and one broken shift fork. This may sound like a lot but I did have 280,000 miles on it. I dynoed it about 4 months before I sold it and still had factory hp and tq at the rear wheels. It also held up to a small amount of nitrous during dyno testing. All in all that was the best most reliable truck I've ever had. Now this new pile has been a headache, but I can blame myself for most it's issues.

 

BINGO!

You live in the salt capital of the world ( I know I used to live in NE) and your truck is 13 years old. In reality it's probably worth less than 2 grand and for that price what would you expect?

The good news is that you've replaced most of the annoying things that are prone to break on this truck and with a little love you should be good to go for another 13 years!

 

the salt is not only on the roads but in the air! the truck is parked one block from the atlantic.

thanks for all the responses .. keep 'em coming

 

indy shop local here just did the job on the waterpump+tstat housing. too cold to do anything outside. anyway got the truck back , next thing i know it's leaking antifreeze all over.. take it back they will fix it. next day (they keep again overnight) pick truck up. they say reinstalled all parts and good to go. not 10minutes down the road heat goes cold...check under hood top hose blown off rad=antifreeze all over the engine!
reason= kid forgot to reinstall clamp on top hose. rookie mistake in my book. they clean engine and refill rad and new top hose clamp... yes i watched him do it

so do i ever use this shop again? or if you want something done right... you know the rest....

 

I have a 98 2wd 5 spd 3.0. It currently has 210,500 miles on it. I live in Northern Maine where salt on the roads is a fact of life. Other than regular maintenance, I have replaced the alternator, sway bar links, ball joints, a steering rack, brakes (several times), spark plugs (twice) tires (several times). It doesn't use any oil at all, starts when it is 40 below zero and gets about 23 MPG. The little truck has served me well and is still running strong. The way I look at it, I can do a lot of repairs for the cost of a new truck. I plan on keeping it for a while longer.

 

now i can add front brake pads, calipers + rotors to the list...

at least the bearings were ok

 

and it's still leaking antifreeze...

going back to the indy tomorrow..see if they can do the job right ....

 

How long have you owned this '97 with 135K miles?
In other words, what type and amount of preventative maintenance has the '97 received in the past 13 years?

I can appreciate you becoming tired of the seemingly continuous maintenance, but I have to agree with previous opinions that the maintenance issues that you've been and are experiencing are pretty much due or past due to be addressed for a vehicle of that age 'living' in those conditions. Assuming the truck has been in the are for the past 13 years, and considering the extreme salty conditions in your region, I'd say it's doing about what I'd expect. Depending on whether or not the truck has been receiving the preventative and general maintenance work according to the schedule outlined in a typical Chilton's or Hayne's manual, will help determine what else to expect to wear out or need attention soon. If the schedule hasn't been followed over the past 13 years, you can expect things to wear out quicker than they would have IF the maintenance schedule was followed.

Based on list you provided, I don't see anything there that would indicate abuse or abnormal wear - each of those items you're replaced were likely original and they are simply due for some much needed repair/service work. I'd say those items are pretty much all 'wear' items or have been corroding for 13 years and won't last forever; but they would likely last as long as they would in other vehicles in the area with the same type and amount of use. I'd suspect that considering the climate and such, the radiator will not last much longer either. The body mounts are probably also deteriorating too.

Just as the loose hose clamp isn't the truck's fault, neither would I expect this truck to last as long as some trucks do in much 'kinder' climates such as out west or in the southern states where their biggest concern is proper & timely fluid changes or excessive heat exposures. A quick wake-up call would be to ask yourself, "How many other '97 Rangers do I see in my town?" Chances are there aren't many and most have long since corroded away before they would have worn out.

For a vehicle that is simply considered as a daily driver and mode of transportation from point A to B, here is a simple rule-of-thumb I'd recommend:
--- If the total cost of the replacement/repair parts in one year exceeds one half the resale value of the truck, then it's time to sell it and find other set of wheels to haul you around. However, it the vehicle has sentimental value or has particular-use needs (such as you need a vehicle to haul or tow stuff regularly enough) then you may to raise the repair cost factor percent above 50%.

Typically, I have determined that if I follow the manual's maintenance routine with checking/changing the fluids & lubricants and other listed preventative maintenance, I would expect to replace typical wear items like the water pump, brake shoes/pads/rotors/drums, clutch disc and pressure plate, tierod ends, upper/lower ball joints, tires, wheel bearings, seals, U-joints, windshield glass, alternator, tensioner pulley, etc. Your costs of operation will still likely be lower than the payment schedule of a new vehicle with higher insurance as well. Realize too that the newer the vehicle, the more expensive most of the parts will be. Such additional cost factors should be considered when you are thinking of selling off your '97 and buying something newer.

JMHO,
BarnieTrk

 

thanks for the comprehensive reply BarnieTrk
mostly i am in agreement with your views, and in fact i do see a couple no more than a dozen of the same vintage rangers plying my local roads. i would say most are probably in worse shape than mine...
what i get out of your comments is that it really is purely a monetary calculation. i have only owned this vehicle for 3 years.. not enough time for a sentimental attachment.
right now i am underwater on the truck compared to the current market so i guess it will have to do some more work for me and i am sure it will be called upon like it has been practically daily since i have owned it. it does earn its keep moreso than other vehicles i have owned.
i guess this thread is more about venting and maybe warning than anything else but i do appreciate all the comments and insights from fellow members.
by the same token, i hope my experiences can help others.

 

My truck is 6 years older and 40K miles less than yours. It has been garaged for the first 13 years during the winter. The first owner went to Florida for 5 months. While we don't have the salt-in-the-air problem you do, we have a lot of salt on the roads during the winter (Detroit is built on a bunch of salt mines). I've owned it for the last 5 years and drive it year round so rust is begining to show on the body. Things like spring brackets are still in good shape.

I've replaced a number of the things you have, things like serpentine and timing belts, power steering pump, mufflers, shocks, tires, IAC and battery among other things. These are mostly time sensitive items that are part of long term maintenance and are items I expected to replace. Some may have been replaced early due to the truck sitting unused for 5 months each year. When I think about what my monthly payments would be on a new Ranger, I will keep what I have. Besides, I like it.

 

they called and said t-stat housing was leaking after the pressure tested upto 16psi. re-did it (now the third time.....)
time will tell whether finally leak free

at least the indy shop manned up ,apologized for the inconvenience, and said it was their problem....

 

My 2000 ranger has 140k on it now and I've owned it almost since it was new. Bought it in 2001. I had to make payments on it for 6 years which means I finally paid it off in June of 2007. I've had to put a decent amount of money into it the past few years since it's getting old and I also live in a pretty harsh climate this time of year. But, all the money I've had to spend the past 2 1/2 years on maintenance and replacing different things on this truck, is still a lot less then those monthly payments I was making for 6 years. When it gets to the point that I'm putting so much money into this truck that it meets or exceeds what I was paying each month, then I'll get rid of it. Luckily, I haven't reached that point quite yet.