Strange but true! I recently down sized from an 1999 SC F150 4x4 to a 04 Ranger. Seems that people tailgate alot more, try to pass when they shouldn't and I don't drive like a grandma!

So what is it?

 

I think people expect a small truck to be slower. I love to prove those people wrong. Of course with only a 4 banger I don't have too many opportunities to do that. Best place to show people up is off-roading in a small truck. These little Rangers are infinitely more manueverable than full sized vehicles.

 

Mine has the 3.0 and is deffinitly not slow, just have to mash the peddle to the floor. One thing thoug, with the 410 gears it really doesn't have alot of top end. The f150 seemed to just keep picking up speed even after 120.

 

thats when i think about what it would be like to have a V8 in my ranger, on the outside the truck looks old and beat up, they pass me and then i blow past them and leave them in the dust. that would be cool.

 

I also think people tend to tailgate me more when I drive my Ranger, even as opposed to my Taurus. Don't know why that is.

 

People that tailgate me when I'm going the speed limit and then some, or driving plenty fast on icy/snowy roads get to discover some some of my "special" driving habits designed to discourage such rude behavior.

*windshield washers in action, tossing muddy water off my windshield and behind me
*I know how to drive where the gravel on the road is; my tires kick it up rather nicely
*I like driving on the wetest part of the road when it's raining
*On the above, bonus points if they county applied that sticky ice melter on the road and it's wet. Yuck!
*about 10 years ago and on a miserable rainy night, I swerved to miss a muffler that was flying through the air. The guy behind me (tailgating, of course), seemed to stop tailgating rapidly and pulled to the side of the interstate. I just kept going.

It's not their vehicle size or mine that I think about, it's the fact that nowdays it seems that no matter how fast one drives, including over the limit, it's never fast enough. Actually, where I live it seems that the most obnoxious folks are driving little cars and not large trucks.

 

I just downsized from a 99 F150 4x4 too. I like the fact that I now have more ground clearance - just an RCH under 10" to the rear axel - my F150 had just under 8", just as much power off the line with the 4.0. I like not hitting trees in the woods. I like being able to park downtown.

05 FX4 Off Road - BFG Lt25570/R16 tires - goes like hell in the snow.
JJK

 

I don't seem to get tailed a lot in the Ranger around here. Maybe I just don't notice it as much as when I had my 69 Beetle, but I do get the most out of my 2.3L, looking at the tach.

Maybe the SuperCab thing "cushions" my view...who knows.

 

These are awesome tips! I use them myself. I have another one, too... I've discovered that water freezes in dime size droplets on my vinyl tonneau in the winter. When I get up to speed, the tonneau flaps and the droplets fly off. That keeps tailgaters at bay, getting pelted with ice...

Most of the time I think it's just bad luck and too many idiots. Another theory I have is that drivers behind us in smaller, lower cars can't see around our trucks and they creep up on us to get around us or to try to see around us. I tap my brakes to let them know to get off my rear.

As far as toying with people, my 4.0 can definitely hold it's own. I have the 4.10's also, and if you mash the gas around 40 mph, the truck really gets up and moves. I think it has great top end. The peak torque and HP on the 4.0 is generated at higher RPM's.

Another tailgating story... I was heading down a busy 6 way street (3 lanes, ea. direction) in the center lane and some guy in an Acura was riding me big time. I tried tapping my brakes, but he didn't get the hint. Up ahead there was some twisted junk metal or some sort of trim in the lane ahead of me. I tried tapping my brakes again, and still no response. So knowing I could clear the scrap in my Ranger, I just cruised right over it. Looking in my rear view, I watched the idiot plow right into it and saw it rattle around in his undercarriage. He backed off pretty quickly. Oh, man... it was honkin' hilarious... Sweet justice.


(By the way, the ice pelting only happened once... I scrape off the ice now if the tonneau's covered. It was a live and learn situation. I really pelted the snot out of some lady in a Grand Prix that was following me up to highway speeds... I felt bad... :P)

 

ahh man... you mean their not ridding that close just to check out my truck. Ok time to start using some of your guys techniques.
Actually I find that tapping the brakes and throwing the left turn signal light on as well helps even more. No one buys it on the highway of course but in the city it works great.

 

My thing if someone tailgates me I'll just let off the gas and slow down about 10-20 mph then just get back up to where I was.

I was coming home through Duluth the other night (9in of fresh snow) I was in the center lane with 4x4, with heavy traffic in the right lane going slow a little ricer starter tailgating me i slowed down and speed back up to the speed, he wwnt to the left lane, which wasn't plowed or driven on yet, he went about 10 feet then scraped the center divider

 

This has nothing to do with a Ranger but it does deal with Ford pick up trucks and people tailgating. A good way to get Chevy drivers off your tail is to do what I did to my Mother's truck.
She had a 1993 F-150 4x4 Flair Side. (She is a Senior Citizen and a Grandmother times 4) I had a decal custom made up for her tail gate. That decal had the Heart Beat of America Logo (including the Bow-Tie) on the left side. Then there was an EKG machine display (To indicate a heart beat) beside the Bow-Tie and it flat lined the rest of the way across the tail gate and it under lined the factory FORD lable on the right side of the tail gate. Printed in reflective letters,under the factory FORD label, were the words "STOPS HERE". Chevy drivers cant stand to look at it so they either slow down, turn off or pass. It worked Great and was a neat conversation piece. It raised a lot of eye brows, not to mention some single fingers from Chevy drivers. She also had "Grandma's Toy" printed on the bug deflector, a sun visor, white letter tires, mag wheels, custom exhaust and a 5 speed.

 

I love it when people tail gate and try and pass me...LOL (when I am driving my ranger)

 

I too have had people tailgate in NJ. Out here we call it qualifiing. But the guy who did not see the Jersey Highway Snake (truck tire) sure payed for it. Blew out his grill and radiator. Ranger cleared it no problem.

 

Several good tips. I used to really screw with people that were tailgating me untill a guy almost ate it pretty bad. I kind of backed off a little bit after then, especially in the snow/rain. I good thing to do is just touch your brakes to get the lights on but stay on the throttle, that way you can pull away while they are slowing down. On a gravel road, slight pressure on the brakes causes enough friction on the road to REALLY throw up some rocks. Also I used to have some aircraft landing lights hanging from my rear bumper. A quick flash from those got the point across really well. Especially on a snowy road (turns into an instant white out) but once again, hind sight being 20/20. It probably wasn't the safest thing to do. Basically it isn't worth killing someone over.