Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and 
KELLY88
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2008
- Messages
- 2,371
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Lake Mary/Daytona Beach, FL
- Vehicle Year
- 1997, 2005
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0, 4.0
- Transmission
- Automatic
I know there have been a few of these discussions going around, well here is another one. I'm in the dilemma of whether to keep my truck or not and time is running low to make a decision. I leave for college the 15th of this month. It's about 100 miles away. Didn't seem like a big deal til my truck started compounding one problem after another lately. Here's the good and the bad.
Good: Engine fires up everytime and runs great. Transmission is still strong, slips a little but at 200,000+ miles on a 5R55E that's to be expected. Transfer case and 4x4 work great. Radio and CD player work well. No electrical problems to speak of.
Bad: A/C went out sometime over the winter. Has a leak. I have the parts to fix it and a mechanic friend has the tools but I've never done the job before and I know A/C systems can be very sensitive if you screw the repair up anywhere along the line. Steering is not good either. Alignment has been off for a while and it's chewed my 33" mud terrains on the inside. Probably need a new set of tires soon. Needs ball joints and tie rod ends as well. I've never done the job before but it looks doable. Just did the wheel bearings, brakes and rotors 2 weeks ago (some people remember that day from hell with one problem after another). Needs the rear drums and shoes replaced also as well as wheel cylinders. Also the driver's side seat belt doesn't stay latched. Hopefully that's just a 10 minute junkyard fix.
I guess in the end I can do the labor needed to get this truck ready to go. Problem is time and money. I'm moving out for the first time and trying to get everything situated including a lot of financial aid paperwork that got filed a little late. And money, I would have to borrow from my parents to get the parts and rent the tools needed and take a couple days off work. I really hate to borrow money from my folks. Trying to be independent here.
So total price list to fix the Ranger:
Front bearings, rotors and brakes: $230 <--Already done
New battery installed at the same time: $70 <-- Already done
Ball joints: $100
Tie rod ends: $60
Front end alignment: $70
A/C parts: $160 (got 'em at vendor pricing
) <--Already bought
A/C vacuum and recharge: $70
Rear brake drums, shoes and wheel cylinders $150
Set of used tires: $200-$400 hopefully plus mount and balance
Grand total: $1,210 estimated to get this truck ready and reliable for commuting 100 miles one way at least twice a month.
The alternative is turn it in on this cash for clunkers program towards a new vehicle, either for myself if it's possible or for my mom who will then give me her '03 Toyota 4Runner. It's a V6, 2wd, 60,000 miles. Very reliable and the A/C works! Basically essential in Florida summertime. Drives well, gets better mileage than my truck does currently and would serve all my purposes.
Well that's a really long post but everything is laid out. All the facts. Please weigh in and let me know where you would go if presented with this situation.
Good: Engine fires up everytime and runs great. Transmission is still strong, slips a little but at 200,000+ miles on a 5R55E that's to be expected. Transfer case and 4x4 work great. Radio and CD player work well. No electrical problems to speak of.
Bad: A/C went out sometime over the winter. Has a leak. I have the parts to fix it and a mechanic friend has the tools but I've never done the job before and I know A/C systems can be very sensitive if you screw the repair up anywhere along the line. Steering is not good either. Alignment has been off for a while and it's chewed my 33" mud terrains on the inside. Probably need a new set of tires soon. Needs ball joints and tie rod ends as well. I've never done the job before but it looks doable. Just did the wheel bearings, brakes and rotors 2 weeks ago (some people remember that day from hell with one problem after another). Needs the rear drums and shoes replaced also as well as wheel cylinders. Also the driver's side seat belt doesn't stay latched. Hopefully that's just a 10 minute junkyard fix.
I guess in the end I can do the labor needed to get this truck ready to go. Problem is time and money. I'm moving out for the first time and trying to get everything situated including a lot of financial aid paperwork that got filed a little late. And money, I would have to borrow from my parents to get the parts and rent the tools needed and take a couple days off work. I really hate to borrow money from my folks. Trying to be independent here.
So total price list to fix the Ranger:
Front bearings, rotors and brakes: $230 <--Already done
New battery installed at the same time: $70 <-- Already done
Ball joints: $100
Tie rod ends: $60
Front end alignment: $70
A/C parts: $160 (got 'em at vendor pricing
) <--Already boughtA/C vacuum and recharge: $70
Rear brake drums, shoes and wheel cylinders $150
Set of used tires: $200-$400 hopefully plus mount and balance
Grand total: $1,210 estimated to get this truck ready and reliable for commuting 100 miles one way at least twice a month.
The alternative is turn it in on this cash for clunkers program towards a new vehicle, either for myself if it's possible or for my mom who will then give me her '03 Toyota 4Runner. It's a V6, 2wd, 60,000 miles. Very reliable and the A/C works! Basically essential in Florida summertime. Drives well, gets better mileage than my truck does currently and would serve all my purposes.
Well that's a really long post but everything is laid out. All the facts. Please weigh in and let me know where you would go if presented with this situation.
you like a hop skip and a shift away 
