The Ford Ranger has had a huge fan base for many years. It doesn’t matter if it’s 4WD, 2WD, off-road, or street mini truck. There is a huge fan base for each segment. It’s definitely not an old man truck. So, when I first saw this 1998 Ford Ranger XLT appear online, I took offense to the authors description:
The Ford Ranger is both the official vehicle of TikTok and 70-year-olds everywhere who just want an honest pickup. Even with its place in meme culture and hardware store parking lots, it’s sort of an uncommon enthusiast platform—especially the third generation.
I’m not a 70-year-old man, and I definitely don’t do Tik Tok, and I think the Ranger looks amazing. So much so that I wanted to share it here with people that would truly appreciate it.
The Ranger came with a 2.5L four-cylinder and 5-speed manual transmission. The suspension has been replaced with a Blue Torch Fab Mid-Travel suspension that’s good for 12-inches of wheel travel. The Fox 2.0 coilover shocks and lift spindles provide 7-inch of lift in the front. A pair of Deaver F31 leaf springs and Fox 2.0 shocks provide the lift in the rear. This isn’t a cheap setup. At over $5k, it likely cost’s twice what most people have spent lift a 1998-2011 Ford Ranger 4×4.
All of that suspenion made room for a set of 33-inch Yokohama Geolandars mounted on a set of 15×10 Eagle Alloy Series 117 wheels.
In the bed you’ll find a Faction Fab spare tire carrier and a Go Rhino sports bar with a pair of 100-watt off-road lights to light up the night.
On the inside, the stock seats were replaced with a pair of Diamond stitched Tanaka racing seats. I love the rich brown color of these seats and they’re definitely a huge improvement over the boring gray seats that came from the factory. A Hurst short-throw shifter also improves the look of the interior.
I think it’s a great looking truck and you should too. I hope you appreciate the owners’ vision as much as I do.
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About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
