What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[sgtsandman]

Last night I finally replaced my spark plugs and wires on my 98 2.5L. Haven't changed them before and the #3 wire boot on the passenger side was partially melted and visibly arcing/ticking while running.

Boy, that was not fun. I had the wobble extensions, etc. so the actual plug removal and install was the easy part. One of those flex cable claw grabber tools actually worked great to feed the plug down to the socket and get it started. Getting the wire boots off #3 and #4 on the driver side sucked. I didn't have a long enough pliers and they didn't have the plastic handle covers on them. When I finally got #3 boot off, the metal inside of the plug boot stayed on the plug so I couldn't get my deep socket on it so I had a heck of a time with that. Then #4 did the same thing. Luckily, my wife doesn't mind working on cars and has small hands and came out to help.

Snaking the new wires and boots with the plastic puller handles on them was another pain for #3 and #4. It was almost impossible to get them turned into position and lined up properly. I'm still not sure I got them pushed back on all the way.

Anyway, I was up til 1am and this morning I ordered a set of 11" long reach needle and ring nose pliers, lol.

Those driver's side plugs are a real bear for sure. Been there. I think the 2.3 engines are the same deal, at least the dual plug versions.

 

[sgtsandman]

Got all the preventative maintenance done on the 2011. For a 12 year old truck, she's holding up pretty good, though age is starting to show. The front, passenger side brake splash shield has separated from the knuckle and the driver's side is partially broken off. Time to do something about that.

The parking shoes are showing their age now too. The passenger side, upper shoe material is delaminating from the backing. So, I have to get those and a new set of hardware on order for that as well.

 

[racsan]

My front brake splash sheilds are long gone. Today I really used my ranger, took the cap off and went to menards. 2 trips actually. 1st trip was 6 bags topsoil, 14 bags mulch, 56 12” x 3” paver things and 2 hanging baskets. Trip 2 was 12 bags river rock and 15 (more) bags of mulch. I did get the garden in before todays rain, so even though I still need to do the mulch & concrete borders around the maples lining the driveway I am still calling today a success. Got home just before the rain.

 

[sgtsandman]

My front brake splash sheilds are long gone.

They are still available for mine and only about $11 a side. So, inexpensive enough to replace them. I have enough brake issues in the back as it is, that I'd rather not exacerbate the situation with additional exposure for the front ones. The plan is that I'm going to be gone for the fall, playing in the never ending operations in the Middle East. I typically get a bunch of corrosion on the back brakes, which forces me to change the rotors and pads as a result. Why just the back? You're guess is as good as mine. But it is what it is and I'll have to set aside about $200 for it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

They are still available for mine and only about $11 a side. So, inexpensive enough to replace them. I have enough brake issues in the back as it is, that I'd rather not exacerbate the situation with additional exposure for the front ones. The plan is that I'm going to be gone for the fall, playing in the never ending operations in the Middle East. I typically get a bunch of corrosion on the back brakes, which forces me to change the rotors and pads as a result. Why just the back? You're guess is as good as mine. But it is what it is and I'll have to set aside about $200 for it.

Maybe the splash shields are kinda trapping moisture and without them the back it wouldn’t get so bad? Just a thought. They are long gone on most of my trucks…

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Installed gray WeatherTech floor mats front and rear. The truck has gray carpeting, including carpeted floor mats that the WeatherTech products replaced. The driver's side has the snaps to secure them to the plastic pins in the carpet. (For that matter, so does the new passenger's side mat, but that side has no matching pins in the floor. Was a right-hand drive version of the old Ranger sold somewhere?)

Don't worry, I still kept the original carpeted mats, which are in good shape. I wanted to keep them that way, as I'm always tracking grass clippings and getting dirt on them.

I used WeatherTech mats in my old Escort wagon years ago, and they are a good product. These new mats were "laser-fit" and do fit and cover nicely. They are available in black, tan, or gray.

But if your later old-style Ranger has a manual transmission or has a vinyl floor covering, the company does not have a mat recommended for those applications. Probably not enough of those trucks were out there to persuade the company to make mats for them.

 

[sgtsandman]

Maybe the splash shields are kinda trapping moisture and without them the back it wouldn’t get so bad? Just a thought. They are long gone on most of my trucks…

Possible. It only seems to be an issue when the truck sits for months at a time. When driven regularly, rotor rust doesn’t seem to be a problem.

 

[Walksnotruns22]

Got the tags for it finally so now I can drive it around and see if all the work I did recently changes anything.

 

[superj]

Ranger got washed by the huge storm this morning. No more bird poop

 

[Angry Possum]

I installed the Flowmaster FX Muffler yesterday. Sounds like a classic muscle car, left the Cat in. I cut off the whole length of the tailpipe to the muffler. I think the Ranger is a little quicker. Hey can this happen by cutting off the long tailpipe that joins to the muffler or is it just my imagination? Less resistance?

 

[Walksnotruns22]

Ranger got washed by the huge storm this morning. No more bird poop

I wish these storm would not only wash the bird poop away but the birds as well that sit above my truck

 

[Uncle Gump]

I installed the Flowmaster FX Muffler yesterday. Sounds like a classic muscle car, left the Cat in. I cut off the whole length of the tailpipe to the muffler. I think the Ranger is a little quicker. Hey can this happen by cutting off the long tailpipe that joins to the muffler or is it just my imagination? Less resistance?

It probably didn't change a thing. I think the increased sound level just gives us the "sense" that we're gitten-r-done much quicker.

Curious to what you think of the sound level after it's not new and exciting. Many times without a tail pipe you end up with a kind of annoying droning noise while just cruising.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

It probably didn't change a thing. I think the increased sound level just gives us the "sense" that we're gitten-r-done much quicker.

Curious to what you think of the sound level after it's not new and exciting. Many times without a tail pipe you end up with a kind of annoying droning noise while just cruising.

This, and the extra noise outside the truck attracts the kind of attention you might not want.

To be honest, I find unnecessarily loud cars and motorcycles annoying, but I'm not saying that Angry Possum's is that way. That mod probably didn't make his Ranger that much noisier. A little louder is all right, but at some point the hot-rodders are making noise to make noise with no real gain.

 

[Ranger850]

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Who drove the 3rd vehicle?
Assuming you drove The Aluminum Falcon, and @Mrs. Eighty Five drove "Rocko", I can only imagine "jr" sitting on a phone book with wooden blocks strapped to the pedals of the Wart Hog.