Last of the REAL 4x4 Rangers?

[pmhvps]

Hey all, need to know when the last of the REAL 4x4 Rangers were made. All you extreme 4x4 guys know what I mean. Manual shift transfer case and either manual or auto locking hubs.(the ones where you have to back up about 10 -15 feet. I'm sick and tired of these electronic pieces of SH!^. Nothing but problems. Good for nothing but suits and house wives. Yep, I hate progress.

Mike.

 

[brendank]

If you have to back up to unlock your auto hubs, there's something wrong with them.

I'm not interested in anything 98+, mainly because I don't own one, and never have. That doesn't mean that they're any better or worse than the older gen's. There's advantages and disadvantages to both.

AFAIK, they still offer the manual t-cases, and you can buy AVM manual hubs to convert.

 

[Jspafford]

You want a 1997 model. Last of the automatic locking hubs that had to be reversed to disengage. They stopped offering the manual shift t-case in 2003.

 

[Hardwareman]

That's the way my old K-5's and Dodge RamCharger's were. After you unlocked the hubs just back up about 10ft or so until they disengaged. My buddy's 2007 F-350's 4x4 just stopped working because of a silenoid.....duh!

Don't get me wrong though, his truck is awesome but a true REAL 4x4 to me has to be manual everything. Later.




Allen

 

[pmhvps]

Ah yes, 1997. Thanks for the reply. When were the manual locking hubs phased out?

Mike.

 

[MAKG]

brendan, my Exploder's owner's manual says you have to back up to disengage the auto hubs. And I've seen it in action. Come off an unpaved road, turn off 4WD with the push button, and blast up to highway speed. You can hear the axleshafts turning.... I thought I blew a wheel bearing. And as soon as I backed up, it was gone.

I've since retrofitted manual hubs, so it's not an issue anymore.

 

[Jspafford]

1997

 

[c_note]

the last "real" 4x4 ranger and the only real 4x4 rangers (in my eyes) is the 02/03 fx4. all manual and live axles, 8.8 and l/s with 31 spline. every now and then i wish i had manual hubs, but im somtimes glad i dont have to get out in the mud to engage them.i will never have a vacuum problem either.

 

[brendank]

brendan, my Exploder's owner's manual says you have to back up to disengage the auto hubs. And I've seen it in action. Come off an unpaved road, turn off 4WD with the push button, and blast up to highway speed. You can hear the axleshafts turning.... I thought I blew a wheel bearing. And as soon as I backed up, it was gone.

I've since retrofitted manual hubs, so it's not an issue anymore.

Really? I've seen some rangers where the auto hubs wouldn't disengage without backing and others that worked fine without. I don't know much about auto hubs, mainly because I've never owned a ranger with them, but I always just assumed that something was sticking if you had to back up to unlock.

Good to know.

 

[compleckz]

my 92 f150 i always had to reverse to unlock the auto hubs...

but my 97 ranger i only had to reverse sometimes, i ended up breaking both hubs, so maybe they were failing the whole time..

 

[Bent Bolt]

My buddy's 2007 F-350's 4x4 just stopped working because of a silenoid.....duh!

Don't get me wrong though, his truck is awesome but a true REAL 4x4 to me has to be manual everything. Later.

Allen

Every 4x4 Super Duty built from 1999 to the current model has manual hub override with the auto hubs. If the owner were to read the owner's manual they'd see that instead of "getting stuck because the front hubs would not engage".

Give me a break.

 

[metalmacguyver]

1997. the last year of the strong front suspension/drivetrain.

 

[Ozwynn]

brendan, my Exploder's owner's manual says you have to back up to disengage the auto hubs. And I've seen it in action. Come off an unpaved road, turn off 4WD with the push button, and blast up to highway speed. You can hear the axleshafts turning.... I thought I blew a wheel bearing. And as soon as I backed up, it was gone.

I've since retrofitted manual hubs, so it's not an issue anymore.

why did you have your 4wd engaged on an unpaved road? even with my lock outs I'm too lazy to get out and lock them in until I absolutely have to have them. the only times I have ever been stuck to the point I needed help I was in 4wd. come to think of it, I never engaged the 4wd on the explorer either until I absolutely had to have it.
I still do most of my playing in 2wd. 4wd is for deep snow and deep mud and Teffie's AWD minivan goes better in the snow than the suburban or the landcruiser. Most of the things that the average off-roader does can be done in 2wd.

to answer the question at hand it was what ever year that was the last TTB.

 

[Bent Bolt]

why did you have your 4wd engaged on an unpaved road? Most of the things that the average off-roader does can be done in 2wd.

Really now ??? I better yank out my front diff and driveshaft.

 

[compleckz]

1997. the last year of the strong front suspension/drivetrain.

thats debatable