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

[sgtsandman]

Never put something in some place you’ll never lose it! It’s guaranteed to get lost until you buy a replacement. Then you’ll find the damn thing.

 

[sgtsandman]

Transmission is dropped and the slave cylinder is changed. It’s a good thing I got the master/slave combo kit. The connection is different.

Both are installed. Now to get the tranny back up in the truck. Oh, and the aft O2 sensors stripped out in the driver’s side cat. So I get to replace that and pick all the bits out of the threads in the bung. STILL NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME!

 

[sgtsandman]

Don’t loose your key while your working on it......

I locked it in the truck for safe keeping.

Just kidding. And I have a spare in case I have a “senior moment”.

 

[Dirtman]

I locked it in the truck for safe keeping.

Just kidding. And I have a spare in case I have a “senior moment”.

I bought one of those magnetic lock boxes I keep hidden under the frame with a spare key for those moments.

I also keep some spare heartburn medicine and an extra pair of reading glasses in my glovebox cause it's way hip to be prepared. Word up yo!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So I only got the one head off before I remembered about checking the F-150 which lead to as thorough of a search as could be mustered for the wheel lock key that is MIA. There has traditionally been three places I keep it. I am currently rather satisfied that it exists in none of those places at the moment. I used it recently to do a wheel bearing up at my buddies garage and I remember at some point after that seeing it, picking it up, and saying it was going to get put in a safe, secure place. Total blank after that. That safe and secure place should have been one of the three places that it gets kept. I really don’t want to destroy the lug nut. Tried just about everything I could think of to get it off without destroying it and without the key to no avail. Really regretting not getting a spare key for the lugs now.

Brakes for the rear of mom’s SUV we’re supposed to come today and I figured I’d grease the fronts before they could become a problem, well, the inside pad on the one front had apparently already become a problem so now it needs front brakes too. The rears never showed today.

Dads Ranger needs new front wheel bearings, and you may have guessed, but they are somewhere in transit too.

My red Ranger is still waiting for the transmission parts, which you guessed it, are somewhere in transit.

So at the moment, I have zero working vehicles and my parents aren’t much better off. Unless I have an epiphany and find the key for the wheel locks by tomorrow, I’m thinking my next best course of action may be to put a new trans filter in the red Ranger and fresh fluid just so I have something driveable and deal with the valve body in the trans whenever I eventually get the parts. Not sure I have much other options at this point. Going to really hate having to drop the transmission pan twice.

Parts stores usually "loan" those sockets. You pay full price and they credit you back when you return it.

 

[broncc]

Had a buddy over today to powder coat his brakes and well...



But on the RBV front I did some more welding today. This stuff sure takes time. Too much time.

 

[Dirtman]

Wheel locks are the stupidest thing ever created. They only cause problems for the people who own them, no thief in the history of mankind has ever been foiled by a wheel lock. If someone wants your rims, they are taking them with or without "locks".

 

[racsan]

Is wheel theft really a “thing” anymore? I know back in the late 80’s when gen 1 rangers came with alloy wheels standard if they were a manual transmission youd sometimes find a ranger on blocks with no wheels on a sunday morning at the back of a dealership lot, but anymore if you see or hear of anything its just vandalism that happens.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Parts stores usually "loan" those sockets. You pay full price and they credit you back when you return it.

I have one of those sockets. It chews up the wheel lock so I was not so willing to use it, but when I about gave up, I tried it, and it’s too small. So back to square one. I really don’t want to destroy the lug nut though

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Is wheel theft really a “thing” anymore? I know back in the late 80’s when gen 1 rangers came with alloy wheels standard if they were a manual transmission youd sometimes find a ranger on blocks with no wheels on a sunday morning at the back of a dealership lot, but anymore if you see or hear of anything its just vandalism that happens.

I feel like even if it’s a thing, wheel lock removers and battery powered impacts make it a moot point. I mostly kept them on for nostalgia and the fact that the F-150 has a nice set of Alcoa alloys

 

[sgtsandman]

Wheel locks, like locks on a vehicle or tool box deter or slow down a more “honest” thief. So, they still have their use but not as much as they once did.

 

[broncc]

Unfourtunately wheel theft still is a thing. I've seen it a few times lately. Accord sport wheels are a super hot item. "Real" aftermarket wheels, too.

 

[ericbphoto]

Went out driving in it. Wanted to explore some roads I haven't been on before. But apparently it isn't "road season".

 

[Dirtman]

Roads need vacations too...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Got the pesky wheel lock off with too much damage to it. Hammered a 12pt socket on… of course the brakes were greased and moving smooth because I lubed everything and made sure it worked right when I did the wheel bearings a couple weeks ago. Outside pad looked brand new, inside pad was g-o-n-e. Caliper piston pushed back in nice and easy. No idea what happened unless the bonded pad came unbonded. Threw a cheap pair of pads on just to be back mobile. Went to start on the red Ranger and it decided to rain, so I’m in a holding pattern