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Seriously considering a new tow rig....input?


rusty ol ranger

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I really like that truck on autotrader. Vinyl floor and cloth seats are a prefect combo imo. I like it is base with not to many options. It is just going to do what a truck needs to do.

Exactly. Thats what i want.
 


85_Ranger4x4

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Exactly. Thats what i want.
You might keep an eye out for an STX too, they are a slightly dressed up XL.

More color matching, alloy wheels... nothing really fancy but none of the stuff that is just about rattle canned (bumpers and wheels) and gets rusty in 2 years.

There is a brand new one on display at the county fair, even has a rubber floor.

They have a appearance package too that also gets you alloy wheels and chrome bumpers which I would probably prefer. Whatever the base finish is for XL bumpers and wheels is crap. I am all for saving money but I think that would really help it stay looking nice longer.
 
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85_Ranger4x4

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Did we just go from wanting a basic XL truck with rubber floors to a Lariat?

I don't see a tugboat listed to help dock that thing, must be sold separately.
 

rusty ol ranger

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Dirtman

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0 mpg city 0 mpg highway.... Seems about right :icon_rofl:
 

rusty ol ranger

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0 mpg city 0 mpg highway.... Seems about right :icon_rofl:

My 460 averages 13 mostly highway, and dumps to about 8 or 9 towing, so i can deal.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Keep in mind around 100k SD’s usually need the frond end redone. Bad enough to buy the truck without turning around and throwing $1-1.5k at it right away if you didn’t plan on it.
 

rusty ol ranger

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Keep in mind around 100k SD’s usually need the frond end redone. Bad enough to buy the truck without turning around and throwing $1-1.5k at it right away if you didn’t plan on it.
Hadnt heard that little fact. We talkin just tie rods and ball joints? Or literally the whole damn thing.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Hadnt heard that little fact. We talkin just tie rods and ball joints? Or literally the whole damn thing.
Yeah ball joints,TRE’s... typical wear stuff.

Probably not that much to diy but still something to keep in mind.
 

Will

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Those are ball-joint Dana 60s. They had kingpins before. I do know people first-hand that got rid of their Superduty when the front end wore out. You don't need a ball joint when you only have one plane of motion. TTB--TIB Ranger's could have used kingpins. Everything BIG uses kingpins. Why did Ford start using balljoints in their heavy pickups? And why did those joints fail early?

I'm guessing there is a manufacturing reason that makes balljoints cheaper to use. And I'm guessing that the lack of motion in the balljoint makes it fail sooner due to lack of lubrication.
 

rusty ol ranger

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Those are ball-joint Dana 60s. They had kingpins before. I do know people first-hand that got rid of their Superduty when the front end wore out. You don't need a ball joint when you only have one plane of motion. TTB--TIB Ranger's could have used kingpins. Everything BIG uses kingpins. Why did Ford start using balljoints in their heavy pickups? And why did those joints fail early?

I'm guessing there is a manufacturing reason that makes balljoints cheaper to use. And I'm guessing that the lack of motion in the balljoint makes it fail sooner due to lack of lubrication.
Ive actually wondered why they switched myself. The old kingpin TIBs ive had (they used them till 80 or 82), never have any front end issues.
 

Will

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They used them until like '91. There was a some weird year or 2 in the early 80s when the F350 had a TTB Dana 50. Otherwise the F350 was a kingpin Dana 60 until the '92 update. I think that's right.

I have a set of axles from an '87 K30--kingpin Dana 60 and 14-bolt Corp. Lovely set of axles. Have no idea what I am going to do with them.
 
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Will

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Sorry, you said kingpin TIB. I have no idea about that.
 

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Regular cab 2wd, 8' bed with standard 3.3v6, 290hp, 5,000 towing. $28,000 is not too bad. If you could find such a basic truck.

Logging crummies (what you described) are common out here. price even better on used ones...... 2013 F150 4x4, EB, standard cab, vinyl interior, rubber floors, A/C and AM/FM/CD/MP3 player.... $12K-$15K for under 100 thousand miles
 

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