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


Uncle Gump

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They work well for cedar stumps too..

.
stumps2.jpg
 


Rick W

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Ok, Riddle me this:

🤔. So I got the number off the lock on my free Ranger toolbox, went online, ordered two keys and got them in 3 days. That was great for me, but why can’t anybody do that for anybody else’s tool box, or are we assuming theives are too dumb to order keys online?

🤔
 
Last edited:

snoranger

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I didn't ask for your life story, just answer the question!
Ok, Riddle me this:

🤔. So I got the number off the lock on my free Ranger toolbox, went online, ordered two keys and got them in 3 days. That was great for me, but why can’t anybody do that for anybody else’s tool box, or are we assuming thrives are too dumb to order keys online?

🤔
They can.
 

sgtsandman

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Pre-2008 lift/Stock
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31X10.5R15/265/65R17
Connected the receiver hitch/ball, a 30' 9000lb tow strap, put it in 4L, and pulled 6 huge 9' Pampas Grass clusters out of the ground. Sure beat digging them out with a shovel. The ranger is proving more useful than a Swiss Army knife.
I would highly recommend just using a hitch pin as an anchor next time. Hitch balls are not designed for that kind of load and eventually become a projectile.
 

Roert42

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Ok, Riddle me this:

🤔. So I got the number off the lock on my free Ranger toolbox, went online, ordered two keys and got them in 3 days. That was great for me, but why can’t anybody do that for anybody else’s tool box, or are we assuming thrives are too dumb to order keys online?

🤔
Theft is usually a crime of convenience.
 

racsan

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2009
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ford/escape
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2.5 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.5/151 I-4
Transmission
Automatic
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2WD
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235/70/16
My credo
the grey-t escape
Ok, Riddle me this:

🤔. So I got the number off the lock on my free Ranger toolbox, went online, ordered two keys and got them in 3 days. That was great for me, but why can’t anybody do that for anybody else’s tool box, or are we assuming thrives are too dumb to order keys online?

🤔
oh they can, my box trailer was locked with keyed padlocks, had a e-z up canopy inside along with some tires. The canopy came up missing and I know it was stolen as that was where I stored it. Luckily thats all that came up missing. The locks weren’t broken and still work though I took them off and havent used them again. I do remember there was a number on the bottom of the lock, shoulda defaced that somehow.
 

scotts90ranger

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I would highly recommend just using a hitch pin as an anchor next time. Hitch balls are not designed for that kind of load and eventually become a projectile.
I was going to respond with the same thing, the hitch pin is way more convenient too, strap falls off less... I see a lot of people getting really crazy and going way overboard with shackles and so forth getting adapters just to deal with the twist lock pin that is always stuck... no tools required with a pin!

Hauled the boat trailer tire to the tire shop to get a new one put on today, that's about it other than commuting duty, the sploder will be used to haul the boat to a lake on Saturday since it's supposed to be a billion degrees this weekend...
 

lil_Blue_Ford

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oh they can, my box trailer was locked with keyed padlocks, had a e-z up canopy inside along with some tires. The canopy came up missing and I know it was stolen as that was where I stored it. Luckily thats all that came up missing. The locks weren’t broken and still work though I took them off and havent used them again. I do remember there was a number on the bottom of the lock, shoulda defaced that somehow.
This is why I rely on a better grade of padlock anymore. My local Home Depot no longer carries them but there was 4 packs of a Masterlock padlock that looked like the American locks that are so common in commercial use, but had a boron carbide shackle and no numbers stamped on it. Ball bearing latch so not able to shim. The bad is it uses a standard 4 pin lock cylinder, but here’s the fun part, the cylinder is replaceable and re-keyable. Plus, you can knock the cylinder out and the spacer and replace it with a 5 pin cylinder for about 5-10 bucks. Now you have a decent lock without spending a fortune. My other favorite is the Abus 83 series locks which have replaceable cylinders and can take things like 5 pin house keys or 6 pin commercial keys.

Another favorite is to take apart a numbered lock and pin it to a new key. I like making things more challenging. Locksmithing is a hobby/side project for me.
 

racsan

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2WD
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My credo
the grey-t escape
The problem I saw with putting a “good” lock on it is that the hasp aint all that stout, put a long screwdriver/tire iron/prybar through it and twist, you’d probably gain access and the lock would be untouched. At the end of the day a lock merely keeps a honest person honest.
 

Rick W

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Engine Size
4.0 & 2.9
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
97 stock, 3” on 87
Total Drop
N/A
Tire Size
235/75-15
My credo
Never put off ‘til tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely
Yeah, locks are for relatively honest people. Unfortunately in the age of instant broadcast and communication, there’s more temptation. I’m almost sorry I posted about this, but I was astonished they didn’t even ask a question, and now I’m afraid I educated some of the unworthy, certainly not the folks who spoke up.

When I was in college, some wise soul figured out that if you pour salt water down the coin slot, the machine dropped all its change. So the school newspaper ran it and, the next day, every vending machine was empty. The only reason I mention it is it doesn’t work anymore. Media is about chaos and ratings (money) these days, no investigative reporting to root out the corrupt and fight for what’s right….
 

racsan

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Automatic
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2WD
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235/70/16
My credo
the grey-t escape
Its funny how some things just invite temptation, for example a barn near where I used to grow up- Ive drove by it for years, never gave it a second thought. One day a “no trespassing “ sign appeared, only then did I wonder what was in there. You could put a sign under a button randomly installed on a wall, hooked up to a overhead air horn, sign saying do NOT push button, you know someone would push it.
Dad said that back in the day you would only lock the front door if you were away, just to let someone know you weren’t home but youd leave the back door unlocked in case they needed in for a phone or other emergency reasons. Not now, even with locks, cameras, dogs ect nothing seems safe . Im out in the country and keep the back yard closed up most of the time. Kind of a pain every time I have to mow.
 

snoranger

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I didn't ask for your life story, just answer the question!
Its funny how some things just invite temptation, for example a barn near where I used to grow up- Ive drove by it for years, never gave it a second thought. One day a “no trespassing “ sign appeared, only then did I wonder what was in there. You could put a sign under a button randomly installed on a wall, hooked up to a overhead air horn, sign saying do NOT push button, you know someone would push it.
Dad said that back in the day you would only lock the front door if you were away, just to let someone know you weren’t home but youd leave the back door unlocked in case they needed in for a phone or other emergency reasons. Not now, even with locks, cameras, dogs ect nothing seems safe . Im out in the country and keep the back yard closed up most of the time. Kind of a pain every time I have to mow.
61957
 

Roert42

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I live outside a small rural town. Very friendly neighbors.

Someone stole my wife’s car out of the driveway. Both her escape and my truck were normal sitting unlocked in the driveway. Now we gotta check to see the cars are locked every night before we go to sleep.
 

Rick W

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Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
97 stock, 3” on 87
Total Drop
N/A
Tire Size
235/75-15
My credo
Never put off ‘til tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely
& depending on what kind of dog, they’ll steal the dog too!!
 

lil_Blue_Ford

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So I still don’t really want to talk about yesterday, but I suppose I should…

My goal was to work on the green Ranger, get the plugs and wires changed, fuel rail and injectors, harness, bolt the headers on and set it in place. The wires were stamped Ford and 1998 and the plugs were Motorcraft so I’m thinking they were all original, but a test Friday night had two of the plugs out without any trouble at all with a 3/8” ratchet. Plugs are completely toast (no idea how it ran, the gap is over .060 and they are badly fouled). But at any rate I had a high degree of confidence that it was going to work. I needed a thin wall socket for the back plugs but I figured I could taper a cheap socket and be golden.

Enter Saturday morning. Managed to get one of the back plugs out without a modified socket, another of the front ones, then snapped the #1 plug off. Fine. I’ll move on and go run for parts later. Figured I’d pull the intake. Well, one of the 5.0 cover screws came right out after cleaning around it and stuff. The other, well, I broke my T-20 with a 1/4” ratchet, then two more T-20s with my 12v impact. Dug out a fourth and tried a hand impact (one of those you hammer on) and stripped the screw out. Decided to make a parts run. Got what I thought I’d need, got back, modified a socket, pulled the rest of the plugs with no problem (figures), and fought with the broken one for hours. Heated it with an acetylene plumbers torch, used Freeze-off, chiseled around it until I got every bit of rust free, put a punch that fit down to the shoulder and hammered on it to shock it free, worked at it with an easy-out, rinse and repeat. Finally thought it started to budge so I leaned harder and snapped the easy out. Tried to get that loose or shatter it but no go. So it’s looking like the head has to come off now.

At this point I feel like I’m hosed either way and maybe I should just go for broke and give the motor a good going through or rebuild it. Was trying not to get that involved to save on money and time, but if the heads have to come off, I feel like I should just do it right. Not exactly what I needed right now with everything else broken.
 

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