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

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You guys can handle canadian beer?

I can handle any good beer and a good number of marginal ones… One of my favorites is a Russian Imperial Stout that I brew myself that comes in right around 12-14%…

 

[scotts90ranger]

Going camping/wheeling starting Thursday through Sunday, didn't think to load the 400EX in the back of the '90 yesterday when I had time so hurried tonight... started off by cutting the 2" thick blanket of grass off of the rear driveshaft from my escapade last weekend when I got stuck... then loaded some firewood around the 4 wheeler... Saturday I hooked the trailer to the back of the F350 with the camper on it... Wednesday I'll load the Ranger on the trailer then stick pallets around it...

The wheel bearing on the '97 weren't the weird noise, I think it's just uneven wear on the new brake pads since they were on a not great rotor for a couple days... I'll just ignore it for a while...

 

[Bill]

I drove it to work on the spare donut tire. I have a replacement tire expected to be here in several days.

Sadly the 15” truck tire is slowly going away. More and more, trucks are coming with 16”+. So the demand is going away. Bigger wheels and smaller sidewalls are the favored look for many and that is what the manufacturers are catering to.

I don’t like it but manufacturers are going to make and sell product to the biggest crowd. Not to the margins.

It's not that so many people want it. It's that it's another line item on the sticker to justify a higher price. Around here, when it comes to SUVs and trucks, the only people who want giant wheels fitted with rubber bands on them can be categorized in one demographic. And it wouldn't be too bad if they came with 16" wheels. That's in the ballbark for most trucks and 4x4s. They're coming with 18" wheels with 2" of rubber wrapped on them. That's not something anyone who drives off the pavement really wants.

 

[snoranger]

The 2020 F150 has 350mm rotors (13.78”)… try putting a 15 or 16” wheel on there.

 

[scotts90ranger]

If bigger wheels are needed for bigger brakes that's fine, but a 150/1500 class truck with 33" tires and 22" wheels stock is silly, and all the guys out there with 2" backspacing 15" wide 25" diameter wheels with 33" tires (to make it even better using Boggers or another aggressive mud tire) with 8" lift on an otherwise stock 4x4 truck is a DUMB trend that needs to STOP. Sure it was neat at first but then anyone with a brain stop to think what if any functionality they are gaining, I'm pretty sure more is lost than gained... can't air down for better traction, the tires are just going to dig and go nowhere, balljoints are going to HATE life. Silly part is they all have aggressive tires but they're all completely spotless, have never seen dirt or a gravel road...

Not that I notice that type of thing or anything... . I think I drive faster in my '90 with 35" tires on 8" wide 15" wheels than many other cars I'm around somehow, it drives me insane having to pass or honk at people while in a gutless hooptie when they cut me off and go 10 under the limit...

Doing vehicle mods to gain functionality has seemingly gone out of style...

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Changed the oil and filter, cabin filter, and air filter. Gonna get the front and rear diffs this weekend and hopefully get her a good bath and some wax before it gets too cold here in Tennessee.

 

[Ranger850]

If bigger wheels are needed for bigger brakes that's fine, but a 150/1500 class truck with 33" tires and 22" wheels stock is silly, and all the guys out there with 2" backspacing 15" wide 25" diameter wheels with 33" tires (to make it even better using Boggers or another aggressive mud tire) with 8" lift on an otherwise stock 4x4 truck is a DUMB trend that needs to STOP. Sure it was neat at first but then anyone with a brain stop to think what if any functionality they are gaining, I'm pretty sure more is lost than gained... can't air down for better traction, the tires are just going to dig and go nowhere, balljoints are going to HATE life. Silly part is they all have aggressive tires but they're all completely spotless, have never seen dirt or a gravel road...

Not that I notice that type of thing or anything... . I think I drive faster in my '90 with 35" tires on 8" wide 15" wheels than many other cars I'm around somehow, it drives me insane having to pass or honk at people while in a gutless hooptie when they cut me off and go 10 under the limit...

Doing vehicle mods to gain functionality has seemingly gone out of style...

I look at those guys the same way I look at people with hydraulics on old Chevy Impalas. They're not doing ANYTHING for functionality, strictly looks. A lot of times, if they KNOW it pisses a certain group off, they exaggerate it and then we get "Bro Doziers" to light up Mall parking lots at night.

 

[superj]

Just got back with it from our last camping trip of the year, spent the weekend on the shore of the upper end of Moosehead lake.

Went up Friday, ended up raining 5" throughout the day lol... super glad we got a lean-to site.

By the time we woke up Saturday morning it was clearing off nicely.. and stayed pretty clear & sunny the rest of the weekend.

View attachment 83971

The view from the lean-to this morning.


Did a little (literal) bush whacking down some old unmaintained roads too, had a couple butt pucker moments and one good "oh God dammit" moment as well....

View attachment 83972

I'll go more into the truck-stuff part of the trip in my 'build thread'

both of those are beautiful pictures

 

[sgtsandman]

I drove it to work on the spare donut tire. I have a replacement tire expected to be here in several days.



It's not that so many people want it. It's that it's another line item on the sticker to justify a higher price. Around here, when it comes to SUVs and trucks, the only people who want giant wheels fitted with rubber bands on them can be categorized in one demographic. And it wouldn't be too bad if they came with 16" wheels. That's in the ballbark for most trucks and 4x4s. They're coming with 18" wheels with 2" of rubber wrapped on them. That's not something anyone who drives off the pavement really wants.

I agree and disagree at the same time. The big wheel and low profile tire look has caught on with much of the population. This is also the same population that rarely ever sees an unpaved road beyond maybe a gravel one.

The bigger wheel upgrade is certainly something one is forced into with certain packages. I had to make that choice when I ordered my 2019. I wanted the 16” wheels but had to choose the 17” because of the package choices I had to make in order to get the FX4 package.

Now, I can certainly buy my own wheels and do the conversion myself if I so choose now that they are available. It all depends on how badly I want to do it.

Anyway, since the majority of the market wants bigger wheels and lower profile tires, that is who the manufacturers cater to. The off road crowd either makes do or they spend the money for the wheels and tires they really want and sell of the unwanted ones.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

No work to the Ranger today, still recovering. I did take the opportunity to order some more stuff for the project though

 

[pjtoledo]

checked a used axle shaft for runout, then polished the seal surface with compound and a thick boot string.

 

[ericbphoto]

checked a used axle shaft for runout, then polished the seal surface with compound and a thick boot string.

You're the man, PJ.

 

[pjtoledo]

You're the man, PJ.

you should have seen the jig I rigged up on the bench to check run out. I used a vise for the bearing.

 

[Bill]

I agree and disagree at the same time. The big wheel and low profile tire look has caught on with much of the population. This is also the same population that rarely ever sees an unpaved road beyond maybe a gravel one.

The bigger wheel upgrade is certainly something one is forced into with certain packages. I had to make that choice when I ordered my 2019. I wanted the 16” wheels but had to choose the 17” because of the package choices I had to make in order to get the FX4 package.

Now, I can certainly buy my own wheels and do the conversion myself if I so choose now that they are available. It all depends on how badly I want to do it.

Anyway, since the majority of the market wants bigger wheels and lower profile tires, that is who the manufacturers cater to. The off road crowd either makes do or they spend the money for the wheels and tires they really want and sell of the unwanted ones.

Maybe it's a regional thing. Over here I hear people complaining about the wheels being too large.

 

[sgtsandman]

Maybe it's a regional thing. Over here I hear people complaining about the wheels being too large.

Could be. We still have people rolling around with bigger wheels than reasonable around here. We don’t see the massive wheels with the rubber band tires often but with as bad as the roads are here, ultra low profile tires is a real gamble. But some people do have more money than brains. So...