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

[superj]

Motorsport clone diff cover is on. I did some machining (i have a grinder and am not scared to use it) on the internal fin that the tone ring kept touching. And its a go.

 

[scotts90ranger]

So far I've made side plates to bolt to the frame for the radius arm and transmission crossmember, drilled the holes and leaned in to check something and caught my forehead on the square corner on one... wasn't leaking too bad though...

Fired up the plasma cutter for the first time in a couple years to butcher the stock radius arm crossmember, worked fine, then made some strips of 3/16" steel to go on the bottom side of the frame, plasma is much nicer than angle grinder!

Stopped for dinner, will go back out and screw around here shortly...

 

[Rick W]

I rode over to caffeine and octane this morning, and I wrote that up under the thread I started. Truly, an amazing gathering, amazing vehicles.

I have a question about my 87 2.9 4-Wheel Dr. five speed. Short cab short bed. When I drive it around empty, it does everything I want it to do. I have no problem with hills, and it’ll go 75 or 80 miles an hour if I want to push it.

It seems like when I just put a few hundred pounds in it, or today pulling this trailer, that I hit some pretty mild inclines, and I’ll lose speed. If it’s more than a mild incline, I have to downshift to fourth, or maybe to third.

This trailer is an 88 bed on a thin 2 in.² stock frame, with an Aluminum weatherguard toolbox. It rolls on 15 inch wheels, 235/75/15 tires, and its balance very well. I can’t believe aerodynamics is an issue because it exactly parallels the truck.

The engine in the truck was a professionally rebuilt 2.9, with the upgrades on the heads and such, with 40,000 miles on it. I know the people I got it from.

My question is, is it normal for those 2.9‘s to lose speed with a light load like that? The 4.0 in the 97 doesn’t even lose speed when I’m pulling that step trailer with stuff on it. And one last thought on the 2.9, it was all new plugs and components when I put it in, about 5000 miles ago.

Is that kind of performance normal? Is there anything I should check? I’m already planning on changing the oil and swapping the filters, checking the plugs, but if there’s anything else I should be checking, somebody please let me know.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I imagine that's normal, the 2.9L is like 120hp (probably a touch low maybe 130, but not curious enough to look) and depending on the gear ratio and rpm at cruise it makes sense... on my '97 Ranger with 2.3L it's rated at like 105hp but if I drag like 5 pallets home from work I have to downshift in the right condition which is a couple particular hills where 5th is on the edge at 55mph empty IE if dumb people are in front of me I can't maintain 50mph...

When in a horsepower deficit you will have to downshift , I drive 4 cylinder Rangers, I understand, its' even more exaggerated...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I rode over to caffeine and octane this morning, and I wrote that up under the thread I started. Truly, an amazing gathering, amazing vehicles.

I have a question about my 87 2.9 4-Wheel Dr. five speed. Short cab short bed. When I drive it around empty, it does everything I want it to do. I have no problem with hills, and it’ll go 75 or 80 miles an hour if I want to push it.

It seems like when I just put a few hundred pounds in it, or today pulling this trailer, that I hit some pretty mild inclines, and I’ll lose speed. If it’s more than a mild incline, I have to downshift to fourth, or maybe to third.

This trailer is an 88 bed on a thin 2 in.² stock frame, with an Aluminum weatherguard toolbox. It rolls on 15 inch wheels, 235/75/15 tires, and its balance very well. I can’t believe aerodynamics is an issue because it exactly parallels the truck.

The engine in the truck was a professionally rebuilt 2.9, with the upgrades on the heads and such, with 40,000 miles on it. I know the people I got it from.

My question is, is it normal for those 2.9‘s to lose speed with a light load like that? The 4.0 in the 97 doesn’t even lose speed when I’m pulling that step trailer with stuff on it. And one last thought on the 2.9, it was all new plugs and components when I put it in, about 5000 miles ago.

Is that kind of performance normal? Is there anything I should check? I’m already planning on changing the oil and swapping the filters, checking the plugs, but if there’s anything else I should be checking, somebody please let me know.

What axle gears and tire size are you running on the 87? I think 3.73 gears are a decent gear for a stock Ranger and 4.10 if you want more pulling power. When you get to the 3.45 and 3.08 gears they can start to dog if you’re not just trying to drive it around empty all the time

 

[Rick W]

What axle gears and tire size are you running on the 87? I think 3.73 gears are a decent gear for a stock Ranger and 4.10 if you want more pulling power. When you get to the 3.45 and 3.08 gears they can start to dog if you’re not just trying to drive it around empty all the time

95% of the time I’m empty, and I am loving the gas mileage compared to all the other hogs I have. I can live with it on the rare occasion I’m pulling a trailer or actually carrying some weight.

I just wanted to make sure that that was normal, and that there shouldn’t be something I should be checking under the hood.

Remember, I’m spoiled, I could always buy and drive anything I wanted, and horsepower was never an issue. Not that I’m a hot rodder, I’ve just always been able to afford as much power as I might need, so this is a new experience for me. No biggie, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t about to break something.

Appreciate all the feedback

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

View attachment 110613

95% of the time I’m empty, and I am loving the gas mileage compared to all the other hogs I have. I can live with it on the rare occasion I’m pulling a trailer or actually carrying some weight.

I just wanted to make sure that that was normal, and that there shouldn’t be something I should be checking under the hood.

Remember, I’m spoiled, I could always buy and drive anything I wanted, and horsepower was never an issue. Not that I’m a hot rodder, I’ve just always been able to afford as much power as I might need, so this is a new experience for me. No biggie, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t about to break something.

Appreciate all the feedback

Well, you could add a supercharger or turbo…

 

[Bgunner]

View attachment 110613

95% of the time I’m empty, and I am loving the gas mileage compared to all the other hogs I have. I can live with it on the rare occasion I’m pulling a trailer or actually carrying some weight.

I just wanted to make sure that that was normal, and that there shouldn’t be something I should be checking under the hood.

Remember, I’m spoiled, I could always buy and drive anything I wanted, and horsepower was never an issue. Not that I’m a hot rodder, I’ve just always been able to afford as much power as I might need, so this is a new experience for me. No biggie, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t about to break something.

Appreciate all the feedback

Also keep in mind that 5th gear is overdrive and most automatic's recommend that you tow with overdrive off so having to downshift into 4th on a hill is not unusual in your scenario. Then add the 3.45 gearing and you will be hitting 4th maybe 3rd when towing up hills.

I have the 3.45 gear and the 3.0l in mine so less torque than what is available to you in the lower RPM range and I hit 4th quite often empty on the hills near me. I'm also in mountain country so our hills are a bit steeper than what you see in your flat land area. If I go around the mountains I can stay 4th to 5th gear but if I have to go over the foot hills I may have to hit 3rd pulling a hill. going over the mountains i am for sure 3rd and 4th gears only.

 

[Rick W]

Also keep in mind that 5th gear is overdrive and most automatic's recommend that you tow with overdrive off so having to downshift into 4th on a hill is not unusual in your scenario. Then add the 3.45 gearing and you will be hitting 4th maybe 3rd when towing up hills.

I have the 3.45 gear and the 3.0l in mine so less torque than what is available to you in the lower RPM range and I hit 4th quite often empty on the hills near me. I'm also in mountain country so our hills are a bit steeper than what you see in your flat land area. If I go around the mountains I can stay 4th to 5th gear but if I have to go over the foot hills I may have to hit 3rd pulling a hill. going over the mountains i am for sure 3rd and 4th gears only.

Thanks. Mine is manual 5sp if I didn’t mention that.

 

[sgtsandman]

View attachment 110613

There's your problem! As far as I'm concerned, 3.45 and 3.55 should never have been put into a Ranger. 3.73 should be the tallest gear that was ever put into a Ranger but Ford was trying to get their fleet mpg average higher. So, the jammed gears into vehicles that should have never been put in them.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Finally finished up the install on my pillar gauges, with help from @Uncle Gump .
I went with water temp and oil pressure, as those two are the most vague on the factory cluster, and oil pressure is the life of the 4.0L tensioners.
Sensors aren’t hooked up yet, I have to drain oil and coolant to do that, but all the wiring and hard stuff is done. They look great.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Nice...

In hide sight... I wish I would have put a litte more thought in the pod retaining screw placement on mine. Yours looks better.

I will take a minute to get use to that in your line of site... but it will pass.

 

[snoranger]

There's your problem! As far as I'm concerned, 3.45 and 3.55 should never have been put into a Ranger. 3.73 should be the tallest gear that was ever put into a Ranger but Ford was trying to get their fleet mpg average higher. So, the jammed gears into vehicles that should have never been put in them.

My 90 supercab (4.0l, 2wd, A4LD) came with 3.08 gears and 195/70 R14 tires.
My 89 STX (2.9L, 4wd, manual) came with 3.73s and 235/75r15 tires.
Those 2 calculate out to almost the exact same effective gear ratio… where’s the problem?

 

[Uncle Gump]

My 90 supercab (4.0l, 2wd, A4LD) came with 3.08 gears and 195/70 R14 tires.
My 89 STX (2.9L, 4wd, manual) came with 3.73s and 235/75r15 tires.
Those 2 calculate out to almost the exact same effective gear ratio… where’s the problem?

Cause ya need moooore tire!

 

[sgtsandman]

My 90 supercab (4.0l, 2wd, A4LD) came with 3.08 gears and 195/70 R14 tires.
My 89 STX (2.9L, 4wd, manual) came with 3.73s and 235/75r15 tires.
Those 2 calculate out to almost the exact same effective gear ratio… where’s the problem?

The tires on the '90 are 4" smaller. That makes a BIG difference.