93-12 Recreational Towing (flat tow) Question

[fred024]

I am considering a second generation (1993–1997) extended cab, 2WD, manual, 2.3L Ranger. The reason is to have a lightweight flat tow vehicle behind an RV that can hold some things. In these years 4x4 manuals are restricted to 55mph while 2WDs are not. I am basing this owner’s manual information. I wanted to ask the group about something that is odd.

Notice the change in flat tow 2x4 instructions from 97-98. The 97 and 98 used the same M5OD-R1 manual transmission.

1993-1997 - 4 x 2 — Manual transmission
- Release the parking brake.
- Place the transmission gearshift in the neutral position.
- Maximum speed is limited by towing equipment manufacturer’s recommendation, unlimited distance

1998 - 2WD (manual transmissions)
- Release the parking brake and place the transmission in the neutral position.
- Maximum speed is 56 km/h (35 mph). Note: Later years increased this to 55 mph, the 35 must be a typo.
- Maximum distance is limited by towing equipment manufacturer’s recommendation, unlimited distance.

I am trying to figure out why the unlimited 93-97 2x4 speed got trimmed back to the 55 mph speed of the 4x4 in 98 onward. If it was just documentation laziness/sloppiness or if they just needlessly penalized the 2x4 units to have guideline consistency. If it is the same M5OD-R1 manual transmission, could a different engine or rear-end have caused this? If I can determine that the 55mph limit really does not apply to the 2x4 from 98-12, I could get a much newer truck. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[sgtsandman]

The manual for my 2011 states the same thing, minus the 35 mph part. Maximum speed is 55 mph. They also specified only towing forward and not backwards as that it may damage the transmission. I have no idea why there is a set maximum speed. It might be due to liability concerns driven by the legal department but that is only speculation on my part.

 

[fred024]

Thanks for the reply. Many manual transmissions need the engine turning to splash lubricate properly as the splash action does not occur with only the driveshaft turning. The instructions for these usually either require driveshaft disconnection, periodic engine running and/or speed limitation.

There are several possibilities:

1. The M5OD-R1 transmission is fine without limitations towing in neutral as the 93-97 manual states and the 98-12 owner’s manuals are incorrect.

2. The M5OD-R1 transmission needs a 55mph limit when towed in neutral and it took engineers five years to figure it out.

3. The 98-12 55mph limit is required for reasons unrelated to transmission damage that were introduced in that new generation. That is: stability, safety, liability, etc.

 

[sgtsandman]

Thanks for the reply. Many manual transmissions need the engine turning to splash lubricate properly as the splash action does not occur with only the driveshaft turning. The instructions for these usually either require driveshaft disconnection, periodic engine running and/or speed limitation.

There are several possibilities:

1. The M5OD-R1 transmission is fine without limitations towing in neutral as the 93-97 manual states and the 98-12 owner’s manuals are incorrect.

2. The M5OD-R1 transmission needs a 55mph limit when towed in neutral and it took engineers five years to figure it out.

3. The 98-12 55mph limit is required for reasons unrelated to transmission damage that were introduced in that new generation. That is: stability, safety, liability, etc.

The driveshaft would still be spinning the output shaft while in neutral. The input shaft would just be stationary. So, there should still be fluid splash happening, it may just not be in the volume needed to properly lubricate everything. As far as I know, there is not pump to turn. So, it would be more of a gear size and location thing I would imagine.

In anycase, you may be correct that it took a few years for the engineers to discover there was a problem, or they already knew and the company chose to ignore them. Kinda like companies do with other things, like straight direct injection not cleaning the intake valves as an example.

 

[stmitch]

Thanks for the reply. Many manual transmissions need the engine turning to splash lubricate properly as the splash action does not occur with only the driveshaft turning. The instructions for these usually either require driveshaft disconnection, periodic engine running and/or speed limitation.

There are several possibilities:

1. The M5OD-R1 transmission is fine without limitations towing in neutral as the 93-97 manual states and the 98-12 owner’s manuals are incorrect.

2. The M5OD-R1 transmission needs a 55mph limit when towed in neutral and it took engineers five years to figure it out.

3. The 98-12 55mph limit is required for reasons unrelated to transmission damage that were introduced in that new generation. That is: stability, safety, liability, etc.

I'm going with option #3
By 98, Ford was well aware of the Firestone tire issues causing accidents. That probably prompted legal to get a lot more involved in covering their ass in literature, especially as it pertains to safety around trucks/SUVs

 

[scotts90ranger]

The driveshaft would still be spinning the output shaft while in neutral. The input shaft would just be stationary. So, there should still be fluid splash happening, it may just not be in the volume needed to properly lubricate everything. As far as I know, there is not pump to turn. So, it would be more of a gear size and location thing I would imagine.

In anycase, you may be correct that it took a few years for the engineers to discover there was a problem, or they already knew and the company chose to ignore them. Kinda like companies do with other things, like straight direct injection not cleaning the intake valves as an example.

The counter shaft is only turning with the clutch engaged or input shaft spinning, in neutral all of the shift collars are disengaged so all of the gears are on their pocket bearings on the output shaft, unless the fluid level is high enough to catch the output shaft I'm not sure how it would get lubed so it must be if Ford says it's ok... didn't realize that was a thing.

 

[Brain75]

I figured somewhere buried in a TSB, Ford probably saw a reason and quietly updated the manuals, but that it would be buried somewhere. Rather than spend 2 days hunting through TSB's I gave ChatGPT the first pass at it. I watched it pull every owners manual from 1993 to 1999 (that took about 30 seconds), research TSB's (that took about 20 seconds), research Ford's sales brochures, Ford published literature, NTSB, etc, etc, etc. Total time it spend hunting was 2 minutes 53 seconds.... and here is what it found - but no smoking gun TSB as I hoped for. The key here when using AI is to use a preamble that forces it to be detailed, thorough and avoid any fabrication, then use a question that tells it not to speculate but to "dig deep".

My Question:
research 1993-1997 and 1998-2010 ford ranger towing as specified in the owners manuals. (manuals available on therangerstation.com), why was a speed limit of 35 mph introduced for flat towing a ranger in the 98+ owners manual. There is no technical difference in the M5OD-R1 transmission that I am aware of, so what changed that caused this distinction? Be thorough not speculative.

ChatGPT's Answer (drastically abbreviated):

.....

What the manuals actually say (direct evidence)​

1993–1997 (example: 1996 owner’s manual) — pre-1998 wording for a 4×2 (2WD) vehicle with a manual transmission: the manual lists release parking brake → place trans in Neutral → “Maximum speed is limited by towing equipment manufacturer’s recommendation, unlimited distance.” (i.e. no Ford limit in the manual for speed/distance beyond what the tow-equipment maker recommends). The Ranger Station


1998 and later (example: 1998 & 1999 owner’s manuals) — starting in 1998 the owner’s manual text for 2WD vehicles with a manual transmission reads: release parking brake → place transmission in Neutral → “Maximum speed is 56 km/h (35 mph).” The same section explicitly states the purpose of the guidelines: “These guidelines are designed to ensure that your transmission is not damaged due to insufficient lubrication.” The manual also states that if you must exceed 35 mph (or 50 miles in the automatic case), you must disconnect the driveshaft before doing so.

.....

So — why did Ford add the 35 mph restriction in 1998?​

What we can say from public sources, without speculation:

1. Fact (manuals): Pre-1998 Ranger manuals allowed 2WD manual transmissions to be flat-towed without a Ford-imposed speed limit (they deferred to the tow-equipment manufacturer). From 1998 onward, Ford’s own manuals put a 35-mph speed cap for 2WD manual transmissions and explicitly cite insufficient lubrication/transmission damage as the reason. The Ranger Station+1
2. Fact (company practice): Ford has, across years, updated/revised recreational-towing rules through owner’s manuals and TSBs when transmission damage cases and testing indicated a need for clarification or tighter limits (see example TSBs and later model guidance). This demonstrates Ford treats flat-towing guidance as something they will refine over time if problems appear. JustAnswerhttps://www.ford.com/
3. What is not found in public documents: I did not find a Ford-published engineering change notice, service bulletin, or other company document from 1997–1998 that explicitly says “Because of component X (transfer case Y / driveshaft Z / bearing A) we are changing the recreational towing speed limit to 35 mph.” In short: Ford’s manuals state the risk and the rule, but a public, model-year-to-model-year engineering statement that pins the change to one exact hardware difference was not found in the public record I searched. The Ranger Stationhttps://www.ford.com/

My take on it, a Ford Dealership Service Center(s) probably either saw a trend of damaged drivetrains from lube issues, or one catastrophic case under warranty that Ford ate a big fat repair bill under warranty and Legal decided to step in draft up something so ridiculous that prevented them (Ford) from having to eat another big repair. Who is gonna tow 1000 miles at 35 mph?
(put in terms relative to me: Austin to Denver, 901 miles, in 28.5 hours or 14 hours and disconnect the driveshaft / raise the front... I know what I would do.)

I would treat all years the same, and this quiet addition as reinforcement not to do something dumb/damaging.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

This is a 2004 M5ODR2 which is basically a scaled up R1 out of a 2004 F-150 and currently resides in my Ranger. This is right after I got it out of the truck and home and cracked it open to see what I had. I don't remember checking the fluid level vs the fill plug but you can see the oil level in the case. Input is to the right, I think I can see the fluid is to the fill plug on "the top". The plastic tray is to collect splash oil to lube the input bearing.

 

[fred024]

Thank you all for the insight. I just wanted to clarify what I found in the manuals for the 2WD manual trans was:

93-97 no limit

98-99 35mph

2000-2011 55mph

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Thank you all for the insight. I just wanted to clarify what I found in the manuals for the 2WD manual trans was:

93-97 no limit

98-99 35mph

2000-2011 55mph

Keep in mind until the mid 90's the national speed limit was 55mph and it was kind of slow to go away.

98-99 has to be a goof.

 

[don4331]

This is a 2004 M5ODR2 which is basically a scaled up R1 out of a 2004 F-150 and currently resides in my Ranger. This is right after I got it out of the truck and home and cracked it open to see what I had. I don't remember checking the fluid level vs the fill plug but you can see the oil level in the case. Input is to the right, I think I can see the fluid is to the fill plug on "the top". The plastic tray is to collect splash oil to lube the input bearing.

Your pictures are telling the story, you just need to read the fine print:

A number of 5 speeds* have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft, not on the main shaft, so the countershaft gear is spinning even when the transmission is in neutral.

Its only the 5th gear but that is enough to maintain enough splashing to keep everything lubricated while being towed, i.e. no real load on the transmission.​

*Those which started/designed as 4 speeds are most common to have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft e.g. T5 & NV4500 also have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft. The ZF 5-42/5-47 speeds have all the synchronizers on the main shaft, so it would not be good to flat tow an F-250 any distance.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Your pictures are telling the story, you just need to read the fine print:

A number of 5 speeds* have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft, not on the main shaft, so the countershaft gear is spinning even when the transmission is in neutral.

Its only the 5th gear but that is enough to maintain enough splashing to keep everything lubricated while being towed, i.e. no real load on the transmission.​

*Those which started/designed as 4 speeds are most common to have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft e.g. T5 & NV4500 also have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft. The ZF 5-42/5-47 speeds have all the synchronizers on the main shaft, so it would not be good to flat tow an F-250 any distance.

Fine print aside... me screwing around turning the shafts by hand has fluid on every gear in the picture.

 

[JoshT]

Your pictures are telling the story, you just need to read the fine print:

A number of 5 speeds* have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft, not on the main shaft, so the countershaft gear is spinning even when the transmission is in neutral.

Its only the 5th gear but that is enough to maintain enough splashing to keep everything lubricated while being towed, i.e. no real load on the transmission.​

*Those which started/designed as 4 speeds are most common to have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft e.g. T5 & NV4500 also have the 5th/reverse synchronizer on the countershaft. The ZF 5-42/5-47 speeds have all the synchronizers on the main shaft, so it would not be good to flat tow an F-250 any distance.

Got no dog in this fight considering that I don;t have a manual transmission Ranger, but thanks for this tidbit of information. I'm actually considering using the NV4500 or the ZF-5/6 as an overdrive upgrade behind the FE in my F-100. Even with this info I'm leaning towards the ZF, but will have to make a mental note not to flat tow it much without the transfer case in neutral or pulling the rear shaft.