Building to last

[RangerThings93]

I'm working on my 93 Ranger 4.0L V6 OHV and posting here along my journey. My hopes are to get it healthy, go camping, and help out where I can.

After 2 weeks of owning the truck it overheated, oil was below the low line(Oil change done before buying), oil leak, and the coolant was also way low.

08/07/26-
Took it to 3 shops and no one could find the source of the oil leak besides guessing where it's coming from, Midas gave me a list of parts that I "need" to get and services needing to get done, I'm more of a diy kind of person and money is low anyways.

08/21- Finally ran a hose through the radiator, refilled with concentrate, replaced the thermostat, and replaced the air filter.

08/30- I drive on the highway going 70 for 30 mins and it's getting to the H but not all the way there, I pull over, wait the hour, drain the coolant to a third of a gallon and replace it with water.

09/02- Consult with a buddy who took the time to answer all my current questions regarding the truck itself and the issues going on. We go underneath and he says "Oh the water pump is taking a shit on you" Answers more questions I have about rust on the brake line and rust in general. We take off the tire to check out why my brakes are making screeching sounds when I need to stop on a dime. He looks and doesn't find anything concerning besides the shocks.

I bought a water pump and will install tomorrow with his help.

I made a redneck "A" frame tent for camping over Labor Day.
Material: (4) 18" base, (3) 62" Rail support, (4) 30" support for "A" frame, (2) 37" A frame. All PVC and fittings. I got myself a small little cutter as well. My tarp is a 19x19 so that I may have enough space to run it over and cover the tailgate. I'll update with the build after Labor Day.

 

[RangerThings93]

I built the tent with this video in mind-

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

ur gon get ate by a bear

 

[RangerThings93]

09/03- Installed the water pump today! We'll see how that goes. I'll be keeping an eye on the level and see how it adjusts.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Funny. Before I got to 09/02 I thought "It sounds like his water pump is going out. He should check and see if it's weeping coolant.

Hopefully that fixes your problem.

Brakes have a 'squealer' wear pad indicator on them. When your pads wear down to that thickness, the squealer rubs against your rotor to create that squealing sound. If you ignore it, that indicator will start grinding a groove into your rotor.

​

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

ur gon get ate by a bear

 

[RangerThings93]

09/08- Got an inspection done for the brakes and it's not urgent but I need to service the bearings and replace the upper/lower ball joints. The quote came out to $2,013. I'd like to see if I can either service the bearings myself or replace the ball joints.

I need to price out the shocks and then install those before I can save for the bearings/ball joints.

The truck did fantastically well on the drive, no overheating or getting close to the "H".

*Labor Day was pretty awesome! I was down towards Three Lakes, WA and slept great with my dog Duke. I had a lot of compliments(and warnings) on not only my set-up but the fact that I'm a lone female camping. I got tips from a group of elders whom told me to get off the internet and study my manual instead.

 

[Shran]

7 HOURS to replace 4 ball joints? plus another hour for wheel bearings? (you're already in there when you're doing ball joints........................................)

I do not usually comment on other shop's labor amounts but that is obscene. That MIGHT be a full day job for the worst, rustiest junk out in the depths of the rust belt, for an inexperienced guy. I am thinking maybe a couple hours per side at most on a west coast truck at MY work pace would be fair...that is not a hard job by any means. It's actually pretty easy in the grand scheme of car repairs.

Do you have somewhere indoors you can work for a day or two? If so take that $2000, buy a big cordless impact and a ball joint tool from Harbor Freight and some basic sockets/hand tools. The most expensive ball joints on RockAuto right now are $32 each. Brand new rotors, pads, Timken bearings and seals are maybe $350 at most total.

You will be into that maybe $1000 at most. Doing it yourself you will have another $1000 in your pocket plus you will have invested in your own knowledge. If you were setting up gears or rebuilding an automatic transmission I'd tell you to have a shop do it...but ball joints & brakes are NOT rocket science.... YOU can DO this!

 

[RangerThings93]

7 HOURS to replace 4 ball joints? plus another hour for wheel bearings? (you're already in there when you're doing ball joints........................................)

I do not usually comment on other shop's labor amounts but that is obscene. That MIGHT be a full day job for the worst, rustiest junk out in the depths of the rust belt, for an inexperienced guy. I am thinking maybe a couple hours per side at most on a west coast truck at MY work pace would be fair...that is not a hard job by any means. It's actually pretty easy in the grand scheme of car repairs.

Do you have somewhere indoors you can work for a day or two? If so take that $2000, buy a big cordless impact and a ball joint tool from Harbor Freight and some basic sockets/hand tools. The most expensive ball joints on RockAuto right now are $32 each. Brand new rotors, pads, Timken bearings and seals are maybe $350 at most total.

You will be into that maybe $1000 at most. Doing it yourself you will have another $1000 in your pocket plus you will have invested in your own knowledge. If you were setting up gears or rebuilding an automatic transmission I'd tell you to have a shop do it...but ball joints & brakes are NOT rocket science.... YOU can DO this!

The thing is I have a friend with a lift and tools to help me out. I just gotta make a better deal than home cooked meals and farm labor. Thank you for saying this, I'm not experienced but I'm resourceful and determined. I'm going to take this on myself rather than paying a shop.

 

[Shran]

The thing is I have a friend with a lift and tools to help me out. I just gotta make a better deal than home cooked meals and farm labor. Thank you for saying this, I'm not experienced but I'm resourceful and determined. I'm going to take this on myself rather than paying a shop.

Fantastic, that is a great attitude to have! Everyone has to start somewhere, I was doing that type of work in a gravel driveway with one small bag of tools when I started out. Doing stuff like this yourself is a real confidence booster.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, none of that is particularly difficult to do unless everything is a rust blob, but a torch fixes that problem.

Access to a garage with a lift is absolutely awesome. A couple times in the past I’ve been able to wrangle time on a lift at different places and it’s a game changer. Way easier to work on like that, but all of that can be handled in a driveway with a jack and jackstands.

Definitely think that garage is being a bit excessive in their charges.

When I get into ball joints, I think hard about putting new U-joints in the front axle shafts while it’s all apart. I’ve replaced them before even when they weren’t bad but I was in there and really didn’t want to tear the axle back apart anytime soon because of heading into winter or something. I don’t have a garage and lift of my own yet but I did build myself a mini workshop which has been a big help. I started with a socket set and determination. The impossible just takes a little longer to accomplish.

There’s a couple videos I have working on the same type of axle

 

[bobbywalter]

Yeah, none of that is particularly difficult to do unless everything is a rust blob, but a torch fixes that problem.

Access to a garage with a lift is absolutely awesome. A couple times in the past I’ve been able to wrangle time on a lift at different places and it’s a game changer. Way easier to work on like that, but all of that can be handled in a driveway with a jack and jackstands.

Definitely think that garage is being a bit excessive in their charges.

When I get into ball joints, I think hard about putting new U-joints in the front axle shafts while it’s all apart. I’ve replaced them before even when they weren’t bad but I was in there and really didn’t want to tear the axle back apart anytime soon because of heading into winter or something. I don’t have a garage and lift of my own yet but I did build myself a mini workshop which has been a big help. I started with a socket set and determination. The impossible just takes a little longer to accomplish.

There’s a couple videos I have working on the same type of axle

cant hear a damn thing you said....

and closed caption ....with "youns accent" is comedy gold.

 

[RangerThings93]

Yeah, none of that is particularly difficult to do unless everything is a rust blob, but a torch fixes that problem.

Access to a garage with a lift is absolutely awesome. A couple times in the past I’ve been able to wrangle time on a lift at different places and it’s a game changer. Way easier to work on like that, but all of that can be handled in a driveway with a jack and jackstands.

Definitely think that garage is being a bit excessive in their charges.

When I get into ball joints, I think hard about putting new U-joints in the front axle shafts while it’s all apart. I’ve replaced them before even when they weren’t bad but I was in there and really didn’t want to tear the axle back apart anytime soon because of heading into winter or something. I don’t have a garage and lift of my own yet but I did build myself a mini workshop which has been a big help. I started with a socket set and determination. The impossible just takes a little longer to accomplish.

There’s a couple videos I have working on the same type of axle

I don't know about a torch but I was checking out some spray for the rust. My jack is currently inaccessible but I do need to buy stands. I was looking at the vin again to see what axle I have then checked the resources here about axle's and I think mine in a 35 rather than the Hybrid. I was trying to figure out what you were talking about when referencing U-joints. Midas tried telling me I needed to replace the axles but when I was under there, I couldn't see what they were looking at that was "Bad".

I checked out your videos but same thing, I can't really hear all that well. I live in an apartment in the city so I'd have to either find a buddy with a shed or find a secluded spot in the county. I used to live in the mountains and that was amazing but it's a goal for the future. I miss a wood burning stove and the sound of nature.

I need to also invest in a strong toolbox for the truck. Earlier last year all my tools and floor jack were stolen out of the car I had. I've resisted buying tools again but now I don't have a choice. I need to invest.

 

[Robert Mangrum]

The thing is I have a friend with a lift and tools to help me out. I just gotta make a better deal than home cooked meals and farm labor. Thank you for saying this, I'm not experienced but I'm resourceful and determined. I'm going to take this on myself rather than paying a shop.

I will say this is where all my mechanical skills have come from. I never had money to just throw around. So every time something has broke or failed over the years, I've had to just figure it out. It does help to have TRS crew here to help. They have been a God send. More than one occasion I've felt in over my head. These guys gave me the confidence and advise to complete the task. You got this man. Like @Shran said above. With the right tools it shouldn't be but a couple hours each side. I done my Sport Trac in one day before lunch in a gravel driveway on jack stands. The ball joint tool i used was actually a loan a tool deal Autozone had.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

cant hear a damn thing you said....

and closed caption ....with "youns accent" is comedy gold.

Yeah, I didn’t have a good microphone when I made those and my editing software didn’t allow me to boost the volume unfortunately.

I don't know about a torch but I was checking out some spray for the rust. My jack is currently inaccessible but I do need to buy stands. I was looking at the vin again to see what axle I have then checked the resources here about axle's and I think mine in a 35 rather than the Hybrid. I was trying to figure out what you were talking about when referencing U-joints. Midas tried telling me I needed to replace the axles but when I was under there, I couldn't see what they were looking at that was "Bad".

I checked out your videos but same thing, I can't really hear all that well. I live in an apartment in the city so I'd have to either find a buddy with a shed or find a secluded spot in the county. I used to live in the mountains and that was amazing but it's a goal for the future. I miss a wood burning stove and the sound of nature.

I need to also invest in a strong toolbox for the truck. Earlier last year all my tools and floor jack were stolen out of the car I had. I've resisted buying tools again but now I don't have a choice. I need to invest.

I’m in the worst of the rust belt so an oxygen/acetylene torch is almost a necessity. I’ve had to cut ball joints out before because the nut was nothing but a round rust blob. Nothing to put a wrench or socket on.

Seafoam Deep Creep or Kroil is probably on the better end of penetrating sprays.

Yeah, unfortunately old videos, I’ll have to try to see if I can either use my new editor to try and up the volume or redo the video at some point. Really I just wanted to give you an idea of the work involved.

If you look under the front and count the bolts on the beam holding the differential on, 10 bolts is a D-35 or hybrid. If the aluminum front differential part is smooth and no fins, it’s a hybrid. If it’s finned, it’s a true D-35. They hybrids use all the same parts as the D-35 except the inner axle shafts and the guts in the differential.