Buying a Ranger

[tmaxxman21]

new here and new to rangers, need some feedback from the experts.

im doing a daily driver, light off road truck. want to run 33's, obviously 4x4,v-6 How are the stock axles? is there a model i should look for? do they have lockers stock? (or one wheel front, one wheel rear garbage) im thinking a rough country lift. i want a 2001 or newer. give me the info on these rangers

 

[wizkid00104]

new here and new to rangers, need some feedback from the experts.

im doing a daily driver, light off road truck. want to run 33's, obviously 4x4,v-6 How are the stock axles?

You want a Ranger with a 4.0L. You could go with a 3.0L, but it may not have the stronger axle. They have 8.8 28 spline rear. More axle info can be found here. You can upgrade this to an Explorer 8.8 31 spline rear if you'd like. 91 - 94 Explorer have 10 inch rear drums. 95 - 01 have rear discs. To swap discs in, you need the master cylinder from the donor vehicle as well. Both axles need spring perches rewelded onto the top of the housing and shock tabs added. All 8.8 axles were available open or L/S. You have to look at the axle code on the door tag to figure out what each has.

The front axle is a Dana 35. Look for one with the manual front hubs. Rarely these were available with L/S. I know mine isn't.

is there a model i should look for?

I like 93 - 97. They have TTB front suspension. In 98, they went to Torsion bars which are much more expensive to lift. If you want to with a 98 and on, aim for a 02 FX4 Manual or a 03 FX4 Level 2 Manual. Both of these came with the highly desired manual shift transfer case. If you go Pre-98, many were available with mechanical shift with manual or auto tranny.

do they have lockers stock? (or one wheel front, one wheel rear garbage)

Some do, some don't

im thinking a rough country lift. i want a 2001 or newer. give me the info on these rangers

You can't use a Rough Country Lift on a 98 or newer because they are torsion bars. You can body lift anything from 93 on 2" or 3" to clear 33's or you could do a 4" suspension on a 93 - 97 for a reasonable price. Rough Country is not known as being the best lift for Rangers, although they have a good price. Most here will tell you to go Skyjacker or modify any other brand to make it stronger. Hope this helps.

If you want to leanr more about different Rangers, try here:
http://www.therangerstation.com/resources/RangerHistory.htm