I'm not an engineer, but..

[Purple]

1. Why does Ford use 12 point bolts on the Ranger's Driveshaft? This is the only 12pt bolt I have encountered so far. All my tool sets are in 6 point, because 12 point sockets will round off 6 point bolts.

2. Why doesn't Ford (or any other truck company) powdercoat/heavy paint their frames? Even 5 year old trucks are coated in frame rust.

3. Why did Ford Decide to weld the vent panel under the wipers on the Ranger? F-Series is bolted on. Mine is full of pine needles and impossible to clean.

4. Why does Ford use such sloppy ass holes in the hood? I still can't line mine up. Surely new body assemblies aren't that misaligned.

 

[redhurricane]

1. Why does Ford use 12 point bolts on the Ranger's Driveshaft? This is the only 12pt bolt I have encountered so far. All my tool sets are in 6 point, because 12 point sockets will round off 6 point bolts.

2. Why doesn't Ford (or any other truck company) powdercoat/heavy paint their frames? Even 5 year old trucks are coated in frame rust.

3. Why did Ford Decide to weld the vent panel under the wipers on the Ranger? F-Series is bolted on. Mine is full of pine needles and impossible to clean.

4. Why does Ford use such sloppy ass holes in the hood? I still can't line mine up. Surely new body assemblies aren't that misaligned.

1. 12 point bolts often are used where space constraints are an issue (like on a driveshaft flange). 12 points offer more contact points and the ability to transfer more torque to a small area. Buy an Audi or VW if you want to scream about stupid fastener designs like the "triple square" of which I regrettably own tools for this fastener.

http://www.amazon.com/14mm-Triple-Square-Socket-Audi/dp/B008K7STNK?tag=959media-20

2-3. Cost savings.

4. The range of movement allowed in most of the body panels was meant to allow repair shops to have room to make adjustments and have the body still appear plumb and square.

 

[enjr44]

They want the frames to last until the rust out warranty expires and not much longer!!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

12pt has a lot more holding power, less likely to round off. Good for fasteners in tight places that will see all kinds of chemicals thrown at them like a driveshaft.

Powdercoat is crap.

One nick (say from a rock thrown by tire) and it is compromised. The rust spreads like wildfire under the coating until it falls off and you have this huge rusty mess. You don't just strip off the remaining powder coat, neither paint stripper or a sandblaster will touch it. So you burn it off with a wire wheel (it doesn't politely come off even with that) I fought that crap on both my grille guard and rollbar. It is doing the same thing with the torsion bars on my F-150 but the only guy that will see it is the guy I run over and he won't tell nobody.

When I was in college 10 years ago (for Manufacturing Engineering) I remember a teacher in a class saying that truck frames are treated in a way that they flash rust. Once that happens it kinda seals it off and greatly slows down the rust process (like searing a steak to hold in the juices) Dunno if there is any truth to it or not but my '85's frame has a light rust coating on it the same as it did when I got it in 2000.

They welded the cowl covers on since the beginning. First and second gens have gavanized covers on the firewall in the engine bay you can easily remove to clean it out. Pulling the blower motor also helps and is easy. I think they went to plastic cowl covers over time, never dealt with a newer truck.

 

[SPSully]

Most large steel structures like race tracks and stadiums use the same layer of rust principal. Basically you need air to create rust. So if the air can't touch the steel because a layer of rust is there, it can't rust further. When that layer gets disturbed you run into issues.

Sent from my SM-N900R4 using Tapatalk

 

[Mazda]

1. 12 point bolts often are used where space constraints are an issue (like on a driveshaft flange). 12 points offer more contact points and the ability to transfer more torque to a small area. Buy an Audi or VW if you want to scream about stupid fastener designs like the "triple square" of which I regrettably own tools for this fastener.

A guy I worked with long ago bought a SAAB 900 Turbo that needed a engine rebuild for $1500. Soon found out you need about $50K in special tools for the job. Sold it to a SAAB mechanic before we even had the engine torn down.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

1. 12 point bolts often are used where space constraints are an issue (like on a driveshaft flange). 12 points offer more contact points and the ability to transfer more torque to a small area. Buy an Audi or VW if you want to scream about stupid fastener designs like the "triple square" of which I regrettably own tools for this fastener.

http://www.amazon.com/14mm-Triple-Square-Socket-Audi/dp/B008K7STNK?tag=959media-20

Yep. Have that as well, and have used it more than once in the 20+ years of being a VW owner.

 

[ghunt81]

I thought it was weird how on my truck, both ends of the rear driveshaft have 12 pt bolts, but the front driveshaft has regular hex bolts on the tcase end and tiny little Torx bolts on the U-joint saddle.

And like 85_Ranger said, a 12 pt socket on a 12 pt bolt fits better, has less "play" and much more leverage than a 6 pt socket on a hex bolt. I remember the ARP head studs I got for my 2.3 Turbo years ago had 12-pt nuts with them.

 

[Kayakcrazy]

As far as bolts go that has always driven me nuts, all the different sizes and types. My Toyota could be take completely apart with about 5 sizes of wrenches and about 1/2 of it with a 10mm. Every domestic vehicle Ive ever messed with you need a tool box full with a couple of specialty tools thrown in for good measure.

Sometimes I wonder with I love this little B2 so good.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The T case end of the front driveshaft should be 12pt 5/16" or 8mm, someone replaced your bolts...

Move out of the rust belt if you don't like rust... my Ranger is 26 years old and barely has any rust on it, the only body rust is at the bottom of the seam behind the cab which is only visible with the cab off...

 

[Mark_88]

I got my Rust Belt in Take One Apart Do...and it is still rusty...

I wondered about that too...only 12 point bolts were on the drive shaft and those head bolts on the 2.3...and I've always complained that you need a very comprehensive tool box to do anything these days...with special tool this and special tool that...isn't that special!

If all vehicles were ugly boxy things with no curves and all the same bolt sizes I think it would drive me and dozens of real mechanics bonkers in a matter of hours...I like the idea that to do a simple job I need to run back and forth to my tool boxes and spend countless hours looking for tools that I've misplaced just to do a simple job...

Just think of how much more productive we could be...our wives and girlfriends would be estatic also because they could assign us with dozens of more jobs to do than they already...have lined up for us...

Good job whoever thought of this multiple tool idea...