Need advice on which kind of Ranger to buy

[MaineRangerV-6]

Hi,
I'm saving money to buy a Ranger. I will be using it to develop a little homestead in a remote part of Maine. So I'm thinking V-6, 5-speed manual, and 4 wheel drive. I would really like a 7' bed, but I think those are rare, so I'll settle for a 6'.

I wonder which years of Ranger would be the best in terms of ease of maintenance, fuel economy, and ease of operation.

I'm assuming that I am right that a 4-cylinder wouldn't be quite enough truck to haul a trailer of supplies or lumber, or to pull a saw mill across rough terrain, etc.

Thanks!

 

[YungICY]

4 wheel drive, yes.

Manual trans, yes if that's what you prefer.

V6 yes for towing. Keep in mind these trucks are small and therefore won't tow much and for me personally anything over 1.5k pounds gets really sketchy over 50 mph.

For maintenance on the V6's I have little to no experience but from what I do know, you'll want the 4.0. There is the 4.0 OHV introduced in 90 or 91 and the 4.0 SOHC introduced it 2001 I think. The general consensus is that the SOHC is the better one.

The 7 foot beds are plentiful but were only available on the single cabs.

Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk

 

[RonD]

1994 and older fuel injected Rangers used the EEC-IV computer(OBD1), 60 pin, 1995 and up use the EEC-V computer(OBD2), 104 pin, so 1994 and older have less wires to deal with.

Older Rangers '84/'85 had the 2.8l V6 with carburetor, even less wiring.
In 1986 Rangers got the 2.9l Fuel injected V6, it was used until '92.
IMO fuel injection is more reliable but while carbs need to be adjusted all the time they can be easier to "get working" than fuel injection system using a computer if there is a problem.

'90/'91 saw the 3.0l Vulcan V6 and 4.0l OHV added to Ranger engine options.
4.0l was used until '00, 3.0l until '11
2.8l was a good engine, 2.9l as well
3.0l and 4.0l were better.
IMO 4.0l OHV would be the best engine, distributorless and loads of torque for hauling and pulling, but don't overheat it or you will need new heads

The 4.0l SOHC was added on 2001 and it did have 45 more horse power than 4.0l OHV, BUT(big but) they got some of that from raising compression ratio from 9.0:1 to 9.7:1 and adding a knock sensor, so when you are running regular gas you are not getting all the extra horse power, and if there should be a problem engine can knock/ping unless you run premium fuel.




Make sure any 4x4 already has manual locking hubs, the Ford auto hubs never worked well after a few years of use.
Electric transfer case motor was also a trouble spot, but lasted more than a few years.
You can also get a Shiftster(google it) to replace the shift motor, this allows you to manually select 2WD, 4WD and 4WD low.
Manual shift 4WD is much more reliable than electric

 

[Mightyfordranger]

I didn't see anyone mention that the 98+ 4.0s had two timing chains one in the front and one In the rear so if you go to change your timing set ya have to pull the engine and if it snaps well then it takes the crank with it

 

[RonD]

I didn't see anyone mention that the 98+ 4.0s had two timing chains one in the front and one In the rear so if you go to change your timing set ya have to pull the engine and if it snaps well then it takes the crank with it

That's the 4.0l SOHC, it has more that 2 timing chains.
They were used first in Ford Explorers, 1997, but not in Rangers until 2001
The 1997 to 2004 4.0l SOHC engines did have bad timing chain design, the 2005 redesigned parts seem to last after they are installed on the older engines.
Yes, pulling out the engine is pretty much the only way to get to all the parts that should be changed.

4.0l OHV was used in Rangers from 1990 to 2000, they just had the 1 timing chain in the front

 

[stmitch]

I didn't see anyone mention that the 98+ 4.0s had two timing chains one in the front and one In the rear so if you go to change your timing set ya have to pull the engine and if it snaps well then it takes the crank with it

The 4.0 SOHC that you're referring to wasn't used in Rangers until 2001. Just a minor correction.

OP, As far as v6s go, the 2.8/2.9 had some cylinder head issues, and don't make great power.
The 3.0 is reliable as gravity, but doesn't make much power.
The 4.0 OHV is an evolution of the 2.9L, but doesn't seem to have the head issues, and makes quite a bit more power and torque.
The 4.0 SOHC is again an evolution of the 4.0 OHV, which resulted in the most powerful v6 Ford put in the Ranger, as well as a funky design with a timing chain in both front and rear. Not fun to replace if they go.

For me, I'd stick with an OBD2 truck with either the 3.0, or preferably the 4.0 OHV. The 4.0 SOHC can be a nice engine too, but it's the most complex engine, and can be a pain to work on.

 

[Mark_88]

How tall are you?

Regular cab VS Extended cab...makes a huge difference if you are taller than 6' and later models had 4 doors...2 smaller doors that open backwards. Makes loading and unloading things easier.

If you want the longer bed you can't get it with an extended cab unless someone has customized...there are a few around but rare.

If you are just using it for your work and not a daily driver I'm sure you can squeeze into a single cab...I'm 6'6" and drove one for 2 years with 5 speed...it wasn't comfortable but doable.