Noob with a couple issues

[Superclean09]

I just bought my first ever Ford. It is a 1992 Ranger XLT 2wd Supercab. It has a pretty rare set up i think in that it is a 5 spd, 2wd with the 4.0 V6. It is a 2 owner truck completely stock except for a nice Kenwood deck and some aftermarket speakers in the stock speaker holes. The truck is in mint condition with no rust and a matchIng colour canopy. I will have pics up soon. My only issue is it needs rotors as there is a bit of a shimmy braking at highway speed and the clearcoat on the rims is a bit shoddy seeing as the rest of the truck is so nice. I have never replaced rotors before and hope it is easy and I can find a guide somewhere on here and I plan to use heavy duty Easy-Off oven cleaner to strip the weathered clearcoat off. I then plan on buffing them a bit and reclearing. Has anyone done that to stock alloys? I got the info from another site. I appreciate any guidance.

 

[Superclean09]

I may have solved one of my probe by looking in thetech section. My brake shimmy may be over-torqued front rims. I will check that tomorrow and check the rotors while the wheels are off. Not sure what to look for though. Is the warping obvious if that's what the problem is?

 

[pontiac_fiero_g]

if you got a shimmy only when braking then that is most likely a rotor issue not an overly tight lugnut. id not put oven cleaner on those wheels ive heard it can discolor aluminum. changing rotors is pretty easy on the ranger. pop of the hubcap (the small cap that covers the hub not the kind that covers the wheel) remove the cotter pin, unscrew the castle nut, there is a pin on the top and bottom of the caliper holding the brake pads in so pull those out with a pair of vice grips , unbolt the caliper mounting bolts and hang it so it doesnt fall , pull off the rotor and the bearing will come with it, go ahead and replace the bearings while you got them off and the rest is reverse of install. and make sure to replace the pads and bleed the system while your at it.

that is if the brakes on the 92 are the same as on the 88 and 86 ive had.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

the oven cleaner could stain the rims, id suggest sandind them and reclearing.
give it a time, and someone with experience on brakes will give u an answer.
welcomo to TRS

 

[snake]

You will need to understand how to properly pack a wheel bearing with high temp wheelbearing grease and properly set the tension on the bearings upon reinstall. It isn't difficult but must be done for safety and long bearing life. If you need advice on these two things just ask- like I said, easy to do but has to be done right. And yes, rotors need replacing. Don't have them turned, just replace. Cheaper in the long run.

 

[Superclean09]

Keep the advice coming....

Thanks for the advice so far guys. I think I will wait a few days to see what kind of input I continue to get before I tackle the rotors properly. I will post a separate wheel question and see if I get a few more responses. Maybe I am best to try a rim each way and see which is better. I can always find a 14in Ranger alloy at a wreckers in at least as good of shape if I botch it.