Ranger design question

[tmcalavy]

American trucks are still bricks...so what's new? Throw up a sail and the wind is your friend, unless it sucks you up under the double trailer semi in the next lane.

 

[adsm08]

American trucks are still bricks...so what's new?

No, they got round and then they got square again.

 

[Mark_88]

And I thought it was only my Ranger that was affected by oncoming trucks...whew!

Learned a bit of a trick for that though...I drive with my passenger side wheel as far to the left side as possible without hitting the gravel...makes the "sheer" effect much less impacting...unless that is accompanied by a crosswind...then my wipers do a bit of a tap dance...

 

[Haywire6000]

My dads 96 2.3l 5 speed two wheel drive holds 70 fine. My 93 2.3l 5 speed 4x4 not so much, she does get a workout on the interstate.

 

[Andy D]

4.0 5spd, 4wd, 3.27 axles 235 15 tires and I think a 2' factory suspension lift?
650 mile of I 90 and the QEW toward Toronto and back with a BMW six in the bed. Rode pretty OK. I got 21 MPG for a tank by going 65. It was a little floaty at 75, so at 65 I was driving Miss Daisy and just gliding in the right hand lane. Still , with the 4.0 I could push and pass on a hill when the going got slow. The Rat isn't a daily driver, but I see plenty that are.

 

[SenorNoob]

It was the 80's though, bricks were popular across the board. Even fullsizes were windcatching bricks.

Also you couldn't legally drive faster than 55mph back then, speed makes a big difference in how much of an effect the wind has.

I still like bricks. Now that 55mph thing puts a whole lot of things in perspective vehicle-wise. I didn't know that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I still like bricks. Now that 55mph thing puts a whole lot of things in perspective vehicle-wise. I didn't know that.

If you notice a lot of the 70's and 80's speedometers have 55 somehow marked off to make it easier to see too.

I like some of the bricks, or else I wouldn't have kept my first gen around for going 14 years.

These newer "bolder than anyone has bolded before" trucks don't do much for me sylewise though. Too over the top IMO.

 

[simpler=better]

98 2wd extended cab here. 2.5L, stickshift. I drive it to work every day (20 miles, mostly 65mph. Driving back home (500miles) is no big deal, I've done it with 2 motorcycles on a trailer with a bunch of tool boxes. Just a little slow up hills, and you can't be afraid to hit 4,000rpm when you have a heavy load.

I've found that a front lip and tonneau cover keep me from being blown around as much. Also 400# of sand in the bed

The best $50 spent was on 2007+ mirrors from amazon.com, they're so much quieter on the highway that the stock flag mirrors.

 

[ElectraRider]

98 4x4 extend cab 4.0 automatic trans with 099998.2 miles always hit Interstate speeds
and hit the cruse control and went to Illinois a few times, Oklahoma some, only noticed the wind in Kansas but it always blows there seems like. I do have a topper or cap as some might say, but I do have a tool box that goes between the wheel wells kind like a pack rat but I built this one, 6' long probably 300lb with tools. so helps with the wind and snow. by the way work is only five minutes from my house 20 if I hoof it.

 

[harbt95]

i had a 95 regular cab stepside with a 2.3 and a 5 speed i think it had 3:63s in it with big bfg radial tas and if i wanted to go down the northway i coulnt run 5th gear it just didnt have the power and i would get about 18 mpg at 70 mph but on the normal state roads at 55-60 mph i would average about 28 mpg in 4th gear. if i could run about 80 mph i could do 5th gear and get close to 30 mph while doing it. it was a fun truck to just go cruise around town with and i even had her in a carshow or two she wasnt quite done in this pic but she sure was pretty in her fresh house of kolor paint

 

[cody93]

drove an 87 ranger with a 2.3l and 5spd from NW arkansas to atlanta on the interstate, fully loaded with a rolling toolbox full of tools, and some furniture and still averaging about 80mph, no problems. ofcourse i make sure my vehicles are maintained. uphills weren't an issue for me i guess. drove 14 hours strait, no issues, felt alright. thank god the radio worked.

 

[wildbill23c]

drove an 87 ranger with a 2.3l and 5spd from NW arkansas to atlanta on the interstate, fully loaded with a rolling toolbox full of tools, and some furniture and still averaging about 80mph, no problems. ofcourse i make sure my vehicles are maintained. uphills weren't an issue for me i guess. drove 14 hours strait, no issues, felt alright. thank god the radio worked.

Hey is your speedometer stuck at 90mph+ LOL.

Yep, I've had several older vehicles over the years, and most of them had the 55mph highlighted somehow. Speed limits were lower back then, and even now a lot of vehicles still get their best fuel economy around 55-60mph anything more than that you can almost watch the gas gauge move as you drive LOL.

My B2 I found that on the interstate it was easy to maintain 75mph until I ran into a 40mph+ headwind then it was really struggling and was losing speed. However by then I was pretty close to my exit off the freeway anyhow so I didn't have much time in that condition. The wind was really holding the B2 back though for sure as I went pretty much instantly from 75mph in 5th gear to struggling to maintain 65mph in a matter of seconds. Then again it also had larger than OEM size tires on it at the time, so I'm sure it would do much better now that I've got new tires on it a couple sizes smaller.

 

[dinosore]

i got a 92 3.0 manual 2wd. It is my camping/rock climbing truck. So it only gets driven when I'm off and weekends. With that being said its made it from Long Beach to El Paso ( 12hrs) with one stop for gas each way. its gone to bishop ( 5hrs straight shot), Red rocks in Vegas ( 4.5 hrs straight) SF (6hrs straight) Yosemite etc. I could keep going. Gas milage sucks I would not be telling the truth if I didnt say I've hit 90mph in this truck on long drives. Never overheated, never stalls, rough idles at some points. It gets tossed by cross winds and has no aerodynamics so I take those downhill spots in the journey to let the truck go as fast as it will, like i said I've hit 90mph.

 

[forgey4x4]

Drove my 89 bronco 2 2.9 4x4 for 2 years 45 mins each way to work going 70 +- mph comfy ride, always thought was kinda gutless could never put in od unless was going down a hill. Head gasket went out and redid heads, made a world of difference, could actually take slight hills in od. But always a nice ride love driving it.

 

[Mark_88]

When I first bought my 88 Ranger I fixed a few things and modified a few things on the amazing 2.0 and even with a wonky head (the motors, not mine) I could drive round trip from Barrie On to Richmond Hill (about 600 km a week) at highway speeds mostly and it was costing me about $100 a week...that's when gas was just over $1 so 100 litres got me 600 kms (plus weekend driving that was another 100 kms)...

After replacing the head it was much better on gas and, yes, I was able to hit OD a few times on the stretches...