What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Isn't there a summit in Penn? Or am I thinking Ohio? Isn't that right next door? Lol.

Summit Racing’s HQ is in Ohio, about an hour and 40 minutes from me. Right now that’s beyond my travel capability. I still order a good bit from them, they’re usually pretty good with the 99 dollar free shipping arriving within two days of ordering. Used to be next day but since Covid…

 

[Blmpkn]

Summit Racing’s HQ is in Ohio, about an hour and 40 minutes from me. Right now that’s beyond my travel capability. I still order a good bit from them, they’re usually pretty good with the 99 dollar free shipping arriving within two days of ordering. Used to be next day but since Covid…

Totally jealous of your proximity to summit. Ugh. I really like living up here in the boonies but damn it's lame sometimes.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Totally jealous of your proximity to summit. Ugh. I really like living up here in the boonies but damn it's lame sometimes.

Kinda funny story, my first vehicle was my blue 2wd 2000 Ranger, bought fall of 2000. I was mad that there was no tach in a manual transmission truck (but all the autos got a tach, please explain this lack of logic Ford…). It was either fall of 2001 or spring of 2002 that I stopped on my way past Summit (briefly attended University of Akron) and bought a universal tach. In my search on how to wire it up (the instructions recommended tapping into the tach signal wire but gave no information on how to find that wire), I ended up on TRS. I never really left…

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

New headlights arrived

Too bad I’m not quite ready to put them in. Plus I’m sick and it’s raining

 

[Roert42]

Have you checked McMaster? They are usually pretty good with shipping, either same day or next day most of the time. There's no free shipping, and the prices are usually on the higher side, BUT they have almost everything you might need and it's all good quality.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Have you checked McMaster? They are usually pretty good with shipping, either same day or next day most of the time. There's no free shipping, and the prices are usually on the higher side, BUT they have almost everything you might need and it's all good quality.

Yeah, I buy from McMaster, but like Summit, I try to put a bulk order together rather than get whacked on shipping for one item. I not too long ago received my last order from them and don’t really have much on the list to order again.

Plus I’m out of money again till the next check hits the bank. So I’m trying to work with what I got.

 

[sgtsandman]

This makes sense. But the Ranger ones needed to be stiffer because of the sag some members report they have on theirs. I'm glad my Ranger's front suspension has coil springs.

All springs sag over time regardless of whether they are leaf, coil, or torsion bars.

 

[sgtsandman]

New headlights arrived

Too bad I’m not quite ready to put them in. Plus I’m sick and it’s raining

View attachment 89151

What are those things around the lens? Wrap around LEDs?

 

[Vindictus]

Totally jealous of your proximity to summit. Ugh. I really like living up here in the boonies but damn it's lame sometimes.

You think it's lame there, jump over the boarder and order something here. You'll never say it's lame in Maine again

 

[JoshT]

What are those things around the lens? Wrap around LEDs?

Yeah, IIRC they are supposed to act as DRLs and mimic the headlights on newer vehicles. They've got tail lights like that for them as well. I'm torn on the look. On the one hand I kind of want to update my headlights to something newer (the 99 is getting a facelift soonish) on the other hand I kind of think that on most of these LED strip looks out of place in a light that wasn't designed for them. I say that while my Kia has similar in the taillights, but those actually look like some thought was put into the design (and they are OEM, but not first year OEM), where as these look like it was just squeezed in there without much thought to the design.

I've been torn between 01-11 headlights and 06+ corners and going with something aftermarket like these, which IMO have a little more thought put into the design.


Heck at this point I'm still conflicted on how to proceed with the facelift. Buy all new, or scrounge used where I can. I've found a header panel locally for $65 with all the hardware and the headlight light retainers, but I'd still need to source a grille. A grille and header panel combo off the interwebz is around $200 with new headlights, but I'd have to scrounge up a lot of small parts like hardware and headlight retainers.

That's what I did to my Ranger today (and most days). Spent too much time thinking about the best way to proceed.

 

[Blmpkn]

You think it's lame there, jump over the boarder and order something here. You'll never say it's lame in Maine again

Yeah.. you guys really get screwed up there with paying for shipping lol. My condolences.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

All springs sag over time regardless of whether they are leaf, coil, or torsion bars.

True, but I can get replacements for my coils, even from the aftermarket (Moog). The torsion-bar guys here have few options left. I don't understand the lack of aftermarket support there.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

What are those things around the lens? Wrap around LEDs?

So on the ones I got, that white sort of C shaped tube is supposed to be both a white LED daytime running light and (I’m spoiling a surprise here) sequential Amber turn signal. Since my Ranger didn’t have DRL, I’ll have to figure out at some point how to make that part functional. It’s probably going to annoy me that I have the option and it’s not useful until I figure out how to make it work. It will probably light with parking lights but I haven’t been able to try anything out yet.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, IIRC they are supposed to act as DRLs and mimic the headlights on newer vehicles. They've got tail lights like that for them as well. I'm torn on the look. On the one hand I kind of want to update my headlights to something newer (the 99 is getting a facelift soonish) on the other hand I kind of think that on most of these LED strip looks out of place in a light that wasn't designed for them. I say that while my Kia has similar in the taillights, but those actually look like some thought was put into the design (and they are OEM, but not first year OEM), where as these look like it was just squeezed in there without much thought to the design.

I've been torn between 01-11 headlights and 06+ corners and going with something aftermarket like these, which IMO have a little more thought put into the design.
View attachment 89221

Heck at this point I'm still conflicted on how to proceed with the facelift. Buy all new, or scrounge used where I can. I've found a header panel locally for $65 with all the hardware and the headlight light retainers, but I'd still need to source a grille. A grille and header panel combo off the interwebz is around $200 with new headlights, but I'd have to scrounge up a lot of small parts like hardware and headlight retainers.

That's what I did to my Ranger today (and most days). Spent too much time thinking about the best way to proceed.

I was kinda torn on the look too and I was looking at different options. I know that I was less than happy with the smoked lens lights that the previous owner put on my green 00 before I got it. Actually think I got much better light output with smoked removeable lens covers on my blue 00 even when I didn’t remove the covers at night. The lights on the green Ranger also ended up getting water in them in short order that strangely removed the reflective coating inside them. I still wanted at least a somewhat dark appearing headlight if possible.

I actually considered the ones you posted but thought they looked a little tacky with the way they made the side lights, I wanted a more sleek, stockish look. But I still considered them up until I found the ones with the sequential turn signals. The style I got is available with or without the sequential turn signal and is available in black (what I got) or chromed/clear. I’m thinking I should be reasonably happy with them. Thought about just going with covers like my blue Ranger, but I’m likely going to do a custom front bumper on the green one and would have to make sure that the bumper is configured to accept the covers. By changing the lights, I can do whatever with the bumper.

I ended up getting the header panel with its bits and pieces from a junkyard. Couldn’t find a good grill so I ended up ordering a new one. Was about $65 for the grill I got off Amazon. Spent about $50 for the header panel from the JY. Headlights were darn expensive, nearly $200 for those since I had to pick the fancy ones. Still need an emblem. Not really happy with the cost of the facelift, but it’s something I wanted to do since I got the truck and I’m thinking I’m really going to be happy with the results, especially after I put a power dome hood on.

 

[sgtsandman]

True, but I can get replacements for my coils, even from the aftermarket (Moog). The torsion-bar guys here have few options left. I don't understand the lack of aftermarket support there.

Probably a combination of supply chain issues and Ford wants people to buy a new truck.

It sounds like I replaced/upgraded mine at the right time.