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

[scotts90ranger]

View attachment 92140


Put that in, along with a new transmission underneath it with a new flywheel, clutch, etc.

In other news, AMS Automotive's clutches don't last long. Their "heavy duty" (HA) one lasted me 50-55k and gave up the ghost, and took the flywheel and pressure plate with it.

I highly recommend Centerforce, I've been wheeling my '90 and not a lot of road driving but still 20-30k miles I think on the Centerforce stock replacement friction disc and weighted pressure plate for 11 years, the transmission needed rebuilt again so I bought a new clutch for good measure and it had 0.007" of wear compared to the replacement parts, flywheel looked fine (just cleaned up with the whizzy wheel on the die grinder). So that clutch will go on my '97 when the time comes...

 

[Blmpkn]

Yeah damn PJ.. quit yer chronic 'tugging' and bless us with you BS more often lol.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Nice to see you still around

Ditto!

Sorta-ish lol. It took driving a 2022 F150 to get me to fix the ranger. Nice truck and all, but the occasional motion sickness from the 10 speed auto was too much for me. Plus the tech in the new trucks is creepy af and I hate it.

Ford did *finally* figure out how to build seats though. Man are those things comfortable.

I highly recommend Centerforce, I've been wheeling my '90 and not a lot of road driving but still 20-30k miles I think on the Centerforce stock replacement friction disc and weighted pressure plate for 11 years, the transmission needed rebuilt again so I bought a new clutch for good measure and it had 0.007" of wear compared to the replacement parts, flywheel looked fine (just cleaned up with the whizzy wheel on the die grinder). So that clutch will go on my '97 when the time comes...

So... I looked at the centerforce and southbend both. I liked what I saw with one of the centerforce ones, with the self adjusting pressure plate. Southbend didn't offer a self adjuster iirc.

The southbend in my 2004 Cummins is ok. Heavy, but it handles the truck well. Only thing i dont like about the southbend in my Ram is that it is HEAVY. Didn't want to go back to a super heavy clutch in the ranger if I could avoid it.

The centerforce looked good, and a few guys on here posted that they liked them, but with other repairs needed, it lost out to the cheaper LUK. Bobby and 85_Ranger4x4 both mentioned they had good luck with them, so I went that route for now.

I dont know what to think of the AMS Automotive. It should have lasted longer. The clutch disc itself was fine. The pressure plate uses a ring of weird little tabs as spring force, and after 50k miles or so, half of them wore out and would only allow half of the clutch to grab to the flywheel. I'm guessing a few thousand miles like that led to a bunch of hotspots on both sides and a bunch of slippage, so everything got replaced.

 

[Rick W]

I am a halfway decent turn wrench, and I’m creative, I do my research, but I’d be lying if I said I understood these clutches the way you guys do.

The Road Ranger’s clutch would slip if I pushed it when I got the truck with 305,000 miles. I knew I needed a new clutch, and I wanted one with more grab because of what I was going to do to the truck, semi pulling a trailer.

My 15 or 20 minutes of research, talking to the guys at NAPA, etc., led me to buy a ceramic clutch. I bought a kit with the heavier pressure plate. This is what I got:

When the guys were installing it, there was wear on the pressure plate, so they got one from NAPA, I don’t know which one, probably stock, to keep the work going to get done.

I LOVE the way it grabs and holds, I’ve already pulled a 16 foot heavy trailer with an Isuzu rodeo on top, and it pulled like a dream.

The downside is I’m a feeble old curmudgeon, and the thing is killing my left knee/leg. Also, it grabs so low and so hard (exact opposite of the new normal clutch in the 87 Missing Linc), I either screech the tires or stall it. I’m driving like a stick shift newbie. (I haven’t figured out where the sensor is, but it seems to do it more when there’s people standing around than when I’m all by myself.)

Hope it helps!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I am a halfway decent turn wrench, and I’m creative, I do my research, but I’d be lying if I said I understood these clutches the way you guys do.

The Road Ranger’s clutch would slip if I pushed it when I got the truck with 305,000 miles. I knew I needed a new clutch, and I wanted one with more grab because of what I was going to do to the truck, semi pulling a trailer.

My 15 or 20 minutes of research, talking to the guys at NAPA, etc., led me to buy a ceramic clutch. I bought a kit with the heavier pressure plate. This is what I got:

View attachment 92147View attachment 92148View attachment 92149

When the guys were installing it, there was wear on the pressure plate, so they got one from NAPA, I don’t know which one, probably stock, to keep the work going to get done.

I LOVE the way it grabs and holds, I’ve already pulled a 16 foot heavy trailer with an Isuzu rodeo on top, and it pulled like a dream.

The downside is I’m a feeble old curmudgeon, and the thing is killing my left knee/leg. Also, it grabs so low and so hard (exact opposite of the new normal clutch in the 87 Missing Linc), I either screech the tires or stall it. I’m driving like a stick shift newbie. (I haven’t figured out where the sensor is, but it seems to do it more when there’s people standing around than when I’m all by myself.)

Hope it helps!

I’d have to look for the box, but I bought a stage 2 or 3 clutch years ago for my F-150 and it’s like that. A heavy sucker that works more like an on/off switch than a clutch. Probably a tad excessive, but like you I figured it would be a good idea with towing and hauling.

My choptop got a Duralast clutch kit from Autozone. Almost want to say it was stamped LUK even though the box didn’t say it. It’s been fine, but it doesn’t have a ton of miles on it since I can’t seem to keep an engine in that truck.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Every puck style disc I ever used was on or off. They aren't very forgiving... but hold well.

I didn't even use them much for our drag buggies. They grab so well we would break shit nearly everytime out.

 

[scotts90ranger]

That's exactly why I didn't want a puck clutch, the centerforce drives like a normal clutch but apparently grabs like a mofo... it's only got hot on me a couple times which was likely from getting oily...

 

[Rick W]

Used the Missing Linc to fetch a door and a couple windows to convert my shed (The actual original shed of miracles) into a gardening shack. Vintage, solid oak, two matching windows, two locks and keys, $40. Can’t go wrong.

 

[Blmpkn]

Drove it by the post office, which was much excite! Why? Well.. every 10 years.. the company I work for gives us 29 shares. A year after being granted the shares we get control of them and can then choose to do whatever we want with them.

28 of mine are getting turned into a sizable check for a nice down-payment on a broncoooooooo.

Keeping one, so the company will continue to give me shares. If you sell/trade all of them they won't keep giving you more.

 

[sgtsandman]

Parked it, chocked it, released the parking brake, and disconnected to battery for a short notice deployment yesterday. Supporting a mission in Alaska. That’s about all I can say. The brakes won’t be stuck and the battery won’t be dead when I get home.

 

[Roert42]

Parked it, chocked it, released the parking brake, and disconnected to battery for a short notice deployment yesterday. Supporting a mission in Alaska. That’s about all I can say. The brakes won’t be stuck and the battery won’t be dead when I get home.

 

[Roert42]

Took the '97 for inspection, been sitting in the yard for a couple of years since I bought it.

Got dinged for lacey leaf spring hangers, and a small rust hole behind the right rear hanger.

Giving it to my brother who just got his license, so I'll make him do most the work. Got all new hangers and bushings on order.

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

Rear window Lexan pattern attempt #2 is a win because cardboard is way better than poster board - that thing fits like a glove now.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Hmmmm...

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Finally put the Duff traction bars on. So far so good. They take all the bounce off the ass end. Will drive them some more and do a thread.