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

[ekrampitzjr]

Used the Ranger yesterday to get rid of my old clothes dryer, which stopped heating, and get another one. Both units were used, which works for my small amount of use per week. The "new" used dryer cost less than it would have cost to fix the old one. The appliance shop will do that work and resell the one I had.

This is when having a pickup really comes in handy.

 

[Rick W]

I love Craigslist. Today I got an OEM AM/FM CD/cassette with all the speakers from a 97 for my 97. There was nothing wrong with it, the guy just upgraded to all modern stuff. I have one speaker buzzing a little bit, and I can’t remember if mine was a cassette or a CD, but it didn’t work, all I had was the radio. $50 for all, can’t go wrong.

Now I’m heading out to grind and chop and cut and saw and drill and weld and try to put his trailer dolly together.

I also already swapped a wheel bearing out on the front of old blue (88 Lincoln Town Car), so I can take Sweet Pea out tonight.

 

[Snoranger]

I was looking at new tires for my truck…
Do you think they’ll fit?

 

[Curious Hound]

I was looking at new tires for my truck…
Do you think they’ll fit?
View attachment 94817

Yes. On a flat bed trailer behind it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I was looking at new tires for my truck…
Do you think they’ll fit?
View attachment 94817

Anything can be made to fit, just need a welder and sawzall…

 

[scotts90ranger]

Drove the '97 for the first time in a while over to have lunch with mom for her birthday, did it's thing just fine...

On the F350 I'd noticed some bubbling paint at the front of the passenger side gutter so I went to attack it to try to save it and I'm too late... so I'll need to put in a patch there, primed it to hold it back for a couple weeks... loaded the camper on it and started working on the boat, fixed some wiring stuff on that, the dash power wire was twisted and taped together near the starter relay and all the ring terminals for that wire and the alternator charge wire were used wrong (stripped 1/2" instead of 1/4" and not heat shrink type) so I fixed that too while I had everything there, and put a properly sized heat shrink butt connector on the bilge pump (had a non sealed yellow on a 16awg wire, now has a blue heat shrink...). Some people shouldn't wire things... sure rednecking things works fine for a while but it's not always a long term fix especially in an aluminum boat at or near water level on hot wires

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Drove the '97 for the first time in a while over to have lunch with mom for her birthday, did it's thing just fine...

On the F350 I'd noticed some bubbling paint at the front of the passenger side gutter so I went to attack it to try to save it and I'm too late... so I'll need to put in a patch there, primed it to hold it back for a couple weeks... loaded the camper on it and started working on the boat, fixed some wiring stuff on that, the dash power wire was twisted and taped together near the starter relay and all the ring terminals for that wire and the alternator charge wire were used wrong (stripped 1/2" instead of 1/4" and not heat shrink type) so I fixed that too while I had everything there, and put a properly sized heat shrink butt connector on the bilge pump (had a non sealed yellow on a 16awg wire, now has a blue heat shrink...). Some people shouldn't wire things... sure rednecking things works fine for a while but it's not always a long term fix especially in an aluminum boat at or near water level on hot wires

I see that kinda junk a lot, especially on boats. I’ve fixed a good bit of it over the years too, for a price. I swear some people shouldn’t be allowed to use a screwdriver, much less be allowed to do electrical.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, it's a carbureted 351 with mechanical fuel pump and electric choke, there's like 4 wires, somehow it's screwed up... the only gauges that work are the fuel gauge and temp gauge, I think the oil pressure gauge and alarm were mixed up so the gauge went out shortly after I got it... tach doesn't work but I don't care... I'm perfectly content with the two gauges that work for now

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, today I got the rear diff filled with oil on mom’s Explorer, which brings my work on that at the moment to a close. There’s still a battery drain and rear wiper motor and front axle seals to be done, but for now dad wants to squirt some rust proofing stuff on the back and call it good for a bit until his Ranger is back up. I’m fine with that. Also I’m not quite sure what to do about the drivers door, it’s sagging but I can’t find movement in the pins and I’m not exactly sure what to do. I wouldn’t think the hinges would have moved and when you slam it so it rides up onto the catch, the body lines match, so lowering the catch would mess the body lines. I’d think it’s pins, but it seems odd I can’t get movement with the door open and picking up on the door.

Anyway. Moved on to the choptop at that point, and tore into the front axle. Got the drivers side apart and knocked out the ball joints. Spent a lot of time running around collecting up tools I needed (I hate not having a garage). Had a few issues (tie rod didn’t want to pop, then the ball joints didn’t want to let loose and the end where the pinch bolt in had gotten hammered from a bolt for a dust shield or something on the knuckle that isn’t there anymore that ended up in range thanks to the bad ball joint and lack of steering stops, which I’m not exactly sure why it doesn’t seem to have stops). At any rate, I’ll put something in to serve as a steering stop, I got the bolt for the whatever on the knuckle cleaned off and threaded fully in instead of partly, and I got the new ball joints in and the knuckle installed (minis the tie rod end, it’s just sitting there). Glad I decided to do all the ball joints instead of just the uppers, the lower was bad too on this side, just not as bad as the upper. Didn’t find out till I tore it apart.

Debating if I want to go through the trouble of cleaning and re-greasing the bearings. The grease that’s there doesn’t look bad, but I have no idea when it was last done. Aside from potentially that, I pretty much just have to finish putting the drivers side back together then I can do the passenger side.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

So, today I got the rear diff filled with oil on mom’s Explorer, which brings my work on that at the moment to a close. There’s still a battery drain and rear wiper motor and front axle seals to be done, but for now dad wants to squirt some rust proofing stuff on the back and call it good for a bit until his Ranger is back up. I’m fine with that. Also I’m not quite sure what to do about the drivers door, it’s sagging but I can’t find movement in the pins and I’m not exactly sure what to do. I wouldn’t think the hinges would have moved and when you slam it so it rides up onto the catch, the body lines match, so lowering the catch would mess the body lines. I’d think it’s pins, but it seems odd I can’t get movement with the door open and picking up on the door.

Anyway. Moved on to the choptop at that point, and tore into the front axle. Got the drivers side apart and knocked out the ball joints. Spent a lot of time running around collecting up tools I needed (I hate not having a garage). Had a few issues (tie rod didn’t want to pop, then the ball joints didn’t want to let loose and the end where the pinch bolt in had gotten hammered from a bolt for a dust shield or something on the knuckle that isn’t there anymore that ended up in range thanks to the bad ball joint and lack of steering stops, which I’m not exactly sure why it doesn’t seem to have stops). At any rate, I’ll put something in to serve as a steering stop, I got the bolt for the whatever on the knuckle cleaned off and threaded fully in instead of partly, and I got the new ball joints in and the knuckle installed (minis the tie rod end, it’s just sitting there). Glad I decided to do all the ball joints instead of just the uppers, the lower was bad too on this side, just not as bad as the upper. Didn’t find out till I tore it apart.

Debating if I want to go through the trouble of cleaning and re-greasing the bearings. The grease that’s there doesn’t look bad, but I have no idea when it was last done. Aside from potentially that, I pretty much just have to finish putting the drivers side back together then I can do the passenger side.

The door sag might be because the pin brackets were slightly bent from a lot of weight being put on the door when open. Think of someone who's very heavy using the door for support, or someone heavy tripping and falling, grabbing the door to stop the fall.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The door sag might be because the pin brackets were slightly bent from a lot of weight being put on the door when open. Think of someone who's very heavy using the door for support, or someone heavy tripping and falling, grabbing the door to stop the fall.

Not sure how that would happen, I’m the heaviest person here at 200#, lol

 

[rubydist]

I was looking at new tires for my truck…
Do you think they’ll fit?
View attachment 94817

I wonder why they bothered to put those little wheel chocks there. If one of those tires decides to move, that chock doesn't have a snowball's chance in heck to stop it...

 

[Snoranger]

I wonder why they bothered to put those little wheel chocks there. If one of those tires decides to move, that chock doesn't have a snowball's chance in heck to stop it...

Probably some useless OSHA regulation.

 

[bobbywalter]

I see that kinda junk a lot, especially on boats. I’ve fixed a good bit of it over the years too, for a price. I swear some people shouldn’t be allowed to use a screwdriver, much less be allowed to do electrical.

you know....when i do work on other stuff...i use packard or deutche ....ect...

my personal junk is assaulted with wire nuts, and zip ties with electrical tape...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

you know....when i do work on other stuff...i use packard or deutche ....ect...

my personal junk is assaulted with wire nuts, and zip ties with electrical tape...

I’m just anal enough to do the same level of work on my stuff that I would do for anyone else, the best I know how. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done my share of “temporary” rigging on my junk at times, but I like efficiency and reducing problems which means doing it right all the time and I think of doing my own stuff as a sort of practice and for working out better ways to handle stuff