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

[Jazzer]

Changed the differential oil in my ‘07 yesterday. Just ran for coolant this morning, once it warms up I’ll change that out.

 

[Blmpkn]

Fixed my first frame.. most of the way.

 

[Summers22]

Took advantage of about 2 free hours today so I replaced the rotors and pads. I had already installed the new races, bearings and seals (all Timken, even the grease) into the Raybestos rotors a week ago. Installed Powerstop pads as well. Very simple job. Going to do the rears tomorrow, probably not going to be as easy, lol.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Started by moving the '90 out of the shop driveway, took the long route through some of the wetland area for good measure (why not...), again left the dang parking brake on for that little jaunt... stupid 5" drum brakes...

Then pulled the '97 into the shop to replace the stereo with an aftermarket JBL single DIN unit with a non contact charger in the shelf underneath:

Yes the charger with the phone on it gets dumb close to the shifter, if it really irks me I can butcher the shelf and recess everything as much as needed... I got a roll of the fancy 3M red backed tape to stick the charger down so it's there pretty good... when I do the heater core I'll put a relay in the system for key on power so the pad isn't powered all the time but I had enough for today...

Then I switched to lazy body work, the leading edge of the hood was rough from the rear ending situation a couple years ago so I finally got to that, the whole process took like an hour so don't judge too much, I'll get it better later, I just wanted to curb the rust...

The paint was much darker than I'd expected by the cap, tried black primer first which didn't work so redid it further back with grey which still left a dark line when I tried to feather it... whatever...

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

Replaced the rear springs with a pair of much softer ones that even lowered it an inch or so. The cobbled together set that was in there were waaay too stiff to allow my CalTracs and shocks to work properly. New Goodyear slicks are the same size as the old Hoosiers...

 

[scotts90ranger]

In the daylight the paint on the hood is less bad than it looked last night but that dark line at the top is there for sure... and the shelf with the charger needs to be reworked, it's annoying for the shift knob to hit the phone in 1, 3 and 5... I think I have a solid plan...

 

[Rick W]

Not what I did to it, it’s what it did to me.

The new brunette wanted to see the Road Ranger in person. The interior and armrest are much more comfortable on the surgery elbow then in the Missing Linc so I didn’t object. Arm is doing a little better, so I did a quick clean with a rag and the pressure washer, and I headed out.

I went about 3/4 of a mile down the road, still in my neighborhood, and out of the blue like you flipped the switch, there was a horrendous vibration, rattling everything that you could feel right through the shift handle, absolutely scared me to death. My first thought was that stupid SOB who chopped the whole back of that truck up and put that stupid extra axle on it. Oh, wait, that was me.

It was rumble rattling like crazy, even when I was going 2 or 3 miles an hour, but I put all the code 3 lights on, hugged the curb, and I got to pull off the road in a little parking area. I crawled all over that back. Axle assuming I missed something there and something broke loose, but it was all tight as a drum. Then I looked around the original Ranger axle, nothing there, so I started to think did it blow a piston or something. So I just started it up idling but the engine was real smooth.

Then I got underneath, and I started just pulling and pushing on everything, and the bearing that holds the middle of 2-piece driveshaft, that bearing was a memory, and the driveshaft moved almost an inch in any direction, so it was just wobbling in the housing when I was going 35 miles an hour when it popped. And yes, dirty underwear like crazy.

All my funky lights came in handy because I put the beacons on and I put the traffic advisor bar, and my four way flashers, and I rode home at literally about 2 miles an hour, sticking to the side of the road. Fortunately, I got home with no additional damage.

Then I got under there and make sure of what it was, yep, the mid shift bearing, I watched a couple YouTube videos on how to replace it, it doesn’t look hard at all, and I broke down and bought one on eBay that should be here by the end of the week.

 

[Rick W]

On the Missing Linc, I changed the shock that pushes up and holds the lid on the cross bed toolbox. The old one would hold it up, but I had to use two hands when I opened it because it wouldn’t pop up.

Turns out the hoods on my 87 and 88 town cars have an almost identical looking shock. They don’t make them anymore, so I’ve grabbed extras when I’m in the scrap yard if they’re good. Soooo…

The toolbox lid is aluminum, about 12 inches deep and about 50 something inches wide. The hood of the Lincoln is the best part of 4 feet long, 48+ wide, and it’s a double layer of steel. I had to drill out the Lincoln connectors, just a little bit, but otherwise it fit fine. Then I closed the lid, and I don’t know why, but I had a screwdriver on top of it when I pulled the handle.

I’m not sure if the screwdriver has come down yet, it may be falling out where some of you guys are. So I don’t have to use two hands anymore, but the damn thing is more dangerous than a medieval catapult.

Then I remembered, when I was searching for the Lincoln hood shocks way back, and found out they didn’t make them anymore, I bought a pair for an aluminum hood. I think they switched to Aluminum in 89. They didn’t work worth a damn on the steel hood, but I still had a couple of them in my box of shock miracles.

I got one of those, drilled it out, and it’s about a quarter inch shorter than the original, rattles a little bit on each end, but it pops up and holds the lid back about 80%. There’s enough slop that if I had to have it wide open, I could just push it back by hand.

The screwdriver was a Phillips with a black and red handle. Please let me know if you find it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

@Rick W , so the better fix for that center bearing is to chuck it in the trash along with the rear driveshaft and the mount off the crossmember for the bearing. Then swap in a 98+ “one piece” shaft. I did that on my 92 when that bearing started going and never looked back

 

[Rick W]

@Rick W , so the better fix for that center bearing is to chuck it in the trash along with the rear driveshaft and the mount off the crossmember for the bearing. Then swap in a 98+ “one piece” shaft. I did that on my 92 when that bearing started going and never looked back

Understood. I already ordered the part, and it’s only $24. I don’t push it that hard, no shock loads, like you guys do when you go four wheeling in the wilderness. Sometimes it pulls a pretty good load, but I’m never hard on it. And with my health issues, I’ll throw that thing in in about an hour, and tackle the next problem. There’s no lack of the next problems…

edit, and afterthought, without really thinking it out, with what I’m doing with that truck with the tandem axles and trailer, I somehow feel the two piece is a better option. I’ll have to think about that.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Understood. I already ordered the part, and it’s only $24. I don’t push it that hard, no shock loads, like you guys do when you go four wheeling in the wilderness. Sometimes it pulls a pretty good load, but I’m never hard on it. And with my health issues, I’ll throw that thing in in about an hour, and tackle the next problem. There’s no lack of the next problems…

edit, and afterthought, without really thinking it out, with what I’m doing with that truck with the tandem axles and trailer, I somehow feel the two piece is a better option. I’ll have to think about that.

The two piece with the carrier bearing proved to be a problematic design for the Ranger rear driveshaft. Going to the “single piece” resolved vibration issues, problems with the bearing, and a side benefit, it tolerates lifting or lowering the truck which the two piece design did not like.

I understand already having ordered the bearing and not really seeing a need for changing it though.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

@Rick W , so the better fix for that center bearing is to chuck it in the trash along with the rear driveshaft and the mount off the crossmember for the bearing. Then swap in a 98+ “one piece” shaft. I did that on my 92 when that bearing started going and never looked back

I looked at the videos for changing the center bearing a few years ago. It looked like a real, royal, total PITA. Luckily, my Ranger is a 2011 and doesn't have it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I looked at the videos for changing the center bearing a few years ago. It looked like a real, royal, total PITA. Luckily, my Ranger is a 2011 and doesn't have it.

I didn’t even bother looking up how to do it or what a replacement bearing cost, soon as I found out the 98+ shaft swapped in there was no way I wanted anything to do with an extra U-joint and a bearing other than to relocate it to the scrap pile.

 

[Rick W]

Just for conversation, a lot of people think you have to take the whole drive shaft system out to change that bearing. Not so.

There are two screws each on the U clamps that holds the U joint. If you take them out, you can push the rear driveshaft to the side. Then pull two bolts holding the bearing. Then the front driveshaft slides out with the bearing.

Gently clamp the driveshaft in a vice, remove the center nut holding the yoke.

Apparently, you usually have to use a puller to pull the bearing off and/or to pull the race off if the bearing itself is damaged, but apparently it doesn’t resist much. It’s just not something you can do with your hand.

I’m guessing it will take an hour for a feeble old fart with elbow surgery like me to do it.

 

[Killakittie]

Hard wiring the Land Air Sea 54 GPS and finding a sneaky place to hide it.