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

[97RangerXLT]

if all you are going to do is scoot it sideways a few feet, it might be easier to just put the LCA's and wheels on and take a floor jack and lift it on the back axle move it over, then lift it on the front and move it over. may have to do it in a couple runs of a foot or so each, then you don't have to worry about messing something up.

AJ

 

[Snoranger]

In case nobody’s noticed, my trucks and trailers and such stuff is not what you would call “standard.”

I used blade connectors from a whole bunch of industrial stuff, I like the way a blade connector connects over time as opposed to a round pin connector.

I usually use a four pun microphone (aircraft?) male and female for my low-power strobe lights if I have to jump them over to the trailer. I like those because they have the screw connector. And, as I’ve said before, I usually run an independent ground, even though technically the seven pin and the aircraft connectors are both grounding if you hook them up correctly.

Having said all that, somebody educate me, or all of us, one question: It’s my understanding, the seven “blade” connectors are standard for camper trailers and such. What are the seven “round pin” connectors for? Over 50 years I’ve seen both, I’m just wondering what current standards are and what they’re supposed to be for which might make a difference to others who are modifying their Towing capabilities.

And one after after thought: on a lot of of my trailers, where I have extra lights and such, I usually put a strip of screw terminals right where the trailer connector comes into the trailer. The 97 Ranger has Amber turn signals and solid brake lights. The 87 has the stop/tail/turn tail lights. With the terminal strip, I just have to move a couple wires to make the lights work correctly if the truck is wired differently. You get the idea.

Hope it helps

We have standardized our fleet (1800+ pieces of equipment) to a simple pattern. We only use 7 pin trailer plugs on everything.

7 pin round (round housing with round pins, commonly used on tractor trailers) go on anything with air brakes. This has separate stop and turn circuits, and no electric trailer brake.

7 pin RV - (round housing with blade type connectors) these have combined stop and turn signal circuits, reverse light ( commonly used for surge brake lock out), and electric trailer brakes.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

They are standard on Semi trucks, Dump trucks, Logging trucks.

Yup, the 7 pin connector with the round pins is standard for big stuff, 7 pin with the blade style pins is standard for “smaller” stuff.

Fun fact, if nobody will ever borrow your trailer you can switch the 12v power and electric brake wires in the plugs so if someone tries to steal the trailer it applies the brakes as soon as they plug it in

 

[Bill]

I bought my Ranger new tires.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Stupid question of the day:

So the bushings kicked my ass and the ass of my friend. Short story long, I have to order LCAs. That's fine. In the meantime, my garage is being eaten by my truck as I put it in there when I started this work. So....I want to reassemble it just enough to move it a few feet to the left so my wife can park in the garage.

I'll put the old LCAs back together and then reattach, but do I have put the springs in if I'm just going to put on the tires, back up ten feet, then pull in ten feet?

Another person not familiar with that suspension but I'm pretty sure it would be fine to cut up some 2/4's or something and stick in there temporarily... heck I was going to say wrap the inner bushings with duct tape or something to take up the room to make it less dumb, moving 10' you can get away with dumber stuff than on the street...

 

[RobWigglezz]

Had the same thing happen a couple of years ago, except that the light quit working and a new bulb didn't fix the problem. Got a new Ford assembly and replaced the whole thing using an LED replacement bulb to reduce heat. No problems since.

I wonder if the bulb overheating the assembly is a cause of water leaks around the third brake light as some of you have had. The old light assembly definitely had a cracked lens from that.

I made a new gasket with some 1/4in sticky foam today because I was worried about it leaking. The lense itself isn't cracked so hopefully it won't leak.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Used it for truck stuff. trip to Menards for flooring for my ex (she couldn't get 12' of quarter round in the escape. So while I did this, this happened....

first a bit of back story. I got the truck from my Dad in May of 2005. he is the original owner, and ever since he bought it brand new in January of 1997, the rear ABS would act up at weird intervals. had it fixed 3 or 4 times under warranty, had an extended warranty up to 100k. When I got it from him, he had spent some of his money to fix the ABS a few months before I got it. truck had 106k on it when I got it in may. By July of 2005, the effing ABS light came on again. While Dad would have taken that as an affront to him, I laughed it off and went with the idea that I learned to drive on a non ABS car and I decided to let the ABS light shine on like the crazy diamond it was. (Dad was perplexed and annoyed that the fix he had done lasted maybe 4 months...)

Anyways, That ABS light has been a beacon on my dash for going on 21 years now until today. I noticed that it was off going to Sarah's house from Menards. I figured the light in the cluster finally burned out after 100k more miles and 20+ years. get the truck unloaded and started it up. the ABS light came on during self check and turned itself off after start like it was designed to do back in the Clinton administration.

So I ask of you all, after 20+ years, (2 decades!) it self heals. anyone have that ever happen? and i turned it off and restarted it a couple of times, took it to Meijer, still does the self check and turns off. weird.

AJ