Why two different tracks?

[JoshT]

Mustang to truck, again apples to oranges.

I'm done. Guy was asking why the rear was narrower. Valid engineering reasons were presented. They had little to do with vehicle turning radius and nothing to do with tractors.

Even the post that you were replying to with your turning radius comments wasn't talking about turning radius of the vehicle. It was talking about the arc that the rear axle takes compared to that of the front axle in a turn. Amongst other things that is heavily influenced by track width and wheel base. The efects of it are often referred to as understeer and oversteer. It can have an effect on the vehicle's turning radius, but there are a lot more considerations than that when designing. Many of those are related to how the vehicle responds to steering input at speed.

Either you'll figure it out or you won't. Pjtoledo offered the best advice at the beginning of post 2. Doing that will grant more and more detailed information than any of us could ever convey in this medium.

 

[sgtsandman]

Mustang to truck, again apples to oranges.

I'm done. Guy was asking why the rear was narrower. Valid engineering reasons were presented. They had little to do with vehicle turning radius and nothing to do with tractors.

Even the post that you were replying to with your turning radius comments wasn't talking about turning radius of the vehicle. It was talking about the arc that the rear axle takes compared to that of the front axle in a turn. Amongst other things that is heavily influenced by track width and wheel base. The efects of it are often referred to as understeer and oversteer. It can have an effect on the vehicle's turning radius, but there are a lot more considerations than that when designing. Many of those are related to how the vehicle responds to steering input at speed.

Either you'll figure it out or you won't. Pjtoledo offered the best advice at the beginning of post 2. Doing that will grant more and more detailed information than any of us could ever convey in this medium.

I'm no engineer, so my comments are more of a guess and opinion, than having any facts to back it up. You may be right in the reasons you give.

All I know is that off roaders, especially overlanders hate having a significantly more narrow rear axle. Because of the narrower track, the rear end tends to wander back and forth in and out of the wider track made by the front axle. Not something most people have to deal with or worry about. So other factors take precidence for the general punlic over all.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'm no engineer, so my comments are more of a guess and opinion, than having any facts to back it up. You may be right in the reasons you give.

All I know is that off roaders, especially overlanders hate having a significantly more narrow rear axle. Because of the narrower track, the rear end tends to wander back and forth in and out of the wider track made by the front axle. Not something most people have to deal with or worry about. So other factors take precidence for the general punlic over all.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel to figure out why they did it... because 30 years ago Ford engineers decided they didn't need to do it any longer.

TTB Explorer (same steering as Ranger) - same f/r
SLA Explorer (same steering as Ranger) - same f/r
19+ Ranger - same f/r
2022-2024 Bronco - same f/r

 

[sgtsandman]

We don't need to reinvent the wheel to figure out why they did it... because 30 years ago Ford engineers decided they didn't need to do it any longer.

TTB Explorer (same steering as Ranger) - same f/r
SLA Explorer (same steering as Ranger) - same f/r
19+ Ranger - same f/r
2022-2024 Bronco - same f/r

The f/r difference with these isn't that bad really. The biggest complaint I see is from the Aussies with the Toyota 70 series. I've yet to notice anything of note with either of the Rangers wanting to "hunt" because the rear end is moving from one track to another in my "extensive experience" driving off road.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The f/r difference with these isn't that bad really. The biggest complaint I see is from the Aussies with the Toyota 70 series. I've yet to notice anything of note with either of the Rangers wanting to "hunt" because the rear end is moving from one track to another in my "extensive experience" driving off road.

It didn't bother me until I knew about it, then just the looks of it really bugged me.

I didn't know about it until I was researching putting in the 8.8 though.

Then for a bit I was wider in the rear until I swapped the front lol.