Working on my first Ranger.

[Atcantara]

I am a long time Ford man. When I went looking for a winter vehicle for a low price. A 2000 Ford Ranger 2wd was calli0ng my name. It had 313,000 miles on it when I bought it.
At 320k my oil pump let go and chewed up the engine. I found a newer engine with low miles and I am in the process of swapping the engine. I am torn between lifting the truck and lowering it. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading my post.


Aaron

 

[bigpunn12575]

does it snow there?

 

[Atcantara]

It does snow a lot up here. Most of the 4x4 I looked at had rusted frames and/or rocker panels. This was the best truck I could find for under a grand.

 

[adsm08]

Well if you lower it you will be plowing snow.

If you lift it you will have a top-heavy 2wd that wants to kick the rear out on bad roads and try to roll over.

I'd leave it.

 

[Atcantara]

Thanks. I just want it to be better in the snow then my mustang. Any suggestions to make this a better ride in the snow?

 

[adsm08]

Studded tires and 30lb bags of sand.

A 2wd truck is not going to be much better in the snow than a Mustang. They share the same basic flaw. Rear-wheel drive with no real weight over the rear axle. Since you don't have any way to put power to the front wheels you don't get the benefits of being pulled along instead of pushed, and you don't get the benefits of having the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. If you aren't careful the rear is still going to want to walk off to the side when it gets slick out.

We get a fair amount of snow here where I am in PA, and we get even more freezing rain than snow. I rarely use my 4x4 on the road, even in winter, but it does take a lot of skill that most people in my area seem to lack.

 

[Atcantara]

It seems like people forget how to drive in it up here. It's like they forget we're in New England. I just need to go get it up and running again.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

studded snows on all four corners, you need to steer too.
weight in the back end, secured so it doesn't cause more damage in an accident.
limited slip helps once you get used to it.

 

[Sweersa]

I have a 2.3l rear wheel drive Ranger and the winters here in Michigan are a challenge. It's the biggest gripe I have against my truck.

We can't have studded snow tires here, so I have 4 snow tires, and a ton of weight over the rear axle. That makes a world of difference, but you still must drive very carefully. Slow, and smooth. I can't stress that enough. I'm lucky I have not totaled the thing, I've had many close calls and have ditched it a few times over the years. It's simply not a good truck for those types of conditions, and requires snow tires, weight, and really good driving.

Be careful, and don't get complacent. Drive in snow like you have a full cup of hot coffee on your dash.

 

[Mark_88]

I just need to go get it up and running again.

Viagra and a good pair of sneakers will do this for you...trust me !

But I would agree with good tires and weight over the rear wheels...I've driven RWD all (most) my driving years...it only gets tricky when you have to avoid idiots who think snow and slush don't affect driving conditions if they are wearing winter clothes and have the heater on...

 

[Atcantara]

Thanks. I will be putting this back together. I was thinking some 29x6.50x15 tires and no lift. I do have a toolbox in the bed to through some weight in it. I also thought about using some lift to make it look right too.

 

[Atcantara]

Does anyone know what wheels will fit a Ranger. I was thinking about some 17 inch mustang wheels. Will 1999-2004 wheels fit?

Aaron

 

[Mark_88]

Does anyone know what wheels will fit a Ranger. I was thinking about some 17 inch mustang wheels. Will 1999-2004 wheels fit?

Aaron

TRS has an amazing library and you will probably find what you need to know in this document...

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/wheel_fitment.html

 

[kimcrwbr1]

If it has the open rear carrier put in the L/S. If it has an auto trannie use the E-brake to stop so you dont lose control with the front wheels.

 

[Atcantara]

It is an open dff. I was thinking of putting a mustang l/s in it. Plus new snows are reasonable priced. I put 15 inch Explorer aluminum wheels on it. I have a full set of 17 inch tires and I am looking for rims for the summer. I have been having the airbag light come on from time to time. What could cause that?