Should I actually spend money on the Ranger?

"Slant6" (slant-6)
05/22/2016 at 21:10 • Filed to: None

I’m not saying I have, or will have money to spend on the Ranger. I would like to do some nice mods to it though. In all likelihood I won’t do anything to it for a year or so. It’s also I car I plan on just keeping until I have a real job, like a career and can afford something better.

Some ideas:

I really want the Hurst Shifter kit.

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It’s supposed to be a great improvement over stock. Right now it feels like an oar in cereal. Not really good at all. It is a lot of money for what it is, but it would make every drive more enjoyable.

Nice shocks are also on my list.

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I have a 2wd Ranger Edge so it’s not like I’m off roading ever. But nice shocks would be nice. The streets around me are horrible, pot holes everywhere. I also would like to minimize body roll. Also my current shocks have 162,000 miles on them, so they could be replaced. I could also just get some KYBs and be fine.

If I can find one for cheap I’d also like a camper cover.

What do ya’ll think? I think with a shifter and high end shocks the Ranger might actually be a little fun to drive. Getting ok shocks will probably be all I do though, just for longevity. Maybe I’ll get a shifter rebuild kit to return it to factory spec. Also my ball joints are pitiful looking.

DISCUSSION (10)

Jesse Shaffer > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 21:18

I’m all about the dampers, but not so much on making a truck shift like a car. Trucks are supposed to have their gear levers freely wallow around like a straw in a large mug when they’re in gear. It’s the truck way.

Any stock servicable componenets in the shifter - like linkage bushings - that you can replace?

Slant6 > Jesse Shaffer
05/22/2016 at 21:27

Yeah, there’s a rebuild kit for like $15. Might just do that.

I use it like a car though, getting groceries, 200 mile jaunts across the state, The Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s sloppier than other trucks I’ve driven. My old Tacoma was real nice, but the Ford just feels like something going to break with every gear change.

Birddog > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 21:33

Ball joints, steering gear and shocks can help future value and your general safety. Well worth it.

I wouldn’t spend the dough on the shifter. Sajeev over at TTAC found a nice cheap mod to improve it that’s worth a shot. I lost the bookmark but if you search it should pop up.

E90M3 > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 21:51

I had a 1997 explorer, somewhat similar mechanical to the ranger, at 120k miles my original shocks were completely shot and it was bouncing around all over the highway, probably not the safest thing. Shocks are worth doing for both drivability and safety, I’d just go for the cheap ones. If those ball joints are really that bad, I’d fix them ASAP, kinda what connects the wheels to the car, or is an integral part of that system. Plus if you spend a little money on it, you can keep driving it when you start your career. If you do that then you can just save money while you decide what you want to buy, figure out your budget, etc. I did that and had a nice big down payment for the first car I bought.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 22:21

Hurst shifter on an M5R1 will cause the shift rail plugs to leak atf. Also if youre over 100k miles replace the shocks with anything gas charged asap

Slant6 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
05/22/2016 at 22:33

The forums have a few fixes for the leaking.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 22:39

I know, one guy made a baffle in a secondary clutch master

Opposite Locksmith > Slant6
05/22/2016 at 23:24

Coyote’d ranger

Slant6 > Opposite Locksmith
05/22/2016 at 23:27

Maybe someday, once I have previously mentioned career. For now I just need this to be something that can stay parked outside my dorm and start up after sitting for weeks at a time and do a quick trip around town or 200 miles to home.

It’s also cheap to fix and the 3.0 vulcan is allegedly pretty solid.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Slant6
05/23/2016 at 08:23

The shifter is a waste of money. Replace the bushings instead. It will make a huge difference in the shift quality and won’t cost nearly as much. Source: I made this repair a couple of years ago.

You can stiffen up the truck with some new shocks, but without upgraded springs, it won't make much difference in the body roll. Stiffer springs will make your truck ride more like a truck. I chose to stick with stock springs and heavy duty shocks. Any stiffer and the rear axle hop over bumps will be much worse.