I'm thinking about buying a ranger off of my friend(his dad is buying him a new truck)

It runs good, is mechanically sound except for the following problems:

I'm pretty sure it needs new front auto locking hubs, cheap and easy(when 4wd is engaged the front wheels dont engage sometimes, and I've heard this is a common problem with the hubs)
Its got a fuel leak, I know where it is, easy fix.
When you put it in 4lo, it will go in, but wont come back out after you turn it off. Do you think its a vacuum line problem? any other ideas?

its got a 2" body lift and some decent wheels/tires(235/75/15 MT's). It also has the smaller V6, the 2.9, and the 5 speed transmission. I'm buying it for $400 as a beater.

Do you guys have any idea what the problem may be with the 4lo?

(by the way if this is in the wrong forum feel free to move it, I didnt see any ranger topic)

 

Rangers are the same as Explorers so it will be the same as the ones my wife has had. The front hubs... You can't buy parts for them, you have to buy the whole assembly and for the first gen auto hubs is $300 per side. Dealer item only. I found some at salvage yard 2 hours away for $75. Her 2nd gen. that she has now, we have not had trouble with the hubs yet but will be more $$ I'm sure. You can get warn aftermarket manual hubs for $50 per side. Just have to get out and lock the hubs in. For a beater that is the cheapest and easiest fix + stronger and more reliable than the factory hubs. "The factory auto hubs have plastic cams, cast alluminum housings, + weak springs." Just a bad over all design. They are made just to get you out of a ditch a few times then take them right back out of 4wd and thats it.

To disengage the transfer case and the hubs you have to back up 10 feet after turning it off. If you are already doing this then check that the electrical plug on the side of the transfer case is clean and secure.

 

LOL...

I just seen that the title says 89... That will be the same as the First Generation Explorers. That is the $300 hubs.. "Common problem on them"... Ussally it is the cam springs that break, but like I said the cams are just plastic so they break often too and the next is the cast aluminum housing. What ever it is though, then you have to buy all of it. Good news is that they are simple to install.

 

What about this?

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductL...ing%2C%20Front

Thats retarded that you cant buy parts for a $300 hub.

Does anyone have any ideas about the 4lo?

 

That links just pulls up and wants my zip code, then want s me to search for parts.


You can get the Warn manual hubs for $50 a side. They are just as easy to install. Thats what we ended up doing on my wifes First Generation Explorer after she went throu 3 hubs in 1 winter in it. Drove it two more years with out problems... If this ones hubs goes out thats what it will get too the first time.

On the 4 Low:
You are backing up 10 feet to disengage?
What isn't disengageing after you turn it off and back up..
The transfer, hubs or both?

 

Oh my bad I completely read over that backing up 10 feet thing in your above post, I'll talk to my friend about it tomorrow and see if that works.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=184&ptset=A
try that link, if it doesnt work i'll try a different site.

I dont know much about hubs, I dont know what they consist of so i may be way off.

I would prefer manual locking hubs anyway, I just dont wanna throw $100 into a $400 truck right away

 

Linky still no worky. :)
Thats alright I need to go to bed...

Really there is not much to the hubs. Automatics are basically just a ratchet. When you push the button, pull the lever, or turn the **** to engage 4wd then it activates the vaccum motor on top of the axle on the drivers side and that flips the ratchet to engage. "Like a switch on you hand ratchet for fwd or rev." It's really only the 3 pieces. Your wheel bearings, spacers, etc are in there too but they are pretty much the same as a 2wd hub. Plus It also engages the trasfer case to send power to the front axle. Alot of things go on in there but thats teh basics.

 

I had an 86 Ranger that I beat the living snot out of.

Those little trucks are built like tanks.

It's a good buy. You won't be sorry.

 

Alright so I got the ranger and I've been playing around with it for a couple days.


Problem: It wont engage into 4wd!

Thats basically the whole reason I bought the truck, and my friend said the 4wd worked so if I cant get this fixed I'll tell him I want my money back, but thats if I cant fix it relatively easily.

The 4x4 light comes on, but the front tires do not spin. I had my friend come over yesterday and he said it was in 4x4 while we were tooling around my yard, but then today when I went to do some off roading it was stuck in 2wd and I absolutely cannot get it to engage into 4wd. Once again the light comes on but the front tires are not spinning.

I looked at the transfercase and there was a little plug near the rear driveshaft on side of the transfercase, it was ziptied on and it looked dirty, so I snipped off the zipties and tried cleaned it off, but now I'm wondering if I should ziptie it back on, but I can barely get it on as it is. Does anyone know what that plug does? Should I ziptie it back on or try and get one out of a junkyard? Buy a new one? It also wont go into 4lo if that makes a difference. Essentially the truck right now is basically 2wd and thats absolutely unacceptable.

There was another plug like thing on the backside of the tranfercase, it was bagged up and ducttaped up(i'm assuming to keep it clean?), and I tried getting it off to see if I could clean it up but didnt, if thats what it could be I'm sure I could get it off though.

When I press the 4wd button I can hear a clicking behind the drivers side seat...solenoid?? Its reasonably audible so I'm assuming its from the cab area unless its something very loud from the Tcase.

Any ideas of what it could be?

Thanks again.

 

Well since you can't feel the gear drop when it's in 4 low then you were right to start with the transfer case. Since your friend said he can feel the drag of the front tires when you were in the yard. Then the front hubs are locking in, so back to the transfer case. But first let's eliminate anything easy and Check all of the fuses both under dash and hood. I think my Chiltons manual is stuck in the very back of the junk closet under a butt load of junk. I'll try to get some time and dig it out later tonight and might beable to have a better suggestion to look at.
I don't remember a second plug on our old 92 Explorer but that doesnt mean that it wasn't there, that just means that I don't remember it. I do remember the one on the side it, came off one time and 4wd wouldn't work with out it. The plastic bag and duct tape would not be a factory close off to an unused plug, so I'd guess there in lyes a clue. See if there is a place to plug it in to probably on the transfer case, then plug it in. Be prepared it may pop a fuse when you try it. That's the only reason that I can think of for taking it off and wrapping it like that.
It is not likely to be anything wrong with the actuall transfer case, more likey to be an electrical problem. Best worst case scenarios.
1. You will spend many hours with the trusty voltmeter to track it down and find it's just a wire shorting some where.
2. You find it's a short in the switch and have to buy one at a salvage yard which probably wouldn't cost much.
3. Bad relay

Those transfers are fairly strong, the transmissions however are not so much. So that's why I say it's not likely the transfer.
The worst, of the worst case scenarios. The transfer is shelled out. That'd be a pretty penny even at a salvage yard I'm sure. Plus a big PIB to change. F

First tasks: Check fuses, then find place for loose plug. After those 2 see what happens and where that put you.

 

The plug that was wrapped is plugged in, the whole assembly is just wrapped in the plastic and duct tape.

I doubt its fuses, I'll take a picture of it the next chance I get. I have school then work all day tomorrow and friday, I'll see if I can get one saturday or sunday. I'll also pick up a chiltons or haynes manual the next chance I get.

The connection that was covered in plastic and duct tape was right next to the electric motor that engages the 4wd. The other plug might even be a vacuum line, but there is a little metal rod inside the tubing, with another piece that the rod connects to(almost like male and female plugs) and actually goes into the Tcase.

I have a suspition its the plug I was fiddling with that was ziptied on, although of course I could be wrong

 

Sounds like a plan... I just came in from working on my boat. Started at about 9:30 am this morning it is now 1:40 am the next morning and I am pooped. I won't have time to dig the Chiltons out until friday morning. If I find anything that might be useful then I'll post it for you. If you get one in the mean time, then please post and let me know so I won't dig mine out for nothing.

Good luck to you, I hope it works out easily and cheaply for you.

 

Thanks, I've got tons of stuff to do today and tomorrow so I doubt I'll be able to look at it much, I'll let you know if i grab a manual.

Thanks again for the help