thats why lol

 

Try putting it in 1st.

 

my manual can spin on dry pavement no problem. just wish I had LS rear end.

for the 4.2L's, ive noticed that my power band starts ~2100+ rpm. below that they basically have no power. if i want to pass, I'll downshift until I'm above my 2100 mark and she'll take off. 2nd gear is the fastest acceling gear according to my seat dyno

 

i just got rid of my heritage yesterday. it had 3.08 gears and it was a 5spd maunual. stock it would not spin tires unless you rev it up and drop it, which you cant do, and with a K&N intake on it i could spin tire on dry pavement while shifting into 2nd gear at 35-40mph. it would actually kick the trucks rear out about a foot and it would spin for about a quarter of a second. i bought an 08 with the 4.2L but it has a towing package so i dont know what it will do. but get an intake too. i had the K&N 77 series at $305 and a half hour to install. my gas mileage incresed from 18.9 average to 22.9 average. or just get a K&N drop in replacement air filter and get an extra mpg. mine got 19.9 with drop in filter. 04 heritage 4.2L V6 5spd, reg cab longbed 2wd

 

just put about 400LBS in the back over the wheels if you have a longbed and shortbed i dont know but probably the same and get some snow tires. i had non studded and mine was fine in the snow and i live near lake erie so i got lake effect. but if you have snow like 5 or 6 inches deep, dont stop! once you get it rolling its fine. and rear end doesnt kick out much either with longbed. i tried kicking it sideways in the snow in a parking lot and it would barely do it. most of the time it was the front tires that would slide and the rear would just push forward.

 

i got my 08 f150 2 months ago and i put the intake off of my 04 heritage on it since i cant find any company to make intakes after 06 for the 4.2L. and the intake sounds better on the 08 than it did on the 04. except the engine tone was nicer on the 04 with it. but the 08 sounds better in the exhaust and the intake will whistle after 2k in every gear but 1st. i have either 3.55 or 3.31 rear end, gotta find out but i just got my registration yesterday and found that my 04 weighed just over 3900Lbs(the dealership lowered the weight because it was just over the next weight class, so they lowered it to 3897 so i would pay 58.50 unstead of over 80 bucks for registration every year. the 04 was a 2wd long bed regular cab with 4.2L and 5spd. base truck XL with a/c being the ONLY option. my 08 reg cab shortbed 4.2L 5spd 2wd with A/C weighs 4364. 08 has fully boxed frame, is taller, deeper bed, longer cab, and is wider. so yeah over 450Lbs heavier, so now i gotta see how its gonna do in the snow...which hopefully wont come till after thanksgiving. it has before, otherwise i'd still have my 96 trans am. long, sad story....and i'll leave it at that

 

It's easy to figure out what rear you have - just look at the axle code on the door jamb sticker.

 

Never tried spinning the tires. Probably never will. Glad to hear my truck won't be completely horrible in the snow. My 2002 Ranger definitely was.

 

yes rangers are attracted to ditches in winter time. i had a 97 ranger and never went in a ditch but it really wanted to. and also your brakes probably sucked too, am i right? front brakes lock up with the slightest touch and the rear would barely slow you down. those anti'lock rear brakes on the rangers were a joke. needed replaced about every 4 yrs and never worked right to begin with. the 4wd ones may have been better... i had the 4cylinder 2wd with a 5spd. so maybe the lack of weight over the front tires was the reason they locked up so easily, but who knows...

 

oddly enough i found my window sticker tucked into my owners manual. i have the 3.55LS rear end

 

the 4.2 has very little in the low rpms, the 4.9L (your 96) is a torque monster. it was preferred over the 302 V8 for pulling by many people because it had more torque than the 302 did.

 

The only way i can get my tires to spin from a stop is if i sit on the brake and get it up to 2000 RPM's and floor it. They will only peel out for around 4 feet.

 

well i said the 4.9 was a torque monster. well i found out the 4.2 has just about the same peak torque as the 4.9 and more hp than the 4.9. but the 4.9's power band started a lot lower on the rpm range. sometimes its good to not have it all right away like for racing. with the 4.2 you can floor it right from the start and not have to worry about losing traction.
i also have a question. is ford's 3.8 the same with the no power until like 2k rpms? the 4.2 is a stroked 3.8 so i wondered.

 

I don't know if the 3.8 ever made it into a truck, but I had one in an old school cougar (91) and it would flat out roast the tires off the line. It was more power than a torque engine. And, similar to the 300ci, was a highly reliable motor except for the intake and head gaskets. Once you replaced those two gaskets, the things would run forever.

 

these trucks really arent bad in the snow. i live south of Cleveland and we get a lot of lake effect snow. sadly the only time i have been stuck is on my own dang driveway after it ices over, and that was with factory tires. throw a little weight in the bed and your good to go. Might not be a bad idea to get some Z-chains though just to save yourself some tow money. if your really worried about the snow get a Detroit true-trac