Seller's description
4x4 is only activated when you turn a switch on the dashboard to 4x4 High or 4x4 Low. It's not always delivering power to all 4 wheels like an AWD system can/ does. What year is this truck? The Ranger after 2000 had a live axle front end, which means the front wheels are permanently locked into the front differential, only they are not receiving power from the engine because the transfer case is not engaged. That replaced a silly vacuum engaged system that was in the 1998-2000 Rangers that failed constantly. Owners of Rangers of those years either swapped the vacuum hubs for old school manual hubs like I did, or they yanked a spring in the vacuum hubs to make them permanently engage. The old Rangers had a dipstick in the transmission pan. Pull the dipstick and look at the fluid, if it's dark, but is red, it should be ok. If it smells burned or is brown, basically appearing to be varnish, don't buy it. That transmission will have issues if it doesn't already.
The Ranger is a decent truck if taken care of. Mine has 268k on it and counting. I missed the tranny when I did the pre-purchase inspection and had it rebuilt.
thanks Justin, it's a 2001 Ranger
No problem! Good luck! If you live in the rust belt, make sure you check the rear half of the frame under the bed. Ford used extremely cheap steel back there and it readily rusts. My truck's front half has no rust whatsoever, but the rear half had rot in the shock mount areas. Check those, the leaf spring mounts and the crossmembers back there.
thanks again Justin, your comments are appreciated.
Hi Justin, passed on the truck with transmission
new interest in this one: are rockers super important? would you consider this youself, or should I look elsewhere? Thank you.
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