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Ford ranger chassis problems
Anyone here have a Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup?
I have a 98 that has 5k miles left on the extended warranty and there are a couple of problems the dealer hasn't been able to fix. I'm wondering if anyone here has similar problems.
For one, there is an intermittent loud chassis groan when accelerating from a standing start on an incline while turning left. Since I have to make a turn like that every day when leaving our house I notice it all the time, but the dealer can never repeat it. I mean this groan is LOUD. It went away for a few months after they put a new engine in (under warranty), but it's back. Sometimes it goes away for a few weeks and sometimes it happens several times a day. Sometimes I think it may be the exhaust system binding up somewhere. Ideas?
The second problem is the rear leaf springs. They squeak like crazy when climbing in the truck, standing on the rear bumper, etc. I complain, the dealer lubes them, it's ok for a couple of weeks then the squeak starts again. Isn't there supposed to be some sort of isolation between leaves of the springs? Like a teflon or plastic strip to keep metal-on-metal contact from occuring?
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Ford ranger chassis problems
Thanks for the ideas. I'll have to power wash the underside and crawl underneath to examine everything to see if I can see any trace of metal-to-metal contact. It has had the groan since new so maybe one of the bushings wasn't right from the factory. If I don't see anything I guess I'll start replacing bushings until it goes away (or not).
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Ford ranger chassis problems
My gut tells me this can't be fixed with something as simple as a shot of silicone spray. The chassis groan is very loud - it sounds like a steel building is twisting and collapsing. The groan easily drowns out the radio when it's playing loud. It's not reliably repeatable which makes it very hard to find.
I'm curious if anyone else with a Ranger has this problem.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
It's not only hard to diagnose from afar it's hard to diagnose right here! The worst thing is that I can't MAKE it happen. It comes and goes. Sometimes it happens a few times a day but I've had it go a couple of months without hearing it at all. These are all good suggestions. Since I drive on dirt roads all the time the bottom of the truck is pretty filthy so I can't really see anything through the layer of dirt. Pressure washing and going over the entire suspension with a bright shop light is probably the best first step. The tip on coil springs not being seated properly is a good one, and easy to check. The groan is probably in the front end - it actually sounds like it comes from under the driver so maybe it's engine or tranny mounts.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
The problem is fully documented - I've reported it to two different dealers at least six times during service calls and the response is always that they couldn't hear it. And on the days those service calls took place the truck wasn't doing it. Then, when I picked the truck up, the noise would always resume. Very frustrating.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
The dealer may have found a fix for this problem, and if so it's a weird one (to me at least). I discovered that this troublesome chassis noise happened frequently for the first few minutes after starting out on a cold day. So Monday night I parked the truck in the dealers lot, and on Tuesday morning I went to the dealer to demonstrate the noise. Voila - we could actually reproduce it! The dealer had an experienced mechanic who said he thought it was the clutch pilot bearing. They used a "chassis ear" (whatever that is) to narrow it down to the clutch area. They replaced the clutch pilot bearing, disk, pressure plate, and throwout bearing and the noise seems to have disappeared! If i don't hear it again in the next month or so I'd say it's cured. An interesting problem, at least to me.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
This noise did appear to be the clutch pilot bearing. Since they replaced the clutch I haven't heard a peep from it. You are aware of the three rubber plugs at the top of the manual tranny aren't you? They dry out and fall out and allow oil to leak out and dirt to get in. It's best to replace them with metal expansion plugs (freeze plugs).
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Ford ranger chassis problems
My 98 is anything but quiet. It has more squeaks and rattles than a model T. Definitely will be my last Ford.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
IIRC there was a "Chicago" plant sticker in the window so I assume they are at least partially assembled in the US. At 80k miles this truck has had a new engine, clutch, crank sensor, fuel pump, fuel tank, charcoal canister assembly, two complete driveshafts, fan motor, the transfer case has been resealed twice for leaks, radio has gone out twice, electric window has failed, tailgate broke and has never latched right since, lots of groans, squeaks, and rattles and more stuff that I can't remember. And I maintain it well and drive like a grandmother. Ford lost big on the extended warranty with this POS.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
I suppose the dealer knew how to play the game and I wasn't aggressive enough. The lemon law covers the first 24k miles. In that period the vehicle was relatively trouble free, except the chassis groan discussed here, the crank sensor, one driveshaft, and the tailgate. None of that seemed to me to be lemon law material especially since the dealer seemed to be working hard to satisfy me and repairs were always done in a day. The engine had developed an internal knock (piston slap or wrist pins) at about 20k miles and the dealer kept stringing me along for the next 10k miles telling me that the new (rebuilt) engine was backordered through Ford. They finally installed the new engine at 30k miles, and at that point the truck was outside of lemon law coverage. BTW, the rebuilt engine has also developed a similar internal knock - apparently the 4 liter V6 engines used in these trucks have a history with that. With all the problems I can say that the truck has left me stranded only one time, when the crank sensor failed in my driveway. At this point the truck is only worth about $5k so I'll keep driving it and hating it. Next time I buy a new vehicle I will be MUCH more aggressive though. Live and learn.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
I agree that every manufacturer makes a lemon now and then.
This 98 Ranger actually the third Ford we've had. Prior to this I had a 1990 Ranger that was a great truck until 60k miles when the heads cracked. Fortunately the extended warranty covered that. Dealer said their was a casting flaw in the 2.9L V6 heads and that cracked heads were common on that engine.
My wife drives a Taurus SHO - everything on that thing has broke except the engine. Of course it has a Yamaha engine so it doesn't count.
I can't figure out why Ford can't make a good engine anymore. Heck, with the new PowerStroke problems it seems they can't buy good engines either.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
Yes. The dealer got a new service manager who had heard this noise before - the clutch pilot bearing! It sounded to me and everyone else who listened to it like it was in the chassis or suspension somewhere. They replaced the clutch before the extended warranty was up for the cost of $50 deductible plus a clutch disk. Now that this noise is fixed it's on to the other squeaks and rattles, the worst of which is in the leaf springs.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
The tractor gets paid off in July. After that the Ranger is getting dumped and I'll probably buy a Toyota Tacoma. No more Fords or GMs for us.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
Check engine light means there is something wrong with the emissions control system. I think you can reset it via ODBC II, but if the problem isn't fixed it will come back on. My 98 had some trouble with the vapor recovery system. Dealer kept replacing the gas cap but it didn't fix it. Turned out to be a check valve in the canister. The easiest fix is a piece of black electrical tape over the light 
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Ford ranger chassis problems
If the code scanner shows a problem with the vapor system it's often just the gas cap. I have no idea how hard it is to change the canister since the dealer did it under the emissions control warranty on mine. Usually these are accessible and not hard to change. I think the check valve was part of the canister assembly, but am not 100% sure of that.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
I'll be curious to find out what the problem is. The light on mine will probably come on right after I place the ad to sell it.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
I'm not gonna give up on the gas cap idea yet. Here in Oregon they don't trust the citizens to pump their own gas. The gas jockey's sometimes don't get the gas cap on tight and the light goes on. Tighten it up and drive it for a hundred or so miles and the light goes back off. On my Ranger *every* time the check engine light has come on in 100k miles it's been the gas cap or gas vapor recovery system. Is your light on all the time? Or does it go on and off? I'm wondering if there is any correlation between fill-ups and the light going on. Make sure the gas cap is tight and drive it 100 miles. If it doesn't go off then you might spring for a new cap just to see if it helps.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
The fun never stops with my 98. In the last few months, the transfer case shift motor is going bad (dealer wants $500 + labor but I can probably fix it with a 10 cent bushing), drivers side window regulator is bad and I pressed the cruise control accel button one day and the three-button cluster mounted to the steering wheel just snapped off. I hope I can keep it duck-taped together for another six months.
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Ford ranger chassis problems
That sounds like a cheap fix. The gas cap must be a common problem.
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Gas Generator Weather Protecti
10-24-2003, 15:05 
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