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02-09-2010, 09:51 AM
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Cherocon
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 8
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best years for ranger?
so i am looking into buying a ranger. my budget will be around $4500. i was wondering what the best years for the ranger were? i really want 4 wheel drive, extended cab, automatic, and the 4.0L. i was thinking around the range of 1998 - 2001ish. i just want to do maybe two or three inches of lift and maybe 31" tires and leave it at that. i will be using it as a daily driver and i also want it to be able to take me out into the woods to go hunting or camping without any trouble.
let me know what you guys think!
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1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
Heavily modded
looking for a ranger also
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02-09-2010, 10:02 AM
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~+!)@(#*$&%^
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3,033
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98+ 4wd you can run 31s stock.
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Sold:2004 XLT 4x2 Ext. Cab. 3.0 Mods: 3" spindle, AAL, shackle, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, billet grille, clear corners, flow 40 dumped, line-x, CB/PA, traction bars, lil sound system, auto up down windows
Sold:2005 XLT 4x4 Ext. Cab. 4.0 Mods: ProComp lights w/ HID swap on tabs, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, CB/PA, black out heads/corners, lil sound system, cranked t-bars, flow 40 dumped, line-x, shell, bed rug, 06+ tails, metal tail gate handle since plastic one shattered, OHC, Mustang Dome.
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02-09-2010, 10:15 AM
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Flareside Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 196
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Might be hard to pickup a 4wd with that budget..not impossible, just more difficult.
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2001 Ranger XLT SuperCab 4dr Flareside 3.0 V6
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02-09-2010, 10:23 AM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,528
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I'd make the suggestion of finding one with the Torsion Bar front. much easier to lift just crank the bars.
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02-09-2010, 10:23 AM
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Welcome to FRF, & enjoy!
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,130
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dos0711
Might be hard to pickup a 4wd with that budget..not impossible, just more difficult.
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there is tons of 4th gens ie 98-00 in that price range around here 4x4. problem being you can buy it for that cost but like any used vehicle it will prob need about $1000 in repairs most likely
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2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Offroad, 4.0L ext cab, Converted to Manual M5OD-R1HD.
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33x13.50 Toyo M/T, 15x10, Body Lift, Rebuilt OHV, JBA headers, Hurst shifter, Warn VR10000-s, Class 1 bars, Belltech Shackles, Mustang GT rear disc, Level II hooks, Modded rear hitch, Custom front hitch, Level II Blue seats and black console, Explorer IRS rear cover, Extang fulltilt, Leer Cap Yakima Roof Rack, Cobra 29 with firestik stake mount, Scangauge II
Few mods
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02-09-2010, 10:39 AM
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Cherocon
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 8
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well i have found quite a few around that price. give or take $500. but i am willing to wait to find the right deal. i dont want to crank the torsion bars or any of that. i would do a suspension lift
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1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
Heavily modded
looking for a ranger also
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02-09-2010, 10:53 AM
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Ford Tough
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 288
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Personally, I would get an 01-03 in that price range. It may take a while to find one that price though. I really don't care for the 98-00 front end and I love the 01-03. Also, for 4x4 reliability, late 2000 would be best because that is when they went to live axles and the previous model 4x4 hubs were problematic.
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1996 Ford Ranger STX 4x4 4.0L
1983 Honda Shadow VT750C
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02-09-2010, 10:53 AM
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~+!)@(#*$&%^
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3,033
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Well suspension lift on a 4x4 will be over $1000. I would say 90% of the the t-bar owners on here have cranked there bars some.
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Sold:2004 XLT 4x2 Ext. Cab. 3.0 Mods: 3" spindle, AAL, shackle, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, billet grille, clear corners, flow 40 dumped, line-x, CB/PA, traction bars, lil sound system, auto up down windows
Sold:2005 XLT 4x4 Ext. Cab. 4.0 Mods: ProComp lights w/ HID swap on tabs, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, CB/PA, black out heads/corners, lil sound system, cranked t-bars, flow 40 dumped, line-x, shell, bed rug, 06+ tails, metal tail gate handle since plastic one shattered, OHC, Mustang Dome.
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02-09-2010, 11:05 AM
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Welcome to FRF, & enjoy!
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,130
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustAnotherRanger
well i have found quite a few around that price. give or take $500. but i am willing to wait to find the right deal. i dont want to crank the torsion bars or any of that. i would do a suspension lift
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its not bad to do them a little. I have swapped to class 1 bar which is stronger and only have 1-2 cranks. suspension lift is good money for 98+ also there is only one brand left the rest are gone. just superlift.
most people in this gen do body lift because of the cost. i know I am and wheel at the dunes often with no issues it normally serves DD so it doesnt need a $1500+ lift kit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by West
Personally, I would get an 01-03 in that price range. It may take a while to find one that price though. I really don't care for the 98-00 front end and I love the 01-03. Also, for 4x4 reliability, late 2000 would be best because that is when they went to live axles and the previous model 4x4 hubs were problematic.
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98-99 problem is solved with AVM hubs or converting to later live axle if wanted
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2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Offroad, 4.0L ext cab, Converted to Manual M5OD-R1HD.
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33x13.50 Toyo M/T, 15x10, Body Lift, Rebuilt OHV, JBA headers, Hurst shifter, Warn VR10000-s, Class 1 bars, Belltech Shackles, Mustang GT rear disc, Level II hooks, Modded rear hitch, Custom front hitch, Level II Blue seats and black console, Explorer IRS rear cover, Extang fulltilt, Leer Cap Yakima Roof Rack, Cobra 29 with firestik stake mount, Scangauge II
Few mods
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02-09-2010, 11:11 AM
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Cherocon
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 8
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what are the problems between the two axles exactly?
i havent really looked into lift kits yet so maybe i should take a peak then lol
__________________
1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
Heavily modded
looking for a ranger also
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02-09-2010, 12:29 PM
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Welcome to FRF, & enjoy!
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,130
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98-99 has pulse vacuum hubs. which are prone to fail replaceing with a manual hub made by AVM/rugged ridge. fixes the problem. in mid 00 they switched to live axle set up IE no hub in a sense. and have been using it ever since
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2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Offroad, 4.0L ext cab, Converted to Manual M5OD-R1HD.
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33x13.50 Toyo M/T, 15x10, Body Lift, Rebuilt OHV, JBA headers, Hurst shifter, Warn VR10000-s, Class 1 bars, Belltech Shackles, Mustang GT rear disc, Level II hooks, Modded rear hitch, Custom front hitch, Level II Blue seats and black console, Explorer IRS rear cover, Extang fulltilt, Leer Cap Yakima Roof Rack, Cobra 29 with firestik stake mount, Scangauge II
Few mods
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02-09-2010, 02:24 PM
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Cherocon
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redneckstone
98-99 has pulse vacuum hubs. which are prone to fail replaceing with a manual hub made by AVM/rugged ridge. fixes the problem. in mid 00 they switched to live axle set up IE no hub in a sense. and have been using it ever since
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i wil never buy anything from rugged ridge. had very bad experiences with them. so what your saying is i could still get like a 98 and just change out the hubs and it would be just like the newer ones?
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1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
Heavily modded
looking for a ranger also
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02-10-2010, 10:02 PM
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Welcome to FRF, & enjoy!
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,130
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustAnotherRanger
i wil never buy anything from rugged ridge. had very bad experiences with them. so what your saying is i could still get like a 98 and just change out the hubs and it would be just like the newer ones?
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what you can actually do is if it needed wheel bearings. you can swap to live axle wheel bearings and CV's and have a live axle truck instead.
or you can run AVM's. if you dont want to do that. I said Rugged ridge. because AVM is a company from out of country controlled by Warn, but is being sold as rugged ridge now in USA.
__________________
2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Offroad, 4.0L ext cab, Converted to Manual M5OD-R1HD.
_____________
33x13.50 Toyo M/T, 15x10, Body Lift, Rebuilt OHV, JBA headers, Hurst shifter, Warn VR10000-s, Class 1 bars, Belltech Shackles, Mustang GT rear disc, Level II hooks, Modded rear hitch, Custom front hitch, Level II Blue seats and black console, Explorer IRS rear cover, Extang fulltilt, Leer Cap Yakima Roof Rack, Cobra 29 with firestik stake mount, Scangauge II
Few mods
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02-10-2010, 10:11 PM
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I'm kind of a big deal
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,848
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Could get a 97, they still have the TTB suspension which is a lot cheaper to lift the suspension. Or you could get 01+ and put 200 bucks in a body lift and put 33's on it.
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02-11-2010, 02:09 AM
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Like the Forums
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 35
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my advise is, if you want a 4wd, find something with a transfer stick insted of that stupid transfer switch that kinda works.
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