my new 1994 Ranger

michael · #1 10-28-2009, 07:43 PM

Hi experienced Ranger owners-- I'm hoping I can get some advice from some of you because I don;t know much about cars or trucks. Just purchased a 94 Ranger LX 2WD 6 Cy from a neightbor and hope it will get me through to Spring (and maybe make a Ranger fan out of me, too. I just bought it for $600 and had to dig deep into sofa to come up with even that much (I'm in school, only work part-time) so I am kind of worried I might be pushing my luck, but I think it is probably a good price. It has 195,000 miles on it but I already love the way this truck drives. The seller told me he thinks the wheel bearings or the rear end might be going out. He said it has been making a noise from that area for about the last year -- it gets quieter once it's driven for a few miles he said. I'm deaf so I can only go by what he tells me. I'm in rural Minnesota so a breakdown coming home from work late at night could be a serious problem. Can anybody give me a rough idea of what it's going to cost -- best to worst case scenarios -- when whatever it is finally goes out? I realize the engine has a lot of miles but my neighbor (who's a good guy) said up until a few years ago it's had synthetic oil used in it from when it was new so the engine is in good shape in spite of the miles. Is getting the parts going to be a problem too? Thanks for any help or opinions you can give.

DannyG · #2 10-28-2009, 09:41 PM

Getting the parts are no problems. If it is a rear junkyard will get you through till you can afford something better. As for other things, just make sure you have a honest mechanic and parts are fairly cheap for the old trucks.

Hope you get lots of enjoyment out of the Ranger, I do!

Johnbaum13 · #3 10-28-2009, 09:59 PM

Bearings are cheap, and easy to do yourself, and once you replace them, they will last you a good long time. I have about 80K miles on my front bearings, and 105K on the rear ones so far. Parts are easy to find, and driving a Ranger will make you love a Ranger.

orgnlmrwiggles · #4 10-30-2009, 11:38 AM

i had bear bearings on my front, parts (bearings, 1 inside 1 outside, each wheel) was about..$40-50. labor was about $180-200.