Need advice on brush guard for 200 ranger sport ext cab 4wd. loaded. I have a tonnoe cover and black step rails alreadly and side window louvers and taillight covers so i figure the brush gaurd will complete the look i am after. I would like brand names and prices that you recommend and also how easy to install.
Also i went to local four by four shop to look at lift kit and they want eight hundred bucks for a four inch lift is this price accurate if if not brands and prices to look at
I unloaded an S-10 with 160K and no real problems unlike some of the horror stories I've heard others speak of. I've heard of some pretty costly repairs to the S-10's, but I never experienced any personally. But I also have a neighbor across the street with a 4x4 Ranger that is constantly in the shop with tranny problems and leaks.
Every manufacturer is going to have problems. Another friend of mine had a 99 Tacoma 4x4 and the head gasket blew and then after that the motor just seized up. I think he had like 10K miles on it and never had it off-road. He went to arbitration and got Toyo to buy it back from him. The head gasket problem is fairly common in the Toyo's too. So their not "bullet proof" either.
So ask 10 different people, and you'll get 10 different answers about what's the best or worst.
I say get the truck that suits your needs for the price you can afford and forget all the banter about whats better or worse. THere are no guarantees whenit comes to machines.
Sorry, don't have an answer to your brush guard question. You might want to post it over in Topic #1165 Ford Ranger II. The folks over there are generally pretty helpful...
yes your very right, all machines are built by humans in one way or another. ive had a chevy that just kept chewing up trannys, and ive had a ford that every time the heat guage quit workin the freeze plug fell out burning up my motor, so i guess every ford, chevy , or dodge has their lemons. And yes to all you "most dependable" Toyota guys. Toyota's break just as bad as anything else!
There's a guy that's never owned a quality vehicle. You're welcome to drive a piece of junk if you wish and you can even continue trying to convince yourself that all makes have the same trouble. I used to be just like you until I quit buying Chevys. I hear they're improving from others in this forum so maybe you'll be luckier in the future. If it makes you feel better, there are a lot like you. Most of them also believe that a steak from Denny's is just as tasty as a steak from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
well, i didnt get your response, are you saying that you dont like chevy or you do? cuz i dont, i will never drive another..i was just saying that all vehcles will have something go wrong..some more than others. but i pick ford cuz ive learned less goes wrong and ford puts more thought behind the dependibility factor of their trucks and cars. Toyota however does do even more in termes of reliability, but they sacrifice some other quality nececities that owners look for.
Nope I'm not a big Chevy fan at the moment. I agree that Ford seems to be much better quality wise these days. Don't know that I agree that all cars have some problems. With the better manufacturers a small percentage will have some problems but a lot of their product will be trouble free for the average life of a vehicle (100,000 miles or so). I like Fords, and for me they have been much more reliable than Chevy's, but Nissan has done an even better job with zero problems in my personal experience (my own and friends). Now I have a Toyota with zero problems so far so we'll see how it does.
I am 25 and have leased and owned 4 S-10 pickups so far. There was only one time I can remember that I had a prob. and it was minor. But my friends all own ford rangers and dodges and they always have problems. Last week when we had a big rain, I was working on a construction site and had to pull out 3 4wd trucks out of the mud. None of them chevys.
If I had a nickel for everytime I saw a post like this. Their [insert truck here] has never had a problem, while their "friend's" trucks, which are [insert competing truck here] have always been in the shop.
I was reading the consumer reports last night. It gave the chevy S10 the lowest reliability rating. I am not sure if the only opinions they get from this truck are the few angry minorities who get pissed off if they have to change the oil in thier vehicles. While my truck is probably not the best truck ever. At 99k it has been very reliable. I am happy. Yes I could sit here an [non-permissible content removed] about a plastic interior piece that pop off or I could [non-permissible content removed] about how hard it is to reach that damn oil filter. At a price of under 10 grand in 95 I feel this truck as been worth every penny.
Note: CHEVY S10 OWNERS GREASE YOU FRONT SUPPENSIONS EVERY 7500 MILES!!!!!
Cthompson, you probably would be very rich if you had a nickel for everytime somebody mentioned a "friend's" truck...
But don't you think it's possible that some people do indeed have friends that have had bad luck with a [insert competing model here]? I also think people that witness their friends having bad luck with [insert competing model here] probably use that info to base their decisions on when purchasing. I sure did. Whether that is an accurate way to make a decison or not is subjective.
If you have friends/neighbors all with the same model vehicle and they all have problems, are you going to go out and buy that vehicle? Maybe. But chances are you'd use that info to base your decision on since you actually know these people and probably trust their assessments somewhat.
I had bad luck with a certian model truck and got the manufactuer to buy it back from me through arbitration. That was two years ago. This time around when I went to purchase a new truck I inquired to friends about their recent experiences. Non eof them had much to say in the way of positive recommendations. So I figured not much had changed and I scratched that manufacturer right off my list.
As you can tell via my ID, I'm a ZR2 guy. Got a '97 ext cab (white) for my son Dec 96, its got 73,000 on it, I ordered '97 ZR2 Blazer in June 96, finally got it May 7, '97. The '97 Blazer has 69,000 with org tires (rot every 5,000). I saw that Blazer will change in '01 so I got a 2nd ZR2 in Jan, so the wife drives the '00. They are both Black with 5sp and I'm very pleased with all three. BTW, my son lives in Bozeman and his room mate has '95 (used) shortbox ZR2 with 65,000 (got it after driving my sons truck, he loves his also). I've build a towbar for '00 (has a real N) so I can tow it. Was testing towbar and a guy stop and asked if the real Blazer was there in case the pulling one ran of GAS. haha
Actually, we decided to have a little bit of a compition. He did end up leasing the Ranger, and with the exception of the color and the size of the box, it really isn't that bad of a truck (although I have yet to drive it). We are going to see which one's can bring up a higher shop bill. Obviously, mine is in the lead with quite a few K.
I wasn't critising the S10 or any other truck. All of the compact trucks have their weak/strong points, and my purchase decisions usually boil down to subjective opinions and personal value.
I was only speaking up because I've seen multiple posts like this on every board for every single make, not limited to Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, etc...
True, and the fact is is that it was a college kid that had it before me, and I think that he helped everyone in his dorm move in because the bed is SOOOOO torn up (thankfully just scratches!). That's why I am taking suggestions on bed liners vs. spray on ones....
With an already torn up bed, I'd opt for a spray-in liner. It'll look like new again. Just make sure to go with a good one as you get what you pay for.
Drop in VS spray-on.....well ive seen some nasty stuff with the drop ins. Ive seen them crack, split, bow, and discolor. Not to mention the almost 100% chance that water will stay undernieth and ruin your bed worse than if you didn't have a liner at all. So my advice is to go with a spray on liner. A quaility spray on will not crack or split and the highlight is they do not let moisture touch your beautiful bed and rust it all out. They can also match your paint color and do grafics. The possiblities are endless. Ive even seen boats with the floor sprayed, and ive seen it used as an indestructable undercoating. My best experience is SPEEDLINER, its made with kevlar(NASA TECKNOLOGY) and never fades like some other spray on's.(RHINO fades after about 2 years) so look in to speedliner..awsome product for any vehicle.
I'm really getting tired of hearing about the "edmunds review" of the S-10. Of the 4 different edmunds reviews I've read on different trucks, I haven't agreed with one of them yet. They rave about the Tacoma, and yet I wasn't terribly impressed when I test drove one last fall. -they say it has acceleration to rival any sport truck, or something like that. personally, my '97 explorer feels a lot quicker than the TRD I drove. (and it's a lot heavier) In my opinion, magazine "reliability ratings" are close to worthless. any truck can be a lemon. it's a roll of the dice. if the S-10 ranks dead last on every single reliability review, all that means statistically is that your chance of having a lemon goes up by maybe 2% vs a truck that got the best reliability rating. -and yet people treat these reviews like it's the bible. unless you've owned an S-10 that has been a lemon, you really have no place assuming that it's a lesser vehicle simply based on some goofball magazine editor with god-knows-what kind of data in front of him. This post is not meant as a rip on you allknowing, but I just with people would stop using edmunds as a reliable source. If you haven't test-driven a ZR2, go do it. then drive a TRD. -I feel there's no comparison. the zr2 is just plain more fun. and as far as off-roading is concerned, the TRD has nothing on the ZR2. sorry for the long post guys! -eagle63
No offense intented guy. I was just responding to the guy raving about how only his Chevy could pull out the stuck Rangers. I figured that since he's in an Edmunds forum that he must have consulted their opinion. As far as driving a ZR2, I'm sure that I would be impressed with the performance. I'm still just not totally convinced that they're that reliable because of my past experience with Chevy. I don't relate to your satistical theory of only a 2% chance of not receiving a lemon etc. If you wish to use satistics, I think the ratio of complaints VS complements on the S-10 is still greatly in favor of complaints in the Edmunds forums. However, keep telling me the good stuff about Chevy and you may convince me someday.
Don't forget, when somebody has a bad experience with a product ,on average, they'll tell 10 people about it. On the other hand, they'll only tell 3 people when they have a good experience with a product.
well ill look into getting info for you...i dont know anything about tonneau but im suresom body else will. Ill look into speedliner and post on in tommorrow.
nobody scared me off, I am an avid golfer and I was out of town for a tournament from April 30 to May 3, so I have not been able to check out the conversations going on, but now I'm back
I guess that's true with the exception of someone extremely happy with the product which may tell even more than 10 people. If you figure averages though, your figures may be in the ballpark. Above all that, I value my opinion the most and I had more problems with Chevys in the past than other manufactures. I have to admit that it's hard to convince me that they've improved. Some of these guys love their S-10s so maybe Chevy is going in the right direction. Why don't you buy one and let me know if it's better than your Ranger.
That little tidbit was just something that stuck with me from a marketing class in college a few years back.
I've had a couple of GM products. The latest, a '90 Olds Cutlass Supreme Int'l, blew the head gasket and cracked the head at 75K miles. It was an inherent problem in the Quad 4 (especially the high output Quad 4 in my car) that I knew about. Well, I learned an $800 lesson.
The other was an '85 S10 Blazer. At 100K miles it was going strong (albeit a bit underpowered with the 2.8L V6 and bigger than OEM tires I put on) and looking like new (georgeous paint job at my uncle's shop) until I rolled it on X-mas eve. That still pisses me off to this day.
I would buy a GM product should it suit my needs and provide more value than other offerings. My family and friends who have owned GM's built in the last few years have had very little to speak of in terms of problems (neither have the Ford owners, as my family usually purchases "domestic" vehicles). I'm one of the quacks in the family who will buy just about anything (except a Quad 4 GM). )
A few comments on the plus side for the s-10 ZR2. I have a '99 ext cab and have no problems at all in 22,000 miles of hard driving. I am off road a lot for work. I buy land for a developer here in Las Vegas and it is my work truck.
I am impressed by the handling, road manners, brakes stop on a dime, off roads better than my Tahoe and is solid reliable. Mileage is fair at 17 to 19 mpg. The 4.8L V8 would make this the perfect vehicle.
I love the looks; including the 2dr ZR2 blazer which I hear GM is not producing after 2000. Leave it to GM to cancel a vehicle just when they get it right. But I'm a Chevy man; with a '98 Vette too.
My friend has a Ford Ranger 4x4. Nice truck (America makes the best trucks) but the ZR2 is a step above. All I can say is test drive them all and do your homework before you buy.
Hopefully Chevy is improving overall but it will still probably take more people like you, with more guts than I have, buying them and telling me their experiences before I try again. Years ago I was leery of Fords too but I came around and I've had good luck with them. I feel for you rolling a Blazer with a primo paint job. It kills me when I just get a deep scratch.
Who knows what I'll buy next. For a car, maybe something European, like one with that wonderful middle of the alphabet letter. For a truck, it's up for grabs.
The little flipty-doo did teach me to always have safety as a prime concern. If I had been driving our other car at the time, a Corolla, I would have most likely flown through the windshield. But, it probably wouldn't have happened quite that way either being front wheel drive and all.
I hear ya about the scratches. I cringe when I look at the passenger side of my truck with a couple of significant dings from inconsiderate a$$holes in the parking lot. And, I had an Expedition appearantly back up onto my front bumper of my car then just drive away. Well, I think it's about time to head to my uncle's shop for some repairs. :oD
The ZR2 is a good looking truck. Even most of us Ranger/B-Series types will admit that it is a real head turner... We have talked about the possibility of the S-10 getting the 4.8L engine. The general consensus seems to be that yes, it will. However, the S-10 will probably be moving up to a midsize (like the Dakota) in the process. I think what many of us would like to see is a V8 in the S-10 or Ranger in their current compact size... We've all wondered why GM or Ford don't offer a V8 in these trucks. One possible explanation might be this: Over in topic #1821, the folks were bemoaning the fact that they can't get the 6.0L V8 in the Silverado 1/2 ton (man, talk about power hungry!). Anyway, an argument was put forth that that GM can't do this because of CAFE reasons. Perhaps GM and Ford have the same problem with offering V8's in their compact pickup's. I have no idea if this CAFE reasoning is valid or not. Any opinions?
Well, there's CAFE reasons, R&D reasons, profitability reasons, design reasons, production reasons, and probably a whole lot more that we wouldn't even know about.
Contrary to popular belief, you can't just slap in a bigger engine without having to do major modifications to the truck, including the suspension and drive-train.
I would love to see a V8 in a compact truck. If it's available with 4wd, I'd be waiting at the front doors to put my name on the list.
Yes, I'm sure you're correct on the variety of reasons why a V8 isn't available in the compact pickup market. Just a question - doesn't Ford offer a V8 option in the Explorer? Hmmm, I think they do, or at least did. It seems like some of the factors you mentioned may have already been worked out. However, I know nothing about that particular V8. Any thoughts on that engine? Thanks...
Since the 4.3 is 75% of a V8 and uses the same trans as GM V8's I dont see why they dont put a V8 in the S10. The 3.42 rear should be just fine, the 4.8 is probably close to the same weight as the 4.3,(4.8 has aluminum cyl heads, the 4.3 doesnt) and it should fit under the hood. Guess GM doesnt want a truck like that taking away Camaro or Silverado sales. I'd order one today if they would build em.
Each drive line change, I believe even changing axle ratios, means the manufacturer has to put it through the EPA cycle to insure compliance. This is true even with an existing motor in a different body. The cost is too much, something like a million dollars each variation. The manufacturers don't think it's worth it.
A million dollars to get it certified WOW. But I'm sure the demand would be so high that they wouldnt be able to make enough of em. Anyway looks like next year will be the last for the current body style S10, wonder if it will get any extra horsepower to keep up with the Ranger.
yes there is a v-8 available for the explorer. it's ford's 5.0. -great engine, and since the explorer is built on the same chassis as the ranger, you would think they could make it available... however, the SOHC V-6 (which I believe is coming next year for the ranger) is an awesome engine that has virtually as much power as the V-8. I have a '97 explorer with the SOHC and I gotta say it has some serious balls. -especially on a vehicle as heavy as the explorer. should give the ranger a power advantage over the other compacts; so almost no reason to introduce the V-8. -in addition to the other reasons you guys have mentioned, I think another reason auto companies haven't put V-8's in their compact pickups is because of the price factor. probably the majority of compact pickup buyers are foregoing a full size due to the price. if you add a V-8 to a compact, the price will be almost as much as a base full size. guess we'll just have to keep dreaming of a day when chevy announces they'll be dropping a 350 in a ZR2!
Yep, the Explorer has the 5L V8. The V8 Explorers account for about 10% of Explorer sales. The OHV 4L accounts for about 15% of Explorer sales. The SOHC 4L accounts for the other 75% of Explorer sales. I think it's pretty obvious why Ford is putting the Cammer into the Ranger and not a V8.
eagle63 also brings up an interesting point. If you want V8 power, you have to go with a full-sized F-series. I'm sure the F-series pickups are more profitable than the Rangers, so Ford wouldn't want to cannibalize sales to a less profitable vehicle.
Thanks for all the input on the V8 issue. All of your points are well taken. Oh well, I guess we can always dream, can't we? Let's speculate a bit. It seems that the 4.8L would get the vote for the S-10. How about the Ranger? Which V8 would be the best choice? Any preferences?
I'd opt for the 4.6L SOHC V8 out of the Mustang GT producing 260hp and 300ft/lbs of torque. It would make for a mean, little street truck with gobs of torque for hauling, towing, off-roading, etc... Plus, all of those hundreds of engine mods made for all of the Mustang guys would be available for the Ranger guys. Could you just imagine some of the street trucks running around 300+hp and 400+ft/lbs? Wow!
Another interesting choice would be the 3.9L V8 out of the Lincoln LS producing 252hp and 267ft/lbs of torque. Given the Ranger's roughly 500lb weight advantage, the engine should motivate the truck quite well. Also, it shouldn't add much additional weight to the truck than the 4L V6. And, it would probably get better mpg than the 4L, somewhere around 17/23 city/highway.
I think eagle63 said it the best when if you look at the numbers on the 5.0L V8(correct me if im wrong) it only has 5 more horsepower and 40 more pounds of torque than the 4.0L SOHC, personally I think the 4L SOHC is a better buy, you get better gas mileage also, if a V8 would go in a ranger, I think the 4.6L in the mustange would go well maybe even the 4.8L in the F-150s
If most people won't even pop for the 4.0L V6 in the Ranger, why should Ford put in a V8 which would be even more expensive? I agree that most Ranger buyers are pretty price sensitive--that's why they're not buying $30,000 F-150 Xcab 4x4s--and want a handy, reliable truck that doesn't cost $40 to fill up at the gas station like the big boys.
Yes, I agree that you make some good points. A V8 in a Ranger or an S-10 isn't practical or cost effective. But, we are just speculating here. Simply exploring the "what ifs" of the topic. I think many of us find the idea rather intriguing.
Comments
Also i went to local four by four shop to look at lift kit and they want eight hundred bucks for a four inch lift is this price accurate if if not brands and prices to look at
Thanks
unlike some of the horror stories I've heard others speak of. I've heard of some pretty costly repairs to the S-10's, but I never experienced any personally. But I also have a neighbor across the street with a 4x4 Ranger that is constantly in the shop with tranny problems and leaks.
Every manufacturer is going to have problems. Another friend of mine had a 99 Tacoma 4x4 and the head gasket blew and then after that the motor just seized up. I think he had like 10K miles on it and never had it off-road. He went to arbitration and got Toyo to buy it back from him. The head gasket problem is fairly common in the Toyo's too. So their not "bullet proof" either.
So ask 10 different people, and you'll get 10 different answers about what's the best or worst.
I say get the truck that suits your needs for the price you can afford and forget all the banter about whats better or worse. THere are no guarantees whenit comes to machines.
Just wondering what you and your significant other decided to do about the truck issue...
tacoma_trd -
Haven't heard from you recently. I fear we may have scared you off. Sorry if we did...
I am not sure if the only opinions they get from this truck are the few angry minorities who get pissed off if they have to change the oil in thier vehicles.
While my truck is probably not the best truck ever. At 99k it has been very reliable. I am happy. Yes I could sit here an [non-permissible content removed] about a plastic interior piece that pop off or I could [non-permissible content removed] about how hard it is to reach that damn oil filter. At a price of under 10 grand in 95 I feel this truck as been worth every penny.
Note: CHEVY S10 OWNERS GREASE YOU FRONT SUPPENSIONS EVERY 7500 MILES!!!!!
But don't you think it's possible that some people do indeed have friends that have had bad luck with a [insert competing model here]? I also think people that witness their friends having bad luck with [insert competing model here] probably use that info to base their decisions on when purchasing. I sure did. Whether that is an accurate way to make a
decison or not is subjective.
If you have friends/neighbors all with the same model vehicle and they all have problems,
are you going to go out and buy that vehicle? Maybe. But chances are you'd use that info to base your decision on since you actually know these people and probably trust their
assessments somewhat.
I had bad luck with a certian model truck and got the manufactuer to buy it back from me through arbitration. That was two years ago. This time around when I went to purchase a new truck I inquired to friends about their recent experiences. Non eof them had much to say in the
way of positive recommendations. So I figured not much had changed and I scratched that manufacturer right off my list.
Pretty valid, I think.
I was only speaking up because I've seen multiple posts like this on every board for every single make, not limited to Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, etc...
I've had a couple of GM products. The latest, a '90 Olds Cutlass Supreme Int'l, blew the head gasket and cracked the head at 75K miles. It was an inherent problem in the Quad 4 (especially the high output Quad 4 in my car) that I knew about. Well, I learned an $800 lesson.
The other was an '85 S10 Blazer. At 100K miles it was going strong (albeit a bit underpowered with the 2.8L V6 and bigger than OEM tires I put on) and looking like new (georgeous paint job at my uncle's shop) until I rolled it on X-mas eve. That still pisses me off to this day.
I would buy a GM product should it suit my needs and provide more value than other offerings. My family and friends who have owned GM's built in the last few years have had very little to speak of in terms of problems (neither have the Ford owners, as my family usually purchases "domestic" vehicles). I'm one of the quacks in the family who will buy just about anything (except a Quad 4 GM).
I am impressed by the handling, road manners, brakes stop on a dime, off roads better than my Tahoe and is solid reliable. Mileage is fair at 17 to 19 mpg. The 4.8L V8 would make this the perfect vehicle.
I love the looks; including the 2dr ZR2 blazer which I hear GM is not producing after 2000. Leave it to GM to cancel a vehicle just when they get it right. But I'm a Chevy man; with a '98 Vette too.
My friend has a Ford Ranger 4x4. Nice truck (America makes the best trucks) but the ZR2 is a step above. All I can say is test drive them all and do your homework before you buy.
The little flipty-doo did teach me to always have safety as a prime concern. If I had been driving our other car at the time, a Corolla, I would have most likely flown through the windshield. But, it probably wouldn't have happened quite that way either being front wheel drive and all.
I hear ya about the scratches. I cringe when I look at the passenger side of my truck with a couple of significant dings from inconsiderate a$$holes in the parking lot. And, I had an Expedition appearantly back up onto my front bumper of my car then just drive away. Well, I think it's about time to head to my uncle's shop for some repairs. :oD
We have talked about the possibility of the S-10 getting the 4.8L engine. The general consensus seems to be that yes, it will. However, the S-10 will probably be moving up to a midsize (like the Dakota) in the process. I think what many of us would like to see is a V8 in the S-10 or Ranger in their current compact size...
We've all wondered why GM or Ford don't offer a V8 in these trucks. One possible explanation might be this: Over in topic #1821, the folks were bemoaning the fact that they can't get the 6.0L V8 in the Silverado 1/2 ton (man, talk about power hungry!). Anyway, an argument was put forth that that GM can't do this because of CAFE reasons. Perhaps GM and Ford have the same problem with offering V8's in their compact pickup's. I have no idea if this CAFE reasoning is valid or not. Any opinions?
Contrary to popular belief, you can't just slap in a bigger engine without having to do major modifications to the truck, including the suspension and drive-train.
I would love to see a V8 in a compact truck. If it's available with 4wd, I'd be waiting at the front doors to put my name on the list.
Anyway looks like next year will be the last for the current body style S10, wonder if it will get any extra horsepower to keep up with the Ranger.
-in addition to the other reasons you guys have mentioned, I think another reason auto companies haven't put V-8's in their compact pickups is because of the price factor. probably the majority of compact pickup buyers are foregoing a full size due to the price. if you add a V-8 to a compact, the price will be almost as much as a base full size. guess we'll just have to keep dreaming of a day when chevy announces they'll be dropping a 350 in a ZR2!
eagle63 also brings up an interesting point. If you want V8 power, you have to go with a full-sized F-series. I'm sure the F-series pickups are more profitable than the Rangers, so Ford wouldn't want to cannibalize sales to a less profitable vehicle.
Thanks for all the input on the V8 issue. All of your points are well taken. Oh well, I guess we can always dream, can't we? Let's speculate a bit. It seems that the 4.8L would get the vote for the S-10. How about the Ranger? Which V8 would be the best choice? Any preferences?
Another interesting choice would be the 3.9L V8 out of the Lincoln LS producing 252hp and 267ft/lbs of torque. Given the Ranger's roughly 500lb weight advantage, the engine should motivate the truck quite well. Also, it shouldn't add much additional weight to the truck than the 4L V6. And, it would probably get better mpg than the 4L, somewhere around 17/23 city/highway.
For those who just gotta have more than 200hp, check out http://www.rangerpowersports.com and http://www.homestead.com/therangerstation/V8Conversions.html and pop a 5.0L V8 in there pronto!
Just my thoughts.