Toyota Tacoma vs. Ford Ranger, Part XII

eagle63 · March 2002

I'd be interested to hear any compact pickup owners opinion on Tonneau covers. -either the soft, cloth kind or the hard lockable ones. pros and cons, etc.

frey44 · March 2002

What type of grease should I use on the slip joint splines on the driveshaft of my 00 Ranger. I am getting conflicting advice. I cannot rely on my dealer for advice as I don't TRUST them, unfortunately. I am going to remove the shaft to have it balanced, and will lube it myself. Does Ford have a specific product for this ? Any knowledgable Ranger owners out there ?
Thanks.

saddaddy · March 2002

I have heard several people say that tonneau covers are very nice to have. Obviously, for some they wouldn't be very practical. I will probably buy an ARE brand fiberglass cover this summer or the next. I have wanted one for awhile, they look great. As far as the soft ones, I don't know much about 'em but they have made some pretty big strides in their durability and usability over the last couple of years, I believe. L8r

smgilles · March 2002

Check these out! Very nice and durable

http://www.truxedo.com

saddaddy · March 2002

I was reading your posts in the other thread, and your statement about "what came first, chicken/egg" finally makes alot of sense. I have been talking about all the anti-yota sentiments from everyone, and never thought that Yota owners are very cocky as well. Guess they are pretty cocky to tell the truth. Good point, man. However, that got my thinking. FOR THE RECORD, I try to be very openminded and try never to offer blind complaints about other vehicles. Just so everyone knows, just b/c I am so hardcore pro-Taco, doesn't mean I am surprised when I hear of a problem free Ford/Chevy/Dodge. I just really like my truck, and will defend it to anyone. Thats how we all are I guess.

Its apparent that you run into more yota owners that hate other vehicle makes, whereas I am exactly the opposite. My dad constantly hates on the Yotas for no, and I do mean NO, reason. Thats the same with tons of my buddies. So I now see where you're coming from.

modvptnl · March 2002

You're a rare breed!!! LOL!!!

Do you ever hate a sports team because of their fans??? Philly and frisco come to mind. A lot (present company excluded) of toy owners are like that to me!!! It aint the toys that are obnoxious!!

tomh12 · March 2002

saddaddy can't be all bad....'sippi boy who likes to noodle mudcats! Nothin' like diving down and reaching under a cut bank, or log and bringing one up! That is, if he isn't bigger than you.
LOL
Tom

saddaddy · March 2002

Glad you think Im so good, but we grab all our fish out of barrels and in lakes - not rivers. I know some guys who do it that way and they are way braver than I will ever be. So sorry to let you down, but Im not that much of a bada$$. LOL.

MOD - I guess we both know where each other is coming from now. Glad to gain a little understanding in the matter. Have a good one, man.

scape2 · March 2002

and rough Tacoma's still offer open axles? a piss poor HP/Torque curve? 4 cross beams instead of 5? a huge price tag for that TRD sticker? A useless locker that can only be used offroad and does absolutely nothing to help tow or pull? And when the locker is not engaged its an open axle?
Bilstien shocks/springs that Toyota charges 4x the amount you can get them aftermarket and call it a "tuned" suspension? Toyota fans... You got taken.....

saddaddy · March 2002

up for a clueless person who has no place in this discussion:

The TRD sticker says "off road" on it. Not "towing enhancement." No one buys a compact pickup for towing superiority to begin with. The locker is in an off road package b/c it is the BEST setup for an off road vehicle. The locker may not be the best all around setup, but no one claims that it is. That is why it is in an off road package and not standard equipment. Why is that so hard to understand?

Please give some proof that Toyota bilsteins are 4x as much as aftermarket bilsteins. You are completely ignorant. Toyota owners that pay for the off road package and care about that sort of thing are paying $1600 for the same package that out-wheeled the Hummer, Disco, and Jeep in an offroad comparo. They did not spend that money on a truck that safely fetches groceries for the little lady, takes the kids to soccer practice, and weaves in and out of traffic on the freeway. That is what you are looking for so don't disrespect something that isn't for you. Its obvious from the fact that you spend your time at Tribute/CRV discussions that you are fairly incompetent to trucks and wheeling.

Its obvious you have never done any hardcore wheeling, with or without a locker. Until you understand how to act and increase your intelligence twofold, save yourself some embarrassment and stay away.

modvptnl · March 2002

Vince 8 is back!!! He's the blama of the Ford camp!!!

The people that know realize it's a good truck, as is the Ranger......

eagle63 · March 2002

Everyone raise your hand if you think "scape2" is vinny. (mine's raised)

Next thing you know, spoog will come back!

saddaddy · March 2002

Im sure hes one of those who just likes ticking folks off. I know off-roading isn't everything, but thats what he brought up. I'm not afraid to defend the yota in that respect, eventhough it might, arguably, be the lesser truck in other arenas.

smgilles · March 2002

spoog and vince, those were those days.

Now we are just stuck with tbunder (j/k)!

modvptnl · March 2002

"spoog and vince, those were those days.

Now we are just stuck with tbunder (j/k)!"

Don't forget blama!!!

tbunder · March 2002

smgilles is such an incompetent retarded idiot. (j/k)!

saddaddy · March 2002

j/k. Off topic, but does anyone know much about the engine knock in the new Chevies. Is it the same as valve chatter? My dad is wanting to get a new one and I was just wondering. Can't turn him.

tbunder · March 2002

i haven't heard a new one run, but im quite sure it has been an isolated incident. its not like gm is building engines daily that knock and have problems. come on. they're not the world's largest engine and vehicle manufacturer for making crap. and no, im not a gm fan. but i don't dislike them either. kinda like toyota.

that's like asking if anyone knows how many goodyear tires were replaced under road-hazard last year. there's a bad one in every bunch.

midnight_stang · March 2002

I'll tell you after a while. My father just picked up a 2002 Silverado extended cab with a 4.8 liter vortec V8. It had only 103 miles on it last friday. It is as smooth as butter when I drove it then, but we'll see if anything happens after the engine breaks in. Nice truck though.

tomh12 · March 2002

I don't know how wide spread the "knocking" problem is. I believe it is pretty common in the 6.0L, 5.3L, and less so in the 8.1L. Don't know that I have heard of it at all in the 4.8L, but I could be wrong. There are all kinds of opinions about whether this is something to be concerned about or not. My 6.0L "ticks" for about 45 seconds when you first start it after sitting overnight. I use Mobil 1 and have since 500 miles new. I would never have known the sound everyone is upset about was a problem, if I hadn't read it on this board. You do not hear the noise unless you are out of the truck, or have you window rolled down and are listening for it, at least in my case. There are people who already have 50,000+ miles on "knocking" engines with no serious problems developing. I have not seen ANY reported failures from this problem, even though it has been around since the new engines where introduced in (I think) 1999. Guys that know a lot more about engines than me are very upset, but I figure GM will stand behind their product if this does cause any serious damage. Haven't heard one single example of an engine being torn down and exhibiting damage from this. Wouldn't you think that would have been done by now if this was causing damage? Just my $.02 worth.
Tom

smgilles · March 2002

Another Quality job #1 website.

Sorry Stang this isn't meant for you, only Tbunder:)

http://www.tgrigsby.com/views/ford.htm</

tbunder · March 2002

i say go here and take your pick of problems. gotta love those flying moonroofs and managers who say that THAT was your fault as well. toyota warranty= ITS ALL YOUR FAULT, NOT WARRANTIED.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_safety.html

kbtoys · March 2002

Here you go same website and what they have to say about the ranger.

Ranger fires

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_ranger_fires.html

Dealer's explanation on how ABS works. This on is good check it out. Or the ranger might have caused a death.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_ranger_safety.html

Also here is some irritations about the ranger.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_ranger_misc.html

I don't know about you but I would much rather have my sunroof come off than my truck to catch on fire or cause me to get an a accident.

tbunder · March 2002

kbtoys, nice try, but those rangers being talked about are nearly ten years old. what the....can't you find some recent info to counter with the huge toyota problems i posted?

and the guy who thought abs would let him lock up his tires needs his head examined (abs-ANTI-LOCK BRAKING). what good would sliding into a car do when one can control their stop and potentially steer away from the car they are about to hit while at the same time braking (a locked up vehicle has no steering ability, you go where it ends up, no?)?

would you rather slide into a child while applying the brakes, or be able to steer away from the child while the brakes are stopping you as fast as they can stop the vehicle? please, research before you post your bogus tries. LMAO

kbtoys · March 2002

Yea the rangers that I had listed where old I should of say that, but the point is they are still rangers. The rangers where built by the same company that built the ranger you had. Also how about the 99 Ranger on their that Rebecca had? Here is what she had to say. "Rebecca of Bessemer, AL, writes:

My 1999 Ford Ranger's windows fog up and it is hard to see. The steering is not right, it wanders. The brakes don't work righe, it has a vibration, it accelerates at stops and I am afraid I or someone else will be injured if it isn't fixed, but the dealership says it can't find any of the problems. I just think they dont want the lemon back. I am a nervous wreck cause I have a vehicle that I have to pay for and I believe it is a hazard to be on the road. I almost had a wreck cause it accelerated at a stop light and I'm just terrified to drive it"

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_ranger_misc.html

To that seems like a huge problem.

As for the huge problem you posted I assume you where referring to the sunroof incident. Here is my thoughts about it. I have never heard of this before but I don't deny it did not happen. I myself have a manual sunroof in my tacoma and there are three hinges that hold the glass in. You can unhook all three and take out the glass. It's nice in the summer but can be a pain to take out. Anyway back to the point if he did not hook the hinges in correctly I could see that happening, But for the sake of argument lets say they where hooked correctly. Sunroofs on a tacoma is not a factory option but a dealer option. Who ever installed the sun roof dealer or sunroof shop did not do it right. I can believe the dealer might not have done it right. I don't trust some of the toyota dealers I live by, but the tacoma did not come from the factory with that problem.

midnight_stang · March 2002

The Ford Ranger Safety Link:
Ok, this guy rear ends three different people within 14 months, and he's complaining about brakes? Brakes cannot stop you on a dime if you are tailgating. ABS does not allow you to lock up your brakes. If you take two similair vehicles, one with ABS and one without ABS, the vehicle without can lockup the wheels, and that will result in a longer stopping distance. Try going 45 MPH and locking up your brakes. Try it again, but brake just enough so the wheels are on the verge of locking up. You will stop much quicker with ABS, and you can steer the whole time instead of skidding wherever momentum takes you.

Second, Air bags do not deploy unless during very specific conditions, I.E. Head on crash. The second incident states they hit a tree on the passenger side, then hit another tree head on going 20-30 MPH. Unless you believe in JFK's magic bullet theory, this isn't possible unless they were spinning or some other wierd movement. Think about it. Airbags only deploy during head on crashes, otherwise they could cause more harm than help. The light indicates the passenger airbag is locked in the off position, hmm I wonder why.

Third, I'm feel for the passing of the lady's husband, but why are you driving vehicles prone to stalling? Get a mechanic, or someone mechanically inclined and fix it. You typically get ejected from a car crash if your seat belt is not fastened.

Rangers Misc:
Someone had a fuel tank that leaked. It's 13 years old and they have to pay 1050 for a conversion to a new type of fuel cell. Even though some super glue or other adhesive would have fixed the leak, he can also go to summitracing.com and get a fuel cell, mounting kit and pump for under 300 bucks. Or go to a junkyard and spend maybe 40 bucks.

Next person has a coolant bottle that looks to be empty every oil change. This could occur for many reasons, but is definitely not gonna hurt the car. OK, without any mention of actual coolant level, that must be assumed good. Maybe he should pop his own hood, and watch the fluids himself? Nah, that might require getting his hands dirty, and maybe a 50 cent hose clamp to fix a loose hose.

The last girl's windows fog up (use Rain-X anti fog, or air conditioning defrost), an alignment will show if the steering is off, and my favorite "I almost had a wreck cause it accelerated at a stop light and I'm just terrified to drive it." Make sure you don't confuse the left pedal with the right one.

Is this crybabyaffairs.com? Some of these people sound like they don't need to be behind the wheel.

Ranger Fires:
I'm confused, there's is a fire under the hood and the canopy light is to blame. So his aftermarket light inside his cap caused a short, and this is Ford's fault how? It must not of been a bad short/fire if he was able to open the hood and disconnect the wires. Either way whoever installed the canopy wiring is to blame, obviously not Ford.

I may be skeptical, but if you want to evaulate things skeptically and scientifically, you need to test every theory (or testimony) for it's faults. These Ranger posts reek of emotional outpouring, and offer little to zero factual evidence (even presented in 3rd person) to point the fault at Ford.
Either way, 9 trucks are a drop in the bucket compared to all the ones that don't seem to have a problem at all. What is more likely to be the contributing factor? The possibility of personal error would be much more likely the cause, than a manufacturing one.

tbunder · March 2002

you pretty much covered it. and thx for backing up what i said about the abs.

midnight_stang · March 2002

That was after quite a few glasses of wine, but those stories just didn't seem very credible. I would bet only 1 or 2 are legitimate complaints.

eagle63 · March 2002

I would like to call a moratorium on posting these anecdotal stories found on the web about vehicle problems. -whether they support either the Ranger or the Tacoma. I think there's little credibility, and even if the stories are true it doesn't really mean anything. No brand is without its complainers. anybody want to second my motion?

issisteelman · March 2002

However, it is fun to watch Tbunder and Stang defend their beloved Ranger to the end. By the way, my Tacoma is not perfect (broken cup holder and a dashboard that rattles on cold mornings until it warms up) but the few problems don't seem that bad when you consider that I've put thousands of off road (woods) miles on her thus far. Hey Ranger fans, you guys have any problems or are your trucks really perfect like you claim? I have trouble believing that Tbunder's and Stang's Rangers have never had even one minor problem. If so, I'm really impressed. Maybe a Ranger isn't as junky as I originally thought. Take care.......Steelman.

midnight_stang · March 2002

I'm not sure the full intent of your comments, as most of the time you are trying to be humorous or provoking.

You are wrong in that I claim my truck to be perfect. Tbunder's was brand new, so I can believe he had little to no problems, but my truck is just under 10 years old and with just under 140 thousand miles.

My transmission went out at 120k. (However I never did any maintenance to my automatic transmission, and gave it a lot of abuse in my high school years. This includes dropping into drive at around 5000 RPM.) My Radiator was replaced about 125k. Water pump replaced just before that. I am also on my third thermostat. I live just north of Dallas TX, and my truck has been out backpacking with me through the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, and Buffalo River area in Arkansas. I have also spent a couple weeks down at South Padre Island, where I camped on the beach and would race a Jeep Wrangler across the sand.(and beat him usually). Oh yeah, my power steering is a bit noisy if I turn it in the parking lot, but it is still tight and works great. Never needed an alignment. I have gone through 1 set of front rotors(somewhere over 100k). My inside door handle got stuck in the open position once, but some WD40 fixed that up.

I may be a city slicker to you, but my truck has spent a good bit of time playing in the outdoors. Maybe 6 months (combined) of it's life was spent in non optimal condistions which could be classified as very stressful. The rest of the time it's stop and go traffic in a major metropolitan area. Parking 5 feet from the ocean by night and wheeling around the beach all day, or up and down some ridiculous grades of what they call dirt roads in Arkansas, to the general attempts at street racing and trying to look cool of my youth. This truck has been abused, but it is still ready and capable for more action.

So you may think I never had one minor problem, but that isn't quite true. I've had a few, but never did it leave me stranded, or could not be attributed to lack of maintenance, abuse, or just basic wear and tear. I'm still rust free, get over 20 MPG in the city, all my accesories are from the factory (and work), and my valve cover gasket is factory sealed.

No truck goes without any problems, somewhere, sometime, but I have a problem with you characterizing the Ranger as "junky".

sc0rpi0 · March 2002

Hmm...maybe we can go out wheeling sometime, I live in Austin.

midnight_stang · March 2002

I might be going to San Marcos this summer to visit some friends. Will let you know...

issisteelman · March 2002

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't characterize the Ford Ranger as Junky. However, I really kind of feel that way. This feeling is based upon my own personal experiences. I had a friend who bought one once and basically traded it in two years later and told me that Ranger's were junk. He was a big Ford fan but he felt that the Ranger was not in the same "quality" league as Ford's full size trucks. My girlfriend's mom has a Ranger and is very unhappy with the performance. For that matter, I've tried it and for a V6 it is extremely sluggish. I've seen many a Ranger around town that looks like it is ready to disintegrate at any moment. I guess everyone's perception is influenced by their own personal experience, and I have to tell you, my experience tells me that one should stay away from a Ford Ranger if you are considering purchasing a compact pick up.

By the way, if the tranny on my Tacoma blows at 120k, even if I abused it (which I do at times), I will consider it to be a piece of junk. I honestly believe (again, based on personal experience) that I can easily get 200k of trouble free miles from a Toyota. We'll see. Take care.......Steelman.

tbunder · March 2002

5th gear went out, after 105K miles. it was a known problem on these older manual 2.9's.

midnight_stang · March 2002

If you have an automatic, you better make sure you change the transmission filter every year if you want 200k. Good luck.

I personally will be going with a 5 speed manual next time around. That will provide a bit extra zip, and tends to last much longer.

Allknowing--->Looks like the long bed is available for more models than I originally found. Edmunds lists 5 models, all regular cabs, two with the 4.0l and one with 4WD.

saddaddy · March 2002

they need to be cleaned every 3,000 miles or 3 weeks.

wazappa · March 2002

Do all mufflers have bearings? If so do they all need maintenance? I have never heard of this before.

sc0rpi0 · March 2002

If you get low on blinker fluid, bad things will happen.

midnight_stang · March 2002

Mufflers have no bearings, or other moving parts for that matter, except when a baffle blows out.

That's another thing I had to replace on my Ranger. I am on my third muffler. Before anyone says crappy Ford quality, let me remind you that a product of perfect combustion is water. Combine that with short commutes to and from work over time, and you get some rust. But the solution was Merlin's muffler with their lifetime warranty...

tbunder · March 2002

well, i own a '97 mystique with a zetec 16V 4. it has 103,000 miles on it, still has the original exhaust system on it. has never had a muffler and it also still has the original timing belt (can you say playing with fire?). this car is the most dependable automobile (since my '84 mercury capri rs i drove when i was a kid and still have) that i have had in my possession and it still gets close to 30 mpg. so much for long-term poor quality at fomoco. i generally believe that if you take care of any automobile, it will go 200K at least.

scape2 · March 2002

Vince8!! already.. Yes, I took some time away from this room because it was, and still is, the same thing over and over again.... Rangers are junk, Rangers can't offroad, Rangers can't tow, Rangers fall apart... same old stuff from the Toyota crowd. I still own my Ranger and also own an Escape now.
Saddaddy, you are talking to the wrong person when claiming I don't know anything about offroading.. I know plenty. I don't do it as much now because my kids are in Soccer, vollyball, softball, music... UGH! no time.. Ranger is running great, not one problem.. Although a buddy of mind broke my center console by leaning on it too hard... I replaced it myself.. I just thought I would come back for a quick visit and shake the cage a bit... As I used to say... See you in the Cascades!!

saddaddy · March 2002

Sorry for making the assumption, just seemed that kinda stupid to come bad mouthing these trucks when you spend all your time at boards about vehicles with independent suspension all the way around. Couldn't resist. Where did you get the "Rangers can't tow, Rangers fall apart"? I am pretty sure that those AREN'T arguments we have used. Those are the ones WE TAKE. LOL. Towing capacity is something that Ranger has the higher rating on and no one denies that. Might wanna get your facts straight b4 you put words in our mouths.

This is a free country, you can say what you want. But I would like to express that this discussion has become very civil - much more so than it sounds like you are used to. However, I am not gonna judge you like that. I got lots of respect for the Ford owners here b/c they are mature and not asses - I hope they would say the same for me. I just ask that you follow the lead of everyone else. Don't flame anyone b/c you disagree and crap like that, cuz we all try not to. Like I said, maybe I am all wrong about you. If so, sorry. But please don't make this place a nightmare. Have a great Easter weekend!

frey44 · March 2002

...with a Toyota engine and powertrain. The ideal small truck. A great 4 door cab with a motor and driveshaft that won't vibrate you to death. Even better, stuff that new allowy inline GM straight six into a Ranger. WOW !

sc0rpi0 · March 2002

I don't know, but what was the problem with Trailblazers? I remember hearing that they were stalling after 6 month, was it an engine problem, or something else?
I will take Tacoma looks (even 2002 grill. I like 1996 more, but new grill is nice) over Ranger anytime. People say the grill is funky...fine. It looked funky to me at first, but I don't have any problems with it now.

tbunder · March 2002

i think the ranger has it all over the tacoma in front end looks when fitted with real tires. my truck just plain kicked [non-permissible content removed] looking at it from eye level with the BFG's sticking out. those lights, the honeycomb grille, and the nice chrome bumper with fog lights and gigantic tow hooks sticking out just looks tough. i like the toyota front end, but it just isn't as tough looking as the ranger. it needs fog lights and some real tow hooks. nonetheless though, the hood is sexy and i like the overall layout of the trd package. the white looks best imo, with the black trim. the trd's tires are cheap though. id rather have the goodyears even though their traction ability isn't as good. those rugged trails are only like $50 from tire rack. the FX4's factory BFG's just plain rule though imo. if i had a trd or any off-road non fx4 ranger, the first thing i'd do is put on some BFG a/t's.

frey- no thx on the 3.4. with lower horsepower and torque, and the timing BELT, no way. that new SOHC 4.0 is a powerhouse and just plain runs. also, not knocking the tacoma, but look under both the ranger and tacoma- the driveshafts on the toyota look like pencils compared to the shafts on ranger 4.0's. if it vibrates, then there is something out of whack. my ranger never vibrated, anyways up to around 90 anyways. i go 65 and it was smooth as silk, but NVH was improved in '01's.

sc0rpi0 · March 2002

Well, so do other Ranger owners who don't have "real tires" miss out on everything?
The lights are fine on my taco...I don't like chrome crap, makes things look cheap. As for towhooks: we hide ours underneath until we need them, instead of advertising to everyone.
I got a westin lights bar upfront with 2 Hella 500s on it, is that tough enough?
As far as tires go: TRD is an all-purpose package. It's not a specialized FX4 package, a lot more people have it, and not everyone may need 33x12.5x15 BFG MTs on their trucks. Those look absolutely kickass on a Taco with 3" body lift and 3" susp. lift. TRD is simply a step away from onroad and into offroad. Gives you a jump start, so to speak.

scape2 · March 2002

saying much of anything in this room. I know my Ranger has been reliable at 52,000 miles and some severe offroading in the Cascade mountains to the deserts of Eastern Oregon to the coast range mountains , its never let me down. I own a 1998 4.0 XLT S/C 4wd with a 3.73 limited slip rear end. I have the stepside package and offroad pkg along with some all terrain 265's. Nope, I'm done with this room. My Ranger has proven to be the best value for my money and I would buy another one in a heart beat.. See you in the Cascades!

tbunder · March 2002

dont get so defensive. i think i started my whole post out as "in my opinion". as in this is my opinion. anyways, yes the toyota has projection style lights, but they still don't offer fog lights. who wants to go out and buy off-road lights just cuz toyota doesn't equip their trucks with projection fog lights like ranger gets?

the "real tires" are anything other than factory, even your trd tires aren't what i consider "real tires". those rugged trails are as cheap as they come. i like the FX4 cuz they equip it with LT rated all-terrain 31's. yes the regular off-road ranger has goodyear's on it, but i think they are better than the rugged trails for everyday usage. anyways, they're more at tirerack.com. i would think the two are probably the same as far as off-road worthiness go. neither one are aggressive at all.

you said you don't like chrome crap, so i assume you have the color keyed sr5 pkg. i happen to like chrome bumpers, you do have a chrome rear bumper unless you changed that too.

the hella is a good choice and i bet it looks tough, but again those are really expensive. and on the ranger, my 2001 anyways, i wouldn't have wanted to hide the honeycomb grille and cool lights with an aftermarket item.

im trying to figure out what you meant by saying that the trd isn't as specialized as the FX4 package. are you serious? i thought you equaled the trd with the fx4.

last but not least is tow hooks. i hope you aren't claiming that the toyota tow hooks are as good as ford's (ford's are twice as beefy and more convenient). and please don't tell me you'd rather crawl around under a truck in the mud or snow to attach a tether when that time comes when you need pulled out. i find the convenience of towhooks right out of the frame built in with the bumper is extremely convenient. my explorer sport didn't have these and when my dad had to pull me out of a snow bank (with a SD V10) when my wife slid it off the road, it wasn't fun attaching it under the truck. either way, the toyota's probably serve their purpose. but the FX4's towhook in the back is a step above the toyota's none. and it can be mounted on any ranger too. again, not knocking the toy, just saying what i believe to be advantageous about the ranger's towhooks.

one more thing- im not a lift it type of person. if it ain't factory, it ain't sh7r imo. i leave everything alone, i may change tires (i did), shocks or anything one couldn't tell. but i would no way ruin a perfectly good truck like the fx4, zr2, trd, any new truck with a lift, especially a fake one like a body lift. again, jmo.

tbunder · March 2002

welcome back. i guess you're a type of martyr here, eh?
one thing, are you sure you're accurate on your rear-end ratio? i believe all factory off-road packages since they come out in '98 for ranger were 4.10's. maybe you changed your gearing. just wondering.

Toyota Tacoma vs. Ford Ranger, Part XII

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