Ford Ranger Ike Gauntlet

[James Gang]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMsGj1kb2Wc

[Kent]

For those interested in the 2019 Ford Ranger. One of the things being discussed on another review video is the fact the 2019 Ford Ranger platform has been out in other countries for 12 years.

It is their thinking that the current Ford Ranger being reintroduced to U.S. market will go through a makeover in 2 or 3 years.

At least something to think about.

[emers382]

Watched the video and was surprised how that little 2.3 EB towed up the hill in six seconds better than the Tacoma. Still think I'll stick with my 2.7 EB in the F150. One thing I'd never considered - they said in the video is that a mid size truck (I guess like most cars as well) have narrower track than a full size truck/SUV which means in a well worn surface such as the right lane on many Interstates where the transports run a full size will track in those ruts unlike a midsize where you'd tend to wander.

Also the Ranger is limited in payload. That Lariat they tested had only 1350 lb payload. I'm already challenged to stay within the 1484 lb on my F150.

[Eggscape]

Thanks for posting. I like the videos these guys make.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by emers382

Still think I'll stick with my 2.7 EB in the F150.

I agree. I didn't see anything in that video that made me sorry, that after waiting 7 years for the "new" Ranger that I first saw in NZ in 2012, that I bought my F150.

Ron

[padlin]

I heard on the radio yesterday that the 4 door can only be had with a 5' bed and for a 6' you get 2 door. Between the tiny bed and the payload, they don't sound feasible for those of us with a 5.0TA.

[Red]

I like those TFL guys for the consistency of their testing. For those of us in the West the Ike is a bench mark on how well a tow vehicle will handle most mountain passes. The new Ranger looks like it can safely pull a fully loaded (5,000 lb) 19 over most mountain passes.

[arniesea]

Well that was fun! I just traded in my 2014 Tacoma DCB TRD sport. I bought the Sport for towing because in addition to the Bilson shocks that they mention, the sport has anti-sway bars front and rear. This gives it better handling. Tacoma's have always had "soft" suspension so I had equipped mine with Sumo springs. It was a good match for my 2013 E19' trailer.

I now have a 5.0 TA on order, I traded the Taco in on a 2017 Tundra Platinum. I agree with Bob that these trucks would be maxed out with a 5.0. I like to have a bit in reserve for both capacity and capability when I am towing.

It was particularly fun for me seeing the "Ike". I worked on that tunnel in '76 when I was 23 years old drilling one of the west side pilot hole. Back then the tunnel boring machines need guide rails laid in 15 foot diameter pilot holes. One on each side and one at the top center. I worked with a crew from the west end, drilling holes in the rock face with a "Jack-leg", setting the charges, blowing the face - "Fire in the hole!" - then mucking out the rubble. It was one of the first large tunnel projects that used laser guidance. We met up with the east end crew and our holes were only 3/4 of an inch off from each other. Ah, the memories.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by James Gang

Was wondering . Thankyou ! Pat

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Kent

For those interested in the 2019 Ford Ranger. One of the things being discussed on another review video is the fact the 2019 Ford Ranger platform has been out in other countries for 12 years.

It is their thinking that the current Ford Ranger being reintroduced to U.S. market will go through a makeover in 2 or 3 years.

At least something to think about.

12 years would go back to 2006; that would be the introduction of the first-generation Mazda BT-50, which was an earlier truck, not this one. The current BT-50 is a version of the T6 Ranger, introduced with the Ranger in 2011.

GM's current Colorado/Canyon and Ford's current (T6) Ranger are both designs from the Asia-Pacific market, where they have been available for a while: the Colorado in 2012 (from Thailand) and the Ranger T6 in 2011 (from Australia). Since compact pickup designs change at longer intervals than cars, these are not exceptionally old designs, but it's not as if either is brand-new and ready for another decade of production without changes. Nissan's Frontier is the senior citizen of the bunch, with the current D40 generation starting in 2005.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ford refreshes the design soon, just to encourage people to trade up to a new one, rather than for any functional reason. If that matters to you, you could wait, but the refreshed design itself will be replaced in a few years after that.

One advantage of being in production for a few years is that the parts which are the same as earlier T6 Rangers (the suspension, etc... not the engine and transmission) presumably have the bugs worked out. The engine is essentially the same as the Mustang and Focus, and the transmission is the same as the F-150, so there should be minimal "first year" issues with the 2019 Ranger.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

One thing I'd never considered - they said in the video is that a mid size truck (I guess like most cars as well) have narrower track than a full size truck/SUV which means in a well worn surface such as the right lane on many Interstates where the transports run a full size will track in those ruts unlike a midsize where you'd tend to wander.

Is that really an issue? Even a full size pickup is much narrower than a big transport.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by padlin

I heard on the radio yesterday that the 4 door can only be had with a 5' bed and for a 6' you get 2 door. Between the tiny bed and the payload, they don't sound feasible for those of us with a 5.0TA.

The configuration details and specs are available on the Ford websites, but yes...

In an pickup, cab length, box length, and wheelbase are a tradeoff. The Ranger comes in only one wheelbase (126.8", essentially the same as an extended cab Colorado/Canyon) so if choose the longer cab (the SuperCrew) you get a 5 ft box; there is no option to get a longer wheelbase so you can have both the SuperCrew and the 6 ft box.

As with every other current pickup, I assume that the SuperCab is not a two-door, but has rear-hinged rear doors - it does in other markets.


This is like buying an F-150 and being offered only the 145" wheelbase: you can combine either SuperCab and 6.5' box, or SuperCrew and 5.5' box. The corresponding Ranger wheelbase is 16" shorter, because its boxes are a few inches shorter, and its cabs are about 10" shorter... so they won't work for some people.

Since the 5' box is that crucial few inches shorter than the common 5.5' boxes, it's unlikely to be desirable for an Escape 5.0TA (the hitch point would be well back from the axle). A SuperCab with 6' box would fit lengthwise, but is marginal for payload.

[Eggscape]

https://social.ford.com/en_US/story/...rd-ranger.html

States that the new Ranger is a new design for the North American market. I know it looks similar to the the others but I don’t think it will be redesigned for for the North American market soon.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Is that really an issue? Even a full size pickup is much narrower than a big transport.

I don't know Brian, that's just what the guys running the Ike said. They are no doubt used to running it in full size trucks and did find it tougher keeping in lane with the midsize ones.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

https://social.ford.com/en_US/story/...rd-ranger.html

States that the new Ranger is a new design for the North American market. I know it looks similar to the the others but I don’t think it will be redesigned for for the North American market soon.

Yes, it is a popular thing among the marketing people: take a vehicle which has only a few tweaks, and call it "all new". People like to think they have something new, and certainly North Americans don't want to think that they are driving an old Australian or Asian design. Ad copy writers like to do things such as mentioning a feature which is new (modified frame) and following it immediately by a description of things which are unchanged (the "double-wishbone independent design" of the front suspension), counting on people to think that the old features are new, too. To avoid accusations of false advertising, they use careful phrases such as "new design and chassis", which means body panel styling tweaks and an updated frame (and different rear springs mounted the same way on the same design of frame and axle). It only takes a quick look at photos and specs of the worldwide T6 Ranger to see through it. To be fair, they apparently had to make some frame modifications for crash performance, so the frame is indeed different - it would be difficult to see the changes, but it will have a different part number. Similarly, the rear leaf springs are parabolic on the North American version, and likely elliptical on the previous ones.

To be clear - there's absolutely nothing wrong with using a good and proven design, rather than starting from scratch unnecessarily.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

I don't know Brian, that's just what the guys running the Ike said. They are no doubt used to running it in full size trucks and did find it tougher keeping in lane with the midsize ones.

This might be very specific to that road, which these guys drive very frequently. Going through a range of vehicles from a compact car to widebody Class A motorhome, I haven't had an issue with it anywhere, for many years. There was a short section of the Yellowhead highway in Edmonton that was so grooved that it caused issues for our Spitfire... back in the early 1990's.

By this logic, an older full-size pickup won't track well on this road, compared to the substantially wider current models, and a Ford F-150 Raptor will be too wide for grooves that a regular F-150 fits. Really?

Fitting the ruts can be a real issue off of paved roads. I know a guy who built a highly modified Mini in the 1980's designed to have the same track width as the other cars in his ice racing series (and to have more ground clearance than a normal Mini), so that it would work on the track... which was plowed out of the snow on a frozen lake, and deeply grooved by the 1/4" diameter bolts which were used as tire studs at the time.

[Eggscape]

I guess my point is that Ford thinks the public believes when they say it is a new model for the North American market so I doubt that they will come up with a new model soon.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

I guess my point is that Ford thinks the public believes when they say it is a new model for the North American market so I doubt that they will come up with a new model soon.

That makes sense.