HenryMac's Build Thread: 2019 Ranger XL STX FX4 Magnetic Super Cab

[badbossd]

John, I just read through all 9 pages of this thread... Some of the most enjoyable reading I've done to date. Thank you for the great info and photos. Keep'em coming!

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[Blue Streak]

Adding Weight To the Bed.... Safely.

Nearly wrecked the truck a week ago on some black ice near Cripple Creek. Twisty mountain road, heading down hill grade and the road transitioned from sunshine to shade around a left hand curve and the rear end broke loose on black ice and headed for the ditch. I was able to quickly steer right and bring it back in line but it was a pucker factor of about 10.

I've driven manual shift vehicles since 1985. While I like the Ranger... I truly hate not being able to let off the accelerator and have instant motor braking. Truck was in 2 wheel drive. Roads were dry and clear up until that point. 40 mph zone, I was driving 35mph.

So I reflected back to the old days when I drove automatic transmission vehicles and decided to add some ballast to the truck.

I installed the rear divider I previously built for The Lumber Rack. Then bought (4) 60 lb bags of Quikrete Tube Sand. The problem is these bags freeze and get hard as a rock. Then when you hit the brakes they like to move around. I'm also concerned that under heavy braking or, heaven forbid, a head on collision that these bags will end up being projected over the divider and through the back window.

So I attached a piece of 3/4" plywood by screwing it to the rear divider with (4) countersunk screws, and then added a bungee chord across the plywood, attached to the rear bed tie downs.

When ever I get the chance to do any up or down hill twisty road driving I usually chose to do the manual shift thing to simulate stick shift driving.?

 

[Blue Streak]

I guarantee I would have wrecked the truck if I had downshifted it on black ice. That's totally different than simply lifting your foot off the gas pedal on a manual transmission.

I did not mean that I would have downshifted. I meant that driving it to simulate a stick shift it would have probably already been in a lower gear so taking your foot off the throttle would have reacted as such with more engine backing.

 

[wanted33]

Door Sill Scuff Plates, continued from Post 42

Modified the sill plates by using an air die grinder and cut off wheel to remove the rear mounting tabs.

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Then used a 4-1/2" angle grinder with a 60 grit flap disc to level out the remaining stubs of the mounting tabs.

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Next step was using a palm sander and 80 grit.

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When I test fit the sill plates they were a bit to wide and hung out over the edge of the sill. I used the angle grinder and 60 grit flap disc to remove the top lip and sanded it down flush with the top rib.

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And here they are mocked up, ready for tape.. or silicone.. or ????.

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The tape I bought to mount these isn't going to work. It doesn't stick to the plastic sill plates. Here's what I tried to use. Anybody have any suggestions on what type of tape would work best in this application? How about clear silicone?

Link to Installation Using Silicone

I know I'm late to the game here, but thanks for this tip John. I've been looking for sill protectors for a bit now, but didn't find any I liked or at a price that I thought was fair for what one would get. These are the "Bee's Knee's" my friend. Gonna order some right now.

 

[Cape Cruiser]

I know I'm late to the game here, but thanks for this tip John. I've been looking for sill protectors for a bit now, but didn't find any I liked or at a price that I thought was fair for what one would get. These are the "Bee's Knee's" my friend. Gonna order some right now.

Jim. I have done the sill plates on both my Rangers and they are great. Bret

 

[Cape Cruiser]

Thanks.

I'm not the first 5th gen owner to use them... but I'm pretty sure I'm the first to use Silicone Adhesive.

Some folks that used double faced tape have had their sill plates "disappear"... literally fall off the truck while they were driving.

Magic sill plates... now you see them... now you don't!

Good luck and Happy Trails!

John, 3m double sided tape didnt want to adhere real well by itself. I used adhesion promoter and then 3m tape and they are on there tight as can be. Its a great mod and matches up with truck plastic trim and weathertech mats. Bret

 

[Big Blue]

Filled up with fuel today. It appears that the added weight drops MPG by about 1.

MPG was 24.6... typically it's mid 25 or higher.

Would think the effect of +-250 lb would be minimal. More likely cooler weather and winter gas. My mileage always take a dive in the winter.

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

Tactile Bumpers For Cruise Control and Auto Start/Stop

Credit goes to member jubreunig for this idea

[...]

I could swear Ford used to have a built in bump on their steering wheel mounted cruise control buttons back in the 90's???

I only recently got rid of my late 90's Ranger last August. It wasn't just a bump; on the steering wheel the button for one value (+ or -, on or off, etc) had a convex bubble, the other had a concave indentation. Pairs were separated by a ridge.
The ergonomics in this respect were superb in that everything could be done by touch without taking one's eyes off the road. That was true of pretty much every control back then, it was a different era I guess.

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

Would think the effect of +-250 lb would be minimal. More likely cooler weather and winter gas. My mileage always take a dive in the winter.

Until some point in 2019, Ethanol was added in higher amounts during Winter than Summer (it's now allowed year round). Ethanol contains about 10% less energy & mpg reflects this. Could be part of the reason?

 

[seanellaz]

Ripping CD's Onto A Thumb Drive

I was surprised when we bought our Ranger that it didn't have a CD player? In any event I posted a question about how to convert my existing CD collection so I could use it on a thumb drive in the Ranger's USB Port.

BaGMan replied with the following:



And that worked... Now all I have to do is "Rip" a couple hundred CD's....

I used Itunes to rip every CD with the Apple Lossless Codec. Then transferred to my 128 gb iphone. Use the USB Connect from phone to truck for music to get actual HD Sound. Bluetooth compresses the crap out of the audio and the reproduction stinks. Going to upgrade speakers and install a homemade subwoofer and monoblock amp soon.

 

[TBR17]

Which is kind of crazy.... why did Ford de-evolve?

Where I worked for 18 years, prior to 2004, they had a couple Ford vans we drove for company related trips. They had the cruise control features as you described. Worked great.

So Ford takes a good, proven well executed feature and just throws it away?

Nice ad popup while reading this post......

 

[TBR17]

Want to know what's even scarier? I had already typed that I previously drove Tacoma's since the mid 1990's and prefer their cruise control lever approach. But then deleted that text..

Now that's creepy! I had a new '97 standard cab 2.7L 4wd 5 speed bone stock with 31-10.50s then a '99 extended cab V6 4wd with a Pro Comp 6"ish lift on 33-12.50s. Both good trucks, but I liked the 2.7L engine and trans combo better. It would literally go dang near anywhere in first gear 4L just idling.

 

[Gerder]

…. Going to upgrade speakers and install a homemade subwoofer and monoblock amp soon.

Did u plan to let us participate and make build thread? PLZ!

 

[Old Red Replacement]

Pickup Box Bed Tie Down Hooks and Bolts

Continued from: Where are my missing bed tie down hooks
Link to: Installed Bed Tie Down Brackets

Got a call from my local Ford Dealer today. The back ordered Bed Hooks and Bolts were ready for pickup.

They wrote it up as a Service Warranty Claim so there was no charge.

Here are the part numbers in case you need them:

Tie Down Hook - Ford (KB3Z-21550A74-A) $6.49 ea, Quan. (2) = $12.98
Tie Down Hook Bolt - Ford (-W505594-S450B) $3.90 ea, Quan. (4) = $15.60
__________________________________________________Total = $ 28.58

I need to buy a tap to chase the threads in the truck since the truck has the ford factory sprayed Toughbed liner in it.

 

[Old Red Replacement]

Levitton Ford is selling 2 straps and 4 bolts for $71,
just got them

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