Trying to decide to sell - Input appreciated

[Rtball]

I'll stick to the finance part because that's my specialty.

If you owe $13k, and the truck is worth $16k, you basically have a theoretical $3k down payment on a $50k+ truck. Let's say you have $7k cash so your down payment is $10k, your monthly payment on that newer truck at 6% interest will be:
60 mos=$775
36 mos=$1,325

You can extrapolate all kinds of scenarios with that math. How much will that newer truck be worth after 5 years. How much will your theoretical $7k cash be worth with 4.5% interest after 5 years ($8.7k). How many miles will your Ranger have after 5 years...etc.,

If you want a win-win scenario, which I would define as get rid of your current ranger with a transmission that sounds like it's acting up, while minimizing your expenses, get a used Ranger between late 2022-2023 with lower miles. Hopefully one under $30k if possible. Do NOT get a truck that is $50k+ it will financially bleed you for the next 5+ years not only in the monthly payments but the insurance and registration.

Dang, you sure are a wet blanket! And a realist.
Does that mean that the '22 I bought with 134K miles was a mistake? No history expect the front end crash. :-(

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[Alaska Wolf]

Either go Option C and put away money for a new tranny, you may never need it so you'll just have more for a down payment.

Or trade it in for a new used 2024/2025 with the 10R60 transmission. I traded in my 2023 Lariat, which I despised, for a 2025 Lariat and couldn't be happier. My 2023 was actually built the week the plant closed for Christmas 2022, and it was pretty obvious that no one wanted to be there... But I am much happier with the 2025, the 10R60 and the 2.7L are a blast to drive. As far as the 2026 Rangers go, there's been to much de-contenting on the 2026s; to me a 2026 Lariat and XLT are pretty much the same vehicle anymore.

 

[FM AZ]

FWIW the official Ford Maintenance Manual says skipping 2nd gear is a normal operation. If it doesn’t think it needs 2nd, it will skip it. So don’t worry about that. I can only get mine to use 2nd by slowly crawling up a hill.

I’d go opt C. The 5-speed transmission in my 1988 Ranger only lasted 30 years and 220,000 miles. I replaced it with a rebuilt one, and drove it another 6 years. Not having a truck payment for 32 years was the best.

 

[got3fords]

Or trade it in for a new used 2024/2025 with the 10R60 transmission. I traded in my 2023 Lariat, which I despised, for a 2025 Lariat and couldn't be happier. My 2023 was actually built the week the plant closed for Christmas 2022, and it was pretty obvious that no one wanted to be there... But I am much happier with the 2025, the 10R60 and the 2.7L are a blast to drive. As far as the 2026 Rangers go, there's been to much de-contenting on the 2026s; to me a 2026 Lariat and XLT are pretty much the same vehicle anymore.

Yeah, the all mods he plans would really add up. Which could go a long way on a 6G where alot of them might not be needed.

 

[GhostStrykre]

OP, i too have the 4th gear boogie. 2019 xlt fx4, nearly 98k miles. we're driving a similar amount per year based on your current mileage after your purchase.

i'll tell you, some days the boogie is non existent. other days it's annoyingly frequent. it typically calms down after coming up to operating temp, but not always. the weather seems to also play a part in it. it almost never happens between 60 and 80 degrees. it's like this truck wants to live in the pacific northwest, but is trapped in ohio with me.

so it isn't getting worse, but it isn't getting better. it's just a pendulum. it's done it since i got the truck used 6 years ago when it had 22k miles.

the amount you owe plus the amount you've spent on mods in the last 18 months would suggest that at its current trade value you'd be at a loss even with the positive equity. that would bug me a lot. in my opinion that's not enough time to enjoy the mods, but you may feel it's just another sunk cost. your call there.

haven't seen it mentioned, but i think there are a lot of cases where i think the slip joint on the driveshaft thunks and i misinterpret it as a transmission issue. it's why i plan to add a tom woods one piece driveshaft at some point.

i've recently shopped around for new full size trucks, but none of them made me want to take on the loan. it also seems like a lot of changes on the immediate horizon. it was my opinion that 2026 was a better year to wait and see how things play out in '27 and on.

i had like $20k in equity+cash and even with that a $60k truck was ~$700/mo. ouchies.

as others have pointed out, if you love the truck then it would seem wise to stick with it. the odds are in your favor that the transmission will be fine, but save up just in case. at worst, you replace it for substantially less than the cost of a new truck. Option C, or at least B.

 

[TJC]

i think the slip joint on the driveshaft thunks and i misinterpret it as a transmission issue. it's why i plan to add a tom woods one piece driveshaft at some point.

The Tom Woods driveshaft is much easier to lube the splines as well. just break out the grease gun! No clunks and smooth driving since installed it. Worth every penny.

 

[Grumpaw]

OP, i too have the 4th gear boogie. 2019 xlt fx4, nearly 98k miles. we're driving a similar amount per year based on your current mileage after your purchase.

i'll tell you, some days the boogie is non existent. other days it's annoyingly frequent. it typically calms down after coming up to operating temp, but not always. the weather seems to also play a part in it. it almost never happens between 60 and 80 degrees. it's like this truck wants to live in the pacific northwest, but is trapped in ohio with me.

so it isn't getting worse, but it isn't getting better. it's just a pendulum. it's done it since i got the truck used 6 years ago when it had 22k miles.

the amount you owe plus the amount you've spent on mods in the last 18 months would suggest that at its current trade value you'd be at a loss even with the positive equity. that would bug me a lot. in my opinion that's not enough time to enjoy the mods, but you may feel it's just another sunk cost. your call there.

haven't seen it mentioned, but i think there are a lot of cases where i think the slip joint on the driveshaft thunks and i misinterpret it as a transmission issue. it's why i plan to add a tom woods one piece driveshaft at some point.

i've recently shopped around for new full size trucks, but none of them made me want to take on the loan. it also seems like a lot of changes on the immediate horizon. it was my opinion that 2026 was a better year to wait and see how things play out in '27 and on.

i had like $20k in equity+cash and even with that a $60k truck was ~$700/mo. ouchies.

as others have pointed out, if you love the truck then it would seem wise to stick with it. the odds are in your favor that the transmission will be fine, but save up just in case. at worst, you replace it for substantially less than the cost of a new truck. Option C, or at least B.

You all realize that the 10R80 is made to "skip" gears when in regular drive mode. It can skip from first to third, frome third to fifth, forth to sixth.....
If it is in regular drive mode and it is skipping gears, it is not anything wrong....it is designed into it.
It is designed that way to "save fuel".
It is dependant on the rpm's as you accellerate that determines what gear it is in or what gear it "skips"
If you want to run thru every gear you need to operate it in either tow or sport mode.....that way it will hit every gear.........

 

[GhostStrykre]

You all realize that the 10R80 is made to "skip" gears when in regular drive mode. It can skip from first to third, frome third to fifth, forth to sixth.....
If it is in regular drive mode and it is skipping gears, it is not anything wrong....it is designed into it.
It is designed that way to "save fuel".
It is dependant on the rpm's as you accellerate that determines what gear it is in or what gear it "skips"
If you want to run thru every gear you need to operate it in either tow or sport mode.....that way it will hit every gear.........

I can only speak for myself and not others, but since I was quoted I’ll answer “yes, I am aware.” I believe the OPs concern lies more in the shake the truck gets when opting to go into 4th gear. Not that it skips gears. The shake occurs during the shift process and the RPMs jump because whatever the clutch is doing doesn’t fully engage at first, then it engages harshly as the engine speed has to come down quickly. As a driver/passenger you feel a weightlessness for a moment because there’s no power in the driveline and then suddenly there is and you get a harsh kick feeling. That’s the 4th gear boogie to which I referred.

personally this happens a lot on slight inclines, which adds to the shake feeling.

 

[Grumpaw]

I can only speak for myself and not others, but since I was quoted I’ll answer “yes, I am aware.” I believe the OPs concern lies more in the shake the truck gets when opting to go into 4th gear. Not that it skips gears. The shake occurs during the shift process and the RPMs jump because whatever the clutch is doing doesn’t fully engage at first, then it engages harshly as the engine speed has to come down quickly. As a driver/passenger you feel a weightlessness for a moment because there’s no power in the driveline and then suddenly there is and you get a harsh kick feeling. That’s the 4th gear boogie to which I referred.

personally this happens a lot on slight inclines, which adds to the shake feeling.

I understand what you are referring to, but I ask if the rough shifts are occurring if you are in drive mode ? The gears are so close togather that when it shifts it is dependant on the rpm's and in certain ranges may be hanging on the verge of shifting from one gear to another or trying to "skip" a gear, all based on the engine rpm's.
If you operate in tow mode, it will shift thru each gear without "skipping". In 4 years of Ranger ownership and now a year in my 2019 Expedition, all I have ever used is the tow mode, occassionally sport mode.....and the trans in both has never skipped a gear.
I would suggest, if your not, use the tow mode for everyday driving.
In regular drive mode it dosen't matter if truck is new or older....the programing is set to skip gears....especially 2nd and 4th,
If in tow or sport mode the rough shifts and skipping is still there than yes, there may be a problem, but in regular drive mode it is just programmed that way.....

 

[GhostStrykre]

I understand what you are referring to, but I ask if the rough shifts are occurring if you are in drive mode ? The gears are so close togather that when it shifts it is dependant on the rpm's and in certain ranges may be hanging on the verge of shifting from one gear to another or trying to "skip" a gear, all based on the engine rpm's.
If you operate in tow mode, it will shift thru each gear without "skipping". In 4 years of Ranger ownership and now a year in my 2019 Expedition, all I have ever used is the tow mode, occassionally sport mode.....and the trans in both has never skipped a gear.
I would suggest, if your not, use the tow mode for everyday driving.
In regular drive mode it dosen't matter if truck is new or older....the programing is set to skip gears....especially 2nd and 4th,
If in tow or sport mode the rough shifts and skipping is still there than yes, there may be a problem, but in regular drive mode it is just programmed that way.....

ohhh copy! I was interpreting your write up as if you were saying going thru all gears is a bad thing. I see your meaning now.

in tow mode I rarely get the 4th gear shake, but it does happen. When it happens, the shake is far less pronounced. Could even be called a “firm shift” vs a “harsh shift.”

interesting notes from you tho. Again apologies for for my mis read.

 

[Grumpaw]

ohhh copy! I was interpreting your write up as if you were saying going thru all gears is a bad thing. I see your meaning now.

in tow mode I rarely get the 4th gear shake, but it does happen. When it happens, the shake is far less pronounced. Could even be called a “firm shift” vs a “harsh shift.”

interesting notes from you tho. Again apologies for for my mis read.

Yup, in tow and sport mode the shifts will be more firm and no gear skipping. When towing in tow mode it is even more pronounced....but that is as designed.
I submit that a lot of what you and some others are feeling if operating in drive mode, is just the shifts from 3 to 4 may be just the shifts hanging up proior to skipping 4 and into 5, or hesitating because of certain rpm's before droping into 4.
Suggest getting out on highway, in drive mode, and accelerating agressivly thru the gears. You should be able to hit all the gears and be able to tell if under higher rpm's there is still a problem in 4th.....talking about like getting on an x-way on ramp and just accelerating up the x-way speed.
Low speed accellerating won't tell you anything you don't already know/feel...

 

[TJC]

I can only speak for myself and not others, but since I was quoted I’ll answer “yes, I am aware.” I believe the OPs concern lies more in the shake the truck gets when opting to go into 4th gear. Not that it skips gears. The shake occurs during the shift process and the RPMs jump because whatever the clutch is doing doesn’t fully engage at first, then it engages harshly as the engine speed has to come down quickly. As a driver/passenger you feel a weightlessness for a moment because there’s no power in the driveline and then suddenly there is and you get a harsh kick feeling. That’s the 4th gear boogie to which I referred.

personally this happens a lot on slight inclines, which adds to the shake feeling.

Boy. I'm having that old feeling and memories return just reading your experience. I had that and much more in my truck at 12K miles. I cured it with several members ideas and mental assistance. But I still don't fully trust the transmission enough to have stopped working on the issue.

I tried most everything to cure the issue. I feel like a broken record here, but i"ll say it again. First, what didn't work or made matters worse in no particular order. This is my personal experience and a sample size of one. I'm not stating this will correct anyone's transmission.

What didn't work for me

• Taking it to the dealer. My 10R80 began failing early on, before the tidal wave of failures. They told me it was working as designed! "They all do it." I never went back. It seems Ford has finally came around and actually starting to take people seriously when they show up with 10R80 syndrome. And that is a good thing.
• Turning off Adaptive Learning. I did this in Forscan. Things went from bad to downright horrible! I quickly turned it back on.

What did work for me.

• Changing the fluid and adding LubeGard Platinum. The 1st fluid change made a remarkable difference. 95% of issues resolved. I did the math and changed the fluid 2 more times over the next 1,000 miles. I wasn't happy with 60% clean fluid, and was targeting 95% clean fluid, and 3 changes removing 7.5 quarts each time got me there. Taking out 7.5 quarts req'd me to let the truck sit for 48 hours before performing the fluid change, 24 hours resulted in 5-5.5 quarts being removed.
  
  (It's not supposed to be this black! 18K miles on the truck when the fluid was changed.)

• Adding the MBS "FitzStick". It made doing the task above so much easier. I parked the truck and waited patiently for Fitz to work his magic. I had already purchase another generic dipstick on the market, but was disappointed with it. It still hangs on the wall in my shop. The Fitzstick allowed me to easily replace the fluid by sicking it out the dipstick tube using an inexpensive electric pump that came with everything you need to do the job. 45 minutes and the fluid was replaced with the exact amount that came out. All without a drop being spilled and me crawling under the truck.
• Resetting the Adaptive Learning Tables and Performing the Adaptive Learning Drive Cycle. After the above I drove the truck for a few thousand miles, and things were much better, but I was gun shy and vigilant, monitoring for any symptom that might present itself. I found little telltale signs of slightly abnormal behavior. I performed this simple procedure and the transmission immediately tuned itself into near perfection. Don't attempt rhis before having changed your fluid. You'll only be masking the problem.

Enhancements that extend fluid change intervals and the life of the transmission

• Adding an aluminum transmission pan. Cooler tranmsission temperatures matter - ALOT. I purchased the PPE deep pan that hold 1.75 quarts more fluid. It has a drain plug and aids in keeping the fluid cooler.
• Scangauge III. Necessary for me to easily track dynamic engine and transmission PIDs. I can see shift slipage, real vs targeted and transmission temps realtime as I'm driving around, and I have learned a great deal from observing transmission behavior vs temp ranges.
• Keeping the transmission fluid temperature between 155F-165F. My transmission is flawless when it is operating in this range. The higher the temps raise the more the anomalies present themselves. They are slight even at 200F, but they are their. Further, transmission fluid begins to rapidly deteriorate the higher the temperature. To this end, I'm currently in the process of building a transmission cooler that keeps the fluid as close to the temp range as possible.
• Optimizing the shift pattens of the transmission. Use tow or sport mode, or purchase a tune, rather than use the normal drive mode. The extreme low RPM shift patterns and resultant lugging on exacerbates the stresses on the clutch plates and fluid life. It needlessly loads the drivetrain at the worst possible power curves. Ford traded longevity on the alter of EPA goals.

 

[OCL]

Dang, you sure are a wet blanket! And a realist.
Does that mean that the '22 I bought with 134K miles was a mistake? No history expect the front end crash. :-(

Math usually is a wet blanket when it comes to buying/selling cars and trucks. In my entire life it only made sense to trade and buy new back during the Pandemic years when the value of used was out the roof. Never seen that happen since.

Buying a '22 Ranger with 134k miles only makes sense if the price was right AND the truck is in good shape AND you have financial runway to deal with unexpected repairs. When vehicles get that kind of mileage, mechanically speaking something or things is/are going to break and it will be over $1k to fix it.

That's why the absolute smart money is to buy a lightly used car at substantial discount from when it was new. I did that twice with my previous trucks (not my Ranger) and they were fantastic value, were all reliable and cheap to insure, and ran like tops (fast too). I love my Ranger. But I got suckered into buying it because I didn't follow my own advice. My '21 Tremor is only months away from being 100% paid and I swear to GOD I'm not going to replace it for a very long time. I hate monthly payments even at 0% APR!

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