RACE RED XL STX 4x4 2020 100,000 mile power train and bumper to bumper

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Feeling a bit depressed about my purchase ,i got a truck i really wanted for the price i was looking for.
Only thing that is bothering me now is i have changed my mind about taking it on trails.
When i bought it i though off-roading was to costly and it would void my warrantee so i wouldn't do it although i still bought the 4x4.
i have a 7 year old boy and we went off-road for literally 10 minutes and he loved it! I realised i made a mistake i should have spent a little more and got a fx4.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS TRUCK ADEQUET FOR SOME TRIPS, whatever it takes!?
my son has autism so anyway i get him to connect with me and his mom is worth it!
i know it wont be cheap it will take time for the upgrades but trust i will make it happen thankyou all
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RedlandRanger

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Feeling a bit depressed about my purchase ,i got a truck i really wanted for the price i was looking for.
Only thing that is bothering me now is i have changed my mind about taking it on trails.
When i bought it i though off-roading was to costly and it would void my warrantee so i wouldn't do it although i still bought the 4x4.
i have a 7 year old boy and we went off-road for literally 10 minutes and he loved it! I realised i made a mistake i should have spent a little more and got a fx4.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS TRUCK ADEQUET FOR SOME TRIPS, whatever it takes!?
my son has autism so anyway i get him to connect with me and his mom is worth it!
i know it wont be cheap it will take time for the upgrades but trust i will make it happen thankyou all
You can do a great deal with just the 4x4 (no FX4). FX4 gives you different suspension (some people would argue it is worse - I like it), some skid plates as well as some of the electronic goodies (Terrain Management and Trail Control). Unless you want to get into some really hard core offroading, I think you will be fine without the FX4 package.
 
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the red ranger 2020
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You can do a great deal with just the 4x4 (no FX4). FX4 gives you different suspension (some people would argue it is worse - I like it), some skid plates as well as some of the electronic goodies (Terrain Management and Trail Control). Unless you want to get into some really hard core offroading, I think you will be fine without the FX4 package.



thx for the response rob any suggestions on what i might absolutely need for some adventuring and no i dont plan on doing anything to hardcore i am a rookie and this is my first truck i have ever owned
 
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thx for the response rob any suggestions on what i might absolutely need for some adventuring and no i dont plan on doing anything to hardcore i am a rookie and this is my first truck i have ever owned
nice truck btw
 
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Depends what you want to do and how crazy you want to get. You can do plenty of off-roading without having an FX4 package. All of the stuff I do, that most people do, can easily be done with a regular 4x4. Not once have I needed to use the Terrain Management, Rear Locking Diff, or Trail Control that came with my FX4. I've done plenty of trails from forest roads to overgrown and abandoned two-tracks.

If anything, maybe a few skid plates if you want. I've used mine once, or rather my wife used it once, but the hit could've been avoided by taking a different line.

I actually find myself wanting to have just gotten a regular 4X4 instead of spending the extra money on the FX4 most times.



first off nice truck dude the cap is awesome first thing i want to get is a cap. lol

so looks like i need some skid plates, a cap, an upgrade in suspension, and some tires?
 


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thx for the response rob any suggestions on what i might absolutely need for some adventuring and no i dont plan on doing anything to hardcore i am a rookie and this is my first truck i have ever owned
I"m not a big off roader - I use mine to travel some pretty crappy forest service roads, but that is about the extent of my off roading. Some of the roads are pretty bad - I need the ground clearance and sometimes the 4WD.

I would recommend going with someone, but if you can't, I would make sure you take good tow straps, a come along (or a winch if you want the easy way), shovels, etc. Just in case you get stuck. I'm sure others will chime in with other suggestions. If I'm out by myself I'm always a bit more careful so I don't get stuck, but I do have a full complement of stuff just in case. My experience is that if you have it you will rarely need it, but if you DON'T have it, you WILL need it.
 
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I"m not a big off roader - I use mine to travel some pretty crappy forest service roads, but that is about the extent of my off roading. Some of the roads are pretty bad - I need the ground clearance and sometimes the 4WD.

I would recommend going with someone, but if you can't, I would make sure you take good tow straps, a come along (or a winch if you want the easy way), shovels, etc. Just in case you get stuck. I'm sure others will chime in with other suggestions. If I'm out by myself I'm always a bit more careful so I don't get stuck, but I do have a full complement of stuff just in case. My experience is that if you have it you will rarely need it, but if you DON'T have it, you WILL need it.



"THE WHITE GHOST" cool name and truck!
sounds like a plan my man thanks for the advice will be posting some pictures soon
 

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"THE WHITE GHOST" cool name and truck!
sounds like a plan my man thanks for the advice will be posting some pictures soon
I bought the white for one reason - so that when I travel down narrow, brushy forest service roads the "pinstriping" (scratches) won't show up as well. I decided to get the Platinum White since it was a little nicer than just plain oxford white. My last Ranger (a 2005) was magnetic and it had some pretty good scratches on it. I found some stuff that kind of covered it up, but there was some pretty good scratches.

Skid plates are a good idea - I actually hit mine on a road - there was a rock in the middle of the road - I thought I could straddle it, but it was larger than I thought - and it hit the skid plate. Not off roading, but I was glad I had a skid plate.
 
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Feeling a bit depressed about my purchase ,i got a truck i really wanted for the price i was looking for.
Only thing that is bothering me now is i have changed my mind about taking it on trails.
When i bought it i though off-roading was to costly and it would void my warrantee so i wouldn't do it although i still bought the 4x4.
i have a 7 year old boy and we went off-road for literally 10 minutes and he loved it! I realised i made a mistake i should have spent a little more and got a fx4.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS TRUCK ADEQUET FOR SOME TRIPS, whatever it takes!?
my son has autism so anyway i get him to connect with me and his mom is worth it!
i know it wont be cheap it will take time for the upgrades but trust i will make it happen thankyou all
I think it's flippin' awesome that your son got so excited about off-roading and that you are now working to figure out how to best do that. If you are interested in changing out the rear shocks and front shocks/coil overs to those that come on the FX4 package, let me know. I put on the Ford Fox level kit at 1600 miles and these guys aren't doing anybody any good sitting in my garage. In the spirit of the holidays, if you want them, they are yours. Would just ask that you pay the cost of shipping from AZ.

FX4 Shocks -Coilovers.jpg
 

codestp202

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I intentionally did not purchase the FX4.
I got my 4x4 with the locking diff. You can easily add Terrain Management with the button and a quick forscan change. The standard 4x4 comes with a nice steel skid plate, so the FX4 skid plate is optional. You can get the missing Transfer Case skid plate for like $50 from the dealer. Boom you have all the important FX4 stuff for less than $150.

The FX4 suspension IMO is not worth the extra grand so I saved that money to eventually upgrade the stock stuff with a Fox setup and a small level/lift. You shouldn't be sad about anything, the 1 truly important FX4 item (terrain management) can be added after the fact which is great for noobies like me.
 

db_tanker

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I think the most important thing on a trail is your brain brother. Pick your trails, do your research, and you should be fine I think. Don't be afraid to get out and walk the trail first. Mostly fire-trails in the national forest here in SE Texas and I don't even have 4x4 and I'm just fine although a good skidplate would do me good since I do drive in Houston.

A good upgrade I think would be a 1.5 - 2" leveling kit TBH along with those fancy shocks that Doug is offering up.

Stay away from black diamond trails and any kind of gnarly rock crawls and you'll be fine I reckon. :)
 

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I think it's flippin' awesome that your son got so excited about off-roading and that you are now working to figure out how to best do that. If you are interested in changing out the rear shocks and front shocks/coil overs to those that come on the FX4 package, let me know. I put on the Ford Fox level kit at 1600 miles and these guys aren't doing anybody any good sitting in my garage. In the spirit of the holidays, if you want them, they are yours. Would just ask that you pay the cost of shipping from AZ.

FX4 Shocks -Coilovers.jpg
Loving the generosity!
 

AutobotXJ

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your 4x4 ranger is plenty good enough without the doodads of the fx4 package for the kind of offroading it sounds like you want to do. I think it’s important to test yourself and your rig before you start modding anyway. Just take it slow, get out and check the obstacles before you hit them, and learn from every outing. As mentioned, Recovery gear is always important. Skid plates are helpful, and relatively cheap insurance. Lifts and tires may or may not be necessary, but you should see what your truck CAN do before investing too much into something you don’t need (but most of us want :))
My first weekend with the truck, I took it out on some offroad trails to test what it could do. I only rubbed a few areas, but it was because I wanted to test its limits so I took the harder routes. The fx4 electronic doodads work great but wasn’t necessary for me (and can be added through forscan for you).
 

wanted33

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Brian, if you're not planning on any serious off roading, rock crawling, mud bogging, etc. I suggest just get you some good all terrain tires, and have a ball. The Ranger is a tough truck, and if you're like me, a novice off roader, it will handle anything you're comfortable with. If you are more experienced there are good suggestions here, and a great offer from Doug, RapidRedRanger61.
 

wanted33

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I think it's flippin' awesome that your son got so excited about off-roading and that you are now working to figure out how to best do that. If you are interested in changing out the rear shocks and front shocks/coil overs to those that come on the FX4 package, let me know. I put on the Ford Fox level kit at 1600 miles and these guys aren't doing anybody any good sitting in my garage. In the spirit of the holidays, if you want them, they are yours. Would just ask that you pay the cost of shipping from AZ.

FX4 Shocks -Coilovers.jpg
You're a good man Doug.
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