Two Different Rear Axles A 17" and an 18" Same Truck

[Cerwin D. Vega]

Dearborn is there a problem?

The oem16" wheel put on today to gain some sidewall to compensate for the rough ride. Went to put on the center caps bought from a fellow Ranger 5G er that arrived today and what do I see. 17" on the passenger and 18" on the driver.

Sponsored

 

[Doc]

Dearborn is there a problem?

The oem16" wheel put on today to gain some sidewall to compensate for the rough ride. Went to put on the center caps bought from a fellow Ranger 5G er that arrived today and what do I see. 17" on the passenger and 18" on the driver.

Holy Crap !

 

[Floyd]

Don't know what the number is , but I'm sure it has nothing to do with wheel size or even #s of inches.

View attachment 21481

 

[Cerwin D. Vega]

@P. A. Schilke

Phil what are your thoughts?

Perhaps the answer to the ride quality issues.

 

[Pioneer74]

I bet that number is the week of the year that part was cast. That would put them being produced the last week of April, first week of May. OP's truck was built in June.

 

[Cerwin D. Vega]

I hope you are right.

 

[Rviator]

Probably a plant code?

 

[Cerwin D. Vega]

I am much less worried about it. Good guidance suggested by @Pioneer74 .

Getting the 16's and the taller sidewalls in tire that suits my needs made me feel like this is the truck i wanted. Maybe not the value of other mid size offerings but definitely a better truck for me now that I have acceptable ride quality. The mountains are in my future for me in this truck; something that I could not have said prior to the upgraded shocks and sidewall increases that all came to full fruition today. I almost smiled today for the first time when I was able to turn around at an impassable section by driving/climbing out of the trial bed and turning around with my Ranger where I would have had to back down the hill in my Colorado. Had the wife and the dog with me or i might have given more consideration toward trying to make it through.

Anyway; my apologies to Dearborn for the mo$t part; more importantly to the board for the alarmism.

I think I may be getting closer to my first comfortable Ranger smile. Forscan to calibrate odometer is on the way.

Better than the Colorado I owned: check. Better than my wife's Canyon:check. Bettter than all the rest of the mid sizer's: check.

 

[Hack_Actual]

Glad to see you’re finally happy!

 

[Msfitoy]

 

[P. A. Schilke]

@P. A. Schilke

Phil what are your thoughts?

Perhaps the answer to the ride quality issues.

Hi,

I think this is a coincidence. It is likely a tooling cavity indicator that can be used to radar in on a problem with the tooling if it occurs. Or as indicated it could be a date code, but I doubt that. Never heard of axles keyed to wheel diameter. I highly doubt the axle knows what wheel it will see at the assembly plant

By the way....Folks will be seeing little of me anymore...I am stepping away from the Forums as it becomes more about mods on the Ranger and I have other fish to fry now... I will check in from time to time and one of the moderators will text me if he thinks I can provide useful info... Good luck to All forum members!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[MTB-BRUH]

16” is the way to go. Everyone wants these giant wheels and no sidewall nowadays. I don’t get it.

 

[Floyd]

16” is the way to go. Everyone wants these giant wheels and no sidewall nowadays. I don’t get it.

On the 2WD the 17" tire has about 5-1/2" of sidewall
The 16" tire has exactly 1/2" more.
Negligible difference in ride , especially since tire pressure is adjustable.

 

[Cerwin D. Vega]

16” is the way to go. Everyone wants these giant wheels and no sidewall nowadays. I don’t get it.

Makes a big difference with the right tire: 265 75 16 Gooodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT did the trick for me everything else being equal. In my experience the same diameter tire with a 1" smaller wheel has produced noticeable positive results when well mated with the tire. One exception might be going to an AT tire from a highway or all season tire.

 

[Texasota]

Hi,

I think this is a coincidence. It is likely a tooling cavity indicator that can be used to radar in on a problem with the tooling if it occurs. Or as indicated it could be a date code, but I doubt that. Never heard of axles keyed to wheel diameter. I highly doubt the axle knows what wheel it will see at the assembly plant

By the way....Folks will be seeing little of me anymore...I am stepping away from the Forums as it becomes more about mods on the Ranger and I have other fish to fry now... I will check in from time to time and one of the moderators will text me if he thinks I can provide useful info... Good luck to All forum members!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Wish you weren't going, Phil. You have been a valuable asset to this forum and you will be missed.

Sponsored