What the #$%^ is wrong with my Ranger?

[Cerwin D. Vega]

The Ranger would have provided more confidence on some of the more questionable trails requiring 4x4 up there in the mountains. Will just keep taking the wife's Canyon no complaints on access, and ride quality on the 6 hr one way trip is a premium.

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[Cerwin D. Vega]

That is more of a wheelbase advantage however.

 

[AdamRadam]

I feel bad. I just picked mine up about a month ago (2019 made in Nov 2018 - Lariat SuperCrew FX4 w/12K miles on it when I got it). I have taken this on some good gravel roads and minimal uneven surfaces. I have not experienced what you are describing except maybe in the perfect situation with a really deep rut going slow. Mine suspension seems great. Maybe I don't have enough experience with other vehicles, but it doesn't seem washy or bouncy like some people have described. Certainly not what the motor trend article described at all. So far (just over a month and 2000 miles) I am very happy with it. It is a fun little truck, hopefully they can figure it out for you. Perhaps some upgraded shocks may make a difference, not that one would expect to have to do that to a brand new truck??? Wish you the best of luck man!!!

 

[12Bravo20]

My Ranger is the 4x2 STX Super-Cab. I'm still trying to decide if the Ranger or my 2016 Jeep Cherokee has a smoother ride on paved roads. I do know that the Ranger is smoother on the rough gravel roads around me. I'm sure that the longer wheel base helps.

 

[JCMAC]

I did not pick up on this during the test drive.

The drive quality is horrid. Every little bump on my daily commute is magnified. Bumps i never knew existed rock the truck side to side and whip my head back and forth. My head has become an energy dissipation device. This is as bad if not worse than previous generation Ford Rangers I have owned. I need help in figuring this one our, or i may have to chalk it up as a POS and trade it in; good frigging grief!

XLT Supercab 4x4 Sport

Yes the tire pressure was taken care of by the dealership I dropped it further from 38 to 30 psi.

It sounds to me that you may have the FX4 off road package and the optional "LT" load spec tires. A major portion of the ride problem you describe is the Lite Truck tires which are very stiff. However, the min pressure for the LTs for full load is 38psi.

I have the same options and suffered as you. My solution was to acquire 4 normal load range tires and run them at 30 psi which is their full load pressure spec. Now the ride is very much improved.

 

[Alkinburgh77]

The FX4 is doing exactly what it should...It is tuned for off road, not on road and the softness is exactly what was intended. If you do not want an off road package, It would have been likely the STX would have been more suitable. When Doug S and I developed the original FX4, the shock tuning was far softer for street than the STX was for a reason...that is how off road racing tunes their suspension.

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

VERY WELL SAID SIR, thank you so much for this. I bet folks STILL won't get it though! My Ranger rides GREAT which is 1 reason I purchased it!

 

[Torrsall]

This motortrend review almost says it all.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ford/ranger/2019/2019-ford-ranger-first-test-review/

I read this article... and then I bought a Ranger. Maybe that's the problem; I read some bad and a lot good about the gen 5 Ranger. Same with the Taco and Colorado. My point is that all people are different, just like their butts and backs so there's never going to be the perfect car or the perfect critic. We all handle things differently so thank goodness for choice. The MT review did get me a little ticked. I didn't feel they had the right to rip the Ranger while not mentioning that the other small trucks don't ride that well either. After 20 years in a Toyota, I can still feel that "Tacoma toss" in my neck.
To each their own, but I am constantly amazed at the number of people who don't pre qualify the heck out of a 40k purchase.

 

[Alkinburgh77]

I read this article... and then I bought a Ranger. Maybe that's the problem; I read some bad and a lot good about the gen 5 Ranger. Same with the Taco and Colorado. My point is that all people are different, just like their butts and backs so there's never going to be the perfect car or the perfect critic. We all handle things differently so thank goodness for choice. The MT review did get me a little ticked. I didn't feel they had the right to rip the Ranger while not mentioning that the other small trucks don't ride that well either. After 20 years in a Toyota, I can still feel that "Tacoma toss" in my neck.
To each their own, but I am constantly amazed at the number of people who don't pre qualify the heck out of a 40k purchase.

Amen ???

 

[Motorpsychology]

I don't know what the cause for the bounciness or wallowing some are experiencing. It seems to cut across all configurations: 2WD, 4WD, Standard suspension, FX4, FX2, SuperCab, SuperCrew I have the FX4 suspension on my 2021 and there is no wallow, no side shimmy. just rock solid firm footing. Maybe Ford is using more than one supplier for the rear shocks, and some get the "bad" ones.

 

[D Fresh]

when people compare their Ranger ride to their old F150 i laugh.
you have two completely weighted trucks with different wheelbase and width.

there is no comparison.

the trade off Ford has to satisfy is, do we want the truck to feel like a Lincoln continental, or do we want the truck to feel like it was meant to tow 7500lbs all day long.
or somewhere in the middle.

I'm guessing the studies they did found that tuning the truck for the median preference was the place to plot on the graph so they did.

the ones on the outer fringes are sad now

but, alas, you have options to choose to change the ride to your preference.

Your analogy is OK. But not quite spot on.

They found that tuning the truck for the median preferance was the thing to do. However to do so they put truck springs in matched with Lincoln shocks.

 

[Progeny2021]

Dateline: March 28th, 2023 - Charlotte, NC. 2019 Ranger Lariat. No problems, runs fine, everything works as advertised. Sub par ride (my opinion) recently corrected by replacing ALL four shocks/struts with quality Bilstein OEM units. Enjoying Ranger even more than before. This Ranger is #4. 1988, 2001, 2006 and now a 2019 (all bought new) - very good, reliable vehicles, perform as advertised. Another blissful day with my Ranger...

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