I talked to a dealer about a LS when I bought it and they said that it wouldn't void the warranty as the Ford trac loc is a dealer option. That said I put in the truetrac which is more like the Torsen that came on an FX2 because its better.

I get what you're saying but the trans drives the wheels too and I think it would be like them voiding the trans warranty over the extra stress of heavier, more aggressive tires. And many of us can't wait to put on those.

At any rate, a dealer wouldn't be able to tell what kind of differential is in it without pulling the cover to see and since I wanted/needed the extra traction I'm willing to take the risk.

 

It will only void your warranty if it proven to have cause a OEM part to fail. Who gives a **** anyway. Axles are not that expensive. I have been to the dealer plenty of times with aftermarket parts installed and I have never once been denied warranty.

 

Unfortunately that is up to the interpretation of the dealer. Some of them will use their head. Some of them will take the easy way out and deny the warranty claim.

 

Well, I am over the idea of the 4x4 on this truck, in all honesty it was just a question, but anytime you reside in a forum full of specialists, you get all of these responses which I appreciate. . . .

Not concerned with the warranty.

How much is that Detriot upgrade you have?

 

It cost me $475 for the part (although I know a guy who just found one for $325), and then about 3-4 hours labor to install + oil (I paid $200 which was a deal). You can find a ford trac loc cheaper but costs the same to install and will need clutches replaced over time so over the long haul isn't any cheaper.
If you are thinking about larger tires and a regear, then a great time to do both as the install would cost close to the same for both.

 

Warranty, eh??? Well, considering my real world experiences with warranty and just the default commentary triggered by this thread about others experiences, I am not to worried or confident in warranty when you factor in the fact that "interpretation is a killer". . . . I really care less about the warranty. If it does not blow in my first 10K miles then I just take my chances. . . . Good point though. Warranty does play a factor for some.

Now if someone would just venture off and develop a turbo kit for this truck. I got mod fever!! And yes I know this is a truck not a race car. I have other toys if I want to push the sound barrier, but I would love to make this thing lightning quick. I was reading some HP and 1/4 mile times for turbo'd 4 banger rangers in another forum (turbo rangers . . . .) and I must say I was quite impressed.

 

There are two types of people, ones with more brains than money, and they care about the manufacturer's warranty......you want to guess the
second type?

 

umm not sure about ford but toyota screwed a friend of mine numerous times on the warranty ... he had an aem intake which had the same design as the TRD one, blew the maf ... so he paid for the new one ... puts the stock intake back on ... **** blows again .. he ended up fighting toyota for a while to get em to pay for the first maf since his intake didnt cause the malfunction

 

Yeah, there are ways to mod and keep warranty. I think a differential is fine as its hidden--nobody needs to know its there--and don't expect any warranty issues with the axle anyways. Even if it did blow they're a dime a dozen because they last forever.

But I'd hold back from a major engine mod like a turbo because its obvious and certain to kill the warranty where its needed most. The most I'd do is maybe a performance chip because it could always be swapped back out easy.

By the way, thats a pretty condescending and unhelpful post there Bob.

 

X2

 

did you allready buy the truck? If you're looking to make a 4-banger fast the older trucks are easier to find performance parts for. But that would be nice to have the new duratec turboed. keep everyone informed on the build :)

 

Agreed, but the Duratecs don't have as much need for performance parts as they have way more jam stock. But if you go for it I'm certainly curios how it performs.

 

SWEET!!!


I am going to go for the differential setup right away. Anything that will provide more traction in this light and stiff truck will be a bonus. I will definitely start a very detailed build thread if the turbo build ever starts. . . . . . .

 

it is not a duratec engine
it is actually a mazda engine
switch to CHAMPION COPPER PLUS plugs
and magna core spark plug wires ( got them from ebay )
P.S the dealer mechanic confirmed it is a 2.3l mazda engine

 

Dude, the Duratech IS a Mazda engine. It's called "Forzda"

Don't switch to copper plugs, it'll hurt performance over the long haul. Irridium plugs come stock.

Don't believe everything E-bay sellers and dealerships tell you. The dealership told me the B-series trucks got better parts than the Rangers. E-bay sellers tell me a cut up tin can will get me 15hp and 8mpg.