Are there any plans to create a separate forum for the upcoming 2019 T6 Ranger? I do not currently own a Ranger (my last one was a 2002 FX4) but I do own a 2007 Sport Trac which I purchased new.
I plan to replace it with a 2019 Ranger and would be very interested in information about the new model whenever any becomes available. A separate forum would be a great place to discuss the upcoming model. All we know right now are mostly rumors but even those can be interesting.
A separate forum would also be a great place for prospective buyers to discuss what they would like to see on the next Ranger. Personally I would be really interested in a 4x4 mini-Raptor model with a crewcab body and the 2.7L EcoBoost with either a 6-speed manual transmission or the new 10-speed auto with paddle shifters. An aluminum body would be icing on the cake.

 

Welcome to the forum

This south african forum: 4x4 Community Forum

Has english language info on current T6 Rangers

Our engines will be different most likely because of emissions requirements

I think Ford may be shooting themselves in the foot on this but sure like to see Ranger name back.
The T6 is only slightly smaller than F-150, so I think their sales numbers will not change, F-150 buyers may go for T6 but not sure they will pull people back from their toyotas/nissans which is the point of smaller pickup truck

 

Whether or not the Ranger takes sales away from the F-150 really should not matter. The point is that if a buyer is looking for a truck that is sized closer to their needs they are going to buy one from somebody and it would be stupid for Ford to ignore this market any longer.
Had they updated the last model it may never have declined in sales. There were also other factors at play including a stagnant economy, issues at the Twin Cities plant and probably a desire on Ford's part to force buyers into the more profitable F-series.
Now that there are more choices than just Toyota and Nissan it makes more sense to offer a smaller truck rather than lose sales to other manufacturers. Mid-size trucks may not be as small as some people would like but that is not where the market is today and offering something smaller than the competition isn't going to happen, especially considering that the T6 platform already exists versus the cost of developing another, smaller truck completely from scratch. Don't forget, the T6 is sold all over the world and was developed for those markets where the F-series is too large and the old Ranger was too small.
There is also a new management team at Ford and hopefully they are more interested in building vehicles that people want instead of assuming people will buy what they make and be happy.

I should probably also add that I have already seen just about everything there is about the current T6. What I am more interested in is what is planned for the North American spec 2019 Ranger. It will be different than the current T6 and Ford has already confirmed that it will also have different drivetrains and different styling from the Ranger sold outside this market. A separate forum would be a great place to discuss all that. IMO it is kind of the same situation Ford finds themselves in...if ranger-forums doesn't do it someone else will...

 

I wish they would call it the F-100 or F-1, but not Ranger. There will be only one Ranger and that is the ones we currently own. After that, there will be no more. I have to say from what I have seen, this new so called Ranger gives me a terminal case of the DILLIGAF's.

 

Ford came out with the original "Ranger" in the mid 60's as a trim level on their full size truck line and used the Ranger, Ranger XLT and Explorer trims up till around 1980 when it was retired and brought back as the smaller Ranger model truck and later the Ranger based Explorer.

 

I am a 64 year old, former CQE (Certified Quality Engineer), heavily involved in the auto industry design at an executive level for GM, Ford, Chrysler and many others, during the 80's and 90's.
I say this to qualify my following statement.

I was a team leader on many DOE"S (Design of Experiements) for the big three and what I was able to realize, after repetitive experiences is that you NEVER, buy the prototype year without expecting a great deal of babysitting. The reason? The designer has not had enough field test results to guarantee that the truck will meet 3 Sigma and guarantee to the public that this vehicle is reliable.

Even the best engineers CANNOT predict all of what could factor in and only cycle testing will prove whether you have a viable vehicle. This usually takes 3 years of production runs to get all of the bugs out.

Lucky for us, when I was in the game, the big 3 pushed their testing to what they called " 3 x life". IE: we predicted that you would normally slam the door on your vehicle, 20,000 times during the life of the vehicle. So, we tested it to 60,000 cycles, or "3 x life", to ensure that those hinges and support frame work would hang in there. The companies care a great deal about their reputations, especially Ford, but what they won't admit is what I am writing here.

I was recently disapointed to hear that we may be stuck with the diesel for the first year which will negate my purchase. Ford knowing this, will dump a first year, unproven gas engine into the vehicle,(just to empress with all new)and to have something in time for 2019 and we will be stuck with the results.

The public must insist that they install a proven engine and even then, we are still risking the combination of the variables, which will take 3 years to evaluate.

I love the future truck because I hope it is more than the ones I already have, but unless we do something about it, 2019 does not bode well for Ford Ranger owners.

sorry to burst your ballon,

Tim

 

Well Tim, from a practical point of view...
You've noticed how small parking lots are getting these days, it's become quite difficult to park even my 99 B3000.
If the new Ranger is close in size of the F150, I wouldn't buy one.
Why makes the trucks so damn big; the box is so high up on the full size picks ups, two guys can barely get a sofa in the back with out using a fork lift.
I'm six feet tall, I was at the dealer not that long ago and I laughed out load at the shear size of the Ford trucks, the edge of the box came to the top of chest !

I was laughing at this lady trying to maneuver her gargantuan truck in and out of one of these small parking spots...

And if you want to create an engine that's sturdy, stop using so much plastic.
Make sure and put woodruff keys on the cam shafts and crank sprocket gears.
What moronic engineer would design an engine where only bolts and special washers hold the sprocket gears in place.
To save a miniscule amount of weight by deleting the woodruff key ?

And if you want the hinges to last, make them out of some hardened steel...
Design the hinge with some grease nipples...

But then again, we can't have things lasting too long ?
How much carful engineering goes into something (an engine for example) to make sure that it fails a few years past the warranty, so people are forced to by new ?

I will never buy a new Truck, they're just too bloody expensive for what I'm getting.
Like 10 or 20 grand of that fly's out the window as soon as its driven of the lot.

 

I'm surprised to hear diesel only, given the Rangers in Mexico and several other locations have gasoline engines (Mexico, it is, I believe the Duratec 2.5). Now, the difference is: Everywhere else in the world, the Ranger comes with a manual (almost exclusively) while for North America, we know it will be automatic exclusively*. The T6 Ranger (SuperCrew) we drove around in Guadalajara, MX is almost identical in size to a 1st generation Explorer SportTrac (maybe just a hand - 10cm - longer; and its all box length, all other dimensions were within a couple cm, even the box depth is about the same). They are both about a little less than a hand wider wider than a '02 Ranger Double cab; T6 is about 1/2 foot longer. (And the Ranger Double cab has exact same frame as my '98 Supercab.) Measurements were done in parking lot with tools I had on hand...

The 2.5 coupled with the 10R80 won't be a "bad" combo* for a work truck, but I can't see Ford making inroads against Chevrolet/Toyota unless they have a v-6 and/or Ecoboost offering. (Maybe Ford is nervous about meeting demand, so just starting with the high profit models)

*Given the challenges Ford is having getting the 10spd shifting "right" on the F-150/Mustang, that is probably the biggest bugaboo (count on a couple software upgrades).

What moronic engineer would design an engine where only bolts and special washers hold the sprocket gears in place - a cost conscious one. Woodruff keys add custom machining of both the shaft and the pulley, align time on assembly, hidden part which you can't confirm is included. Engineer, can jig it, assemble it and move it to next station in fraction of time with bolt and special washers. (Not saying it is right, just that engineer had different priorities.

And there is LOTS of MTBF work done. You aren't going to get 20 years out of the current vehicles unless you really baby them.

 

I'll get 20 years out of my B3000 if they still make parts for it.
It's 17 years old now and I plan on getting it painted in a few years.

I would never buy any vehicle with a valve train set up like that.
The industry has been using woodruff keys since forever and suddenly they have to cut costs in that area.
I think it was done so the gears would slip and eventually bend all the valves.
It would then cost too much to repair because of the labour involved and the owner would have to get a new engine or a new car.

Engineered catastrophic failure...

 

I found a 1998 Ford Ranger XLT in rust free, perfect body condition with 350K on it. You would swear it had just come out of the showroom. I scouped it up for a mere $1500 and everything works perfect. Even the 4 x 4 does not have issues.

It even has a beautiful two tone paint job, all factory and doesn't need changing.

I need a hot rod to retire with and I was thinking of dropping a 350 crate into it, maybe a 302 to be loyal and something more modern than the M22 that I am used to.

I heard that the switch has been done a few times but this is the first time that I have even asked for opinions.

I want to keep the 4 x 4 but realize that we are going to have to beef things up.

Here is my question:

Do any of you have any experience with this swap and know a few things that could save me some money. I am thinking of about 500hp, a nice 4 or 5 spd, 3:73 12 bolt rearend, fuel injected (sleeper)

 

redacted

 

Electrohacker:

I think my wife just gave it the ultimate put down - "How is it any different than any of the other Ford CUVs; at least a 4Runner has some character." We were expecting something more in line with Expedition styling.

 

the ranger is back in the usa for 2019
I think they stoped it around 2009.
In Australia we have had the ranger for a bit over 10 years the last 3 models px px2 and px3 for my 19.

The USA my 19 is same as ours but we have 3.2 diesel 6 speed auto or manual and now the 2.0 bi turbo with 10 speed auto.
It's not really a first gen Ute besides usa has the 2.3 petrol there the same Ute.
I think ford have been useing the 10 speed box for a while on different models.
Not sure if the 2.3 petrol is new or not.