93 ranger 4x4 w/.front differential problems.
 

Some may have seen this already in the "Introduce Yourself" forum...

I'm not a ranger owner as of right now, but I'm looking into a 93 ranger 4x4. I do know that it's a v6, just not sure which one, and an automatic (I'd prefer a manual, but oh well) Don't know the mileage on the truck either. It has a lift kit, bigger tires, custom muffler, tow hitch, and new brakes.

The current owner is saying that the front differential is messed up. 4wd doesn't work, because something needs to be done to the front end He said it's because of the differential. Not a car guy though. I haven't messed with diffs before, and without buying the manual beforehand, I'm unfamiliar with the transfer case, differentials, and hub designs on these beasts. From what I've been reading, the hubs are kind of a trouble zone in ranger 4x4s, especially the ones produced in the 90s. I'd like to figure out a way to narrow down whether the differential really is shot, or if maybe the problem lies in the hubs or transfer case... hope I'm making sense.

The price is $2500 OBO, so I have some wiggle room to work the price down since this will take some extra cash to get back to daily driver status.

So, is there a good chance this will be an easy fix, and if so, is there a way I could figure out what the problem is without taking it to a shop beforehand?

Also, depending on the problem, would this still be drivable for the short term, say the next month or two? We're looking into getting a truck to help us move, and if I'm buying this thing and then throwing it into a shop for a week or two to have the diff rebuilt, it'll be doing us no good whatsoever.

I know if the differential is the problem, and it's a certain type, it eventually locking up is a very real risk, but can that happen on these?