I just bought a 98 ranger xlt 4x4 with a 4.0L engine and 5 speed manual trans. when test driving it, it drove and shifted great. this morning was cooler than the past week by about 40 degrees and now when I am parked and shift into 1st gear, the truck lurches and feels caught up like the emergency brake is still engaged. It will stall the engine unless I give it a ton of gas, then it seems to unbind. I have checked the E-brake and it is not engaged. It also seems to work better once it is warmed up. Is this likely a transmission issue? a clutch issue? or a differential issue? is there anything I can do that will help diagnose it? It will need a new clutch soon, but if i need to rebuild the transmission, Id like to start getting stuff together so I can rebuild it later this year.

 

Welcome to the forum

I doubt a transmission, or transfer case issue since I can't recalled any issues that fits your description, but it is possible
Also can't put clutch issue as the problem

Low Temp certainly fits with e-brake or brakes in general, issue.

So when this occurs, next time, don't force it to move by giving it more gas
Put it in Neutral and CAREFULLY try to roll the truck forward or backward to see if its a brake issue
If truck rolls easily then its trans/transfer case issue, try starting out in 2nd gear, just to see if it rolls "without binding"

If it doesn't roll easily then brakes or differential, but differentials will have a pretty loud "whine" noise when they are out of alignment and/or worn out

Does the 4WD system work OK?

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the 2nd gear and rolling in neutral. The 4 wheel seems to work, but i haven't tried it in these temps.


UPDATE: I tried to roll forward in neutral after engaging the brake. The truck doesn't move. It rolls backwards easier than forward. but keeps locking up in first. and second. I tried not engaging the brake and parking for a while. It rolls into first easily if the brake is not used. It seems that my brake is the problem. I just need to trouble shoot that. Thank you for your help

 

It will be the rear brakes, they hold forward better than reverse

Most likely one side is the only problem but you should plan on doing both sides, news shoes and new slaves(wheel cylinders)

Before pulling drums, hold parking brake release out and pump the parking brake pedal, see if it gets tighter, i.e. pumps up

If so that could have been the problem, one side was out of adjustment


Rangers used 9" and 10" rear brakes, 9" was more common but 4.0l 4x4 could have 10"
Check post #4 here: https://www.ranger-forums.com/drivet...m-size-135609/
As you can see they look much different so easy to tell what you have

Rear brake service How-to here: https://www.ranger-forums.com/engine...-brakes-81906/

 

Thanks again. I tried pumping the brake. I think the return springs are broken or completely worn. They will not disengage even after pumping them and moving the pedal back and forth. I will try to trouble shoot it. I am working on getting a manual, but I have bigger fish to fry now. I went to start it this morning and the battery was dead. The interior lights were off and the headlight were off, doors were closed. I think the aftermarket stereo is shorted out and draining. I'll have to trace those as well. I'm glad I didn't buy this to be my daily driver. Thanks again for your help.

 

Hey Simonstone123 i was wondering about that also because I have a 1995 single cab 4.0 2 wheel drive ford ranger i went to put a knew battery in it today and it started right up but when i went to shift it in first because its a 5 speed manual transmission but when i went to shift it into first and when i wentto move it felt like the parking brake was on even it wasn't engaged what do you think i could to solve this.

 

it ended up being that the cable was rusted and seized in the cable guide for the emergency brake. I replaced the cable sections and the brake pads. It hasn’t had the issue since then It was kind of a pain to get the correct cable because it there were 2-3 available part numbers and no rhyme or reason as to which one would work. There are 2-3 cable sections per model. There is a short section under the driver foot well and another running the length of the truck and then it splits to each wheel. Mine was seized at one of the wheel sections and sticky at the footwell.