06 Ranger 2wd ext cab-seriously considering...

Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
3,897
Location
Canada
Seriously looking at this truck. The GF insists she wants a/c as well as stick as it's more "fun".
Found an 06 with 185kms (115k miles) for 5500.
Loaded with everything except 4x4 and auto (don't want those anyway).

Owner says it's practically mint, seems very attractive for the price.
Anything I should be looking for on this rig? (or trucks in general)

Never owned/purchased a truck in my life (sorta excited).

thanks in advance
 
Which engine? They're pretty durable little trucks aside from the 4.0 V6.


2.3 or 3.0 - go for it! Realistically, the 3.0 won't get you any more power than the 2.3, just worse fuel economy.
 
Price seems high, but I don't follow Canadian money nor used truck prices--I could well be wrong.

Rust free? No mechanical issues? Even with mechanical issues it's probably fixable, it's a Ranger after all.

I suspect you are used to RWD but a light in the rear RWD can be a different experience in snow. Not sure if you plan on driving in winter or not. Not trying to dissuade you, nor push you away, as much as to address the "never had a truck before" aspect of your post. RWD pickup with all seasons might be eye opening in winter. Also live axle can pogo all around on washboard dirt roads. Also I'm not sure what kind of NVH that Ranger will have--that won't matter for a vehicle around town, and I suspect you'd rather take the others for any long distance trips, but it has to be said.

Not things that can't be dealt with, of course, just trying to head that off up front.

Watch out for friends who suddenly think you're just a swell guy who is just wanting to help them move...

I wound up with a cheapo tonno cover to keep snow out of the bed on my truck (before getting a cap). Caps are stupid expensive new, FWIW, but can be good deals used. Not sure what you want on the back. If I had to do it over again I'm not sure I would get a cap. It has its pluses and minuses.
 
If the body is solid, go for it.
I monitor pricing on these, as I am always looking to upgrade mine.
Around here, that would probably be a 8K truck.
If it is the 2.3 with an auto, it will be a dog.
If it is a 3.0, gas mileage will be horrible, but acceleration is better than the 2.3, and will probably be as dependable as an anvil.
If it is a 4.0, acceleration will be good, gas mileage will be similar to the 3.0, and it will be a little hot rod.
I've owned all 3 of these configurations and have owned 4 Rangers.
All have been solid, dependable little trucks.
 
Thanks for the responses.

The engine is the 4.0 V6.
I do not mind this, as I may use it to pull a trailer if the situation should arise.

I also have experience with RWD and various tire setups, so driving in winter shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

Considering we are on the west coast, I do not imagine rust is an issue, but it's still a good thing to keep in mind (may be a prairie vehicle).

Never thought of the topper or cap thought. Makes sense now that I think about it....

Only downside I can find is the rear doors do not seem to open, but at least it has the cab has the additional capacity (very important to us).
 
Originally Posted by Donald
14 yr old

rust


+1; As an owner of a B2300 I will say, forget about looking at the upside and spend ALL your time looking underneath; the bed is currently off mine while I replace several missing cross members (rust) ford apparently doesn't make replacements for.

The entire evaporative emissions system carriage rusted causing it to fall and tearing a line and causing a CEL Ford designed a top notch compact truck and attached it to the biggest POS frame ever made material wise.

Other than being a tow-away due to rust in 14 years, the vehicle is awesome; i get 31mpg with the 4cyl and 5sp MT. and almost everything "else" seems really well made.
 
Fords of that era rusted terribly. I really think that's why they went with the aluminum bodies on the newer trucks; not to save weight but to keep the things from rotting away.
 
rust eh, son of a gun!
eek.gif
 
Originally Posted by simple_gifts
Originally Posted by Donald
14 yr old

rust


Ford designed a top notch compact truck and attached it to the biggest POS frame ever made material wise.



Toyotas of that vintage literally broke in half and had a massive recalls or buy back program. Any car or truck a decade or older should be checked because rust belt cars can end up in non rust areas.
 
The SOHC 4.0 is an engine I am wary of, but which can also be very good. Good ones seem to last a long time, but if you do get one with timing chain problems, it's not cheap to fix. They were supposed to have improved parts by 06, but I have heard of 06-07 trucks still having the issue. Interestingly, for a long time it was Ford's only gas engine in the US that still called for 5W30 instead of 5W20.

If it is quiet on a cold start, I'd probably buy it. Whenever the time comes to replace my 02 3.0 with 240k miles, it's probably going to be a SOHC 4.0 since the 3.0 went out of production in 08 and I prefer Super Cab automatic transmission trucks. You can get 2.3s in that configuration, but they aren't very common and I'm used to having a V6.

One of the most common issues on the SOHC aside from early timing chain issues is the thermostat housing. They all need it at some point. Not that big of a deal, but one of the first things you look at on a SOHC 4.0.

Anywhere that has regularly salted roads in winter, you need to check for rust. The rear of the frame can get eaten up bad, even with little to no rust showing on the body. This is true of all vehicles from that kind of climate though. I've seen 10 year old F-150s and Silverados with crossmembers about to break off and holes in the frame.

The IFS front end can be a ball joint eater. Replacement control arms and lower ball joints are easy to find though. Shop around if you aren't doing the work yourself. I've found prices vary widely. Some guys can knock out a Ranger front end in their sleep before lunch for $300-500 labor, others want $1k+.

Overall, this era of Ranger is pretty solid. My 02 has been an absolutely great truck and will probably be replaced with something similar if possible. You do need to look the truck over though. I jumped on my 94 Ranger six years ago because of the rare options it has, but it was run hard and put up wet by five previous owners, and it has been much more problematic than my other trucks mostly due to too much mud and not enough cleaning and maintenance. Less of a concern with 2wds, but avoid trucks that have literally been run into the ground.
 
Last edited:
The "smart money" on Rangers says the newer they are the worse the frame rustproofing is, due to Ford getting cheaper as time went on.

First place many go out is the forward rear spring shackle.
 
Based on your location, I'd get it up on a lift and take a good look at the underside for corrosion.
Bring a good flashlight or spotlight.
 
I have a 2006 Ranger 4.0 SOHC. 4wd, automatic, extended cab. I bought it when it was 1 year old and had only 12k miles on it. I already knew about the 4.0's timing chain issues and bought it anyway. That problem has supposedly been sorted out by 2004. I still have low mileage on mine - just hit 84k miles about a week ago - but so far so good. I'm confident it'll go 200k+ miles with no problems. I had to replace the leaking thermostat housing. I installed an aftermarket aluminum housing that solves that problem permanently. Mine has some rust. I had to replace the rear spring shackles a few months ago. The underside is looking crusty but it's still solid. It's been very reliable. I love my truck.
 
Just got back from a viewing. Owner was super sketchy (no receipts besides a couple of oil changes), truck was not in his name, also not insured for a test drive....
So many red flags. He was a good talker though.

Owner said he couldn't get temp tags for a test drive as he has too many outstanding warrants on his license.
Eventually my GF and I found a chance to escape....literally.

Starting to think this whole CL thing isn't for me.
Paying a dealer for some markup seems like a better option than dealing with this hassle!
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Starting to think this whole CL thing isn't for me.
Paying a dealer for some markup seems like a better option than dealing with this hassle!

It sure can be!

I'd keep looking. On both CL and dealer lots. Until the right vehicle comes along, you might as well use the biggest net possible. For every fruitcake out there, there is likely a concerned owner who just wants their beloved ride to go to someone who will care for it.
 
Had a 2000 3.0, 5 speed, 2wd, Single cab. Was never happy with the gas mileage it got (20-22mpg). Went to rent a tow dolly from U Haul one day, and they said the vehicle is not rated high enough for the job. I had already checked and it was, so I pulled it up and showed them. The 4cyl, 5 speed ranger has the highest rated towing capacity (which made NO sense to me), so I had to find out why. Turns out they come factory with 4.11 rear gears, which also explains the poor mileage.

So keep that in mind before you by a 4cyl Ranger for fuel economy.
 
I'd pass just based on the nonsense with the owner. No insurance for a test drive? Let him find another sucker.
 
I have a base model 2008 Ranger 3.0 RWD and although everyone says these are supposed to be bulletproof, the major repairs I've had up to 250,000kms include:
Replaced power steering rack twice (leak)
Radiator leak
Re-sealed timing cover
Rebuilt alternator
This was on a truck that was bought new, always well looked after and regularly maintained with OE parts and fluids.

Common things to keep an eye for:
Camshaft synchronizer wear (I personally added a plug to the cap so that I could regularly drip motor oil in there to lubricate the bushing)
Front wheel bearings on the RWD model require regular greasing, most people forget this
Timing cover is known to leak.
 
Back
Top