Ford Ranger FX4 truck runs with fearless competence off-road
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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SILVER SPRINGS, Nev. -- This is serious: An off-pavement circuit, etched into a hillside of the high Nevada desert stretching eastward out of Reno, runs in a long looped circuit across a barren landscape littered only by sage and rocks and sand, plus a tanker's load of water that seeps into several wheel-sucking troughs of mud.
The course, designed by automotive engineers from Ford, provides just about any obstacle encountered on a rugged trail. Its purpose is to demonstrate the gutsy character of Ford's Ranger truck outfitted with a package of four-wheel-drive (4WD) equipment under the badge of FX4.
Rigged with Ranger's four-door SuperCab and deluxe XLT trim, the FX4 applies strong Bilstein off-road shocks and stiffer springs, a Torsen limited-slip rear differential, plus thick undercarriage skid plates to shield the big V6 engine, transfer case and fuel tank. Also, there are tow hooks front and rear, and forged aluminum wheels rimmed with all-terrain rubber rising 31 inches high.
Ranger FX4 presents the serious look of a tough off-road truck and supports that image with hardware designed to take trail abuses, with everything packaged in a comprehensive kit that eliminates the need to add 4WD gear after the sale.
So we're strapped in the driver's bucket of a Ranger FX4 prototype with engine idling, a manual five-speed stick cranked down to the first notch with the 4WD traction lever racked to the lowest setting and, just to make it interesting, a timer standing by with stopwatch in hand.
Not only will our Ranger FX4 need to crawl over so much off-road debris and wiggle through the pits of goo, but we'll race the course trying to beat the clock.
At the trailhead, this FX4 decorated with a bad-in-black paint job stands high with the powerplant signaling an eagerness to smother all obstacles.
On cue from the timer, we stomp on the pedal and the truck leaps forward. It bumps over the first in a slew of boulders, bounces across several rail ties, slips around a left-right-left chicane and bounds up the first slope.
There are multiple ties to climb in stair-step fashion, more rocks to squash, a steep descent into the mud tough, a sharp left turn leading up another slippery grade, one more barrier, then another, on and on in endless sequence.
Ranger's high stance keeps the undercarriage clear of ruts along the trail, as the skid plates protect all mechanical parts.
And it's tall enough to ford water rising 24 inches deep.
Finally, our FX4, black-on-black fenders now splattered with brown muddy sand, rushes across the finish line in record time.
From such antics, the off-road Ranger FX4 reveals a can-do confidence that suggests there's perhaps no vehicular task in the outback world this truck cannot tackle with muscle and finesse.
And, yes, there's a lot of pent up horsepower here.
The FX4 packs an optional engine that crowns Ranger's power chart and boosts the truck's trailer-towing ability. Constructed in Germany by Ford, the 4.0-liter single-cam V6 musters best-in-class performance of 207 hp at 5250 rpm, with forceful torque numbers of 238 lb-ft at 3000 rpm.
Coupled to the six-pack is either a heavy-duty five-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed automatic that brings adaptive shift logic through sophisticated electronic controls.
The automatic in effect adds another notch between first and second gears of a four-speed automatic. This creates more precise gear ratios and quicker response for accelerating, towing a trailer or, with four-wheel-drive traction of the FX4, heading into rough terrain away from pavement.
With the manual transmission, Ranger totes a manual transfer case to access 4WD high and low modes, with the transfer lever mounted on the floor.
With the automatic transmission, there's an electronic transfer case and push-button convenience.
The electronic system operates with no-brain ease. A pulse vacuum hub-lock device sets front hubs automatically for quick shifting into four-wheel-drive mode. Then a rotary dial on the dashboard lets the driver switch from rear two-wheel to four-wheel high gear or further down to four-wheel low for those mud holes or climbing over rock piles -- and you can switch it while rolling, even at speed.
Through all the trail work as well as time spent steering a course on paved roads, our Ranger exhibits surprisingly car-like ride sensations. It feels firm yet comfortable in a manner more closely akin to one of Ford's sedans than a pickup truck.
Ranger's platform, reinforced with stiff boxing up front, combines with an independent front double wishbone suspension system to produce those smooth ride characteristics.
A chassis of ladder-like design forms a rigid platform, with full box bracing of the front section to further stiffen it. On the 4WD version, torsion bars are aboard so wheels can travel greater vertical distances when negotiating off-road barriers.
Quick-acting power rack and pinion steering -- uncommon on a truck where the more cumbersome recirculating-ball device is usually found -- boosts Ranger's agility.
It's easy to detect a Ranger because the truck reveals a strong prow design marked by dual reflector-type headlamps, and the hood bulges from a power dome bump as sides flare around the wheelwells.
Ranger has two different cab sizes.
A Regular Cab installs a bench seat for three, while the SuperCab for FX4 pushes the rear cabin wall back to carve out an interior storage area.
Two side-facing jump seats mount in the bay, as do a pair of rear-hinged doors for easy access to rear quarters.
Ranger FX4 in deluxe XLT trim contains fancy features such as power operation for windows, door locks and mirrors, a remote keyless entry system, leather wrapped steering wheel and sliding rear window, plus a stereo audio kit and foglamps mounted on the front bumper.
There are four choices for exterior paint colors, all with black exterior trim elements and FX4 decals. Two interior colors are available, and FX4 also stocks special form-fitting sport bucket seats clad in fabric upholstery, with sturdy grab-handles added for driver and passenger.
A broad range of prices works on Ranger, starting below $13,000 for a base truck with regular-size cab, a short box in back and four-cylinder engine under the hood.
Ranger FX4 with V6 power caps the series and comes with the MSRP pegged at $ 25,620.
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| 2002 FORD RANGER FX4 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact pickup truck |
| Model Options: |
Compact pickup truck |
| Wheelbase: |
126.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
202.9 inches |
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 4.0-L V6 |
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/5 |
| Drive: |
4WD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/, ABS/EBD |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) |
| Gross Weight: |
7000 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
3140 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 16/19 mpg, A/5: 15/18 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 25,620 |
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