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[black_demon69]

careful with those Ebay manuals on CD
I have two of them, both are Ford CD and are meticulous in their detail of everything on it, they are the actual CDs used in Ford shops during those years
Here is the problem, I have one I got for a 96 Explorer, but it actually covers a broad range of their vehicles from 96-99, and it works fine on Windows 10
The other one I got first and it was for my 93 Ranger (it also covers most truck and Bronco/Explorers those years), it was actually made prior to Windows 95 and it will Not work on Windows 10, but I have an older one with Windows XP I can use it with

Could use VMware or virtual box to create a windows xp machine for example and run it on your windows 10 machine..

 

[sgtsandman]

Welcome to the forum. The Chilton and Haynes manuals will be a good start and get you most of the way there as far as working on your truck. Some of the information can be too generic because of the wide range of years they tend to cover and some subjects will refer you to a dealer or independent shop and provide no further information.

A Ford Shop/Service Manual will give you all the information specific to your year. There is usually a separate Electrical Troubleshooting and Repair Manual for dealing with electrical issues. If you can get one of those, it would be better. If you can get the paper version, even better yet. ebay is a good place to look for those. Helm Inc. is the company that prints and sells new manuals but will no longer make them past a certain year. So, you can check there if you want but realize your year may no longer be available and they aren’t cheap.

I have the paper manuals for my 2011 and the CD/DVD for my 2019. The disc version is ok but now I have to drag my laptop outside for any work I want to do on the 2019. Unfortunately, Helm didn’t offer a paper copy of the shop manual for the 2019 or I would have gotten that instead.

 

[rumblecloud]

In the Tech Section there is/are several articles talking about wheels. Take a look at the lug spacing spacing for the wheels on your Ranger and then find the lug spacing for the wheels you are considering. Wheel size (Diameter) is also a consideration.

You'll need to determine if your current wheels are stock of course - easy enough to do.

I highly recommend posting a bunch of pics of your Ranger -- front, sides, rear, engine compartment, interior. They help us identify things you might not know about. The Owner Manual you downloaded can also be of some help in identifying what equipment is included on your Ranger. There are also Sales Brochures here on TRS under the heading of Articles and Resources

 

[Blmpkn]

Welcome!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Welcome!

So, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), Chilton manuals are better than Haynes, but I don’t know if you can still find Chilton other than used. Haynes is common and it’s an ok start to things, but the more I’ve gotten into things, the less helpful it’s become. Probably plenty good for the average person though. It’s where I started anyway. That and on here. Shop manuals are usually vehicle and year specific and they cover everything. I ended up with a CD shop manual for my 2000 Rangers because the paper versions were being listed for $250 and up. I’d rather have paper, but the CD was $50, soo… yeah…

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site.

 

[AutoRnD]

I suppose I'll end up with a mix of manuals at some point and yeah I saw the 1995 specific manual was around $175 - $200. I would definitely want the Ford shop manual but we'll see what I end up with this coming Friday.

As for the wheels that's definitely the first cosmetic change I want to make but I'll go ahead and make a separate post for the wheels, with pictures as suggested.

My Ranger needs quite a bit of work both exterior and interior. It's the main reason I'm so interested. I really want to see what I gravitate towards. I have a feeling it's going to be detailing and tuning. I'll share some pictures in this post when I get home so you guys can see what I'm working with.

 

[RobbieD]

Have you looked on eBay yet?

That's where I got all of my manuals, aftermarket and Ford factory, and when I built my manual collection several years ago (well, maybe 10 to 20 years ago) $20 bucks shipped was about the high side going rate.

If you're serious about getting manuals, it pays to check the listings for your year / model often, like every day. There's usually a lot of what you're looking for for high prices, but good deals will pop up, and they usually don't last long.

I think it took around two years of watching before I found a good deal the 1994 Drivetrain and Emissions Ford manual; it was unusually tough.

 

[Josh B]

The manuals on disk are like 10 bux, last ones I bought anyway, with Ford brand

 

[AutoRnD]

This is a front, back and side view



These are the wheels


These are my exterior problems areas
(That I've noticed anyway)

Drivers side rear bumper


Drivers side bed just over the wheel base


Drivers side near door


Hood


Roof


Tailgate and bed are in the same condition

Also I lied, I thought my first cosmetic change would be the wheels. I purchased this duraliner bed liner from the junkyard for $35. Is that a good deal? No clue but it had a nice Ford logo so I snagged it.


Oh and my tail light is busted as you can see.

 

[AutoRnD]

You guys are very welcoming, much appreciated.

 

[RobbieD]

I like it. Looks like a good, solid truck.

Thanks for showing it. We're suckers for pictures here.

 

[rumblecloud]

cool pics...will make some observations later...wife is calling me

 

[Lefty]

Welcome! I got my owner's manual out of a glove box at the junk yard. But before you go, make a list of every thing you need.

 

[Josh B]

I make a list of everything I don't need and forget everything else