blksn8k2

Thanks! :happy feet:

Thanks, cheesecake. Can anyone shed a little light on the axle ratio question? :shrug:

Yo, Calvin, have you started installing these yet? Another board member found the option code (617). B)

Any of the Ford insiders know the option code for the power down rear window? I could not find it on the Ford website. Thanks...

One of the biggest reasons I did not buy the previous model of the Trac was because of the short bed length. That is still a consideration with the new model. Since Ford in its infinite wisdom has decided that we don't need a crew cab Ranger here in the US the Sport Trac offers the best (only) compromise of people vs cargo capacity in a midsize package in the Ford line up. I don't understand their thinking. If they are afraid customers would buy the less expensive and less profitable Ranger over the Sport Trac, why are they not concerned that customers will buy a zero-profit-for-Ford Colorado, Tacoma, Dakota, etc. over a Sport Trac? If they will not sell the crew cab Ranger here the Midgate concept would at least give the Trac a more usable cargo area.

I have to disagree about the hubs on my Ranger. This truck does not have hubs, period. This is what is commonly referred to as the "live" axle design. The vacuum hub design was used from 1998 through early 2000. Begining in mid-2000 Rangers no longer have the unreliable vacuum hub design (PVH). As stated in my original post, the front axles and driveshaft turn all the time, they only have power applied when the transfer case is engaged in 4H or 4L. In my case, because the truck is a manual transmission FX4, the transfer case is also manually shifted. This is a much more reliable design than either the pre-98 auto hubs or the 98-2000 PVH system. The drawback is, of course, that there are numerous pieces parts turning all the time and these frictional losses decrease fuel mileage and increase part wear and tear. Oh, and by the way, I've never heard of "electric activated hubs". Exactly what are those supposed to be? The only three types ever used on Rangers from the factory were true manually operated, centrifically activated "automatic" hubs, or the vacuum activated PVH hubs. Now, back to my original question. What type of hubs are used, if any, with the Control Trac system as used on the Explorer and Sport Trac?

I realize the differences between the Trac and the Honda/Mini Avalanche but it would have been great if Ford had been able to go for broke and made the Trac a one piece body with a Midgate style access to the back of the cab.

I posted this question in one of the other Sport Trac threads but didn't get any responses. I am curious if anyone who has driven or owns an '06 Explorer or '07 Sport Trac has noticed an unusually high amount of noise coming from the top end of the engine. The 4.6L Sport Trac I test drove recently was really loud when the hood was open. It sounded like valvetrain clatter but I suppose it could have been injector noise. To the truck's credit, I could not hear this from inside the truck or even standing beside it with the hood closed. Is this typical for this engine? After listening to the idiot salesman's story about a customer driving away in a brand new Explorer with no antifreeze it wouldn't surprise me if it was just low on oil. :blink: :rolleyes:

I was looking over the 07 Sport Trac features on Ford's website and noticed that it lists the 3.73:1 ratio as standard equipment. It does not indicate any difference between V-6 and V-8. I'm pretty sure I have read elsewhere that the 4.6L would come with a 3.55:1 ratio. Does anyone know for sure? Also, what type of hubs, if any, are on the front axle? I have read that they are auto hubs but this was not on Ford's website. My 02 Ranger FX4 does not have front hubs. The front axles and driveshaft turn all the time similar to a front-wheel drive vehicle. The front axle only has power when the transfer case is engaged in either 4H or 4L. Probably not the best setup for fuel mileage or long range durability since all the frontend parts are turning all the time. My 94 Ranger had auto hubs and they were nothing but a pain in the arse and I eventually swapped them for Warn manual hubs. I suspect that the new Explorers and Sport Trac are similar to my 02 Ranger, i.e. no hubs. Anyone know the answer? Thanks....

From all the indicators it seems as though Ford released the Sport Trac a little sooner than they may have first planned. Things like the power rear window, nav system, the fact that the website was not ready before the vehicles were in the showrooms, etc. What happened to make them release the truck at this time? Could it have been that since the Sport Trac sales are lumped in with the Explorer numbers they might have been trying to boost the sales figures for the Explorer to stop some of the negative press??

I just checked the Ford sight and under Exterior Features/Windows and Glass it states "May 1" for the power down rear window. However, it does say July for the navigation system. Good news. I'll have to check with the dealer, but if I place my order in the next few weeks I can probably get one built with the power window. :happy feet:

I actually test drove a Limited 4.6L 4x4 last Saturday at Legacy Ford in Brunswick, OH. Beautiful Black Cherry exterior with the two-tone leather. It was fully loaded with the exception of the bed extender cage. MSRP was over $35K. Very smooth ride, very quiet interior, adequate power from the V-8 and the 6-speed auto shifted without any drama. However, I was a little disappointed when I opened the hood after my test drive. I left the truck running in the dealer's lot as I wanted to check out the layout of the 4.6. I was very shocked by the amount of noise coming from the top end of the motor. I could not tell if it was valvetrain or injector related but it was loud! The salesman even commented at how bad it sounded. But you could not hear any of that from inside the cab. Is this normal for the 3 valve? We tried to find another V-8 Explorer for comparison but all they had were V-6's. So the only thing we could think of was a Mustang GT but the exhaust was so loud that it drowned out any noise from the engine even with the hood open! Lol. I was ready to place an order until I found out that the power rear window (backlight) is not yet available. I am willing to wait until I can get this option. Do any of the Ford people on the board know when this will be available or why it is not? That was one of the selling points of the previous model so I would imagine Ford would plan to offer it as soon as possible.