2008 FORD RANGER wheel alignment

Tire and wheel alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment
periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life.
•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/ All Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
2008 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
116

Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer to check
for and correct any wheel misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical
problem involved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. and Canada Federal regulations require tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of
the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for
safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Information on “P” type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by
the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans and
light trucks.
Note:If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2.215:Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3.65:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
2008 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
117

rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
Pull the release lever to release the
brake.
Driving with the parking brake
on will cause the brakes to wear
out quickly and reduce fuel
economy.
STEERING
To help prevent damage to the power steering system:
•Never hold the steering wheel at its furthest turning points (until it
stops) for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
•Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for a low power steering fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.
•Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by a low power
steering fluid level. Check for a low power steering fluid level before
seeking service by your authorized dealer.
•Do not fill the power steering fluid reservoir above the MAX mark on
the reservoir.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
•an improperly inflated tire
•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may also make the steering
seem to wander/pull.
2008 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
154

•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears occurs. Unnecessary
shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
2008 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
242

Occupant Classification
Sensor ........................................73
safety belt maintenance ...........80
warning light and chime ..........81
Safety seats for children ............98
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................261
Satellite Radio Information ........36
Seats ............................................68
child safety seats ......................98
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ..........................................65
Servicing your vehicle ..............215
Setting the clock
AM/FM stereo ...........................20
AM/FM stereo CD .....................22
Premium AM/FM stereo
CD6/MP3 ...................................28
Snowplowing .................................8
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................253, 259
Special notice
ambulance conversions ..............8
utility-type vehicles ....................7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................254
Speed control ..............................57
Starting your
vehicle ........................146–147, 149
jump starting ..........................192
Steering wheel
tilting .........................................54
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................54Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........183
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....122
Tires ...........................107–109, 183
alignment ................................116
care ..........................................112
changing ..........................183, 189
checking the pressure ............112
inflating ...................................110
label .........................................121
replacing ..................................113
rotating
....................................116
safety practices
.......................115
sidewall information
...............117
snow tires and chains
............126
spare tire
.................................184
terminology
.............................109
tire grades
...............................108
treadwear
........................108, 112
Towing
.......................................133
recreational towing
.................144
trailer towing
..........................133
wrecker
....................................198
Traction-lok rear axle
...............155
Transfer case
fluid checking
.........................251
Transmission
automatic operation
...............155
brake-shift interlock (BSI)
....155
fluid, checking and adding
(manual)
.................................250
fluid, refill capacities
..............254
lubricant specifications
..........254
manual operation
....................159
Turn signal
..................................47
2008 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
269