On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 21:53:53 -0600, -MIKE-
wrote:

On 3/8/19 8:35 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 11:03:28 -0600, -MIKE-
wrote:

On 3/8/19 10:55 AM, Leon wrote:
On 3/8/2019 9:52 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 3/8/19 8:38 AM, Leon wrote:
On 3/7/2019 6:23 PM, Bob D wrote:
On Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 9:46:40 AM UTC-6, Leon wrote:
On 3/6/2019 9:40 AM, Leon wrote:
Actually I prefer this new tail gate by RAM.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/ram-...tion-tailgate/

They gave taken a proven, useful design used on Honda pickups and
enhanced it. I especially like the kick activated step. It looks
like its low enough to be really useful and its out of the way of
trailering.


Yes!* With Honda and Ram you can actually get really close to the bed.

That's the real benefit I see.* When I saw that it reminded me the
back door on a 70s station wagon that would swing all the way out.

Or that station wagon door where the door dropped down beneath the back
floor and the glass went up into the roof panel.* ;~)


Of course, if they'd quick making these things so fricken high off the
ground, the gate wouldn't be an issue.* Probably 85% of these trucks
with such high suspension never get the springs bent, if you know what
I mean.

There is that but for open road traveling the tall stance gives you a
better view.


And puts your headlights in everybody else's eyes.


My old '84 F-150 could comfortably haul a ton and a half of gravel but
I could see the top of the roof and into the engine bay without a step
ladder.



3,000 lbs???

Yep. Back when I was building our first house, I made regular trips to
the "gravel pit" and with certain stone, a full, humped bed load was
just over 1.5 tons.
It flatted out the springs quite a bit, but man, it rode like a Cadillac
with that load in it.
I just had to make sure I got on the brakes early. :-)
Imagine a Ford Ranger with 1200 square feet of ash hardwood flooring
in it - or 22 standard IKEA billy library shelves? The hardwood from
Plattsville to Waterloo, and the shelves from BVurlington to Waterloo.
Rode like a dream and handled like a pig.


Wow. The Ranger was NOT a truck.
I bet you didn't feel any speed bumps, but it probably steered like an
oil tanker with that load.
Like I said - it handled like a PIG. As for speed bumps _ was REALLY
carefull because I'm sure I was no more than an inch from the bump
stops.

And I'll dissagree with you - the Ranger long-box with the 4700 gvw
package is a pretty capable little truck - even at 23 years of age and
over 365000km. I HAVE upgraded from the anemic 14 inch wheels/ties to
235-70 16s and from the 10.15 inch front brakes to 11.85 Sport-trac
rotors.(but those mods were not in place for the hardwood - and only
the big tires for the Ikea load (which was a large paert of the
incentive to upgrade the brakes!!!) Running the 401 with 1870 lbs af
termite spit under the fiberglass cap on a half ton truck aint for the
faint of heart (or the careless)