I have owned 2 92 rangers and neither gave me a single problem, one was a 4.0L and the other was a 3.0L v6, the 4.0 had aLOT more power than the 3.0, both had well over 140K miles and didnt burn a drop of oil
both were 2wd so i cant shed any light on the 4x4 system, but even with 2wd and about 400lbs in the back they handle great in the snow
i take it back, i did have one problem with my most recent 92, theres a bracket on the right front framerail that holds the top of the shock and spring, it had rusted out and cracked, so thats one thing to look for, thats it though
i've heard good things about the S-10's 4.3L v6, but also heard bad things about the 2.5L 4cyl
why dont you buy a 90-92 ranger and drop a blown 347? tell me that wouldnt be fun
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88 Notch, B&M Ripper, 3.73's, Ported E7's, Explorer int. w/ ported lower, pulleys, 1.7RR's, BBK headers, off-road H-pipe, flowmasters, subframes, 65mm TB, March ram air ,MSD coil, U/L control arms, 155lph f/p, Crane Adj.FPR, Nitto drag radials, best 1/4--> 13.76@101.4 on a 2.17 60ft