Ford Ranger Drums & Hardware
Your Ford pickup requires maintenance for more than just the engine and transmission. The brake drums in your Ford Ranger vehicle play a vital role in your brake system. To find the right brake drums, you need to know what the component does, and what types are available. Here are some questions that may come up when purchasing Ford Ranger brake drums and hardware.
What types of Ford Ranger brake drums are available?Your Ford Ranger utilizes a combination of a brake drum and pads on the two rear wheels. In this drum braking system, pressing down on your brake makes the brake pads press against the brake drum to slow down and stop the truck.
There are two main categories of brake drums available based on your driving habits in your Ford Ranger truck. Standard brake drums are designed for standard driving. If you use your Ranger to commute, or use it for light to no trailer/hauling use, this may be a good replacement option for your truck. If you utilize your Ford Ranger for heavy-duty driving, premium brake drums are built to have a longer operating life that require less maintenance. This may be a good option when you need to carry large loads.
What should you look for when purchasing brake drums?With different manufacturers and options available, there are many options to consider when picking out the right brake drum for your Ford Ranger. Here are some guidelines you should follow when purchasing drums.
- Choose brake-drum materials that have a good combination of strength and heat dissipation. Cast-iron brake drums are the more common. Aluminum drums lined with steel or iron are lighter and are a good heat conductor.
- Make sure to keep your brake drums balanced weight-wise. One way of doing this is to replace both rear brake drums at the same time. This will help to provide optimum braking.
- Make sure that the replacement hardware for your Ford Ranger is compatible. You should have the make, model, and production year to find the right hardware.
- Choose between aftermarket and OEM replacement hardware. When purchasing aftermarket brake drums, you will want to make sure that the quality is at least OEM or better.
There are several options available when you need to get new rear brake drums for your Ford Ranger. For Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM parts, you will want to select from the available Ford or Motorcraft companies. Motorcraft is owned by Ford and produces parts for the car manufacturer. OEM hardware has the advantage of being built to the same specifications as the factory-installed brakes on the Ranger. Other companies that produce aftermarket parts include ACDelco, Dorman, Carlson, and others. With aftermarket brands, you will want to make sure that they’re fully compatible with your truck. With both OEM and aftermarket branded parts, you can choose between new, used, and remanufactured replacements.