2019 Ford Ranger

After an 8 year hiatus from the mid-size truck market, Ford returned with the debut of the 2019 Ranger. Completely redone, this fourth-generation Ranger is the most capable its ever been. Available in SuperCab or SuperCrew body style, this new Ranger sports a body-on-frame construction (with boxed frame rails), a 2.3L turbo inline-four engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Shared from the Focus and Mustang platform, the 2.3L in truck trim produces 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Off-road junkies will very much like the FX4 package, which adds a locking rear differential, additional skid plates, Terrain Management System and Trail Control - a type of off-road cruise control.

Trail Ruggedness

New front & rear bumpers for your 2019 Ford Ranger can take the already good trail ability of the truck and make it even better. Aftermarket Ranger bumpers are all going to follow more or less the same formula - full steel construction, rugged look and modular in nature. When it comes to construction for 2019 Ranger bumpers, they are all made of steel. The factory bumper is also a steel structure, it is much smaller and buried beneath the plastic fascia. This leaves no room for modifications and makes it difficult to use as a recovery or attachment point. Aftermarket bumpers mainly use a cold rolling process to form their steel plate into the necessary form. Compared to hot rolling, cold rolling produces a final product with a better surface and is more accurate in dimension and tolerance, thereby giving a more precise fit. Once formed, the bumpers are coated in an epoxy and treated to a black powder coat. Bumpers that are treated to multiple layers of epoxy and powdercoat will have a more durable finish and be the least susceptible to corrosion and rust. That said, aftermarket bumpers for a 2019 Ford Ranger aim to improve trail capability by providing a stronger bumper that can act as a winch or recovery point. In addition, many incorporate built-in winch plate or LED light mounts, further upping their utilitarian nature. Re-designed geometry of these bumpers give better approach and departure angles, making it less likely to get caught up on the bumper when traversing an obstacle.

Trail Visibility

When adding off-road lighting to your 2019 Ford Ranger, there are a few variables to consider. Be it a big light bar or small spot light, the principles for off-road LED lighting stay the same.

• Color rating
• Construction material
• Weatherproofing

Color rating for an off-road LED light is denoted by a Kelvin value. The higher the number, the whiter the light that is output (6000-6500K is a crisp, white light). As a baseline, 3400-3600K is considered to be similar to natural daylight. Pushing lower to 2800K-3000K returns a yellow light. In terms of construction, various aluminum alloys are the main choice, but some lights are built using a plastic housing. Stick with aluminum, as it is way stronger and better at properly dissipating heat that is generated through use of the light. Mounting hardware should use materials like stainless steel and aluminum, to avoid getting gummed up with rust or corrosion. Finally, there is the aspect of weatherproofing. Subject to rain, snow, dirt and dust, an LED light needs to be properly sealed from all of this. Manufacturers use the Ingress Protection (IP) scale to designate the level of weatherproofing. An IP68 rating should be the minimum for an exterior off-road light, where top tier lights will have an IP69 or higher rating. The use of silicone seals and stainless steel screws play a pivotal role in LED light weatherproofing.