Why tuned so weak from factory?

[CHOPPY76]

I don't need a huge amount of power, but why is the 2.3 EB in the Ranger so restricted from what the 2.3 EB is capable of? Even the same 2.3 in the Bronco is much more stout...why?

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[John E Davies]

So you can tow more weight and a larger surface area trailer without overheating the drivetrain. Just an educated guess, but the tow figures are way different. 55 square feet for Ranger, 30 sq ft for Bronco, a huge difference. 7500 pound trailer vs 3500 pounds….

https://www.vdm.ford.com/content/da.../towing/pdf/2024-Ford-Ranger-Towing-Guide.pdf

https://www.vdm.ford.com/content/da.../towing/pdf/2024-Ford-Bronco-Towing-Guide.pdf

FYI Some of the difference is due to a longer wheelbase and other factors.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[dard6555]

My 1991 Ford Ranger had 140hp @4600 and 170ft of torque @ 2600. So things have gotten much better. Think about getting 270hp out of an engine just 33% bigger than a 2 liter bottle of coke. If you look at F550s with 6.7 powerstrokes, they are detuned compared to F250 and 350s. Its all due to reliability as they are much more of a work horse. Mustangs are much lighter and nobody tows. The weight of the trailer is not the only factor, frontal area will kill speed more than weight. I don't know what your application is, but folks expecting to tow at 80mph are asking of trouble.

 

[1986YellowRanger]

Both the Ranger and Bronco are purpose-built vehicles even though 95% of customers don’t use them for their actual purpose. The Ranger is a “work” vehicle designed to carry loads and/or tow, while the Bronco is built for off-roading. With those tasks in mind, the engineers calculate the life expectancy of each component vs. the warranty vs. customer expectations. The end result is a tune that will survive the warranty period when the vehicle is used for its intended purpose with no failures as well as satisfy customer product life expectations (well beyond 100k miles for most vehicles).

When you tune an engine away from stock configuration, you are tuning it away from its purpose-build design to a design that is better suited for your specific use. The Ford aftermarket tunes are designed to cover the warranty period, but a new tune could absolutely be impacting the total product life. It’s all just a series of calculations for the engineering team. I would be hesitant to re-tune a vehicle if you are the type of person that drives a vehicle forever. If you change vehicles every few years, then tune all you want to get the desired performance for your specific use.

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