My 99′ ranger shifts really hard and shakes when i take off from a dead stop. i dont know what to do. i was wondering if i should take it in for a tranny flush, i have heard that would help but also heard it would make it worse. otherwise someone tole me to buy a rebuild kit but i dont know how to do it. what does everone think i should do?
Maybe try some seafoam trans tune.Follow the instructions though and if that does not help find a pro to diagnose it.
Sounds like a sticky solenoid/valve body. I would have the pan dropped, new filter and new fluid. That’s where I would start and hopefully finish 
big G
You may want to carefully get under the truck-(may sure the parking brake is on and ignition off)Check the play in the u-joints on the drive shaft.
They may be the issue and if they are the originals are probably wearing out.
Scott
Without knowing more specifics it is hard to draw any conclusions. All kinds of possibilities really. The transmission used in the Ranger had some issues with what is called separator plate gaskets. They are located in the lower portion of the tranny and can be replaced without trans removal. Most common symptoms seemed to be reverse engagement issues as well as cold forward engagement being delayed. Another symptom is the lack of engine braking when letting off the throttle. Most have a hard time finding out the difference between engine braking and none though.
If you are going to replace the fluid don’t bother dropping the trans pan only. Ford hasn’t recommended doing it that way in many many years. Have it flushed. Dropping the pan doesn’t replace much, hardly ever half, of the fluid. And the filters of the past are gone. Now the “filter” is meant only to trap large particles of parts should a catastrophic failure begin. Many people, or shops, may disagree but I tend to believe more in the manufacturers R&D versus those who didn’t spend any. f course YMMV. And don’t worry. If you flush or change the fluid and the trans goes belly up after trust me it would have just the same had the fluid been left alone.
As someone else suggested have the drive line checked out closely too as well as the engines running. I’ve seen many bad trannies turn out to be cylinder misfires, bad u-joints, or tires with broken belts. Good luck!
My ranger kinda does the same thing little pause before i put it in reverse. It is a 99 with 112000 miles. Thought about getting the tranny flushed and that but not sure if it would do any good??? any suggestions. Greased the drive train last year and made a big difference in take off bumps and that.
I am guessing on a Ford, but I would think that a transmission filter, would be recommended every 60K ??? To change the filter, you should have to drop the pan.
big G 
Neither Ford nor GM recommends changing the filter in the transmission regardless of mileage. As you have most likely noticed many GM models have gone to a sealed transmission many years ago eliminating the dipstick. Ford started the same in 2002, after GM did it. According to GM and Ford manuals the fluid is to be flushed. We simply open the cooler lines and hook into those in order to flush the entire system while also back flushing the “filter” (more appropriately called a pick up) in order to disturb and remove concentrations of gunk in the pan. It is effective, cheaper, and replaces as close to 100% of the fluid as possible.
External filters are another matter. Both Ford and GM use an external inline filter on some of the transmissions and they are changed every 30K.
My truck has 114,000 i bought it two years ago. i would check the u joints but man i dont know anything about vehicles. i can change a tire and oil thats about it. im going to take it to a shop tuesday and see what they think. my uncle owns a shop in iowa and he told me by the sounds of it, its probably shot. but ill see. like you guys said if i get a flush the worst thing that can happen is it goes bad, and if thats going to happen anyways i guess ill take my chance for it to possibly fix the problem. hopefully that will work otherwise there goes my 1400 for the new bow 
Looks like I guessed wrong… 
Guess thats why I am in management and they give me no wrenches I would have thought 10 years ago, they would have had a tranny filter…. 
Chrysler also went to sealed trans, no dipstick for the customer (it is a special tool) on most models since 2004. I know the CVT’s are filled for life, regardless of miles. Learn something every day !!!
big G
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