The gas tank is held up to the bottom of the truck with metal straps. Wintry roads and road salt can cause the straps to rust and deteriorate. In time, the straps won't be able to hold the weight of a tank full of gas and the straps can fail. This will cause your gas tank to drop down and rub against the skid plate. This could cause the gas tank to eventually rupture and cause a fire hazard. You need to replace the gas straps as soon as you notice a lot of rust on them. Replacing the straps is something most amateur mechanics can do at home. If the gas tank straps on your 1998-2003 Ford Ranger are rusting out, here is how you can replace them.

Remove Skid Plate

The skid plate is the big metal piece directly under the gas tank and it needs to be removed so you can replace the gas tank straps. There are four 13 mm bolts that need to removed so you can take off the skid plate from the bottom of the truck.

The first bolt is located at the front of the skid plate and connects the plate to the frame.

The second bolt is on the frame rail on the driver's side of the gas tank.

The third bolt is connected to the bed support rail underneath the truck. There is a nut on the other side of this bolt that can get loose. If the nut does get loose, hold the nut with a 15 mm wrench while you unscrew the bolt.

The last 13 mm bolt is at the rear of the skid plate on the driver's side. Remove the skid plate once you have taken out all the bolts.

Replace Straps

There are two straps supporting the gas tank. You don't have to drop the gas tank if you replace the straps one at a time. Remove the 13 mm bolt on the first tank strap and remove it. You will need a 13 mm socket and ratchet with a long extension to reach the strap bolts. The other end of the strap is shaped like a "T" and it slides into a groove on the bracket for the gas tank. Drop the end down that you just unbolted and twist the "T" end on the so you can get it out of the groove in the bracket. Slide the "T" end of the new strap into the groove on the bracket and bolt the other end of the strap to the bed support rail. 

Repeat the same process to replace the other strap.

Install Skid Plate

Place the skid plate back under the gas tank and bolt it back in place in the reverse order in which you unbolted it to finish the replacing the straps.

For questions about these steps or if you need further assistance, talk to a professional like those at The Auto Pro.

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