Coil Spring Laying on Driveway - What is it?

Looks like a hood spring from here!

rusty redcloud

It appears to be a spring from a tensioner pulley that keeps the serpentine belt in tension on the engine. Without this the belt would be loose and fall off, so if your belt is still on and working it is from another car.

Sherman wrote:

Yikes! The wife has taken the truck to work, 29 miles away. I'll check it out when she gets home- If she gets home.

After seeing Red Cloud's response, I think he is right and your wife will make it home ok on one hinge spring (BGR)

I also think it's possibly from another vehicle and got thrown up into the undercarriage. It then waited and fell out of it's hiding place while parked in the driveway.

Not having anything to compare it for scale, it could also be the heating element from the cigar lighter!!! LOL

rusty redcloud

Unless you are very good at maintaining your hood springs and have prevented 12 years of rust and crud, I would have a look at that belt tensioner. Check your trans shift linkage and the area around your trans.

Heat riser thermostat spring.

Wot? They haven't used them in HOW many years.... :-)

Jeff

Thats what I thought too.

Check to see if your spring is bi-metallic. Heat it up and see if it turns.

Mark

It was a JOKE, Sherman!

rusty redcloud

The coil is 2 inches in diameter and the spring is quite heavy - 5 oz. ..

Lifter spring from one side of the hinge for the hood.

One of the guys on the ranger forum says it is a power window spring.

That makes sense because I have a window regulator dismantled on a Saturn right next to the ranger. However, it must have flew out while I wasn't looking as I have never seen such an animal before and have no idea where it goes.

It ain't a hood spring, Ranger's don't have them. Most likely out of your Saturn door regulator; we used to call them "Jesus springs" cause every time they took off like that you'd hear someone say, "Jesus Christ, where did that go to?"