On a scale of easy to hard, how difficult is changing a starter on a 1999 Ford Ranger? I’m not a mechanic, but I’ve never been afraid to do my own car repairs - I’ve done radiators, mufflers, alternators, brakes, as well as regular oil changes and such.
Hard to say from here, but should’nt be hard at all. Best bet is to drive it up on a set of ramps, roll under it and have a look.
If you decide to do it be sure to disconnect the negative battery cable first.
If it wont crank & if it has a transmission (not a slugomatic) just pop start it.
It might make a difference if it has a 4 cylinder, or 6 cylinder engine, and if it is a 2 wheel drive, or a 4 wheel drive. Here are the instructions on the starter. You may need to register at the site. Wait three, or four, minuets for the information to load (there): http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?partName=Starter&pageId=0900c1528018eb91&partId=0900c1528018eb91
Try searching through various Ford forums using google.
You don’t state why you want to change the starter but I assume you are having some sort of starting trouble going on. Hopefully you have pinned the trouble to the starter motor as there is more to the starting circuit than just the motor that can cause a starting problem.