It is probably the way your coil sprng seats on the frame or control arm. Try some lube on the top and bottom of your spring. Also the noise when you push down on the bumper is probably your sway bar to frame bushings. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the great ideas. It turns out the problem was the inner tie rod knuckles. The warmer the knuckles got, the more noise they made. I figured it out using a set of chassis ears. I didhavea coil spring that had popped out of the seat, and that was causing some noise also. Any way, all the ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, shocks, sway bar bushings and links, coil spring insulators, and front body to cab mounts have all been replaced. So I should be set up fronton my Ranger for a while. I hope this may be of some help to someone out there. I think the inner tie rods may be a common issue with Rangers. Thanks again to all that replied.

 

I have an 01 Ranger and have exactly the same problem. Did you have to replace the inner tie rod? Did changing out inner tie rod resolve the problem?