Does my '96 Ranger need another new timing belt? The one on it has only 30K miles, but I changed it 9 years ago. Do the years count too?

Warranty and all dealership information will have a time also for timing belt replacement issues, generally 10 years here in Australia, if it is easy to access the cover you can take a look if it looks worn in anyway get it done, better safe than sorry

NO they don't. Most Timing belts are extremely resistant to aging. If driven enough they don't develop a formed condition and this would only be any reason setting would be an issue. A simple timing light will show any excess play in the timing as a result of the belt stretched. Now lets look to the bad potential and why the factory recommends replacement at aprx 30 thousand. When an engine is designed the cam shaft opens a valve maybe a quarter of an inch as the piston is rising to the top. This both as the air is entering and the exhaust is going out to the tail pipe. If the belt brakes on an overhead cam motor most pistons rise within a 16 th of an inch of the block surface but the valves stopped moving and are setting still. The result is the pistons that are being turned by the rolling vehicle are slapping the bottom of the valves and bending them. The piston top (hot from running) are being damaged as well as they (the pistons) are forced by the shear motion of the weight of the car to do this till the car comes to a stop. Crank shaft bearings are damaged, cam bearings potential cam supports and multiple other parts. Very costly to the owner. Several grand I would estimate. New Belt a few Hundred to them. I have seen people go over a thousand on a timing belt but it's like roulette with bullets added each spin!

Look at it. If its frayed on the edges yes if not no they are good for 70000 miles