hey everyone, first time posting but have been relentlessly searching these forums for days without being able to figure out my issue.

i have a 2003 Ford Ranger v6 3.0
130,000 miles

starting having an issue where the truck wouldnt start the first time, but upon trying a second time would turn over and start.
eventually this progressed into the car not starting at all at times, and would sometimes start and idle rough and die. this would generally be fixed by waiting for some time before starting the engine again, and would often be able to drive fine.
i then got check engine light and a po174 and other code i cant remember, both of which stated it was lean in bank one and two.

i replaced the following in this order -
fuel filter
fuel pump relay
spark plugs
MAF sensor
Idle Air Control
throttle position sensor
coil pack

it wasnt until i used the STP intake valve cleaner that it seemed like the truck was finally starting and running well again, and i thought the problem was fixed
i drove the truck for a few miles to test it, and parked. went back to it a few minutes later and it was having trouble starting again.
rolled it back over to the barn/garage by hand and it wasnt turning over but realized thanks to this forum that the wheel needed to be turned back to its original position, and it started but would often violently shake and die.
it seems to start half the time and run, but when trying to accelerate it would hesitate, and i would even hear pops from the engine which I'm assuming could be cylinders missing.
other times it starts, struggles, and dies.

i then noticed the fuel inertia switch wouldnt stay depressed, so i bypassed it with a wire for the sake of testing, without noticing much change.
i just hooked up a fuel pressure tester to the rail, and its reading about 30 psi while running

my question is - do you think its time i change the fuel pump or am i missing something dumb that i cant see;
I'm running out of ideas and have been doing everything i can to avoid facing changing out the fuel pump.
I'm no mechanic but have been teaching myself for years, having worked on, converted, and now living in a 1985 ford b700 school bus - but carburetors seemed easier for me to wrap my head around than these new vehicles.

any help and feedback would be greatly appreciated - thank you so much