90 ranger expeditionary vehicle

[-irwin-]

so i have a 90 ranger 2.9L Ext cab 4x4 that has been in the family since new, it was the first vehicle i learned how to drive and was my dads favorite vehicle. when he passed i kept the truck. i drove it and kept it up for a couple years then the trans went... it sat for a couple years after i got laid off, now im back on my feet and ready to get this thing back to its glory and build something i will use enjoy and my father would appreciate.
i'm sure many are familiar with expeditionary vehicles, but the key is long distance trail vehicle... not a crawler, thats super reliable and you can basically live out of. that said no sas here!
on to the general ideas i have

engine:
so i want to keep the 2.9 probably bore it 30 over although it ran great when parked it has 168k miles on it.
i plan to do the camcraft head then have the intake manifold matched to it
thinkin of going up 2lbs on the injectors to ensure i have plenty of fuel for the free breathing
full ac delete (its broke anyways)
87 2.9 throttle body
exhuast:
jba headers
magnaflow cat
2.5" piping
flow master 50 series single exit
transmission:
which tranny is toughest? got 168K out of my original but im up for suggestions!
10 inch clutch conversion
want to swap to a manual transfer case (buttons on something that essential scare me)
swap to the one piece drive shaft

body:
use fiber glass front and rear flares to reduce weight... get rid of bad rust... and give me more room for larger tires
im going to use a steel cap off of a work truck with the dual rear doors and tool boxes on the side.
3 inch body lift
removable doors
will make bumpers and skid plates

brakes and wheels:
wheels will be 15x10 steel wagons with 3.75" backspacing, beadlocks arent legal for street use in many places around here (doubt i would be pulled over but i aint got the money for that currently anyways maybe if i hit the lotto)
looking to run 35x12.50 tires a decent allterrain like the terra grappler which i have had great luck with on other trucks
i am thinking of swapping in i think its 95 steering knuckles and brakes so i can get the dual piston calipers
slotted or dimpled high quality rotors
good semi metalic pads

suspension:
i dont want to do much of a suspension lift because like i said its not a crawler and i need it reliable probably 2" coils in the front 2" shackles in the rear with a helper spring...

axles:
im going to keep the dana 35 regear it to 4.10 maybe 4.56 but i want to keep my fuel mileage decently ok... 20 mpg or so
the rear is... if i remember correctly a 7.5 so an 8.8 with lsd and discs out of an explorer would be great... (can i use explorer leafs and not have to reweld the perches? that reweld to me will never be as strong as stock)
i currently have warn hubs and will probably install new ones to replace them
plan to truss the rear

cooling:
b cool rad
electric fans maybe stay with the standard for reliability... never had any experience with installing after market fans
low temp thermostat




basically everything im talking about is almost bolt on, just have to locate the stuff rebuild it and pop it on.
this is not going to be a high dollar build but a thorough one, the truck wont be pretty but it will be use full
i will say that most of everything ive decided on has been from lurking here reading as much as possible over the past like 6 months lol
so im starting with a thank you!

any info suggestions issues you see with this please feel free to let me know! also if there are any other builds similar to mine if i can be pointed that direction that would be awesome
planning on picking up the trans this week so info on that needed stat!

[-irwin-]

is this the right thread to post this?

[Bennybooster]

is this the right thread to post this?

yes

[Rose2300]

buy a landrover discovery 1. great overlanding vehicle even when stock, and you can find them for pretty cheap

[-irwin-]

buy a landrover discovery 1. great overlanding vehicle even when stock, and you can find them for pretty cheap

no thanks

[Bennybooster]

M5OD is a good manual trans, IIRC it bolts up to a 2.9

I would regear to 4.88-5.13 with a 2.9 and 35s You will get better mileage that way

[-irwin-]

M5OD is a good manual trans, IIRC it bolts up to a 2.9

I would regear to 4.88-5.13 with a 2.9 and 35s You will get better mileage that way

sweet thanks man! i dont remember what the m50d is in? and what does iirc mean? lol sorry
will that work with the 10" clutch?
any other thoughts on the build?

[4x4junkie]

I wouldn't mess around much with the 2.9L V6, there's not much room for cost-effective returns on it power-wise (it's already pretty darn well-tuned as it comes stock).
I'd keep it as is and run it until it's done (which if taken care of, can be in excess of 300K miles), then drop a 4.0L V6 in there. The 4.0L has more potential for power upgrades.
Do swap the 4.0L clutch in in the meantime though (excellent upgrade :icon_thumby: )
Look into the 2-core Explorer radiator swap. Much better cooling than the stock one-core. Also stick with the 195° T-stat. A lower one I suspect gives you a slight tad more power, but at the cost of MPG, as well as increased cylinder wear.

The Mazda M5OD trans is your best option for durability. Make sure the 3 shift-rail plugs on the back are in good shape though (them being left unchecked is by far the leading cause of failure on these transmissions).
M5ODs can be found in 4.0L Rangers & Explorers, and occasionally under 1990 2.9L 4WD trucks (if you can find one, the 2.9L version has slightly deeper 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears ).
Check to make sure... You might even already have this trans, hopefully in rebuildable condition.

On your wheels, go with 15x8s. If you must use 10s, then I'd suggest a 4.5" backspace instead of 3.75". Your wheel bearings will live a much happier life.

3-4" lift on the suspension should be fine. It's above 4" lift where the steering gets to be a nightmare.


And agreed 100% on Benny's gear suggestion.
The 2.9L turns into a big-time gas-guzzler if it can't spin enough RPM. 35" tires = 5.13 gears no question whatsoever (I have 5.13s in my BII and have seen as much as 24 MPG, though typically it hovers in the 21-22 range).




Sounds like a great project.
That's basically what I built my BII for (camping & expedition/overland travel). Never really been into the "Bash it, Break it, Fix it Bigger" mentality, I prefer simply enjoying the great outdoors myself. :D

[-irwin-]

I wouldn't mess around much with the 2.9L V6, there's not much room for cost-effective returns on it power-wise (it's already pretty darn well-tuned as it comes stock).
I'd keep it as is and run it until it's done (which if taken care of, can be in excess of 300K miles), then drop a 4.0L V6 in there. The 4.0L has more potential for power upgrades.
Do swap the 4.0L clutch in in the meantime though (excellent upgrade :icon_thumby: )
Look into the 2-core Explorer radiator swap. Much better cooling than the stock one-core. Also stick with the 195° T-stat. A lower one I suspect gives you a slight tad more power, but at the cost of MPG, as well as increased cylinder wear.

The Mazda M5OD trans is your best option for durability. Make sure the 3 shift-rail plugs on the back are in good shape though (them being left unchecked is by far the leading cause of failure on these transmissions).
M5ODs can be found in 4.0L Rangers & Explorers, and occasionally under 1990 2.9L 4WD trucks (if you can find one, the 2.9L version has slightly deeper 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears ).
Check to make sure... You might even already have this trans, hopefully in rebuildable condition.

On your wheels, go with 15x8s. If you must use 10s, then I'd suggest a 4.5" backspace instead of 3.75". Your wheel bearings will live a much happier life.

3-4" lift on the suspension should be fine. It's above 4" lift where the steering gets to be a nightmare.


And agreed 100% on Benny's gear suggestion.
The 2.9L turns into a big-time gas-guzzler if it can't spin enough RPM. 35" tires = 5.13 gears no question whatsoever (I have 5.13s in my BII and have seen as much as 24 MPG, though typically it hovers in the 21-22 range).




Sounds like a great project.
That's basically what I built my BII for (camping & expedition/overland travel). Never really been into the "Bash it, Break it, Fix it Bigger" mentality, I prefer simply enjoying the great outdoors myself. :D

I do currently have the m50d in my truck although the trans. All ready melted down, so rather than try to rebuild it I will get another and go through it thoroughly., it was a great transfer and the gearing was deep as hell.the little 2.9 is tough and I found it reliable but kinda suffered on the higher end and its the heart of the truck and want to keep that. Thanks for the info!
so I will need to do a 3 inch lift to fit the 35s? Can you suggest a good kit?

[4x4junkie]

To clear 35s, I'd suggest either a Skyjacker 4" or maybe the James Duff 3" kit for your suspension, and then top that off with a 2" body lift (giving you a total of 5-6" lift, but with less of the suspension lift headaches a full 6" susp. would have). Some fender trimming will also be needed, though shouldn't be a whole lot.

Too bad on your trans, that particular unit is not common. If the taller gears bother you, you could still "make" one by putting the gears from any non-4.0L M5OD into a 4.0L case however. The end result would be what you had (maybe you'll still luck out and the case from yours will be salvageable).

Good luck with it. :icon_thumby:

[-irwin-]

To clear 35s, I'd suggest either a Skyjacker 4" or maybe the James Duff 3" kit for your suspension, and then top that off with a 2" body lift (giving you a total of 5-6" lift, but with less of the suspension lift headaches a full 6" susp. would have). Some fender trimming will also be needed, though shouldn't be a whole lot.

Too bad on your trans, that particular unit is not common. If the taller gears bother you, you could still "make" one by putting the gears from any non-4.0L M5OD into a 4.0L case however. The end result would be what you had (maybe you'll still luck out and the case from yours will be salvageable).

Good luck with it. :icon_thumby:

Fender trimming won't be necessary because I'm going wit fiber glass fenders front and rear to replace my rusty steel, and a 3 inch body lift on top of that so I would have a tot of 6 inches of extra clearance to the top of the fender from just that.do you think I could get away with 2 inches of suspension lift and still clear the 35s? I would like to just use a 2 inch lift spring and leave the rest of the suspension as stock as possible

[4x4junkie]

That's right, you did say fiberglass fenders :blush: :icon_twisted:

You could probably do a 2" susp + the 3" body lift, sure. Only thing might be keeping the tire from hitting against your firewall during suspension compression (maybe move the axle forward some by shimming your radius arm bushings).

[-irwin-]

Huh never heard of shimming the axel, how involved is that?

[-irwin-]

How bad are we talking with the rub? Would the 3 inch remedy this? I don't want to have the steering issues you spoke of earlier... but I want to keep this thing as close to off the shelf parts as possible. For reliability and ease of repair

Maybe I should just do 33s?

[4x4junkie]

Shimming the axle forward is a matter of placing some washers on the frontside of the radius arm bushings like what is seen here:
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/6/web/702000-702999/702959_18.jpg (http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/6/web/702000-702999/702959_18_full.jpg)

There should be maybe an inch or so of thread behind the nut so you should be able to shim it that amount before you run out of thread for the nut. Just make sure you don't go so far forward that the passengerside axle shaft hits the bolt holding the driverside beam in it's bracket.




As for the steering, you should be fine up to 3-4" lift, though you will probably need to get a bigger dropped pitman arm than what usually comes with whatever kit you buy.

I wrote this article a few years ago (http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm) that explains what happens with the steering, since the lift industry didn't seem to take engineering 101 too seriously on these rigs. With some understanding of it all, it shouldn't be difficult to avoid these issues. To get the best out of it, you might want to fab up a better steering linkage for your truck, however it's not absolutely necessary that you do so.

[-irwin-]

Well that's a lot to consider, maybe for now I will just run the glass fenders 3 inch body lift and focus on getting this thing back on the road with a set of 33s and have the lift be the next faze. I want this on the road by winter and if I'm going to dos full on lift I will want it done right the first time. And the lift is a huge cost for 1 inch of clearance. Most of my wheeling is done on old fire trails through the Appalachian mountain and old mining road so clearance tends to be my issue not flex. I used to use this truck as my hunting rig and it fairest well but some of the roads are so rutted I would bottom out. I do want to eventually build it to the point I can do some deeper creek crossings and such.but it will never be out with you 4x4 junkie LOL BTW checked out your car domain, nice builds man! I'm jealous!

[4x4junkie]

Thanks man :beer:

I do take mine up on rocky trails like California's 33-mile Dusy/Ershim along with Rubicon and others (which is where a number of my pics are from), but I also go other places like Mojave Road (also in Ca) and have been in Death Valley and such, so it's not just hard-core use it sees.
It sounds like 33s might be plenty for your use though so maybe that might be better to at least start out with.
I've had 33s on my Ranger for years and for the most part they've done fine. The longer wheelbase tends to be more of a handicap some of the places I frequent rather than the 33" tires.

Anyway, post up pics of your build when you get it rolling. :icon_thumby:

[-irwin-]

will do man... found a trans on car-part.com rebuilt for 450 with warranty!! what years and models did the manual transfer case come in? while i have the trans out im planning on changing that out as well. might order the fenders and body lift this week! gotta see what the shipping for the trans is.. if its too much i will run the 2 hours to grab it. im so excited about this build! and thanks for all the help, actually found the rear i want at the yard near my house this weekend but i didnt bring a jack. on the other hand i think my sonoma rebuild is finished and my vw rebuild just needs a couple gaskets some bearings and some body work! bout time to focus!!!!!!

[4x4junkie]

Assuming you are looking for a manual 1354 t-case, they came in '90-'97 Rangers, '91-'94 Explorers, and a few 1990 BIIs.
The manual case was a "delete" option for the automatic crap these years though (I know for '91-'97 models anyway) so they are not overly common, but they're out there if you look around.

[-irwin-]

Thanks man, trust me car-part.com is my friend LOL any digestions on a lift kit? I was looking at a few 4 inch kits but being as you beat on yours I would like to know your opinion, so much of my suspension is rotted I might end up better off just doing the lift now

[4x4junkie]

My preferences (in order):


Skyjacker (what I have on my Ranger) Class II gets you the extended radius arms for more travel

James Duff (I think theirs is "Stage II" for extended arm kit, and "Stage III" which also gets you full-replacement leaf springs)

(very distant 3rd) Tuff Country. Good for if you're on a tight budget.
Do not confuse Tuff Country with Rough Country though. Rough Country's brackets are known to damage the front axle housing if you don't also install huge bumpstops extensions to restrict the frontend travel.



SJ uses factory-type 'donut' bushings on their radius arms. Good for long life and better noise isolation.

JD uses rod ends (heim joints). Better for performance, but at some cost of longevity and noise.

TC's arms have like a spring-eye bushing on their arms. Not familiar with it in terms of performance, but it should be about the same as SJ for longevity.

[-irwin-]

I was looking at the sky jacker kit, I want new leafs mine are saggy and need to be replaced I also noticed the new arms which are nice. Should I do the steering system with this on a 4 inch lift? The steering issues you mentioned have me a lil spooked. I also was wondering about doing springs made for the exploder and mount the axle on top of the springs so I don't have to really weld the perch. I would prefer not to cut the strong factory weld off to have a new weld done that I would be scared of breaking all the time. I'm almost to true point I might just do the ranger 8.8 to avoid this.

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You can buy "flip kits" to put your springs on the opposite side of where the perch is. I made my own. Check post 88 and 90 in my build thread;
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79003&page=6

Richard

[4x4junkie]

I was looking at the sky jacker kit, I want new leafs mine are saggy and need to be replaced I also noticed the new arms which are nice. Should I do the steering system with this on a 4 inch lift? The steering issues you mentioned have me a lil spooked. I also was wondering about doing springs made for the exploder and mount the axle on top of the springs so I don't have to really weld the perch. I would prefer not to cut the strong factory weld off to have a new weld done that I would be scared of breaking all the time. I'm almost to true point I might just do the ranger 8.8 to avoid this.

You're not welding where the old perches were on the bottom, you'd be welding to the topside of the axle tube (and even if you did weld over where old welds were, it still would not be any weaker if done properly).

You might want to check and make sure you don't already have a 8.8" under there. Some '90-'92 trucks even without the 4.0L did have them (and in some cases even the door sticker code does not reflect this, you have to actually get under the truck and look at the tag on the axle).


As for steering on a 4" kit... Like I outlined in the article I linked, the Skyjacker #FA600 drop pitman arm is an exact match up for a 4" lift. The performance from a K-link type setup would be somewhat better than that of the dropped arm though (and like explained, would need the centerlink dropped down if you buy the Superlift kit). It's up to you how much $$$ you want to spend, and/or if you have a welder and feel comfortable modifying it or not. From your comments about the axle perch welds, I'd say it might be simplest to just go with the #FA600 drop pitman arm and be done with it).
There really shouldn't be anything to be spooked over if you have a good understanding of it however.

[-irwin-]

junkie...
i wasnt saying welding over the welds, i was saying i would prefer the factory welds over mine (bubble gum) or more than likely one of my buddies who are a lot better to say the least. you got me though im not a welder just never took enough time to get the touch... im the guy with the lathes and mills :)
i did get under there the other day... trust me i was praying it was an 8.8 after the find on the trans i thought i might get away with a rebuild... but no dice its a 7.5
this is not going to be a quick do it tomorrow build this is being built to last and will be done in phases. like i said this truck has a lot of sentimental value.
if youre saying the drop pitman arm is as good as the super runner system for the most part then it seems to be a waste although like i said all of my bushings are toast. the rotted rubber is the reason im thinking of doing the lift, probably just as cost effective as rebuilding it all plus the suspension lift was on the want list anyways.

floored...
thanks for the link man im going to check it out

[4x4junkie]

Ok, I got ya. I'd definitely suggest having your buddy do the welding then if you don't trust your own. A 220V machine should be used on this anyway.

As for the drop pitman arm vs. the Superrunner steering, the Superrunner is better in that it doesn't put near as much stress on the steering box, and the two tierods each side work 100% independent from each other. The dropped arm's advantage is it's simpler to install, you can just bolt it on, align it, and go. Given a choice, I'd definitely go with a K-link system over the dropped arm.

[-irwin-]

I think I might go the super runner route because my tie rods are shot... hell basically the whole suspension is shot. I read your review on the kit, very nice write up, but I saw you are running an f250 spring bucket and Jeep coils? My spring buckets are pretty damn rusty and after 160k miles and with all the other work and expense that's going into this project I would hate to just leave a possibly vulnerable piece in the equation. What all was the reasoning for doing this on your rig? Was it for more flex any issues you found in going this route?
I really appreciate your help, I have a lot of respect for your build and knowledge and I just want to do this right the first time.
Oh and I have a 220 buzz box and a mig too just was never good at using em LOL. Makes it handy when I do need a hand though just have a body come over and everything is right there.

[4x4junkie]

More flex/better performance (basically the things anyone does to their vehicle to go farther and get to more remote places).
The stock shock mounts didn't allow a long enough shock that would give me the suspension travel I wanted, and pretty much all the lift coils made for these trucks you could almost substitute a section of solid pipe for, so that's why the Jeep coils and the F-250 shock mounts.

Unless you plan to be going down some pretty rugged trails where you'd need a lot of flex, I don't think you'd need to go that far with it on yours. Skyjacker's regular lift coils are probably the softest of the bunch and still work quite well for general trail use.
I'd get the steering squared away first anyway before you start messing with better coils (soft coils + misaligned steering do not get along well with each other lol).

[-irwin-]

I hear ya, my thing is the truck has been off the road for about 3 years so I'm not in any rush and would rather not do things twice. I never plan on getting rid of the truck so time isn't an issue and investment into something that will last is a definite positive

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I find this interesting. I have many of the same ideas and I subscribed in the hopes of learning a bunch more for when I do my b-II. I, also, like the idea of doing it right the first time. When you start fabrication take lots of pics.
Good luck,

Richard