rally ranger more info needed.

[Mthomas711]

I checked out some of the ideas people suggested and i really took to the idea of an irs 9 rear end. i heard the thunderbirds had them i would like to know if there is any other ford vehicle with irs. and i want to have ifs what would be a good choice for the front. a ranger set-up or a f-150. and i want to keep it all wheel drive (true time all wheel)

I havent decided on a motor yet i really like the idea of a v8 for all the power i would need but it also adds alot of weight. and i already have a cage in the ranger that didnt really make it lighter. so i have maybe come to this, Either steal the 2.3 turbo out of a mustang break it down and rebuild it with maybe a bigger turbo and better cams nothing way wild and extreme. just enough to push me around and give me a thrill so if anyone knows anything on the 2.3 option i would really appreciate it.

my other thought was a 4.0 n/a and do a rebuild to and some essentials like bore out .030 over and maybe find a stroker kit for it.
either way sounds good to me but i dont have a good knowledge of what would be better for my truck.

also if anyone thinks ahead a little what tranny would be the best choice i want to keep it a manual for the simple purpose its more fun. 5 speed would great and i dont even know if ford makes a 6 speed manual (if that would even be better than a 5 speed)

And My transfer case what would be a good choice. someone said a jeep transfer case would work but which one.

thanks for any input i really want this ranger project to be a success and i really cant see spending more than 2,000 on this just to get it running and maybe another 2-3,000 more later to make it perfect.

[martin]

The later explorers have irs and the ones with a v8 have all wheel drive. Mounted into a much lighter vehicle it might work. Sounds like a reasonable plan to me and most of it would be a bolt on.

[littleme13]

thunderbirds use a 8.8 not a 9 as far as i know but they are a really crappy design unless you just want the axles and not the arms. i dont think the 2.3 will make you happy as i have had this same idea. i would go either 4.0 turbo or 5.0 n/a or turbo 5.0 if you want lots of power. as far as the tcase thats a problem ive yet to truly figure out and much of the reason why i havnt built my trucck yet. most of the smaller ranger and exploer tcases wont hold the power at rpms of a "ralley truck". as for the front end a 98 or newer setup is what i would think would be ideal with some coilovers vers the torsion bars. just find a way to permenatly lock the hubs. \

hope this helps a little

[Wicked_Sludge]

a worked over 2.3 turbo could easily out-power a N/A 5.0....and its several times lighter to boot.

for an AWD t-case, just go with a 4400 series out of a later exploder. they were made to handle the power of a v-8 and the weight of a much heavier explorer from the factory, they'd do just fine in a ranger application.

[85_Ranger4x4]

The later explorers have irs and the ones with a v8 have all wheel drive. Mounted into a much lighter vehicle it might work. Sounds like a reasonable plan to me and most of it would be a bolt on.

Dunno much about IRS swaps, but the '02+ Explorers with IRS are quite abit wider than a Ranger or older Explorer. I would shelve IRS until you got the motor and the rest of the drivetrain ironed out.

The 2.3T would be fun, but it probably wont be easy to find a tranny that will mate to it and a transfer case. They quit making 4x4 2.3's in the mid 90's and they were not common then, so donars are going to be harder to come by than most.

Dunno what you are using for a truck, but a 98+ with a live front axle, 4.6, and AWD would be sweet. If not for rally (which I know nothing about) then just for ripping around town. And while I am dreaming, a 5.4 would even be better...