WRC Urban Rally Ranger

[rider68642]

As I close up my undergraduate career here in the northeast and find my paychecks starting to increase, I begin to ponder the feasibility and uniqueness of a little daydream I've been having lately.

Supercars and Lowered vehicles in Boston are the dumbest thing ever. In my opinion new york is equally as bad. I dream of a low slung, long travel, high speed street suspension valving, and a fit and finish through and through of a WRC car. Maybe even a sequential gear-box to really make it fun.

My question is, has it been done yet? Is there a market for fabricating trucks like this? Would you buy the parts if I started a company that builds the parts to build a truck of this street caliber?

Just imagine how fun it would be to be able to smoke everyone with a pick up that just hammers through whatever you throw at it. Of course, the motor build is up to you, but I'd keep my four banger with a hearty build up to be a boosted and snarling beast. I'm thinking downpipe cutout that dumps out right behind the front passenger tire.

Lets talk this one out. How would you build one?

[PARKINGLOT]

sounds like a cool plan!

[JohnnyU]

I have a 400hp Turbo Diesel to do most everything you mentioned.

It can:
- tow 20K lbs
- 'smoke' pretty much anything it comes up against within reason
- pull out stumps/trees/small homes
- handle well on or off-road
- travel down the interstate at 75mph
- travel through deep snow, mud, sand, etc being 4x4
- comfortably seat 6 adults
- pull 20mpg on the interstate

No one will really pay you what anything is 'worth', especially not when you are talking about broke highschool or college students on an extremely limited budget.

[josh-the-ranger]

He said rally ranger:buttkick:

a big diesel is not near as cool as a totally modified ass hauling ranger.

What would you rather have
This?
http://tarpon.tamug.edu/~good5869/f350.jpg


Or this
http://images.off-roadweb.com/features/0605or_01z+1989_Ford_Ranger_4x4+Front_Passenger_Si de_View_Airborne.jpg

[rider68642]

hahahaa, thanks for puttin him in his place. If you saw his rig that I assume he says will do the same, its definitely the former rather than the more preferable latter choice of your two pics. Essentially, I'm trying to build a street version of the second of the two, but one thats meant to drift/rally the broken and pot holed streets of any city. A truck that is basically a stadium truck with more street in mind when it comes to the actual suspension valving. The problem is I want lifted extreme offroad suspension travel and durability with street/rally car handling improvements.

you know, I'm actually from illinois.... wonder if I'll see him someday when I finish this. mmmmmmm, Sequential Dogbox.... hope he knows what that is.

[JohnnyU]

I wouldn't drive either of those, actually.

Don't toot your own horn, it creates an ugly picture.... It's a cool idea, but not profitable. Hence the reason why companies make lesser kits, such as Camburg, et al. No one wants to pay the type of money to actually build something like that, and those who do, typically build it themselves, or are few and far enough between that they could never support a business doing so. After sseveral feasibility studies, it's been proven that you cannot center your business on something so specialized, you need to be much more wide-based. If a highly specified job comes through the door, more power to you as you are able to build such a vehicle.

I'd still take my rattly, smokey, lumbering diesel truck over that Ranger any day. Buy one, own one, drive one, until then, you'll never quite get it. :rolleyes:


What would your price tag be for something like this anyway?

[littleredrangerhood]

a big diesel is not near as cool as a totally modified ass hauling ranger. What would you rather have?

That's a no brainer, I would choose the diesel over the ranger any day. The numbers don't lie my friend. A turbo diesel putting out 400hp and 675 ft lbs will demolish the best freaking ranger money can buy or YOU can build. Especially if the diesel is tuned a little which doesn't require much to do. Ever see a diesel truck drag race? Go on youtube and search for it. Turbo diesel trucks rock. Nuff said.

[josh-the-ranger]

A turbo diesel putting out 400hp and 675 ft lbs will demolish the best freaking ranger money can buy or YOU can build.:bsflag:

It will demolish the best freaking ranger money can buy?

Theres no way a full size diesel truck is gonna beat this ranger ON or OFF road! Under the hood, he stuffed a 427ci small-block Ford engine that was also built by Craig's High Performance Shop. This isn't just a small-block - it was built to push over 575 hp at 6,800 rpm and 575 lb-ft of torque while still being able to use regular pump gas. Not only does it look better its faster!
http://images.off-roadweb.com/features/0707or_21_z+1986_ford_ranger_prerunner+front_actio n.jpg

Now if your talking daily driver i would put a 347 stroker in a ranger. guaranteed i can make a badass ranger that is faster than a diesel truck and spend less money doing it.

[josh-the-ranger]

not trying to start an argument. just sayin....

[JohnnyU]

not trying to start an argument. just sayin....
Too late.

Go on with your Ranger pride, it's funny.:rolleyes:

[Jim Oaks]

Hold up here - let's clarify this.

I love desert racing. It's what I would love to do.

I also love WRC rally racing. It's what I would want to do if I could desert race.

Desert racing is a western time-distance race. Rally is an eastern tine-distance race.

I believe someone that was in the forums did some type of rally racing. Don't remember who.

If I'm reading this correctly, he's talking about kits for World Rally Car type vehicles, not desert rigs.

http://www.worldrallychampionship.net/photos/portugal/2007/500/portugal_11_33_0_action_1.jpg

That would be different suspensions.

[Will]

Well, I like the idea. I don't think it is going to be the base for a business all by itself, but doing that type of work on a number of types of vehicles would.

I've seen plenty of yoo-toob videos, and yes, they are impressive. But I still don't like those trucks. I don't like my own either. It can haul a lot of shit, it can tow a lot of shit, it fits a lot of people, it get extremely good mileage considering its size--but I don't like it all that much. It's inertia preys on my mind. I was much happier in a Ranger-sized vehicle, but this thing is more practical for where I'm at in life. It checks more blocks on my list of things that need done than any other vehicle could--and it's paid for.

I can honestly afford to drive anything that I want. I just don't give that much of a shit. I don't tie my self esteem into a stupid vehicle. I agonize over what suits my needs the best then that's what I do. It's the same reason I still have a D35 in my Bronco II.

But trucks aren't my main interest so that explains the attitude. If you like to design stuff and think you can sell it, go for it. Just keep an open mind because John in right about narrowing your clientele too much. Those cars have different suspensions but if you could do the suspension for one of those, you coud do it for a lot of other things too. Making a living on your hobby is the dream life.

[rider68642]

Wow, great to see the buzz guys. I'll tell you all this. This will just be my first vehicle. My fandom is for everything with a motor. From atvs, snowmobiles, jetskis, boats, cars, and trucks, and even exotics, I love them all. Thankfully I can even say I've had experience in each throughout my 23 years of life. I am no fortunate son but I've worked some fun jobs and played with some nice toys. Nevertheless, this is indeed, as was stated in earlier posts, an urban rally truck much like what you would see hammering the various international stages of World Rally Championship racing. Though there are strong similarities between the racing styles of desert and rally, the set ups are drastically different. With the rally concept, the idea is to lighten, strengthen, and stiffen a stock chassis to improve its handling and safety. Safety should be concerned in every vehicle and no project of mine will overlook this category, not even a hot rod. Sadly, too many friends have already been lost and without even riding a motorcycle, I've sworn myself never to own one. The rest of the set up lies in a durable driveline, a strong, efficient, and reliable powerplant, and a suspension meant to control vehicle dynamics at speed while still managing the rough stuff at the same time. I suppose my best choice for the suspension will be a stiff compression and rebound setting for a long travel desert pre-runner and then I'll just have to play with spring rates and anti-roll bars and camber/caster till I find the right combination.

Believe me people, my shop won't be focused around one thing. I'm a young aspiring tuner and designer. I have friends who've worked for Boyd, and I myself was fortunate enough to work for a certain lamborghini shop in Illinois for a brief period on a semester off. Needless to say, it was hard to make the decision to return to school. You guys wouldn't believe me, but I was actually talking to a former motocross world champ, Mr Shaun Kelley, while I was working there about twin turbocharging his gallardo with the assistance of the renowned Stanley Chaffin as the lead technician for the whole project and me as the project designer/manager. Things didn't line up financially though and 8 months later, Heffner Motorsports pulled it off. Looking back, I was too young for that honor anyways and I can see why it wasn't supported by the company president. Can't help but dream though... anyone wanna invest in a business plan?

[JohnnyU]

Beleive it or not, I've heard similar speeches before. You probably just graduated with an Engineering degree, no? Those are big shoes to fill, especially with no real-world experience to speak of under your belt. If you'd been working in the industry for 20 years I could see it, but once again, your age is working against you.

Believe me, I've been in a very similar situation, although a different venue.

[littleredrangerhood]

guaranteed i can make a badass ranger that is faster than a diesel truck and spend less money doing it.

I would like to see the numbers you come up with. Are we talking new parts, used parts, used truck? Also, few questions you might want to consider. Will your ranger retain the same value as a diesel truck? Will it be able to carry as many people as a quad cab diesel? Try towing 14,000 lbs with your suped up ranger and let me know how that works out for you. Turbo diesels are straight up brute strength dude. They will outlast anything out there and get way better fuel mileage considering the numbers they are putting out.

Truth is, you and I see things very differently. I am into offroading, and I mean the real kind where four wheel drive is required, not this rally shit. For me, the slower your rig goes, the better. When I look at street vehicles I see them as what they can do to fit my towing, power, and everyday needs.

[rider68642]

For the general information of the readers of this forum, I am a business student majoring in Entrepreneurship and strategic management at a business school. This is just a passion, hobby, and a dream.

Diesel guys, get lost. Look at the title of the forum and start thinking. This is not designed to be a solely off road vehicle. Its meant for desert racing abuse and rally car handling. I DO NOT EVEN WANT 4WD!!!!!! I HATE GIVING PASSENGERS RIDES!!!! I DON'T NEED TO TOW ANYTHING!!!! I DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS ABOUT GAS MILEAGE!!!! I JUST WANNA GO FAST EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES!!! That means you need something called latteral traction which means you need body control. Your lame ass 4-6 inch lifts won't suffice here. Think re-hung hoops and long travel (at least 10 inches) with as little lift as possible (low center of gravity for better handling)

And just so everyone can rest easy, theres nothing wrong with diesels. I love turbos. I love the grunt and beastliness of a big burly heavy ass diesel. But try and rock one of those in Boston. It sucks.

The ranger is fun since it just zips around larger vehicles. I want to be able to rock this truck anywhere, anytime, against anything, not just other trucks. The highlight of my desired experience would be a long point to point race against anything that would be lesser equipped suspension and durability wise. THAT MEANS NO DODGING POT HOLES, NO LETTING OFF THE GAS, AND GENERALLY NEVER BEING BEATEN BY ANY ROAD CONDITIONS OR ANY ****IN RICER.

So, unless you have something to contribute to this urban rally ranger project, stop wasting time and space. go educate yourselves and do this community some good.

REMEMBER THIS IS AN URBAN (aka dense city setting) TRUCK CONCEPT!!!

My new motto, **** the fast and furious and **** the slow and curious, Urban Assault Vehicles dominate all.

[JohnnyU]

So, unless you have something to contribute to this urban rally ranger project, stop wasting time and space. go educate yourselves and do this community some good.

I tried, you didn't care to listen.


Good luck with your concept.

[Forcus]

Sorry, kid, but this smacks of too much enthusiasm, too much bravado, and too little thought, and too little willingness to listen.

All of the guys I know who actually get some stuff done don't bounce ideas off of forum people and then criticize people who don't agree with them. They just go out to the garage, and do it. That's great that you got to talk to famous people and work in high end shops for a couple months but at the end of the day it's just a story for the bar and you have nothing tangible to show for it.

My suggestion is to get a real job when you are done with school (and by the way, no one who ever hopes to succeed stops learning, school or not). I wouldn't even work at an off road place, or suspension shop, or anything else. I'd get a good job as a mechanical engineer, be humble, and absorb everything you can from those around you. Treat this Ranger thing as a hobby. I don't think there are a whole lot of high rollers interested in Ranger parts or rally trucks, or whatever.

And good luck on creating a niche. It's much easier to exploit (maybe expand is a better word) a current niche than start a new one. And I'm pretty sure Rangers fall under a small to non-existant market.

I really hope you succeed but I've learned way more (and still have way more to learn) by being humble, apologizing when I misunderstand or misstate something I say as gospel, and doing my own thing without having other folk's approval. Maybe it is the way I am wired, but I'd suggest you harness your energy and do your own thing too without worrying what anyone here has to say!

Brian

[rider68642]

For the general information of the readers of this forum, I am a business student majoring in Entrepreneurship and strategic management at a business school.

Guys, please. I am not an engineering student. I am not an engineer. Yes I am technically minded, but it is not my aspiration to be doing the specialized labor. I almost went to engineering school but after the toss up, I landed at business school. Babson College to be specific.

I'm sorry I came here and wasted all your time, thinking that I'd get help from someone who does have the experience with the hardware that works best. What have I learned so far is probably going to be a fully re hung suspension set up similar to a desert truck, but less travel, probably rebuildable and tunable shocks like what Fox has, and a swapped motor from something that has a wide powerband and somewhere in the neighbor hood of 300-400 hp. None of this has come from anyone at this forum, so don't be quick to call yourselves grand professors just because you're older than I am. Let a kid dream.

What I need to learn is how can I do this, who would know how or would be willing to help build it, or what parts I should even start buying! I am currently preparing for winter by ordering new wheels and tires, and a limited slip. At the same time, for routine maintenance, the clutch will be replaced.

NOW, will someone please help me with what I don't know. This is the ranger station isn't it? You guys know shit about rangers right? someone please step up and tell me at least what kind of garage would undertake something of this sort. Its two different concepts, from two different types of shops, and I need to know how this thing should be built proper.

AGAIN THIS IS MY CURRENT DAILY DRIVER TRUCK, BONE STOCK, AND I AM NOT AN ENGINEER OR MECHANIC!

And Jonny U, what did you contribute? You own a dodge diesel that can do everything that I'm talking about? I'm from Aurora, I'll come down and find that black truck of yours and we can have it out when I've built what I'm talking about. Forcus, you're damn right, I should get in the garage and do it. And as soon as I can, believe me friend, I will be.

[littleredrangerhood]

Dude, I'm 22 and even I realize that this kind of truck is pointless. Wonder why you are having a hard time finding all the info about your concept on this board? The reason is because no one else really wants to piss money away into a truck like you're talking of building. Maybe that kind of thing is popular on the West Coast were prerunners abound and desert racing is popular. I know I know, you are going to say its not a desert racer. Guess what, it is.

[JohnnyU]

And Jonny U, what did you contribute? You own a dodge diesel that can do everything that I'm talking about? I'm from Aurora, I'll come down and find that black truck of yours and we can have it out when I've built what I'm talking about. Forcus, you're damn right, I should get in the garage and do it. And as soon as I can, believe me friend, I will be.

Making threats will get you nowhere around here.

I offered you the advice from someone who has run a sucessful business for the last 5 years, and has looked into the feasibility of venturing off into a similar business area. Highly specialized niches are not very common, and are EXTREMELY cut-throat. In order to be competitive you either need to be very lucky, or very wealthy because unfortunately forums like TRS, Dezert Rangers, RRORC, etc. aren't going to be enough to support a business whose product price range is in the 10's of thousands of dollars start to finish.

Since you aren't an Engineer or mechanic, who will be doing your design work? Who will determine which designs are safe and which aren't. Who will decide what type of materials are best suited for which parts? How are you going to build this business into what you are looking for it to become? You need more than a business degree and a dream to make something like this happen.

I offered that bit of advice from my perspective. You are too arrogant to read past my initial comment to actually see what I had to say. I thought they taught you guys about Supply and Demand in business school. hell, I learned it my freshman year in Econ 103. :icon_confused:

[Jim Oaks]

I'll add my 2-cents in here.

First of all, I like hypotheticals and thinking out of the box.

Full size diesel guys, Hush. The topic is about Rangers. It has nothing to do with Diesels. A well built WRC Ranger would eat your truck up on a rally course. We'll see what happens when you take a light weight Ranger and 3/4 ton truck and push them in to a gravel turn at the same speeds.

We do have a guy here that races on courses:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a394/WHITEMX5/ricatSV2.jpg

Not WRC, but he appreciates the abilities and undestands the limitations of a Ranger.

You should be looking more at the CORR trucks than desert trucks. Especially the stadium style trucks. They don't sit high like a lifted truck but have a lot of travel.

Ralley is becoming more popular and their are truck classes now in some organizations. I think there's one in the southwest.

Not sure where your market would be. I lack knowledge in that type of racing to know where to start making mods.

Nobody in their right mind is going to invest in your business plan. It's just an idea. You haven't proven to anybody that you have the ability to make it happen.

Nobody cares about where you go to school, who you worked for or who your friends are. I saw some 'boyd' employee on American Hotrod shaking a paint can and wasn't going to stop until it quit rattling so he knew it was mixed. Is that your friend?

Words and associations don't impress people. Actually doing it and showing people what you can do impresses people.

[rider68642]

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again, Jim, for offering me the guidance I've been looking for. I will be researching the parts spec and engineers who work the CORR style trucks you mentioned.

You guys are absolutely right, I don't know what I need and thats why I came here.

I will not be opening a solely off-road ranger shop. Save your breath about niche markets because technically, according to SEMA, the whole specialty equipment and aftermarket performance market is niche. Just take a look at what the majority of what you see on the road. Most vehicles are stock. If this truck were to be associated with any shop, not even my own dream shop, it would simply be a project that highlights the technical abilities and creativity of the shop staff. This would be a niche of a niche and centering a business around it is foolish. DUH. If I were to make a parts group for this type of vehicle, it would of course be an extremely small production number.

Please, before you start making assumptions, re read my posts from the forum. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to re post things I've been saying from the beginning.

I personally, would never open up a solely drag specific, or lambo specific, or any niche specific shop. The shop, ideally would be a one stop performance shop staffed with a group of individuals who are each uniquely specialized in their own department of motorsports. Ideally, the business would the one shop you could go to with any kind of vehicle. I love the internal combustion engine and everything that moves by its power. I would ideally secure a list of vendors that could satisfy the needs of any customer with any car. But this will take time. No shop could expect to start with this kind of grandeur. The beginning depends on the amount of capital secured for start up. Investing in the shop tools and the people that are capable of doing anything are the most important two facets of a new shop. Then you market your abilities. This truck, is just that; a display of ability.

As far as my truck is concerned, Jonny U, I know I need people to help me with this. SO, where did I come? To the ranger website with the best technical forums I've ever found for a range of vehicles. Theres a lot of great info here, and believe me, I've read everything I can that is pertinent to my bone stock '01 Ford Ranger XL Short Bed 2wd 2.3 liter 5spd. Jonny U, you still haven't taught me anything I don't already know. Why don't you tell me about the law of marginally diminishing returns and realize you're only making yourself look more and more like a negatively centered individual who is stubborn and stuck to their ways and probably because of this, is struggling to grow or maintain your own business. Piss off or man up to my challenge. If you accept, within one year, I will have this truck built, and we'll go head to head, your choice of the road.

The project has begun, and will proceed as fast as a soon-to-be college graduate can make it happen. I mean, c'mon, I don't even have a garage or a job in a shop right now. I am doing and will continue doing whatever it takes to build this frankenstein and can only ask for your assistance in getting it off the ground.

As far as who I know and where I've worked, its an informal resume and the only credibility I have. Will they check if you wanted to hire me? Damn skippy. You question my school? Go look it up in Business week. I don't care. I'm not worried about it. Do you guys hear me questioning your credibility? no. Am I proclaiming to know how to do this? No. Am I begging for some assistance? HELL YES!

Jim, I'm currently in New Engalnd looking to move to the west coast, you know of any CORR Truck shops out here or anywhere for that matter, that would take a free intern? So far, you are the only person helping out here.

I understand the limitations of a truck on the street. But controlling lateral and longitudinal weight transfers is my focus here. The motor and drive line will be built around the suspension set up finally adopted.

As for everyone else, yes this project, being the first of its kind, will be extremely expensive. Consider that R&D that I pay myself. When I figure out what to put on in the first place, I'll post the results. When I try something else in its place, I let you all know where to put your money, should you decide to try it.

Now, does anyone have just one manufacturer that is well established in CORR Truck suspension or is it all custom fab?

As far as learning is concerned, I think it goes without saying that I still need some education. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with a very mechanically inclined father and thus, I've only been able to experience the mechanics through working with my friends and the negligible amount of time at the dealership. Whats the biggest thing I've done under the hood? Swapped a 305 for a 350 into an 84 camaro. Whoop dee freakin do da.

SO please help me determine what is the best suspsension set up. I know I'm going CORR Style right now, and I'm going to start doing research on it, but any additional help or links I can get from this forum will be greatly appreciated.

Now if you're looking to invest in something or want to see my business plan, send me your email and I'll send you 20 plus pages I have prepared already.

[dirtraider]

As far as learning is concerned, I think it goes without saying that I still need some education. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with a very mechanically inclined father and thus, I've only been able to experience the mechanics through working with my friends and the negligible amount of time at the dealership. Whats the biggest thing I've done under the hood? Swapped a 305 for a 350 into an 84 camaro. Whoop dee freakin do da.



Wheres the ****ing cliff notes on that i'm not reading all that shit...

And poor baby about the mechanic skills, thats what you get for going to a school in a town named "Babson Park" (....i know kids who go there so i can't talk to much lol)

People will start caring about what you say when you do it, not how many pages of text you have about it....so go build some shit come back and we'll see how you did :thefinger:

[hitech_hick]

Wheres the f**king cliff notes on that i'm not reading all that s**t...

And poor baby about the mechanic skills, thats what you get for going to a school in a town named "Babson Park" (....i know kids who go there so i can't talk to much lol)

People will start caring about what you say when you do it, not how many pages of text you have about it....so go build some s**t come back and we'll see how you did

You might want to edit your post and clean up your language a little bit.



hick

[rider68642]

Wheres the ****ing cliff notes on that i'm not reading all that shit...

Its in bold and italics.... genius.:idiot:

[dirtraider]

You might want to edit your post and clean up your language a little bit.

hick

Thanks mom.

If people were that worried about it here they'd have it blocked....sorry if my use of "adult" language offends you in an "adult" conversation

Its in bold and italics.... genius.

Sorry reading the novel you wrote before that distracted me, we're techincally minded here, we don't like to read anymore than we have to.

[JohnnyU]

As far as my truck is concerned, Jonny U, I know I need people to help me with this. SO, where did I come? To the ranger website with the best technical forums I've ever found for a range of vehicles. Theres a lot of great info here, and believe me, I've read everything I can that is pertinent to my bone stock '01 Ford Ranger XL Short Bed 2wd 2.3 liter 5spd. Jonny U, you still haven't taught me anything I don't already know. Why don't you tell me about the law of marginally diminishing returns and realize you're only making yourself look more and more like a negatively centered individual who is stubborn and stuck to their ways and probably because of this, is struggling to grow or maintain your own business. Piss off or man up to my challenge. If you accept, within one year, I will have this truck built, and we'll go head to head, your choice of the road.


First off, My name has an H in it, get it right.

Secondly, I'll be waiting for your challenge. It will go down on November 14, 2008. Not one day later. I choose the challenge?


JoHnnyU out.

EDIT: I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour.

[projectnitemare]

I will add to this I guess. In your best interest...do you think you can make the thing street legal? If not then you are kind of wasting your time, especially if you want to sell them. Being a custom vehicle you probably won't sell many especially with the price tag you will need to make any profit. The reason nobody can answer your question would be you are asking that either nobody has an interest in doing, you are the first to consider it or there is a better vehicle to start with. Being that you have zero engineering background you have a lot of things working against you. Unless you can understand how to fabricate, draft, do analysis, figure spring rates and shock valving and so on. I'm all about people building a dream vehicle; I'm still working on mine. I too have aspirations of opening my own garage/off road shop; it may never happen. I wouldn't go bash everyone if you are asking for help; not a good way to get friends. As far as Rangers go; this place is probably the best place to look if you have questions. There are a lot of helpful and knowledge that hang out here.

Matt

[metalmacguyver]

wow, i think this thread might be worthy of the pirate bulletin board.

that was a long freaking post. but i managed to read it all.

i know that i wont be able to really help you with this so much from a technical aspect because i am interested in rock crawling. i can however try to help you learn how to get the info that you are looking for.

to move forward, just start ignoring anything that is not related to your topic. stop talking about business theory and shit. i as a mechanical engineering student couldnt care less about that stuff. :D

lets start getting some specifics on this project.

i start for ya---- it will be based on a 2WD extended cab.

good luck!

[97BlackBetty]

I too have been following the saga that this thread has become.

Im kinda interested in your idea thoug, it is something that i have thought about and would consider designing. In northern Michigan we have a lot of two tracks to tear down, my buddys Subaru flys and the only way for me to keep up is to make sure i swing the ass end wide, otherwise i roll it.

So i would like to help you and assist wth ideas, but dont knock em'.

Like said above you are gonna be looking most likely for an extended cab, 2wd. With this base i would probably look at bobbing the bed (shorten it, smaller yet), and as you stated you dont want to worry about pot holes or anything that gets in your way. 15 INCH WHEELS, alluminum alloy=light. Probably a tire in the 26-28 inch range, enough side wall flex and protection for your suspension and your wheels. They are also a small enough tire to keep your rolling weight low.

Suspension your gonna have to figure on your own, all i can say is HUGE swaybars. If i were to attempt it i would take a look at patoV6's truck, he used real soft springs which settled the truck low, and yet had large amounts of available travel. (Do a search on the site for his name and take a look at whats he did.) For shocks i would use a multi shock set up to better dissipate the heat. Keep in mind that for multi shock set ups you need to use smaller shocks.

An engine is gonna be to your discrepancy, in the tuner world its all about small displacement and high horsepower, but your wanting to use a truck for your base thats twice the weight if not more than any ricer. You need TORQUE! As has been stated before a big turbo diesel pickup will smoke most cars because of a simple thing called torque, however a diesel truck aint gonna take a corner at 35 plus, at least not well. I would use something like the 4.0 or a 302. Depends on what you have access to. For me its all about a 5 speed, the ability to choose your gears in an environment that can rapidly change is key, however an auto is generally smoother and faster.

Now im guessing looks are going to be important to you seeing as how your in an urban setting, hell their important tome and i take looks into account anytime i consider a mod, its my dd after all. Weight, as im sure you know is important, it needs to be kept low, so anything thats in their if you really want it to go fast has to be functional or it has to go. For me that means no stereo, not gonna fly in a dd so think about it before you put it in.

Thats all i have for now, if you got any questions go ahead feel free, got any ideas im more than willing to listen. The only other thing im wondering is what year your planning on using for your base, pre 97' would be my choice, i like the ttb in 2 wd and 4wd versions. The IFS may be more suitable for your knowledge base, its your choice in the end.

Justin

[dirtraider]

wow, i think this thread might be worthy of the pirate bulletin board.

good luck!

This thread no, the topic, yes, but do not ever compare this place to pirate. However i would love to see what kind of input they have for you on the topic. (They are over at www.pirate4x4.com if you'd like to post up about it)

and 97 you have no idea what you are talking about so i'll just stop there, if you honestly think that sidewall protects your suspension and that pato's truck is low because the springs he used, then god speed, you and rider have a nice talk and i'll be waiting to watch the hilarity that ensues a year from now. :idiot:

[97BlackBetty]

Your right, i just read waht i wrote and holy crap im retarded, it was also 3 a.m. I appologize for posting any of that.
Justin

[rider68642]

Wow, thanks a ton 97, but is there any advantage to the extended cab over a regular cab? My Ranger is a 2001 short box, regular cab, 5 speed xl 2.3 liter. Its currently my daily drive and pretty much as basic as it gets. 7.5 inch rear with 3.73 and an open diff soon to be swapped for an 8.8 axle or at least just a Ford Racing Limited Slip for the 7.5.

[Maverick]

The advantage of the extended cab is the longer wheelbase, which will make handle better all the way around.

[97BlackBetty]

Like Maverick said, its just gonna handle better.

You also stated that its your daily driver, hate to break it to you, but unless your a magician doing large amounts of custom fabrication to a DD is not easy. Unless you have everything required to do the mod. and a lot of buddies and too much beer for even them to drink, you may want to consider purchasing a secong platform to do your modifications to. Its not ideal but neither is having a project DD.

As to the model year, like i said i prefer the pre 97 with a TTB, however if you would like to use a later model with IFS ill see what i can learn about their specific characteristics to better aid you in making decisions.

Justin

P.S. the real reason im helping you is to learn as much as possible as i can, whether your idea will truley be feasible or not, i guess you will find out. Shoot me an e-mail with the specifics of the build, how you are planning on using it, and what specific terrain you want to use it on. nisbet3@mbx.nmc.edu

[littleme13]

Rider, your best bet is to PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!!! this isnt a bashing or any type of discuragment. but i have learned that plaining is the best way to go about this. my reasoning for this is simple; with a complex setup like your talking isnt just a lets throw this together and hope it works. most of it can be figured out on paper. design your suspention build it see if it works then what doesnt go back to the board and tweak the little things until it does. a little constructive critizism thou, a year is a stretch for something like this. ive been planning a build that im about a year and a half into and just this winter might have enough figured out to start. and mines not as near a technical as yours. mine just comes to the fatc i dont know much about fuel injection and ive spent the last 3 months trying to figure out how to get my turbo setup to work. and everytime i think im almost done i come up with something i want to change just because i think it will work better. but i havent wasted any money only a few hours while my kids are asleep of my time. not much to know its gonna be done right if you ask me

sorry for the long post but i wanted to make sure you know what your getting yourself into

tony

[Jason]

Seems like a great deal of narrow-mindedness and bashing on this board. I like the idea and ideas are the basis of ALL custom vehicles. I would expect you guys here to know that. I am however displeased to point out that I am instead disappointed in the way people here responded to a fresh idea.

I am more than aware that this is the internet and people argue, but this shows me that TRS has too many of the people that make the internet the PITA that it can be. I only hope that it's an isolated incident as I was looking forward to a board full of people that shared my admiration for the Ranger. As things are looking from this thread and the "stupid kids" thread I see a few cool people and a bunch of closed-minded rednecks.

[littleredrangerhood]

Yeah, ideas are great but there are a lot of guys on this board who just talk out of their ass about the stuff they are going to do and future plans and then nothing happens. Talk is cheap.

[littleme13]

redranger you are very correct and its not just this board many boards have the same problem. but a lot of times it is someone wants to install a aftermarket lift or some other bolt on upgrades. even if he doesnt build it in the next year finding out all he can about what he wants to do now might help him build it 5 years from now. or maybe he will realize what he wants to do is beyond his capabilities. but the questions he askes might help someone with a crazy idea they had. thats the great thing about boards like this is the person who really wants to build something might stumble across an idea that has nothing to do with what they want to directly but a link to a website that has info they needed thats how i found most of the info for my build. at least its not the same question the last 90 thousand people asked just because they didnt want to search or take the time to read a few posts. those who want to create something unique will find a way. those who just wanted to sound cool will give up not knowing they had a great idea.

[littleredrangerhood]

good points there

[canyoncritter]

you might want to take a look at the pikes peak trucks also for some ideals.But as with the CORR trucks, not much if any of the factory truck is left under the body panles.Most are tube frame wonders etc.

to get more than about 2inches of bump travel your going to have to ether lift it, or notch the frame out. or bend the beams and relocate the beam end to bring back down the ride height.Sorta like what the drop beams do.But that could end up in some nasty camber and caster angles at bump.Word of caution if done something like this, you could pull the spindle snout right out of the knuckle.Some desert trucks have had this problem on dirt let alone pavement.if you plan on defying gravity
another way I can think of would be to fab your own beams using the old f150 equal length kingpin beams. As they have a kick to them that would help keep the ride height down.And possibly allow for some extra bump travel.Other than being able to fab the beams, the hard part would be finding the correct spindle to keep the bolt pattern for the ranger ,front steer and correct kingpin size of 7/8th...they only came on 2 years of trucks.80 and 81 f100's.

I have never done this, so I dont know what the over all out come would be, but just some of my "stupid" desert truck logic as some here say.Just trying to throw out some ideals..

IF you do end up lifting the truck a bit, dont just use the camber bushing to adjust for it, or you will be going threw balljoint,there are not meant to ride at such angles.And forget about lift/drop brackets, they would be evil in this app. you could end up dragging the pivot mount if you compressed the suspension all the way out. can we say endo ala on the roof.



If you do plan of seeing air time or would like a stiff chassie, I would suggest a very well thought out cage system, tip to tip.And if you do notch out the frame it would be a good ideal to plate the frame tip to tail also.

shock and spring wise, your in for some money here as well.
multiple shocks I dont see the need for.a single 2.5 body resi, or piggy back race shock should be up to par,unless you plan on running 200 plus mile rallys. you have multiple choices here, coil overs, smooth bodys, bypass's etc. If this was truly going to be a daily driver, I would suggest a bypass, that way you could open up a tube for a fair ride for getting to the store etc.And be able to close the tube back up for play time.

"and no guys a rancho 9000 or mx6 is not a bypass type of shock or work very well in such a truck"

since your going to be pretty limited on bump travel I would also suggest a hydraulic bumpstop on each corner as well.

sway bars and travel reallllyyy dont go together to well but can be done.its just "money" and able fab things right...the parts are available off some race shops shelf's but it making them work right and have the skills to do it..

To do something like this right, to make a full on REAL rally truck, your looking at as much money to build a full on desert race truck, and alot of the same tech......

To be honest, this would not make for a good project on your only daily driver as it would not be a 6hr bolt on install type of thing.

I'm just curios what you think your overall price tag will be for such a built truck.....just in parts....

shocks alone are going to run about $2500 on a mid rate scale....cage work if you bend it and weld it yourself is going to be some loot, 200 ft plus of DOM tube at aprx $4.00 per ft.
custom set of rear springs pretty close to a grand.
suspenstion seat's $500-$900 for a pair on the mid rate scale once again
5 point harnes 125 ish ea

IF you dont want to get so cutsom in the front end I have a few ideals on a pretty low ride height ranger.But Im next to affraid to say what it is, as I might get banned from this board, due to other members getting a hissy over it.As it would NOT included drop brackets! and it could be done in ethier 2wd of 4wd.4wd would have some advantages over 2wd in a true rally course that was dirt or gravel etc.think subaru all wheel drive. corner huger rather than a ass slinger.

[BLOODBANE]

One thing anyone has yet to mention is........Get a good CAD program, learn to use it, and design what you are wanting. Thats all the input I will give you. What you basically are wanting to do is street race(you have said this yourself
My question is, has it been done yet? Is there a market for fabricating trucks like this? Would you buy the parts if I started a company that builds the parts to build a truck of this street caliber?

Just imagine how fun it would be to be able to smoke everyone with a pick up that just hammers through whatever you throw at it. Of course, the motor build is up to you, but I'd keep my four banger with a hearty build up to be a boosted and snarling beast. I'm thinking downpipe cutout that dumps out right behind the front passenger tire..)
I will not condone street racing anywhere, at any time!!!!!!!!! Its just plain stupid and you will end up killing either: a) yourself, b) someone else, or c) yourself and a family. If your racing at a track, good on you and good luck, but I don't believe you are. Be safe and please don't come back and tell me how safe you are when you race. If you are racing on the public streets its never safe.........................BLOOD

[ckblum]

EDIT: Sorry didn't realize how old this was, that dang search tool.

[dburton07]

just spent the last hour readin this whole thread......

so wheres the progress?????????

its been almost 4 months since the end of the thread, if you're really doing this lets get an update!

[97BlackBetty]

I think he got pissed and bolted, I havent seen him on here since.

[dburton07]

yea probably

probably finally realized he had waaaaayyyy to much on his plate to do for a year, but i would have loved to hear the story about him an joHnny u's ( i got such a kick out of that hahaha) showdown, *dun dun dunnnnn*

oh well, good way to pass somtime on this snowy/rainy spring break day lol

i hope another dream story comes up that would be fun.

"so yea guys, i was thinkin, i want to build up my ranger, 'Project: White Lightning Thunder Kracker!!!!!!!!!' dually axle swap front n rear, 20" lift, 8 63" tractor tires, 900 V20 big block. but theres a catch, i need this done for next weekds mud runs....any help would be awesome, but diesel guys, go away i dont like you"


hahahaha i crack myself up:icon_pepsi:

[atvoutlaw]

yea probably

"so yea guys, i was thinkin, i want to build up my ranger, 'Project: White Lightning Thunder Kracker!!!!!!!!!' dually axle swap front n rear, 20" lift, 8 63" tractor tires, 900 V20 big block. but theres a catch, i need this done for next weekds mud runs....any help would be awesome, but diesel guys, go away i dont like you"


hahahaha i crack myself up:icon_pepsi:

now that was funny :taunt:

[koda6966]

Lets not complain about whether you think it would be a good idea, or cost efficient.
Many people have dreams of what they want to build. I personaly would love to have a WRC Ranger, or even a Desert Racer, WHICH ARE DIFFERENT.

Mkay.

Oh wait thats right.

Its JOHNNY

Come on, i dont even get that mad and flip out when people mess up my name.
AND I HAVE AN EASY ONE

[dburton07]

now that was funny :taunt:

heh, nice signature, i thought it was pretty funny myself i was chuckelin as i was writin it

[JohnnyU]

Let's not start down that road again Koda.....

[ckblum]

Look what I started. Or I guess restarted.

JohnnyU, I gotta say I'm kinda surprised with you. I've been on quite a few forums and to be honest I can't believe you're a "Super Mod". Just reading through this thread, you were just as much of a wang and provocative as any of the other guys. I know you have your own opinion but still you shouldn't be causing the same fires that a moderator is meant to put out. I mean in no way to offend you by saying this, everyone was acting pretty lame, but for you to do it too and being a moderator is a little different.

EDIT: But hey good job on putting this down again. Gotta give you that.

[koda6966]

I agree with ckblum.

and Johnny, i wasn't trying to start down the whole "omg its unsafe blah blah your dumb" road again. I was referring to how you flipped out just because he misspelled your name, you act worse than a 16 year old kid would on here.

--EDIT--
Woopsie. I musta mixed up threads.
I guess its hard to remember all the ones you mods acted like that on.
But really, stop messing up peoples plans and dreams by being such a downer.