Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Nullifier
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 49
- Vehicle Year
- 1997
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Automatic
Hello all Just poped in yesterday witha few tranny questions but thought I should introduce. I bought my 1997 ranger new and have about 245K on her. 2wd x-cab 4.0l auto. I have been cross country in the truck atleast 15 times. several trips towing large canoe trailers since I am in that buisness. The old girl has never left me stranded and has been a reliable old truck. I have contemplated getting a new vehicle but am not feeling to good about financing 30K to get a new bells and whistle rig.
I parked the truck 2 months ago due to tranny issues and am going to finally get around to repalcing the tranny in 2 weeks. I am thinking aout selling the 2002 4wd suburban I was given and put some of that money into overhauling the ranger. it is alot more economical then the burb.
So if I do a make over I was thinking new paint line-x bed, new seats, sound deaden interior with new vinyl floor and interior panels. completely new suspension maybe a 4" skyjacker kit. regear rear axle (maybe 4.56) and install selectable locker. Upgrade to 15" wheel and go 33x10.50 or something similar. This rig sees mostly highway and city driving but I would occasionally run some fire roads and sandy trails in it. no real hard core 4wd trails I have a dedicated tacoma 4wd for that. I have considered a 4wd conversion since I am going to replace the tranny but I do decide that I would probably just swap in a 4wd tranny and ecu and leave the suspension and other mods till later. I am assuming that I could just spend a dayat the junk yard with a 4wd ranger and pull what I need and bolt it up. I'm guessing it is the same chassis.
With a skyjacker kit is there a noticible difference between the kit with front coils and rear spring vs the kit with all that and the new arms? I will never do any desert racing with it so is it worth the extra $400 to get the arms? Or am I better getting the front kit and then order rear deavers? I haul alot of crap in my truck so i need a heavy duty rear suspension and I know deaver can make one up no problem.
Minus the 4wd conversion I'm guessing a 5k budget should be enough since I do all my own work. I just want to have a nice D.D. once again that gets me to work and I can ruise down the highway towing my boat or heading to rivers around the Southeast to go paddleing.
Pic of my dedicated trail rig on last years annual trip out to Baja from Florida. Campa Trailer in tow Near Coco's Corner
yes I built my own bumpers and stuff.
I parked the truck 2 months ago due to tranny issues and am going to finally get around to repalcing the tranny in 2 weeks. I am thinking aout selling the 2002 4wd suburban I was given and put some of that money into overhauling the ranger. it is alot more economical then the burb.
So if I do a make over I was thinking new paint line-x bed, new seats, sound deaden interior with new vinyl floor and interior panels. completely new suspension maybe a 4" skyjacker kit. regear rear axle (maybe 4.56) and install selectable locker. Upgrade to 15" wheel and go 33x10.50 or something similar. This rig sees mostly highway and city driving but I would occasionally run some fire roads and sandy trails in it. no real hard core 4wd trails I have a dedicated tacoma 4wd for that. I have considered a 4wd conversion since I am going to replace the tranny but I do decide that I would probably just swap in a 4wd tranny and ecu and leave the suspension and other mods till later. I am assuming that I could just spend a dayat the junk yard with a 4wd ranger and pull what I need and bolt it up. I'm guessing it is the same chassis.
With a skyjacker kit is there a noticible difference between the kit with front coils and rear spring vs the kit with all that and the new arms? I will never do any desert racing with it so is it worth the extra $400 to get the arms? Or am I better getting the front kit and then order rear deavers? I haul alot of crap in my truck so i need a heavy duty rear suspension and I know deaver can make one up no problem.
Minus the 4wd conversion I'm guessing a 5k budget should be enough since I do all my own work. I just want to have a nice D.D. once again that gets me to work and I can ruise down the highway towing my boat or heading to rivers around the Southeast to go paddleing.
Pic of my dedicated trail rig on last years annual trip out to Baja from Florida. Campa Trailer in tow Near Coco's Corner
yes I built my own bumpers and stuff.
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