TrackHoeOperator
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
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- Vehicle Year
- 2008
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Automatic
This is my first post on this forum and I'd like to thank you all for the great resource you've been for me in the last week since I decided to rebuild one of my company trucks.
I have a 2008 Ranger that is a company take home truck for one of my foremen. It is an extended cab, 3.0v6, 2wd, 220K miles. I bought it from the original owner who was a large corporation and it was in great shape for only $2500.
I have axle swapped 4x4's of various makes before, built custom suspensions, and swapped motors. I've managed a trucking maintenance shop that re-powered older semis with newer and stronger motors and axles, many times while also adding cranes or custom work body additions onto the rebuild. I hope you guys can point me in the right direction to source the best parts, and answer some engineering questions. To me the fabrication and financials are not a big deal, I'd just rather buy the right things once if that makes sense.
So far I have the following complete vehicles:
2008 Ranger 2wd, Extended Cab, 3.0v6
1984 Mercedes 300D, OM617 5cyl Turbo, Auto
1976 Early Bronco, D44, 9", D20
I got the Mercedes for free in leiu of some interest on a past due invoice. It runs and drives good. I found the bronco in a rail yard 2 days later, trees growing through it, body rusted paper thin. I paid $700 for the bronco.
I stopped at a junk yard near the bronco and picked up a 2003 F150 M5R2 4wd for $350.
My current plan is to mate the Om617 to the M5R2 with the Mercedes 4x4 adapter, or make my own. Mate the trans to Dana 20 case with Advance Adapters kit for a ZF5 or make my own.
The front and rear axles will get a full rebuild and proper gearing. I want to build the suspension so this truck looks as unmodified as possible, a low lift and 33 or 34" tires. This is a work truck for a construction foreman to zip around in, it needs to be strong, get through rough development sites, and shoot black shit out at stop lights.
I pieced together that an ED D44 front end was best for the ranger from this forum, along with many other tid bits of information. Below are some of my current questions for everyone. I've extensively search and have found good information, but none of it relates to my application in particular. Please direct me to which forum is best for particular questions, or what is the best way to solve these engineering challenges.
Current Questions:
1. What steering box will be best to use for this build? With the narrow Merc diesel I am inclined to go with something OEM Ford thats inside the frame rails. I also have the donor bronco and can use that box, has anyone used one of those and are there any clearance issues with tires/rims seeing that its outside of the frame?
2. Of all of you out there who have done a SAS with a D44, how conservative can you keep ride height while maintaining appropriate clearances and up travel? Height wise want to end up with something that looks like a late model FX4 with a 2-3" spring lift sitting on 33 or 34" tires.
3. I want to use the 9" rear from the bronco because I have it but if you all confirm with 100% certainty that the lack of the 2" offset is going to give me driveshaft / fuel tank trouble I will get a 2010-11 FX4 Ranger Disc 8.8 Rear from a junk yard.
4. The TRS tech article states my '08 gets its speedo signal from the OSS sensor at the transmission. Does anyone have any experience replacing a powertrain and keeping the stock speedo?
Any help is appreciated, and I will try to answer any questions or comments about this project. I will most likely be gathering parts and rebuilding/refreshing the motor/trans/axles/misc until February. When all parts are ready and all of the engineering challenges are solved I'll throw 3-4 employees on this for a full week and get er done.
Michigan has no emissions testing or inspections of any kind. A complete rebuild and rework on an 08 is just fine here. Because the Ranger has over 200K on the clock and is a company vehicle every dollar of parts and labor is also one big tax write off.
Cheers
I have a 2008 Ranger that is a company take home truck for one of my foremen. It is an extended cab, 3.0v6, 2wd, 220K miles. I bought it from the original owner who was a large corporation and it was in great shape for only $2500.
I have axle swapped 4x4's of various makes before, built custom suspensions, and swapped motors. I've managed a trucking maintenance shop that re-powered older semis with newer and stronger motors and axles, many times while also adding cranes or custom work body additions onto the rebuild. I hope you guys can point me in the right direction to source the best parts, and answer some engineering questions. To me the fabrication and financials are not a big deal, I'd just rather buy the right things once if that makes sense.
So far I have the following complete vehicles:
2008 Ranger 2wd, Extended Cab, 3.0v6
1984 Mercedes 300D, OM617 5cyl Turbo, Auto
1976 Early Bronco, D44, 9", D20
I got the Mercedes for free in leiu of some interest on a past due invoice. It runs and drives good. I found the bronco in a rail yard 2 days later, trees growing through it, body rusted paper thin. I paid $700 for the bronco.
I stopped at a junk yard near the bronco and picked up a 2003 F150 M5R2 4wd for $350.
My current plan is to mate the Om617 to the M5R2 with the Mercedes 4x4 adapter, or make my own. Mate the trans to Dana 20 case with Advance Adapters kit for a ZF5 or make my own.
The front and rear axles will get a full rebuild and proper gearing. I want to build the suspension so this truck looks as unmodified as possible, a low lift and 33 or 34" tires. This is a work truck for a construction foreman to zip around in, it needs to be strong, get through rough development sites, and shoot black shit out at stop lights.
I pieced together that an ED D44 front end was best for the ranger from this forum, along with many other tid bits of information. Below are some of my current questions for everyone. I've extensively search and have found good information, but none of it relates to my application in particular. Please direct me to which forum is best for particular questions, or what is the best way to solve these engineering challenges.
Current Questions:
1. What steering box will be best to use for this build? With the narrow Merc diesel I am inclined to go with something OEM Ford thats inside the frame rails. I also have the donor bronco and can use that box, has anyone used one of those and are there any clearance issues with tires/rims seeing that its outside of the frame?
2. Of all of you out there who have done a SAS with a D44, how conservative can you keep ride height while maintaining appropriate clearances and up travel? Height wise want to end up with something that looks like a late model FX4 with a 2-3" spring lift sitting on 33 or 34" tires.
3. I want to use the 9" rear from the bronco because I have it but if you all confirm with 100% certainty that the lack of the 2" offset is going to give me driveshaft / fuel tank trouble I will get a 2010-11 FX4 Ranger Disc 8.8 Rear from a junk yard.
4. The TRS tech article states my '08 gets its speedo signal from the OSS sensor at the transmission. Does anyone have any experience replacing a powertrain and keeping the stock speedo?
Any help is appreciated, and I will try to answer any questions or comments about this project. I will most likely be gathering parts and rebuilding/refreshing the motor/trans/axles/misc until February. When all parts are ready and all of the engineering challenges are solved I'll throw 3-4 employees on this for a full week and get er done.
Michigan has no emissions testing or inspections of any kind. A complete rebuild and rework on an 08 is just fine here. Because the Ranger has over 200K on the clock and is a company vehicle every dollar of parts and labor is also one big tax write off.
Cheers