dhkonrad's 93 ford ranger

[dhkonrad]

You should've moved your axle a little forward.

Truck looks awsome though. good work.

Thank you very much! especially coming from you.
I believe it is at least a couple inches further forward than stock. I tried to go further, but steering and clearances wouldn't allow me much further, and I am quickly running out of time for massaging..

Did you modify your coil buckets for the fullsize coils? I recall someone else having the same issues maybe swap over to a bolt on bucket from bronco graveyard for those springs

I did modify them a bit, but it probably would have been a better idea to just swap to a different bucket altogether...


One of my friends offered to paint my front diff cover, and I think it turned out sweet


Modified my rear diff cover and finished up a bunch on my rear axle (new brakes, new brake line and brake cylinder, etc)


Then got it smogged


Then took it and flexed it out a bit

Doesn't flex out very much with front tire in the air, because the explorer springs don't flex for much, but rear tire in the air did allow it to flex easier.




it stuffs the tires pretty good as well. I think more fender trimming may be needed


A little perspective for flex



The coil did pop out of the lower bucket right at that moment though:

I think that a little bending of the inner part of the bucket will fix that however, so I'm not super worried about it.

I am pretty satisfied with it so far though, doesn't flex too bad, 5.13s make it a rocket on the road, I haven't heard any noise yet from a poor set up of the gears, bump steer is almost non-existent in comparison to the TTB, braking is fantastic, etc etc. Not bad for a newbie and a kid right?

Started cutting up my coil buckets, and doing some major inner fender trimming so I can clear some shock hoops

 

[dhkonrad]

Cut up passenger bucket as well

Welded up drivers link mount

Im kinda thinking about doing another pass between the frame and it, but I had the heat turned up pretty good and I'm pretty sure my pentetration was pretty good so ill probably just leave it for now.
Mocked up some shock hoops

then I took some measurements and ordered some procomp es9000 shocks. Hopefully they will be here tomorrow...

 

[Kevery]

lookin good dude. How many of you use that same flex spot? lol

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Welded up drivers link mount

Im kinda thinking about doing another pass between the frame and it, but I had the heat turned up pretty good and I'm pretty sure my pentetration was pretty good so ill probably just leave it for now.
...

Your frame needs to be boxed there, and a crossmember wouldn't hurt.
Otherwise that mount will just roll the bottom of your frame up.

Looks good though, that diff cover is B-A!

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[RANGERROD]

You need to box you frame bra.

 

[Mudstomper99]

I love the diff cover everything else looks pretty sweet as well. I wish I had the budget to have done coils looks so much more up to date then the leaf springs

 

[dhkonrad]

lookin good dude. How many of you use that same flex spot? lol

Thanks! I actually think that we are all using loading docks, but at different businesses lol

Your frame needs to be boxed there, and a crossmember wouldn't hurt.
Otherwise that mount will just roll the bottom of your frame up.

Looks good though, that diff cover is B-A!

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You need to box you frame bra.

Its on the list to do, and I already have ideas in my mind for a crossmember, I just haven't gotten around to it because I leave for school on Wednesday, and I just need to get the truck streetable because it is my DD. I feel dumb cutting so many corners, but it is what it is I guess.
My friend who painted the diff cover said it was one of her favorite painting projects shes done, and wants to do more.

I love the diff cover everything else looks pretty sweet as well. I wish I had the budget to have done coils looks so much more up to date then the leaf springs

Thanks! I seriously don't think that coils added all that much cost to the swap. Maybe $400? I guess depending on if you run a trac bar with the leaves...

Got some pro-comp shocks on there

Ive been driving it around with no shocks, but now that I got some on there, I took it up to like 75 on the freeway. No death wobbles, no perceivable bumpsteer. It was smooth as a babies butt. Only complaint was that there was a bit of a dead spot due to the tie rod ends. I may try to turn them in such a way that it lessens it, but probably wont help. It is still 10000x better than the TTB.
Also randomly got some sweet valve stem caps

 

[Grunizzle]

Looks pretty good so far, you just need to tie up the looses ends now and get it dialed in.

 

[stiluv]

fordyce before you leave?

 

[Mudstomper99]

I got my wheels tires new leaves and my whole swap done for less then 400. After selling my old wheels and tires for 300. I am running a trac bar with heims and Dom tubing

 

[dhkonrad]

Looks pretty good so far, you just need to tie up the looses ends now and get it dialed in.

Thanks! That's exactly how I feel. Hopefully I actually take care of the loose ends and don't leave them...

fordyce before you leave?

I really wish. I think if I went and broke something I would kill myself because it would mean no vehicle at school... Are you done with your truck yet?

I got my wheels tires new leaves and my whole swap done for less then 400. After selling my old wheels and tires for 300. I am running a trac bar with heims and Dom tubing

hmm. That is quite the difference in costs. I have to add up all my receipts, but I think mine is coming in at just under $2500 excluding tires, but most of that is in building/rebuilding the axles. About 1k is in links, coils, etc.

Changed my oil, changed coolant and bumped up my coolant mix in preparation for cold winters in Boise, Idaho, and filled my front diff up and locked the hubs to get the front broken in.


Then made some fender flares out of lawn edging material. I really hate the look of fender flares, but I hate tickets more... and for $7.50 it didn't hurt the pocketbook lots.


Then backed it out and took some pictures. If you have a phobia about lots of pictures scroll fast...






I feel almost giddy driving it around town. It is so much easier to drive than TTB, its rock solid going around corners because of the width, even with no sway bars front or rear, its just an utter blast to drive. I feel like I just got a new truck.
Even had an ambulance driver comment on it over his PA today on the way to dinner...

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Ive been driving it around with no shocks, but now that I got some on there, I took it up to like 75 on the freeway. No death wobbles, no perceivable bumpsteer. It was smooth as a babies butt. Only complaint was that there was a bit of a dead spot due to the tie rod ends. I may try to turn them in such a way that it lessens it, but probably wont help. It is still 10000x better than the TTB.

Read this a while ago, just now gettin around to replying...

You need to find a HD nylon washer that that will fit around the TRE at the PS knuckle. Replace the boot with the washer.
Get your reamer out, and slowly ream the knuckle, little by little, until the body of the TRE sits right on the washer, which should sit right on the knuckle.
That will get rid of the rotational movement of your tierod, and tighten the $#!t out of your steering.

See how my tierod runs downhill to the passengers side. Hard to see, but I replaced the boot with a HD nylon or plastic washer.
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[UrbanRedneckKid]

How's your tire clearance on your radius arms?

That'll be my next project, but my Swampers hate the "oem" arms. I'm scared to turn, as not to rip my inner lugs off.

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[kris97ranger]

Wouldnt really worry about that.. my swapmers rub my leaves in the samurai and my boggers rub my radius arms on the ranger. Never tore a lug off

 

[dhkonrad]

Read this a while ago, just now gettin around to replying...

You need to find a HD nylon washer that that will fit around the TRE at the PS knuckle. Replace the boot with the washer.
Get your reamer out, and slowly ream the knuckle, little by little, until the body of the TRE sits right on the washer, which should sit right on the knuckle.
That will get rid of the rotational movement of your tierod, and tighten the $#!t out of your steering.

See how my tierod runs downhill to the passengers side. Hard to see, but I replaced the boot with a HD nylon or plastic washer.
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Thats a really good idea. I didn't ream my knuckles, I just have inserts, but I must have wobbled a bit when I drilled out for them, because my TRE comes pretty close to my knuckle. I am sure I could effectively do the same thing you did, just maybe have to put a metal washer down before the polymer one.

How's your tire clearance on your radius arms?

That'll be my next project, but my Swampers hate the "oem" arms. I'm scared to turn, as not to rip my inner lugs off.

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Not completely sure. My tie rod is hitting the ends of my arms, so I have to grind them down a bit so it can turn all the way. I don't think it is great though. Definitely had way better turning radius with my old TTB arms I made. Hopefully today Ill get to cutting those down and Ill let you know how far I can turn before I rub a tire.
EDIT: I looked at your build a little bit, and unless you changed your radius arm setup later on after the first few pages, I don't think I would have any more tire clearance than you. The only benefit mine would have would be a smoother surface if your tires did hit (being tube instead of I-beam) Ill still let you know what I find out on mine though.

Wouldnt really worry about that.. my swapmers rub my leaves in the samurai and my boggers rub my radius arms on the ranger. Never tore a lug off

My moms excursion has 35 BFG all terrains and the sides of them are getting jacked from rubbing on the leafs. Also not good for the steering box to rub.