Hazmat Ranger Under the Knife

[Hazmat Ranger]

I have been gathering all the necessary materials and parts for this mod since Spring of this year.

When I say "under the knife" I will be doing a mod on a US Ranger that has NEVER been done. Let me state here that I do not KNOW of anyone doing this to a US Ranger yet.

I am installing the Global Ranger Fender Vents into the fenders on my 95 Ranger.

It took me a while to order the vents as I had to find a dealer in the UK. Once I got them I was apprehensive about cutting into my stock fenders so I held off. I then came across WNY964X4 who was beginning a rebuild on his Ranger. The front fenders were trashed on the front half, but the rear portion where the emblems mount was still in good condition - so I made a deal with him and got the rear sections cut out and shipped to me to practice on and fabricate the mounts for the vents.

PICS from TODAY

All tools and supplies gathered . . .

Marked for the cut

CUT

Test fit - cut a little oversized

Welding

NOTE: I can weld, BUT I am limited by the equipment I have to work with. Here is my Flux Core Mig by Century. I am just trying to go slow with it and do tacks not long beads.

Temp fitted into practice fender:

Side view - not too bad

The back side - I know the welds look bad - wish I had a gas shielded mig.

So there is one side fabricated, I need to clean it up, add filler, make sure the vent will stay in place securely and prime everything.

Once both vent mounts are fabbed then I will cut the mounts out square and graft them into my stock fenders on the truck. I may even pull the fenders to mount the vent mounts so I can work it from behind too.

So what do you all think so far.

 

[TheTopher]

Looks good, man. I need to get a gas shield rig too, but then I'd lose my excuse for why my welds look so bad

 

[Hazmat Ranger]

Looks good, man. I need to get a gas shield rig too, but then I'd lose my excuse for why my welds look so bad

Even trying to go with small spot tacks, sometimes I get the balls or miss the joint or melt the thin metal. Wish I could convert this to argon, but I cannot.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

you can actually get flux cored welds to look decent. its a matter of slowing the wire speed down to let the weld melt in instead of balling up on the metal.

but yeah. i love my lincoln 110 mig and my airco 220 mig. both on gas.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Wish I could convert this to argon, but I cannot.

dont forget. pure argon is for aluminum and stainless.

steel is 80% argon 20% co2

 

[Hazmat Ranger]

dont forget. pure argon is for aluminum and stainless.

steel is 80% argon 20% co2

SEE just goes to show what I really know about it. I learned on stick in high school and that was a long long time ago - the school did not have MIG back then that I knew of - we also oxy/acetylene welded . . .

Thanks man for the info - I only have four possible selections on my welder, going to have to play around with it some.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

Sweet!
looking good so far H.
Shame i couldnt be the one suppling those vents.

 

[TheTopher]

Even trying to go with small spot tacks, sometimes I get the balls or miss the joint or melt the thin metal. Wish I could convert this to argon, but I cannot.

My welder is gas ready and has all the parts, I just need to come up with the $200 for a cylinder and a fill. It's not too high on my priorities list since I've only had to use the welder twice...

 

[Hazmat Ranger]

That is cool that you can convert. I have to find a better welder if I am going to get any better at this stuff. This is the welder that has done ALL of the welds on my Ranger so far. SO you see there have been no major structural changes.

Well off to a small gathering and then back to the vents. I hope to make some progress today. L8TR

 

[88_Eddie]

That is cool that you can convert. I have to find a better welder if I am going to get any better at this stuff. This is the welder that has done ALL of the welds on my Ranger so far. SO you see there have been no major structural changes.

Well off to a small gathering and then back to the vents. I hope to make some progress today. L8TR

go get a lincoln 125, it'll do 22 gauge (i think) up to 1/4" steel. you can set it up for gas, aluminum and stainless too. plus it plugs into a wall outlet, so there's no need to call an eletrician. i've had mine for a few months now, i love it. it was only $400ish too, so it wont break the bank.

you need to find a shopping cart to cut up and make a welding cart, that way you dont have to lug it around.

sorry, not tryin to thread jack

 

[TheTopher]

That is cool that you can convert. I have to find a better welder if I am going to get any better at this stuff. This is the welder that has done ALL of the welds on my Ranger so far. SO you see there have been no major structural changes.

Well off to a small gathering and then back to the vents. I hope to make some progress today. L8TR

I've got an Auto Arc 130. Its a rebadged Hobart Handler 125 and came with a cart and regulator. It was about $320 and it's all set for gas.

 

[Explorin94]

I have had excellent results with Blue Demon flux core wire. I have the HF flux core welder and I have it set pretty good and that wire has less slpatter than what came with the welder.

 

[Robert_1967]

I have the Small CH welder from Tractor Supply, it does great for me, and I welded all the body panels on a 67 mustang with it, I'm also using their brand flux core wire, just turn it all the way down and turn the wire to the slowest possible setting on mine the level 1 does great.

Also I have a set of side vents from the same 67 Mustang, I'm going to weld those into my 88 Ranger Super cab.

I know what you mean about learning a long time ago, I was showed how to weld back in the mid 80's and all we had was a huge arc welder, I ran a lot of rods off that machine.


Robert

Posted from my recliner on my laptop

 

[dangerranger83]

Looks good, never would have thought to put vents on a ranger.

I use flux for my welding and like it better then gas. Plus in the end costs me less too, flux wire is 20 bucks. Gas wire is 10 bucks and the gas is 35 per exchange bottle that lasts me maybe one spool of wire.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Looks good, never would have thought to put vents on a ranger.

I use flux for my welding and like it better then gas. Plus in the end costs me less too, flux wire is 20 bucks. Gas wire is 10 bucks and the gas is 35 per exchange bottle that lasts me maybe one spool of wire.

you have your pressure up too high. it shouldnt be more than 10lbs out.

ive go through probably 4-5 spools of the small home depot wire before i need a tank refill