I took a couple weeks off to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my wife, then we went to the Daytona 500, and then down to Bradenton for NMRA. Now that all of the busy weekends have passed it is time to get back to work on the Ranger. Alright, I confess, I did sneak a few small things in here and there while I was away from the forum. I purchased a Mustang shifter cover and test fit it over the PRO 5.0 shifter. It took a few minutes to figure out but once I turned it 90 degrees sidewise it fit pretty nice. A few small bends later and it was right in place. Next step was a bead of sealer to help keep out the weather and it was good to go.
I hung the rear quarter panels and tailgate in preparation to start the body work on the back half of the truck. Once everything was mocked up I realized the ride height was starting to change and the back was starting to sink under the weight. I still have the weight of a bed liner, hard flush mount bed cover, and spare tire to be considered. I decided to move the leaf springs down to the second notch on the DJM Shackles thus lifting the rear of the truck about an inch.
Once the back half was done I simulated the weight of the front bumper, header panel, AC components, heavier hood, etc. and adjusted the front ride height. I also built in an additional ½ inch for “settling”. It feels a little like three steps forward and two steps back but I guess that is how it goes. I just didn’t factor in the added weight and the “settling” piece of the puzzle. As much as I liked the look before these changes were made the truck was just too low for work purposes. Now with the simulated weight removed it is resting about an inch taller then what will be the permanent ride height once all of the remaining pieces are added.
Here are a few photos of the back before I start the body work tomorrow. I am going to move forward in a similar fashion as I did with the front of the truck. Now that all the panels are aligned I will “drill and pin” the quarter panels and block sand them in place. Because alignment guide pins are going to be used the panels can be removed and reinstalled multiple times to prime and paint without losing the alignment.
The 180 grit paper, the 17 inch file board, and the sanding block are all laid out and ready to go. I should be back in a few days with some new photos of the progress. It looks like the quarter panels should go fast with a little more time spent on the rear bumper and tailgate.