Project Guinea Pig

prerunner · Jan 1, 2015

The interior is moldy as hell probably from the sunroof. Stinks in there. The PO went through a couple 5 speeds and this one was on its way out, thats why he gave up on it. If it was as simple as one or the other I'd think about it.
I've plugged a bunch of money into the pickup now and this has the lift, D35 and 31 spline 8.8 it needs. Supposed to be a Detroit locker in back too.
Besides I have a 90 Bronco II that is a fairly similar truck that I'm more attached to.

(idk if u can see the mold in the seat cushion here)
My B2->

Rowdy Fitzgerald · Jan 1, 2015

Oh Ya go with your rigs!

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prerunner · Jan 2, 2015

Yes sir!

Edit. Around noon today I learned my dad passed this morning. Pretty bummed.

prerunner · Jan 6, 2015

Tonight, doing a little recon in the back of the sploder I found the remains of an open carrier, chewed up ring and pinion and some Lock right parts in two boxes, one a Detroit locker box, the other a Yukon 8.8 overhaul box. Also found the "brand new" hub.
The PO said he blew up a lock right and replaced it with the Detroit and had to replace a broken Warn hub. If theres really a Detroit locker in that thing it might have become the best $450 I ever spent. ( I always take sellers claims with at least a grain of salt.)

prerunner · Jan 19, 2015

Finally get a day to wrench stuff apart. My fave part of any project, I kinda suck at putting stuff back together. Heh. Y'all knew that. :icon_rofl:

I also get to figure out how to add the D35 beams to the TIB crossmember. Some say to change it out but that sounds really involved and I'd prefer to keep it simple. Don't mind the work but I have little fab skills and fewer tools.

At 1st glance it don't look too bad. The drivers side drop bracket looks to be pretty similar. The pass side...

TIB
vs TTB

Definitely different. (Crappy angle, but still...)

prerunner · Jan 22, 2015

Don't seem to be any way around it. To put the D35TTB in this thing I gotta change crossmembers. Everybody says so.

Sucks.

hockeyryan · Jan 23, 2015

Jeez, I was gonna buy that Dam explorer. I should have if I knew there was a Detroit in there.
You should sell me the engine out of that explorer...

Rowdy Fitzgerald · Jan 23, 2015

Edit

Clicked the wrong thread. Thought it was my thread. Excuse my dumbassery.

prerunner · Jan 23, 2015

hockeyryan said:
Jeez, I was gonna buy that Dam explorer. I should have if I knew there was a Detroit in there.
You should sell me the engine out of that explorer...

Inboxed you, hockeyryan.

prerunner · Jan 23, 2015

Rowdy Fitzgerald said:
Edit
Clicked the wrong thread. Thought it was my thread. Excuse my dumbassery.

Its all good. Nice to see you out ripping up the countryside in yours.

Rowdy Fitzgerald · Jan 23, 2015

Ha ha yep I've been driving her around today. I really like the big tires but damn they're loud.

So when are you gonna swap that crossmember?

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prerunner · Jan 23, 2015

Probably get the D35 outta the Sploder tomorrow, not much left holding it in now. I didn't originally plan on yanking the engine & trans, much less the crossmember (and I'm not thrilled at all about this :annoyed:

) but I have more of the stuff to do it this way than to SAS it.
Kind of a bullshit thing to have to do to a 22 year old $500 2wd to convert it. It means hauling everything back out of the Ranger and I didn't get that right the first time either.
But for posterity's sake I'm gonna take a metric ton of pix to show how not to do it in future (fwiw, starting with a 4wd would have been much quicker, cheaper and smarter.) Maybe make a tech article or reason for other RBV owners to point and snicker. Idk.
I have to work with the weather here as I work on my junk outdoors in western Canada. I had enough rain today to get a minor flood in my basement hovel. Fingers crossed for less rain tomorrow.

Rowdy Fitzgerald · Jan 23, 2015

Dang that will be a pain! What about just swapping the ranger cab onto the explorer frame then bobbing the bed?

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prerunner · Jan 24, 2015

Rowdy Fitzgerald said:
Dang that will be a pain! What about just swapping the ranger cab onto the explorer frame then bobbing the bed?
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Explorer frames are wider in back. The leaf springs are under the frame. It probably wouldn't have anyplace to mount stuff behind the front cab mounts. It isn't any easier.
The other option is to throw the TTB lift and stuff into the Bronco II. It has a D35 TTB stock. (feb 1990 build date iirc) I'm wondering if that isn't a wiser choice.
:icon_confused:

Rowdy Fitzgerald · Jan 24, 2015

Well it would be a faster swap idk if that would be wiser but bronco's are bad ass.

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