Underpowered, Overbuilt Ranger build....-w- air shocks, 4 linked Dana 60 front & 40s

Underpowered, Overbuilt Ranger build....-w- air shocks, 4 linked Dana 60 front & 40s

FOR LATEST UPDATES FROM JUNE 2016 ON, GO TO PAGE 3!

For the last 6 years, I've had a 91 Ford Ranger that I have been building/beating the hell out of as much as I could around the Port Huron area, but there really is no place except for the Mounds to go legally wheeling around the area. So when I got the chance to move last fall out of Port Huron and North to Traverse City area, I was stoked to see that there are others out there who actually care about creating legal places to wheel in Michigan that like the Mounds, are actually challenging as well as legal places to wheel.

Anyways, on to the build........

My truck is a 91 Ford Ranger Ext. Cab Short bed 4x4 with the 4.0 v-6. Is got a longarm 6" TTB lift and a 3" body. I used to have 35" boggers and a welded rearend in it, but that didn't last very long at all. I sold the boggers and rims about a year ago to a buddy of mine and have since started collecting parts for a SAS. I have a Dana 44 HP 8 lug from a 78 F250 with the big twin piston calipers and the flattop knuckles for the frontend. I also got a 14 bolt for the rear that is a full floater with the 10.5" ring gear. I really havn't spent any money on the axles. I traded a GM Dana 44 for the 14 bolt and got the Ford Dana 44 from a friend for free......

Either way, I plan on re-doing the entire suspension for the axles. I want to run a 4 link style suspension up front with parallel lower links and a solid upper triangulated link. This would eliminate the need for a trac bar on the front axle. I want to run either air shocks or (if I can save enough $$) coilovers on the frontend. For the rear, I plan on either setting it up similarily to the front or keeping the leaves and just inboarding them under the framerails. I really would like to be able to cruise around town in the truck at 45-55 MPH speeds and still be able to flex like a sumbitch offroad. I priced it out and for the steel tubing, the johnny joints/heim joints/rubber bushings, the air shocks, and assorted steel for the frontend along with the related steering and driveshaft items, I figure I'm looking at around $1500 to set it up. This doesn't include the cost to rebuild the Dana 44 tho with the parts I'd like to run for more strength....Here's my big dilemna tho....

In addition to the $1000 cost to set up the suspension for the axle on the front, I'd still need to throw about $1400 at the Dana 44 to make it operable. This includes all new lockouts, hubs, bearings, seals, spindles, rotors, calipers, pads, chromoly inner & outer shafts, CTM U Joints, and a completley new locking diff. and gearset and pinion yoke. For this amount of additional money to re-build the Dana 44, I can get 2 rebuilt rockwell 2.5 ton axles; a steering frontend and a non-steer rear. They are a little wider but since I plan on re-doin the suspension anyways, I figure this may actually be a more economical decision; especially in the strength department. A lot of people say you can't run down the road with these axles, but there are parts from places like Ouverson Engineering and USA6x6 that make parts to make them legal for road use. Besides, in Michigan, I really havn't heard of a lot of people havin issues with the police and rig size and height.

I'd like to keep the rig relatively low and possibly ditch the rusty floppy bedsided truck box and either flatbed it or set up the rear section of frame behind the cab like a truggy setup possibly. The cab is in o.k. condition. I'll try and get some pics of it up.

I'd like to run 40s, 42s or 44s on maybe some H1 beadlocks or something else and convert the rocks to 8 lug setup for easier parts interchangability.

The motor is a 4.0 which runs fine for now so I'm gonna keep that. I have a 78 F250 drivetrain with a NP435, and a NP205. I'm gonna buy the 4x fab adaptor to mate the np435 to the 4.0 I have and run that and get some new pedals etc to make it work along with a possible 203/205 doubler. I think with this setup, 4.0 v-6 witha np435 4 speed, np203/205 doubler and the rockwells, I should be geared low enough to crawl pretty well. If not, I could always add an underdrive later on down the line or whatever.

I've read up on swapping the 4 speed behind the v-6 and if you do, the trans is shorter than the stock one so the shifter is further forward, so you either have to move the drivetrain back or bend the fawk outta yur shifter so it don't hit the stock dash or cut yur dash apart. I'd prefer sliding the drivetrain back a little for better forward/aft weight distribution and to possibly set it up for equal length driveshafts if possible so you only have to carry one spare.

This is about all I can think of; oh, and I might consider hacking my frontend apart and dovebeaking the frontend for better clearance and less chance of body damage......

I know, its a ton of work but at my new job, I work 4pm till' midnite so I got a lot of time in the morning to work on my rig, plus now I have steady income as well unlike back when I was in college.

Hopefully some people have some advice and or comments or whatever to add.

Zach

P.S. - I still have the truck, my tools, and parts all in Port Huron and slowly but surely gonna start bringin all that shit to Traverse City as soon as I can find a new place to buy/rent that has a garage to work on my stuff in. This build's gonna be a long one but a good one hopefully. I have a lot of the parts already. I have like 100' of DOM tubing and for the links on the suspension along with the rubber bushings and some of the heims and the johnny joints.

Ok, a BIG update.....plans have kinda changed.....

About a month ago, I picked up an 87 F350 witha 351 Windsor, C6 Transmission, BW 1356 T Case, Dana 60 High Pinion Kingpin front axle and a blown up Sterling 10.25 rear axle. I got the truck home and last weekend, set to work tearin it apart for the drivetrain. The truck ran but it ran really weak and leaked a lot of oil and the transmission slips real bad. The T-case won't go in low range easily and if it will it won't stay there. For these reasons and others, I decided not to use the drivetrain. I did however steal the Dana 60 High Pinion kingpin axle from it along with the 6" lift that was on the truck. I made ALL of the $1100 I spent on the truck back when I sold the flatbed, rims and tires for $725. I scrapped out the rest of the truck and got back $400. Here are some pics of the teardown....

































I also threw in a couple pics of my 14 bolt I got.

Now I know most of you prolly hate me since I just scored a Dana 60 for free basically.....but that isn't even the worse part.....Now you see, the auto trans...(A4LD) in my truck is friend and only 1st gear works. Well instead of rebuilding this trans. for a 4th time, I started looking into doing a manual trans. swap. I had planned on using an NP 435, but have now decided to use the stock 5 speed manual that came in my era of Ranger behind the 4.0 v-6 I have....which is the Mazda M5OD R-1......This is the trans I plan on swapping in. Well I know the easiest way to do this is find a RBV vehicle of the same body style with the same engine and with the manual you want and do the swap......Well as most people know.....this is easier said than done............

or is it?

Yea, thats right....I scored a 93 Explorer Sport 4x4 witha 4.0 v-6 engine and a Mazda M5ODR-1 Manual in it with 110,000 on the odo..............for $300! I just have to go and pick it up now, but everything on it works, but it's body is horrible and so is the interior.....but everythings there that I need for the swap...........and it even has a new centerforce duyal friction clutch 5,000 miles ago along with a new throwout bearing. You guys can officially hate me now.....

Pics of that will come when I get them.....

Those radius arms wont work on that GM 14 bolt

How about some current pictures of your Ranger?

Looks like it will be a beefy build. I will follow. PM sent.

Holy cow that is a lot of typing.
Good luck, I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

looks good... can't wait to see the out come...

Good find on all those parts.

im stoked about this build

I have a '85 in mine. It does work out better than a 78-9 in these. Mine is 4 linked and pushed foward 9". Are you doing coils?

Any pics of the Camaro in #4??

yeah i am money ahead on my 60 swaps too.


since your staying 4.0 you can setup with cherokee or modded sploder springs to get going up front.


but you will be happier with arms and coils.

bobbywalter said:

yeah i am money ahead on my 60 swaps too.


since your staying 4.0 you can setup with cherokee or modded sploder springs to get going up front.

Click to expand...

lol.....the 60 swap is going to be a looooooong process.....actually it's gonna be pathetically long. Actually this whole process is going to be long, my new goal for completion is July of 09 for the 10 year.

Also I'd really like to swap to air shocks if possible, just a little confused as to how well they'd handle on road.....I talked to the owner of Great Lakes Off Road and he's runnin a EB with em under it on 38s and he said he started out with the 2.0s I think and stepped up to the 2.5s cuz the 2.0s were waaaay too bouncy. He said the 2.5s are better......actually awesome for wheelin, but he has a winch on his front axle hooked to the frame and he has to suck the front down for on road use, otherwise, he's all over the place. I don't know how bad it'd be for a RBV on road so we'll have to see. I just like the cleaned up compact fenderwell look of an airshock setup and the travel is fawkin sick, but if I can't run this thing on down the road, I might look into some sort of EB coil/long travel shock/raised coil bucket combo.

Bobby-How long u been workin on yur 60 swap? I thought for sure you were gonna stay with the TTB and keep beatin it like a redheaded stepchild? And when did ya move to Higgins Lake? Thats kinda sorta close to Traverse City where I'm at now...

bobbywalter said:

yeah i am money ahead on my 60 swaps too.


since your staying 4.0 you can setup with cherokee or modded sploder springs to get going up front.

Click to expand...

lol.....the 60 swap is going to be a looooooong process.....actually it's gonna be pathetically long. Actually this whole process is going to be long, my new goal for completion is July of 09 for the 10 year.

Shane M said:

I have a '85 in mine. It does work out better than a 78-9 in these. Mine is 4 linked and pushed foward 9". Are you doing coils?

Click to expand...

You got any pics of yurs man? Sounds a lot like what I wana do.

If I set this thing up right, I want the front 4 link to have a solid upper triangulated link. I wana set up the hi-steer behind the front axle and if possible, run the drag link back there as well if possible, just to get all that stuff out of the way of any damage. I know that it can work with the tie rod back there; I've seen pics, but I havn't seen anyone running their drag link behind the axle as well....(prolly cuz' it'd smack the shit outta the links)....but I still think it'd be sick as hell if you could figure it out, and 9-12 inches ahead sounds just about enough to be able to do this and keep the steering box in the stock location.....if I run the stock steering box....which I'm not sure I want to or not. If I can make it work and hold up, then great, but I'm not sure yet. Either way, I'd love to see some pics of yur junk Shane

I'd really like to swap to air shocks if possible, just a little confused as to how well they'd handle on road.....I talked to the owner of Great Lakes Off Road and he's runnin a EB with em under it on 38s and he said he started out with the 2.0s I think and stepped up to the 2.5s cuz the 2.0s were waaaay too bouncy. He said the 2.5s are better......actually awesome for wheelin, but he has a winch on his front axle hooked to the frame and he has to suck the front down for on road use, otherwise, he's all over the place. I don't know how bad it'd be for a RBV on road so we'll have to see. I just like the cleaned up compact fenderwell look of an airshock setup and the travel is fawkin sick, but if I can't run this thing on down the road, I might look into some sort of EB coil/long travel shock/raised coil bucket combo.

Bobby-How long u been workin on yur 60 swap? I thought for sure you were gonna stay with the TTB and keep beatin it like a redheaded stepchild? And when did ya move to Higgins Lake? Thats kinda sorta close to Traverse City where I'm at now...

zachis4wheeling said:

lol.....the 60 swap is going to be a looooooong process.....actually it's gonna be pathetically long. Actually this whole process is going to be long, my new goal for completion is July of 09 for the 10 year.



You got any pics of yurs man? Sounds a lot like what I wana do.

If I set this thing up right, I want the front 4 link to have a solid upper triangulated link. I wana set up the hi-steer behind the front axle and if possible, run the drag link back there as well if possible, just to get all that stuff out of the way of any damage. I know that it can work with the tie rod back there; I've seen pics, but I havn't seen anyone running their drag link behind the axle as well....(prolly cuz' it'd smack the shit outta the links)....but I still think it'd be sick as hell if you could figure it out, and 9-12 inches ahead sounds just about enough to be able to do this and keep the steering box in the stock location.....if I run the stock steering box....which I'm not sure I want to or not. If I can make it work and hold up, then great, but I'm not sure yet. Either way, I'd love to see some pics of yur junk Shane

Click to expand...

Here are a couple. The steering is hi steer with the box in the stock location. I am doing hydro right now because the stock box just plain sucks.

whats the deal with the winch connecting to the axle, is it a limiter or something when not in use, just curious