Project Apple Bottom

95XL · Dec 16, 2007

Hey guys, as some of you may know, I'm working on making my Ranger into a dually. I'm currently in my senior year in the Machine Tool Technology course at Alfred State College in NY. (It's a SUNY school). Basically it's a machining course. Well, all of us students need to design and build a "senior project" and I've decided as part of my project (I actually have two others I need to complete), to make dually adaptors for my truck.

Basically, the adaptors are just 5 on 4.5" to an 8 on 6.5" adaptor. This will allow me to bolt the adaptor to my existing hubs, and then bolt F-350 dually rims to the adaptors. I'm making them out of 6061-T6 Aluminum, and buying F-350 wheel studs and lug nuts, and pressing the studs into the adaptor to bolt the rims on.

I'm calling this project apple bottom because, if you don't know, it's a slang term for girls with a large posterior (and is also a brand of ladies jeans). So, since I'm going to be adding dually fenders to the outside of my bed, I thought apple bottom was kind of fitting.

Pics will come as I get started, I still need to buy material for the adaptors, but I will take pics as I'm machining them.

thedangerranger93 · Dec 16, 2007

damn...
good luck on the build. why are you doing this? towing? why not start out with a stronger axle?

95XL · Dec 16, 2007

Pretty much the only reason I'm doing this is because I needed a project, and I think It'd be cool. As far as axles, I have the 7.5 right now, but I do have an 8.8 out of an explorer that I'm going to be fabbing up over the summer. But, I know I'm not going to be hauling anything heavy enough to constitute actually having duals. Although, I hope it does help while towing, because with the chevy springs in the rear end, and with no weight in the bed, I get pushed all over the place when I'm towing my pop-up camper. I hope is gives my rear end a little more grip on the road.

LittleBigFoot · Dec 21, 2007

why not take the rear from a dualy and shorten the shafts?

I do admit tho, projects keep me from jerking off to much lol.

I have so many I don't know what to do.

I think one day it'll get to a supercharged lawnmower.

95XL · Dec 23, 2007

A supercharged lawnmower would be cool. Wouldn't be that hard to do though, If you can find one small enough, all it would have to be really is a belt driven turbo.

OTNBranger · Jan 19, 2008

Sounds like a bad idea to me.
I am a machinist and 6061 T6 is ok for some things but this don`t sound like one of them.
you mat want to retink your plan.
my2cents.

95XL · Jan 23, 2008

Yeah, I realized that aluminum would be a bad choice once I measured everything up and realized how long they would be (about 4.5"). So instead I decided to use Cold Rolled.

95XL · Feb 12, 2008

I got a few pics of the little progress I've made on making the adaptors.

Boring the center out to fit over my lockouts.

Another boring shot.

Facing to clean up the saw cut.

More to come when I make any more progress...

kunar · Feb 12, 2008

they didnt have any machines with coolant when i took my machining class in high school. i think they were afraid we would have made a gigantic mess (they were probably right) instead we used some rank ass dino oil so it got sprayed all over everything instead. i kinda wish i was back in school now...

86isuzu · Feb 12, 2008

LittleBigFoot said:
I think one day it'll get to a supercharged lawnmower.

sorry to threadjack, but heres a sweet v8 powered snowblower
http://www.v8snowblowers.com/
:threadjacked:

and now back to your regularly scheduled program

badblue · Feb 12, 2008

one of the guys at work has a dually 93 ranger he used bed sides for a splash and cut out the step and glassed it in look some what like a newer Chevy dually.

95XL · Feb 13, 2008

one of the guys at work has a dually 93 ranger he used bed sides for a splash and cut out the step and glassed it in look some what like a newer Chevy dually.

Nice, thats what I had decided to do. I'm glad to hear it can be done.

95XL · Feb 19, 2008

More Pics...

Cutting the shoulder, after the 5 on 4.5" pattern was drilled.

Cut out 4 out of the 5 pockets for a socket to fit into.

More one their way, as soon as I make anymore progress...

95XL · Apr 6, 2008

WOOT! More pics!

ALMOST DONE, just need to swap in the Sterling in the rear.
I have pics of the adaptor on the rear, I put it on just because I wanted to see how it will look, but I won't be using it, going with a Sterling 10.25 instead.

Here is the inner plate, mounted on the Front and Rear:

Here is the outer plate, which mounts the the inner plate:

Here is the front wheel mounted:

And, what you've all been waiting for:

he he he

Dishtowel · Apr 6, 2008

cool
Kewl
cooooool
neat

I like it

Project Apple Bottom

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