This 1995 Ford Ranger spent most of its life as a rental truck until James Tow purchased it and turned it in to the off-road beast you see here.
Clayton Cushman, the master of metal at Cushman Customs, built the Ranger’s custom chassis from 2×3-inch rectangular tubing, with rocksliders cleanly built into the design.
James is working with the tested-and-true pairing of a front Dana 60 and a 14-bolt rear axle. The rear has an Artec truss, 5.13 gears, and gets additional traction from a Grizzly locker, and more from Yukon Gear & Axle. Inside the front axle are a set of chromoly axleshafts, 5.13 gears, and a Yukon Zip locker. There’s also a front truss from Artec and a full hydro steering setup.
James grips the rocks with 41.5-inch Pit Bull Rockers stretched around his 17-inch beadlocks.
James sourced his 5.3L Vortec V-8 from a GMC Yukon and added a Terminator EFI system from Holley, a Standalone wiring harness, and much more under the hood.
The V-8 pumps its power into a 4L60 before it’s split up at the NorthWest FabWorks NP205 with a BlackBox underdrive.
Radflo 2.5×14 coilovers and bumpstops live at each corner of the Ranger. Trailing arms from RuffStuff Specialties and a pair of triangulated uppers link the rear axle to the frame. Up front you’ll find RuffStuff Heim joints connecting the four-link arms to the frame and axle, and James runs a TK1 Racing sway bar at each end of the truck.
Up front, the bumper is low-profile and cleanly tied into the chassis, and it sports a Smittybilt winch with synthetic line and a Factor55 fairlead and thimble.
The rear tube bumper is also built into the chassis and keeps the bed overhang from crumpling when descending ledges.
There’s a full rollcage built from 1.75-inch-diameter DOM tubing tied into the chassis. Seats are from PRP Racing, and the shift levers have been worked into a custom-built center console.
Don’t worry, it’s functional, even after the bed was dovetailed. There’s even room for the cooler, toolbox, and fuel cell.
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
