As the owner and creator of The Ranger Station, I’ve looked at and critiqued a lot of Ford Ranger builds over the last 26-years. Everything from sketchy low budget to price is no object builds. For me, the sweet spot is the well thought out DIY build that not only shows off the truck’s ability, but the craftsmanship of the builder. It’s one thing to spend money on something to bolt onto your truck, building it yourself is completely different. As a truck builder, I can tell you that there’s a unique form of satisfaction when you build a truck, design some of your own parts, and then get to take the truck off-road and conquer everything it was built to conquer.
Form member JonH’s 1993 Ford Ranger 4×4 exemplifies everything that I love about Ford Rangers and building them for off-road. JonH proves what we’ve been saying here for the past 25-years; Real trucks are built, not bought! JonH bought this Ranger project for $700 and built it into an awesome off-roader with the help of his friend Harley.
I asked JonH to tell me about his Ranger, and now I want to share the story with you.
JonH’s Story
Back in 2018 with the help of my buddy Harley, I started searching for a Ford Ranger to build as a purpose-built wheeler. It had been 5-years since I had to sell my previous wheeler due to the usual lack of room, time, & money. My first vehicle when I was 18 was a Ford Ranger, and it just felt right.
At first, I wanted something drivable, but I knew the desired end result would be a lot of work. We looked at quite a few trucks, from beach buggies with cracked and rusted frame rails to runner drivers basically little more than stock 4x4s.
Finally, in August 2018, we came across this local 1993 4.0 5-speed. The odometer read 45k (felt more like 145k, not 245k) I even liked the color. The seller had previously solid axle swapped in a Dana 30 and was in the very early stages of swapping in a Dana 44. It still had the factory 8.8 in the rear. Arm mounts were tack welded to the frame, and that was the only connection point. It had an empty Dana 44 housing (found it had a slightly bent tube later) that was aligned using pull straps. Not ratchet straps. PULL STRAPS! And no front suspension. It had a 10×6 block of wood supporting the engine cradle mount on the front axle. The rear window was leaking, and it had been sitting for about 5 years. Mushrooms were growing on the carpet inside the cab, and it reeked to high heaven. The truck’s bed was on the ground under a tree on the other side of the seller’s property. The bed rails were in rough shape. Holes had been drilled for a ladder rack, and it looked like something had ripped the sheet metal for the right front tie down hole. Harley’s words: “This is going to be a lot of work.”
The only thing securing my/our interest: it idled fine and drove up onto my trailer under its own 2wd power. I bought it. We ratchet strapped the bed down to the frame and took it home.
I gutted and cleaned the interior and tossed some eBay heated seat pads in the seats. Then it was slowly acquiring parts and building it piece-by-piece, making adjustments and changes as necessary. From purchase to first official test run was 5-years and 7-months.
I originally planned on building around 37s. I’m aware of the Dana 44’s max tire size recommendations. Harley found the set of 41.5s for sale still wrapped in packing tape for a price too good to pass up. I have had tons of people give me guff over the tire size on a Dana 44. I do get on it pretty good, and I do love giving it more skinny pedal. But two years and at least 10 to 15 hard and fun trail runs later, and I still haven’t broken an axle, knock on wood.
Harley custom designed and built the bumpers and cage. He used a roller for the wheel well bars and the vertical bars on the side of the cab. The main reason I wanted an exterior cage is there isn’t a lot of room inside the cab, and every trail truck I’ve had ends up looking like I took it through a can opener. Washington trails are tight, hence the term “tree hugger.”
The main reasons for the ’86 Bronco II fuel tank are 1) there was an ’86 Bronco II sitting there waiting for scrap, 2) my doubler didn’t clear the tank as it’s not a shorty, 3) I had to remove the fuel tank when I rebuilt the entire brake line plumbing system, and 4) seven extra gallons should be reason enough. Lol.
During the first test run, I discovered the track bar was kissing the engine oil pan when bottoming out. At the same time, my front frame to axle brake hose was getting pulverized between the track bar and dif. Those issues required installing bump stops. Cherokee spring style was the easiest way to make bump stops work. That’s when we switched from the 1978 F-150 lift coils.
During the trail run after the test run and quite a few after that, I kept tinkering and adjusting and learning how it wanted to be driven. It just crawls over everything.
Thanks to Harley using factory angle spec books during building, it will do 70 down the highway with the suspension as smooth as can be. It does feel a little white knuckle in the steering over 45 miles an hour though, and it stops like a 70s lifted truck. Down the road, I am planning air shocks, coil overs, and a 4-linked rear.
Not really sure what else to say. Super fun truck. All the hard work and patience paid off. It’s so fun to wheel and drive. And a project is never finished.
(Love this DIY bolt-on Dana 44 axe truss)
Regular Wheeling Spots
- Evans Creek ORV Park (Mt Baker-Snoqualmie forest-Mt Rainier, Carbonado, WA)
- Elbe Hills ORV Park (Tahoma State Forest- Elbe, WA)
- Historic Naches trail (Mt Baker-Snoqualmie forest- Naches, WA)
Been Once – Seriously Need To Go Again
- Walker Valley ORV Park (Mount Vernon, WA)
- Whipsaw Trail (Princeton, BC, Canada – 68 miles start to finish)
Specifications
1993 Ford Ranger 4.0 5-speed
Engine
- 4.0 OHV V6
- 49-410-8 cam
- Bored 0.020 over
- Melling high flow oil pump
- Roller rocker
- Stainless valves
- Dual valve springs
- Full length headers
- 2005 Jeep Liberty V6 Saginaw power steering pump using Proquipped adapter
- Everything else basically factory specs
- All pulleys, pumps & belt original equipment
Intake
- BBK 60mm
- Throttle body spacer bored out to 60mm
- Intake manifold opening bored out to 60mm
Fuel Tank
- Factory fuel tank from 1986 Bronco II mounted in bed (T-Case doubler didn’t clear Ranger tank)
- 1989 fuel pump in the tank allows my dash gauge to work properly. (24 gallon instead of factory 17 gallon)
Cooling
- Champion Radiator Ford Explorer 3 chamber radiator
Transmission
- M50D 5-Speed manual – original to truck
- Centerforce dual friction clutch with factory hydraulic clutch master cylinder
Transfer Case Doubler
- BW1350 front
- BW1354 rear
- Doubler plate and shaft built by Michael Steelman, 1350m case modification and assembly done by Harley Fields
- Shifter linkage all thread rod with Heims and shift levers custom fabricated by Harley Fields
Drive Shafts
- Front out of early 1090s Ford Explorer. Length modified to fit by Harley Fields
- Rear custom built from Drivelines NW .083 wall
Steering
- Reid Racing high steer knuckles
- DOM Tie Rod & Drag link
- Gearbox & pitman arm original to truck
- Track bar relocated to rear of front axle custom fabricated by Harley Fields
Front Axle
- 1978 F-150 Dana 44
- Bolt on truss & lower buckets custom fabricated by Harley Fields
- Yukon 4.88 gears
- Spartan Locker
- Timken bearings
- Standard Gear Chromoly shafts
- Spicer U-Joints
- Warn hubs
- Ruffstuff 3/8 thick differential cover armor
Rear Axle
- 1972 Ford Torino 9-inch
- Yukon 4.86 gears
- Detroit Locker
- Timken bearings
- Mosier Engineering Chromoly shafts
- Barnes4WD pinion guard armor
- Wild Horses Skid plate weld on armor
Brakes
- Front calipers and pads OEM to 1978 F-150
- Rear 10-inch drums OEM to 1972 Torino
- Deleted ABS module & the dash bulb (lol)
- Master cylinder & vacuum booster original to truck
- 1992 F-350 frame to axle brake hose going to both axles
- Two left front Dana 44 brake hoses – one to each caliper
- Working parking brake
Suspension
- Long arm radius arms – bought as they are – built to clear 40’s on a Dana 44 under a Jeep Cherokee
- Frame mounts & cross member support custom fabricated by Harley Fields
- Skyjacker front & rear shocks (4-inch up, 6-inch down travel)
- Upper shock mounts from 1978 F-250
- James Duff 1978 F-150 upper coil buckets modified to Jeep Cherokee bump stop style
- 6-inch lift progressive coils
- Rear Factory Ford Explorer leaf packs with two add-a-leafs.
- Rear spring hangers lowered to bottom of frame rail.
- Belltech 6400 shackles
- Estimate 9-12 inches of lift
Wheels & Tires
- 41.5X13.5R17 Pitbull Rocker radials
- Dirty Life racing beadlocks
Cage, Bumpers & Lights
- Custom fabricated by Harley Fields using bender and roller
- Wanted to keep cross bar out of vision so cage disappears into fenders
- Stub & plate welded to inner cowl
- Rock sliders are XO FAB DIY sliders assembled & installed by Harley Fields
- 12-inch LED light bars under headlights wired to factory fog light harness.
Winch
- Badlands 12K with synthetic rope
- Winch is on hitch receiver plate to allow it to be moved from the front or rear
- Hitch receivers front & rear salvaged from Chevy trucks fabricated to fit by Harley Fields
On-Board Air Compressor
- ARB single piston with 7-gallon tank in bed
Photo Gallery
About The Author
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.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
