2013 Off-Road Truck of The Year
Each month The Ranger Station holds a ‘Off-Road Truck of The Month’ contest in our forums. Members nominate vehicles for the first half of the month and then vote on them during the second half. Results are posted in the forum, and the winners are displayed on the website during the following month. At the end of the year, the monthly winners are entered in to a ‘Truck of The Year’ drawing. Again, forum members vote for the winner.
We proudly announce the ’2013 Off-Road Truck of The Year’:
Owner: dhkonrad
From: Auburn, California
Truck of The Month: October 2013
Vehicle: 1993 Ford Ranger 4×4
Specifications:
Front Suspension:
- 1/2-ton Dana 44 hp axle out of a 78/79 F150 (Start of SAS) (Mostly completed SAS)
- Warn non-premium locking hubs
- Gears are USA standard 5.13
- Coils are early Bronco 5.5 Crawler springs from Wildhorse4x4
- Procomp es9000 shocks (Shock hoops)
- Custom wedge style radius arms with 1.25″ Heims joints (clicky)
- Adjustable trackbar with 7/8 Heims joints
- GM 1-ton TRE’s with DOM tubing
- Custom painted diff cover
Rear Suspension:
- 31-spline 8.8 out of an Explorer
- Gears are USA standard 5.13
- Leafs are Explorer leafs
- Custom 2″ extended shackles
- Factory blocks
- Wheel adapters to match the 5.5 x 5 lug pattern of the front
- Body Armor:
- Roll bar with 4 lights
- Custom rock sliders
- Custom front DOM tube bumper with an 8k lb Warn spur drive winch
- Square tube rear bumper
Odds & Ends:
- Too many lights
- CB radio
- LED rocklights/underglow
- Wheels are 15×10 Bart racing rims with 4 inches of backspacing
- Tires are 35×12.50×15 BFG KM2’s
- Cut fenders
- Custom Home Depot Fender Flares
- Engine is fully stock 4.0L
- Tranny is a 5-speed manual
From The Owner:
“Like on so many other members’ trucks here on TRS, everything besides weld on tabs is custom fabricated and built almost from scratch by yours truly. I have made an effort to do as much as I can myself, even setting up my own gears with almost 0 experience and very little guidance besides the extremely helpful TRS. (not meant sarcastically at all. I would not have been able to hardly anything if it wasn’t for this great resource). I don’t have really any experience at all, so almost everything is learn-as-you-go”
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.
