I need chassis dimensions 1987 Ranger

dwinmac · Aug 7, 2007

I'm new to this forum so I hope I'm posting to the right place. I am in the process of putting an electric motor in a 1987 2 wheel drive Ranger. The kit that I am using calls for installing battery racks under the bed in between the frame members. The kit seems to focus mainly on Chevy S10 and the battery racks fit in between the frame members nicely. I don't know whether the Ranger frame members are closer together or the fact that the drive shaft is on an angle to the passenger side of the vehicle but it is causing a real problem trying to fit the Trojan T-145 batteries in between the frame members. (There's 20 batteries by the way)
My question is: Is there documentation available showing the dimensions of the chassis of the 1987 Ford Ranger (i.e the distance between the frame members and the distance between the frame and the drive shaft and also the location of the cross members.
It really irks me that the S10 may be able to do something that the Ranger can't.

TRUNK_MONKEY · Aug 7, 2007

check with your local bodyshop that has electronic measuring.they can easily provide a very detailed printout for you.

EVconverter · Aug 9, 2007

Just Joined, have same project and question

I see that you joined a few days ago, taking on the same project as I, and you are asking the same question that I just posted, only we have a 94 Ranger... So if I find the measurements (drawing) elsewhere I'll be sure to let you know...

RobbieD · Aug 9, 2007

One of the Ford publications for every model year is the "Body Builder" book. Although these seem to be one of the harder factory manuals to find, it would be exactly what you guys are looking for- line drawings of the chassis, with dimensions. The body shop suggestion also sounds worth looking in to. Good luck to both of you; these sound like interesting projects.

dwinmac · Aug 9, 2007

EVconverter said:
I see that you joined a few days ago, taking on the same project as I, and you are asking the same question that I just posted, only we have a 94 Ranger... So if I find the measurements (drawing) elsewhere I'll be sure to let you know...

Thanks EVconverter. With a quick search of the internet I did find the following web site https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/bodybuild.html
which has the body builder info that RobbieD indicated. I have not found the info for a 1987 yet.
I'm in the process of building a model battery box for four Trojan T-145 batteries out of cardboard. We have the bed off the truck and I will be seeing how it fits. Definitely cannot use 1" thick polystyrene foam insulation around the batteries. I'm hoping we can get by with 1/4 inch foam insulation if it's available for purchase and a box made of 1/4 inch plywood.
Keep me updated on your project and I'll dothe same with you. My name is Doug and email is macdonalddw@usa.net. I don't get emails with replies to my posts here on the forum. Perhaps my preferences aren't set up correctly.

JoshT · Aug 10, 2007

For the E-mails you've suscribe to the post. I'm not sure if you can do it when posting a reply, but if you look under thread tools at the top of the thread you can subscribe there.

As for the motor, why would you go electric when you can go V8?

Just kidding it's your truck, and you are free to experiment with it as much as you wish (so ong as it isn't a rare version). Good luck with your project!

dwinmac · Aug 10, 2007

Hi JoshT,
That '84 long bed sure would be a nice candidate for 144 volt electric motor. The long bed supposedly provides enough room to add four more batteries for a total of 24.

However, it is uncertain right now whether there is room to put the batteries under the bed at all (even 20 for the 120 volt system). That off center drive shaft on the Ranger is a real problem for us electric motor enthusiasts. I also have a 1998 extended cab Ranger with 115,000 miles and still going strong with its internal combustion engine.

Sevensecondsuv · Aug 10, 2007

Eh, 115000 is nothing. Mine has 240,000 and is still reliable as gravity. Gets 25-30 MPG. Good enough for me!!

Good luck with the EV conversion. Sounds like a fun project with a real purpose.

dwinmac · Aug 10, 2007

It really is amazing how long these engines last if you take care of them. That kind of gas mileage is pretty good as well. The best I have gotten on the highway is 26 mpg. I think I must have had a tailwind because it averages more around 25mpg. Around town it's more like 19 mpg. It looks like you keep pretty busy with your Ranger projects. Good luck with it.

MAKG · Aug 10, 2007

I'm not familiar with this kit (but I'm curious).

But since this is a 2WD, can the motor be mounted further back? Cutting a driveshaft is cheap. Then, perhaps you can put the batteries in front of the motor. Perhaps even mounted vertically behind the now-unnecessary radiator (though that may not affect handling nicely).

Just a thought. An electric motor doesn't really need to be nearly as tall as a V6. And batteries don't necessarily need to be between the frame rails. Though it's a bit ugly, perhaps another alternative is to mount two boxes to the outsides of the frames.

Maybe there are better battery packs available? The one I saw for the Volt test-driven around here wasn't large at all.

krugford · Aug 10, 2007

I am curious about the setup you're going to be using. Will you be using the entire drivetrain minus IC engine or are you going with more of a direct drive set-up? You could save a lot of drag by eliminating power transfer points from the driveline. What kind of amp hour rating do you think you'll get drawing the current required to drive down the road? Is this for around town or short highway trips? Any other weight saving/drag reducing plans for the future? Those batteries are gonna weigh around 1500 lbs plus inter-connects and packaging. Any battery protection system in mind?

Sounds like fun. Keep up the good work!

-krug

Also, If you really want a top of the line pack, I would recommend lithium ion - lighter, more energy dense, more efficient, kills you if you make a mistake, etc. I believe the Tesla roadster uses around 5000 18-650 cells. Should be able to buy the bare cells for around 25 grand or so....

Keep us posted on you're progress!

dwinmac · Aug 10, 2007

The electric motor is about 16 inches long and about 9 inches in diameter. The input voltage is 120 volts (hence 20 six volt deep cycle batteries - you're pretty close on the weight and a good reason to get them as low as possible on the vehicle). The design is called clutchless but it really is clutch pedal less. We remove the clutch assy and send it to the machine shop where, in essence, they bolt it "always engaged". The electric motor uses the same motor mounts as the ICE and with an adaptor connects to the same clutch assy. The controller is good to 400 amps. I'm guessing, at 65 or 70 mph it would probably approach that figure. More casual driving is more like 200 amps. Drive in second gear around town, shift into 3rd gear on the highway. This is primarily for driving around town. The range is roughly 80 miles between charges. Weight and drag reduction is a primary concern. I would like to enclose the bottom as much as possible and fender skirts, although tacky looking, would save considerable drag. But, believe it or not about 1/2 of the drag on a pickup is at the back of the vehicle. I would love to come up with something to overcome that. Do you have any ideas? Check out EVAmerica.com

dwinmac · Aug 10, 2007

MAKG, The electric motor is much smaller than the ICE however it does weigh a hefty 150 lbs. Cutting the drive shaft is probably a lot more than most people are willing to try although I will keep that in mind if I decide to do another.

The batteries do have to be somewhat protected. I'm not sure what it would be like having them on the outside of the frame. The current design calls for 16 batteries under the bed and 4 where the radiator was. The engine compartment has all the electical equipment required to control the motor SAFELY. Safety is a primary command. You don't want to be standing in front leaning over the engine and mistakenly put 120 volts across the motor terminals with the transmission in gear. Maintaining these things will be a whole new adventure for mechanics.

krugford · Aug 10, 2007

Try this link. It's an 8 meg file, so it takes a little bit to load. It listed by someone on the old forum which is currently not available. So here it is.

http://ecow.engr.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/getbig/me/363/ghandhi1/pickup.pdf

dwinmac · Aug 11, 2007

krugford, Very interesting article just skimming through it. Another instance of things not being what they seem to be. I'll definitely study it in more detail. Thanks

I need chassis dimensions 1987 Ranger

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