The Lone Ranger – Kage’s ’94 X-Cab Leaf SAS and Bed Bob

[4.0B2]

ah ok.. didn't think about that. just thought about the way yota guys bob their bed, but they do a link setup.

 

[bobbywalter]

WHOA it's a fancy tierod end with no boot. and prolly Gob's more flex! kinda cool. somone should really start making high angle TRE's for factory application's

easy to put a boot on that critter

 

[Andres629]

Those Evo TRE's are wicked. I was going to pick me up some of those, but a normal 1 ton Chev TRE should suffice.

 

[Kage]

Wow, lots of hits on this thread overnight.....

Splitting the insert would have been cheaper.....

I thought about that, but at that point the Heim was done for anyway, so what the heck

...One that would be a step between a 4wd ranger and a mostly flat F150 arm would be a 2wd ranger pitman arm, they're around a 1" drop.

Thanks, I'll look into picking one up.

i would prefer to run a flatter arm with a 1 ton tie rod end in the normal low side of the pitman arm at the box. certain year 250 arms will be perfect with a lil more throw to boot...

Thanks I'll Look into that option as well.

...using a bolt always ends up janky in the end on most rigs i see out in the world....

I don't disagree and I'm sure the bolts will go away in the future. Unfortuatenly, all the high steer arms, and the knuckles were allready drilled out to 3/4" prior to me owning this 44. So I'm kinda stuck with what I've got at this point. If I wind up blowing the 44 apart on a regular basis, I'll fix the steering when I go 60. I'm hoping the Hydro will help with the "Janky" feeling some.

If your using heims for 'strength' over a TRE, you may wanna click THIS link and check out Evolution Machines TRE's... they are the cat's ass.

Yikes! Those are pretty dang pricey! But as stated before, I'm using the Heims since that's what the holes were allready drilled out for.

also looks like you bought 3/4" heim joints. 3/4" shank 5/8" ball is the joint that size you want for steering.

5/8" would have worked, but as I noted before, the PO had allready drilled it out to 3/4". Work with what you got I suppose.

more i look at the bed, i'm thinking the bob should have been the rear section, not the front- that would have helped w/ departure angle..

but that's your choice. nice truck none the less.

has to have the stock bed length after the axle cause of the leaf springs......

if he were to link the rear, then he could bob after the axle.....but keeping leaves is way more simple....

l8r, John

Yup, I'd have to link the rear to get the bed shorter, but I still need this thing to "be a truck" on occasion so I don't really want to shorten the bed further than it allready is. The departure angle allready beats the pants off of my XJ, and to be honest, there isn't that many ledges to climb out in the midwest anyway.

Those Evo TRE's are wicked. I was going to pick me up some of those, but a normal 1 ton Chev TRE should suffice.

I've got a feeling that I'll wind up with the chevy's at some point in the future if for no other reason than you can find them at any parts store.

Thanks for the comments guys!

 

[Kage]

The Death of a Cherokee

The Ranger has been kicked out of the garage for the past few days to allow me to strip down my other wheeler. I did grab a few photos of the XJ and the Ranger hanging out next to each other for a bit. Considering all the places I managed to squeeze that XJ in, the Ranger looks way overbuilt sitting next to it.

The poor XJ had been sitting still long enough to become a bird sanctuary.

Pulling the Stroker out.

And a few more hours of wrenching left me with this.

Finally, the XJ moved out tonight, which is good as the garage has gotten a little crowded lately...

My pop came by with the Bobcat and we loaded her up for the "Last Ride". The rain was fitting, as I'm a a little bummed to see my first Jeep go away...

Quick trip down memory lane...

.. And there she is

This shell was utterly done for after 4 hard years of wheeling (2 without a top). So for the first time in over 4 years, I no longer have a Jeep. It feels kind of funny as I’ve owned this vehicle longer than any other vehicle prior.

Now that the XJ is gone, I can start working on the finishing touches on the Ragner.

 

[86 slo-vo]

good riddens!










just messing with you, im a fan of the ole cherokee's. had a few myself and to tell the truth if i didnt have the ranger id probably be running around in a chopped cherokee

i think youll be happy with the ranger, cant wait to get out on the trails with it.

 

[kroussinoffroad]

also looks like you bought 3/4" heim joints. 3/4" shank 5/8" ball is the joint that size you want for steering.

wouldnt a 3/4''-3/4'' with the 3/4-5/8misalignment spacer's be better for connecting from the pitman arm to the knuckle?

as for you knuck's bein drilled out to 3/4'' you could allway's drill them out to 1'' and buzz in some 1 ton tre insert's

 

[NMB2]

wouldnt a 3/4''-3/4'' with the 3/4-5/8misalignment spacer's be better for connecting from the pitman arm to the knuckle?

what is your logic behind that? It still leaves you with a weak heim joint body.

you just use a 3/4-5/8 heim with regular misalignments

Like this -

 

[kroussinoffroad]

I was gettin too much bind without the misalignment. was going to limit my down travel quite a bit. in a flat situation i was using 3/4 x5/8 (tie rod) but for the drag link i had to run the misalignment's and have had no negative effect's aside from wearing out heim's which is aparentely typical.
this is the first setup (d30) with the uber tall coil's in it. i ultimately had to lower the front to bring every thing back into check. but i'm still running the misalignmetn's or it would bind about halfway droped out. just no other way about it that I see. i do see where your coming from with strengh as the 3/4x5/8 is nearly twice as strong.

 

[Kage]

good riddens!

...just messing with you, im a fan of the ole cherokee's. had a few myself and to tell the truth if i didnt have the ranger id probably be running around in a chopped cherokee

i think youll be happy with the ranger, cant wait to get out on the trails with it.

I've gone through several XJ's (4 to date), but this was #1 that started it all. With it out of the way (and some of the parts pulled off of it) I can now continue on wrapping up the Ranger. My deadline is rapidly approaching so things need to get done quick!.

I got this photo from my pop with the XJ on "The Last Hill". Brings a tear to my eye, but then I think about how much of a pain it was to work on and I get over it.

....as for you knuck's bein drilled out to 3/4'' you could allway's drill them out to 1'' and buzz in some 1 ton tre insert's

Whoa, such a beast exists? I was looking for something of that nature but couldn’t find anything so I just went with Heims (didn’t really have the time to make them myself). Got a link by chance?​

As far as strength goes, I’m not worried about killing these heims and I’d bet that they’re stronger than the 1 ton stuff. However, heims seem to get sloppy quick, so I’d rather go to at TRE at some point in the future. Possibly before our MT trip later this year.​

 

[gearhead51]

Whoa, such a beast exists? I was looking for something of that nature but couldn’t find anything so I just went with Heims (didn’t really have the time to make them myself). Got a link by chance?​

here ya go budd http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Tapered-GM-TRE-insert_p_1706.html

 

[Kage]

here ya go budd http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/tapered-gm-tre-insert_p_1706.html

thanks!

 

[NMB2]

I was gettin too much bind without the misalignment. was going to limit my down travel quite a bit. in a flat situation i was using 3/4 x5/8 (tie rod) but for the drag link i had to run the misalignment's and have had no negative effect's aside from wearing out heim's which is aparentely typical.
this is the first setup (d30) with the uber tall coil's in it. i ultimately had to lower the front to bring every thing back into check. but i'm still running the misalignmetn's or it would bind about halfway droped out. just no other way about it that I see. i do see where your coming from with strengh as the 3/4x5/8 is nearly twice as strong.

look at my picture again. that is a 3/4-5/8 joint with misalignments and 5/8" bolt. The style spacers you run sleeve into the ball. They make spacers, like mine.. that do not do this.

 

[88_Eddie]

how the H did i miss this build? looks good

 

[kroussinoffroad]

look at my picture again. that is a 3/4-5/8 joint with misalignments and 5/8" bolt. The style spacers you run sleeve into the ball. They make spacers, like mine.. that do not do this.

O.K. I see what ya got goin on. anywho I dont think i'll ever go with the HEIM's again as they dont last. that is unless the ruff stuff one's last alot longer. i am definately lookin at goin wit the GM ton tre's for 250$ dosnt sound like that bad of an option as they should last year's instead of month's