'85 Ranger Restomod

[Lariat]

If ya ever need a hand, you know where to get ahold of me. I have Saturday afternoons and Sundays off.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If ya ever need a hand, you know where to get ahold of me. I have Saturday afternoons and Sundays off.

Sounds good, I will let you know

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My car club had their show last weekend, I represented the RBV crowd all by my lonesome (aside from a old 1950's Studebaker hotrod truck with an Explorer 8.8 I guess)

After we got everything tore down before I went home:

And then on to the D35 project. Last night I got all my new bits and pieces rounded up I have accumulated over the years. Found the TRE's behind the seat of my truck, I have had them for quite awhile.

Then I put my pallet mover back on the '45 and wheeled my axle back in front of my garage to play with:

Pivot bushings fought, I had one where I ripped the center out of the rubber so it would just spin. Got out the grinder and modified the remains of the bracket a little so it would come apart.

The one that was torch melted I didn't know what I was getting into and was leary... it came right apart with no fight.

I also removed the sway bar link parts and both shocks, that was boring so I didn't get any pics.

At this point I was feeling pretty good. Been soaking everything since I got it and thought I would tie into the spring retaining bolts... mistake.

Didn't mess with the other one. This one was pretty eroded, I know the ones in mine have been out and doused with never-seize 4 years ago so hopefully they will interchange.

And then it goes back to the shed:

 

[dangerranger83]

Progress!

 

[1qaz]

Your truck looked good in the show! I love shows and cruise-ins. Good luck with that suspension...looks like the sparks were a flyin'!

 

[Lariat]

Eek.... heat is your friend...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Eek.... heat is your friend...

Yeah. That strap that wraps around the front of the beam appears to be the same piece as the dome piece is in the center of the plastic spring isolator... Dad's $.02 is to get that off so we can weld a nut on it to get ahold of it to continue the battle. I need to look up how it how all the pieces go together.

My little 350lb-ft electric impact didn't flinch at snapping it.

 

[bobbywalter]

its a low temp locktight on the studs..so propane or map usually works well...but if its grown together.... well your fawked. but high temp gets er pretty good if its grown together..


i usually just nip the bolts on both sides with the cutoff wheel, but i see the braket was a cut out so no reason to be nice to it



your truck is so classic....uncut, with fender trim no less and those tires...total classic.


its just not normal to me anymore.

 

[dangerranger83]

Truck is being built exactly as it should have came from the factory in 85. The competition wouldn't have stood a chance.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

its a low temp locktight on the studs..so propane or map usually works well...but if its grown together.... well your fawked. but high temp gets er pretty good if its grown together..


i usually just nip the bolts on both sides with the cutoff wheel, but i see the braket was a cut out so no reason to be nice to it

My first thought was to buzz the ends off the bolt... then it hit me why go through the effort, especially when they were so kind to drill huge holes in the bracket.

your truck is so classic....uncut, with fender trim no less and those tires...total classic.


its just not normal to me anymore.

Truck is being built exactly as it should have came from the factory in 85. The competition wouldn't have stood a chance.

Thanks a lot guys, that is the look I am going for.

I have a long ways to go though...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The dimmer switch has been messing up. It has this unnerving habit of taking 3-4 seconds from switching from low beam to high beam. For that time... I am in the dark going down the highway.

A little of that goes a long ways so I got a new dimmer switch.

Not digging the orange switch body, looks pretty tacky I thought. The original one had a foam seal around the switch holes. In addition to keeping dust out (of interest since I live on a gravel road) it also makes it look much better. Parts store had never seen anything. So I hit the hardware store.

A little thinner would have made getting the covers back on but it worked pretty nice.

I need to replace the wiper switch sometime too, it works fine but won't work the squirter (it is a JY switch, on my original switch knob didn't do anything) so that is why I didn't foam it up too.

 

[bobbywalter]

i would have hit it with some flat black...


cause i am to lazy to do that....and i have had the column on fire before.


damn dirty switches dont like being submerged. they hold the grudge for years before they screw ya.

 

[adsm08]

The dimmer in my 87 did that about 2 years ago. I sat and thought about it really hard, then I had to re-wire the whole dash, and somehow my dimmer got left on the floor, but it's a lot easier, and cheaper, to replace when it dies now.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i would have hit it with some flat black...


cause i am to lazy to do that....and i have had the column on fire before.


damn dirty switches dont like being submerged. they hold the grudge for years before they screw ya.

Dad mentioned painting it, I said electrical tape would be easier. I like the foam though.

The dimmer in my 87 did that about 2 years ago. I sat and thought about it really hard, then I had to re-wire the whole dash, and somehow my dimmer got left on the floor, but it's a lot easier, and cheaper, to replace when it dies now.

I didn't think 6 screws and $35 every 30 years was too bad.

 

[dangerranger83]

My dad put the intermittent wiper switch on mine years ago, plug and play, but it has always had a dead spot right where you want them to run. Couldn't find the same style turn signal switch that operates my horn on my truck so I have one that has cruise control that I can't use. However its a longer lever switch which is nice. I just use my finger and engine as a horn instead.