What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Bumper progress on the green Ranger. Don’t mind my work station, lol. Oh, and that’s a plate the junkyard left on a bumper I got, which works handily for figuring out plate placement. Think I have it mostly figured out now. There will be auxiliary/backup flush mount LEDs when it’s done. I’m not sure where I squirreled away the case of lights though at the moment, so I borrowed one from the F-150 for sizing. 2” receiver hitch sunk in the middle, D-rings for safety chains will be welded on both sides about where they are sitting. Roughly around where the tape measure is sitting is where I’ll punch a hole for my 7-pin trailer plug.

My original idea was one plate light above the plate with a bit of steel around it to protect it, but that lowered the plate below the bumper more than I wanted, so I’m gonna put a plate light on each side and do a pair of C-channel protectors. I cut the one in the pic at 1-1/2” and was about to cut another when I started wondering if I wanted it sticking out that far. 1” would be far enough and about the same that the hitch and other stuff will stick out. I went the extra half inch because I was thinking of running a piece of flat across the top between the C’s just to kinda smooth things out and I had a bit of 1-1/2” strap. I don’t have any 1”, but I can cut something down.

Main bit of the bumper is 5” C-channel. I pie cut and wrapped the ends around so there is a pair of 45* angles to make the 90* corners. Goofed when I welded it and poured too much heat in so they’re slightly more than 90*, but I’m calling it fine. I have some 2”x2”x1/4” angle that’s going to run back along the frame, plus I’m going to put some 1/4” plate up from those onto the frame so it will be good and reinforced. Going to put a piece of that angle across the top of the bumper between the frame plates for additional hitch strength plus whatever other reinforcements I think are needed. Probably fill out the less-important bits of the top of the bumper with 1/8”.

Of course I’ll also have some steel wrapped around the trailer plug too. Pin will be behind the bumper face, but I don’t see that as a huge inconvenience since my primary haulers are my full-size trucks. I’ll weld a bit of steel to the bottom of the bumper at the plate to protect the bottom of the plate too. Front bumper on my F-150 was done kinda similar to this and I’ve moved trailers with it and it’s had a winch slotted in the receiver for like the past year so I’m not worried about this bumper holding up to towing anything that a Ranger is rated for.

 

[Rick W]

View attachment 115934

Bumper progress on the green Ranger. Don’t mind my work station, lol. Oh, and that’s a plate the junkyard left on a bumper I got, which works handily for figuring out plate placement. Think I have it mostly figured out now. There will be auxiliary/backup flush mount LEDs when it’s done. I’m not sure where I squirreled away the case of lights though at the moment, so I borrowed one from the F-150 for sizing. 2” receiver hitch sunk in the middle, D-rings for safety chains will be welded on both sides about where they are sitting. Roughly around where the tape measure is sitting is where I’ll punch a hole for my 7-pin trailer plug.

My original idea was one plate light above the plate with a bit of steel around it to protect it, but that lowered the plate below the bumper more than I wanted, so I’m gonna put a plate light on each side and do a pair of C-channel protectors. I cut the one in the pic at 1-1/2” and was about to cut another when I started wondering if I wanted it sticking out that far. 1” would be far enough and about the same that the hitch and other stuff will stick out. I went the extra half inch because I was thinking of running a piece of flat across the top between the C’s just to kinda smooth things out and I had a bit of 1-1/2” strap. I don’t have any 1”, but I can cut something down.

Main bit of the bumper is 5” C-channel. I pie cut and wrapped the ends around so there is a pair of 45* angles to make the 90* corners. Goofed when I welded it and poured too much heat in so they’re slightly more than 90*, but I’m calling it fine. I have some 2”x2”x1/4” angle that’s going to run back along the frame, plus I’m going to put some 1/4” plate up from those onto the frame so it will be good and reinforced. Going to put a piece of that angle across the top of the bumper between the frame plates for additional hitch strength plus whatever other reinforcements I think are needed. Probably fill out the less-important bits of the top of the bumper with 1/8”.

Of course I’ll also have some steel wrapped around the trailer plug too. Pin will be behind the bumper face, but I don’t see that as a huge inconvenience since my primary haulers are my full-size trucks. I’ll weld a bit of steel to the bottom of the bumper at the plate to protect the bottom of the plate too. Front bumper on my F-150 was done kinda similar to this and I’ve moved trailers with it and it’s had a winch slotted in the receiver for like the past year so I’m not worried about this bumper holding up to towing anything that a Ranger is rated for.

Love it! A couple thoughts…

When I did the step trailer for the Road Ranger, I hung the license plates off the bottom. I put in a really thin aluminum angle with several self drilling, self tapping screws, and I hung the license plates with S hooks so they flap. For my lighting, I used some of that strip LED stuff where there’s an LED every couple of inches, the self adhesive tape strip, and just stuck it under the front of the aluminum angle. The license plates are in the cheap stainless metal frames. You can find them 2/10 or 12 bucks on eBay. Unless you really bash something, the license plates will survive like new.

On the seven pin plug, get a really short piece of 3 or 4” pipe. Mount the hitch from the backside so the lid is just about flush with the front of the channel. Cut the pipe about a half inch or 3/4 of an inch long and weld it on, so it is no more protruding than your D rings. If the plug cap won’t clear, just notch the top of that pipe a little bit.

Do I even have to say rustoleum? In a can with a brush?

All my 2 cents, hope it helps.

On a different note, is the beer distributor in your area publicly traded? Do they sell stock?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Love it! A couple thoughts…

When I did the step trailer for the Road Ranger, I hung the license plates off the bottom. I put in a really thin aluminum angle with several self drilling, self tapping screws, and I hung the license plates with S hooks so they flap. For my lighting, I used some of that strip LED stuff where there’s an LED every couple of inches, the self adhesive tape strip, and just stuck it under the front of the aluminum angle. The license plates are in the cheap stainless metal frames. You can find them 2/10 or 12 bucks on eBay. Unless you really bash something, the license plates will survive like new.

View attachment 115947View attachment 115950

On the seven pin plug, get a really short piece of 3 or 4” pipe. Mount the hitch from the backside so the lid is just about flush with the front of the channel. Cut the pipe about a half inch or 3/4 of an inch long and weld it on, so it is no more protruding than your D rings. If the plug cap won’t clear, just notch the top of that pipe a little bit.

Do I even have to say rustoleum? In a can with a brush?

All my 2 cents, hope it helps.

On a different note, is the beer distributor in your area publicly traded? Do they sell stock?

So… I thought about doing the LED strips, but I have LED plate lights on hand and no strips, so, it’s getting plate lights. Until after the 25th anniversary get-together, I’m not buying anything I don’t have to and this bumper needs completed to go. Even not spending more than I absolutely have to, I’m not sure if I’ll have the funds. It’s gonna be close.

PA state law on plates says they have to be a minimum of 12” above the pavement, firmly mounted (no hinges or hooks), and mounted horizontally. Since this Ranger is lowered, even putting it where it’s at in my picture it’s going to be close to the 12” above the pavement number. Which is also part of why I changed my plan and decided to do two plate lights from the side.

7-pin plug will get a steel protector. I’m probably going to get the hole for the plug in today and then I’ll figure out what I’m going to put around it out of what I have on hand. I don’t have the time to get super fancy and things are going to be sticking out from the face of the bumper anyway so I’m not going to try and recess the plug, I’ll just drill a hole and bolt it straight to the front. A 1” tall protector will work. I’m just building this as incidental protection for the lights and plug, someone rear ends me and that plastic stuff can still get broken. I’m ok with that.

Haven‘t settled on what exactly I’m doing with it. Probably just Rustoleum. Thought about trying to do bedliner on the top or doing some rubber diamond plate or something, but it’s probably just getting a spritz of Rustoleum because that’s all I’ll have time for.

 

[Rick W]

So… I thought about doing the LED strips, but I have LED plate lights on hand and no strips, so, it’s getting plate lights. Until after the 25th anniversary get-together, I’m not buying anything I don’t have to and this bumper needs completed to go. Even not spending more than I absolutely have to, I’m not sure if I’ll have the funds. It’s gonna be close.

PA state law on plates says they have to be a minimum of 12” above the pavement, firmly mounted (no hinges or hooks), and mounted horizontally. Since this Ranger is lowered, even putting it where it’s at in my picture it’s going to be close to the 12” above the pavement number. Which is also part of why I changed my plan and decided to do two plate lights from the side.

7-pin plug will get a steel protector. I’m probably going to get the hole for the plug in today and then I’ll figure out what I’m going to put around it out of what I have on hand. I don’t have the time to get super fancy and things are going to be sticking out from the face of the bumper anyway so I’m not going to try and recess the plug, I’ll just drill a hole and bolt it straight to the front. A 1” tall protector will work. I’m just building this as incidental protection for the lights and plug, someone rear ends me and that plastic stuff can still get broken. I’m ok with that.

Haven‘t settled on what exactly I’m doing with it. Probably just Rustoleum. Thought about trying to do bedliner on the top or doing some rubber diamond plate or something, but it’s probably just getting a spritz of Rustoleum because that’s all I’ll have time for.

I hear you, no worries. I’m just trying to provide food for thought. When I do stuff like that, I usually have a general vision of what I want, but a lot of times when I’m chattering about it, a buddy or a stranger will have a suggestion that sets the lightbulb off.

But I think if you brush on the rust oleum instead of spritz it, you going to be much happier, it’s really pretty durable. Yeah, it takes longer to dry, but it ends up 10 times as thick with a better bond to the steel.

But it’s all my two cents. Looks like it’s gonna come out pretty cool regardless of what you do.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I hear you, no worries. I’m just trying to provide food for thought. When I do stuff like that, I usually have a general vision of what I want, but a lot of times when I’m chattering about it, a buddy or a stranger will have a suggestion that sets the lightbulb off.

But I think if you brush on the rust oleum instead of spritz it, you going to be much happier, it’s really pretty durable. Yeah, it takes longer to dry, but it ends up 10 times as thick with a better bond to the steel.

But it’s all my two cents. Looks like it’s gonna come out pretty cool regardless of what you do.

Yeah, my general idea for the bumper has been changed a good bit as I’ve started to work on it, but I figured that would happen as I started to work on it. Initially I was thinking of putting it tighter to the bed more like a roll-pan, but that would have forced the 2” hitch to stick a good 4-5” out to make room for the pin, would have made for different bracing and I just wasn’t real excited about all of that. I’ve been debating on running a 1” tall strip across the top of the bumper since I’m thinking I want all my protectors set at 1” so it will give a sort of flange but I dunno. I don’t have any 1” strap around right now and no money to spare to buy a strip.

I know brushing Rustoleum would be the best, but I don’t have any right now that I can think of and it will take time to do. With only being able to work bits at a time and having limited time and needing it, it will probably get spritzed with whatever I have for now. I can worry about make-pretty after trying to make Kentucky.

Oh, yeah, and as far as the beer cans go, we don’t get the five or ten cents a can/bottle that some states do here. I can haul them in for scrap, but right now it’s $0.45/lb, so I’m just collecting. When all of my barrels are full, I have a truckload for my F-150. They aren’t all full yet and I’m hoping the price gets up a little higher before I’m ready to haul them in. With all barrels full, it’s usually around 150# and it costs me roughly 4 gallons of gas to make the trip, so I prefer it to be over 50 cents a pound to haul them in.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Cans would fill more volume if crushed flat. Probably ten times the weight per barrel.

 

[superj]

i downloaded the firmware update for the cp-71w cool guy radio and installed it. now i have android auto maps and junk and it works really good.

i just have to go into the settings sometimes and set it to not automatically hook to my phone and turn on all the extra junk that it does right now. as soon as the radio powers up, it bluetooths to my phone and then turns on the location deal and the wi-fi. i don't like that because it than changes the radio station and i am usually listening to something else when it does that so i have to mess around and change it back

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

Two inch dropped shackles made a one inch drop at the axle so I think I've finally got the ride height and pinion angle where I want it with 30" slicks and 27" front tires.

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

Check valves for something?

Jet extensions and notched float for Holley 750 double pumper. Hard launch makes the fuel run away from the secondary bowl jets and this kit is supposed to cure the problem. Sort of obvious now that I think of it since the higher I turned up the launch RPM the worse the bog got.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Cans would fill more volume if crushed flat. Probably ten times the weight per barrel.

This is true. But I’m not allowed to crush cans in the house here (I don’t own it, so I don’t get to make rules), my can crusher in my shed is inconvenient and a hunk of worn-out HF stuff. The closer I get to running out of barrels, the more I usually take time to start crushing if the price isn’t where I want it. I’m about to where I need to start crushing, but I have more important things to do until after the 25th anniversary trail ride/meet-n-greet this year.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

When my mom and grandmother collected aluminum cans, we would spread them in the driveway and Dad would drive back and forth over them in his Suburban to crush them under the tires. Those were the days.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

When my mom and grandmother collected aluminum cans, we would spread them in the driveway and Dad would drive back and forth over them in his Suburban to crush them under the tires. Those were the days.

One family friend does that. I’m the busiest lazy person you’ll probably meet, so picking up all those cans out of a gravel driveway doesn’t appeal to me. And I don’t think the township would appreciate me using the road and a coal shovel.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Green Ranger I started pulling the electrical apart today back by the rear bumper. Measured what I needed for the 7-pin plug and found a hole saw to cut my new bumper, but that’s as far as that part of the project got. Realized I keep forgetting to address some problems with the F-150, so I’ll detail that in the other thread. After getting back to the Ranger I cleaned up the piece I’m making to protect fuel lines from accidentally banging them with the bed taking that on or off, drilled holes in that and the frame crossmember, put some stainless nutserts in the crossmember, and shot some cold galvanizing on the piece. Tomorrow that will get bolted in and hopefully it works out well.

 

[Rick W]

Cans would fill more volume if crushed flat. Probably ten times the weight per barrel.

yeah, but after the fourth one, there’s always the danger of losing a thumb when you crush them

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So yesterday, I found some stuff I needed. Today I got a plan together for that stuff. Also stripped the electrical back and prepped it a bit after removing the rear bumper and hitch. Removed my old auxiliary/backup lights off the bed that only ever half worked and painted over the scratches in the paint. Tomorrow I’ll start crimping ends and building my new rear harness pieces for the electrical.

Also dealing with electrical, I finally got around to investigating my oxygen sensors and sure enough, my guess was correct, somehow the pre and post cat wires got connected backwards. There was no getting two hands up there, so I got to do it one-handed. Fun times, but at least it’s correct now. Maybe it will be a little happier now.