Ranger44's build: Project FAZDA

[legoms013]

I second the turning radius sucks on the 125" wheelbase....


Stock it didn't seem bad at all, I could whip a u-turn without thinking about it but it wasn't great either.

Then I lifted 4" and put on the pitman arm that came with the kit, and then I could really turn. The truck could turn on a dime and parking was a dream (albeit the part where the front tires rubbed on the radius arms at full lock).

Then I lifted again, and added a Skyjacker Extreme drop pitman arm and now the turning radius flat out sucks. I constantly have to think and plan ahead now when to start turning and when to swing wide.....what kind of crap is this I drive a mini-pickup, not a lifted long bed quad cab F350 for crying out loud.

Either way I avoid u-turns now and have to do 2-point turns to get in parking spots parallel with the lines.

 

[Irokranger93]

Cleaned up the chunk.......down to bare aluminum.



Going over to my Dads next Friday or Sunday to weld up reinforcement on the spare beams, and doctor up the cut buckets. I picked up 50 lbs of 1/8", 1/4", 3/16", and one strip of 1/2" plate for $25. Can't beat new steel for fifty cents a pound........ It'll be more than enough to do what I'm wanting.

Before painting a peices you could do a proceeds by using Electrolysis(rust remover) anode / cathode)in citric acid or salt solution
sodium carbonate(Na2CO3)
drano krytal kitchen is same thing
and Arm and Hammer LAUNDRY soda, also called washing soda

 

[ozziemo27]

yeah, but not until I can afford 4.88's or 5.13's, and trim the hell out of those fenders......lol

I think 32's or 33's are my max for now.

Oh i know it, man, gearing (money) is the only thing that keeps me from going bigger. 35s would be the perfect next tire. for now...

 

[CHKNFKR]

Miss er'

You didn't miss her that much when you sold her to me for next to nothing, then stripped her down to nothing Just sayin.....

 

[Ranger44]

I did it out of love.....

Besides I was pissed off at it at the time, and knew it was going into good hands.

It's not the truck itself really...it's the wheel base most of all.

 

[CHKNFKR]

I'll treat her right, till I treat her wrong!

 

[Ranger44]

Paraphillia is a sin.......

 

[Ranger44]

I remember being able to swing hard and make a full turn on a street from on curb to the other....I know streets do vary, but hear me out......now I couldn't even dream of it, I'd jump up into a lawn. It's bad enough to make me raise funds for a new chassis.

I second the turning radius sucks on the 125" wheelbase....


Stock it didn't seem bad at all, I could whip a u-turn without thinking about it but it wasn't great either.

Then I lifted 4" and put on the pitman arm that came with the kit, and then I could really turn. The truck could turn on a dime and parking was a dream (albeit the part where the front tires rubbed on the radius arms at full lock).

Then I lifted again, and added a Skyjacker Extreme drop pitman arm and now the turning radius flat out sucks. I constantly have to think and plan ahead now when to start turning and when to swing wide.....what kind of crap is this I drive a mini-pickup, not a lifted long bed quad cab F350 for crying out loud.

Either way I avoid u-turns now and have to do 2-point turns to get in parking spots parallel with the lines.

 

[Ranger44]

keep hitting dead ends on finding a parts truck....grrrr.

On a lighter note:

I googled FAZDA

 

[Ranger44]

Finally made a proper working surface:

Got together a recovery box:

There will be more added, but it's a start.

Some may scream blasphemer!....but I'm going back to an e-shift t-case...

I want to be able to shift on the fly and not have to worry about stopping to shift....to me it's worth it. I've got a real good handle on how it works, and it's actually a good system if used regularly.

 

[Andres629]

Nothing wrong with an e-shift t-case. I still have mine in my truck...

 

[legoms013]

Never ever had a single problem (knock on wood) with my electric shift t-case, it has worked flawlessly since I bought the truck in late '06.

Then again I use 4x4 all the time, and maybe lack of use is what kills those suckers.

I shift into 4hi at least 2 times a week and 4lo maybe once during that time. When it dies though...I'm tearin it out for a manual shifter.

 

[Ranger44]

Then again I use 4x4 all the time, and maybe lack of use is what kills those suckers.

I shift into 4hi at least 2 times a week and 4lo maybe once during that time. When it dies though...I'm tearin it out for a manual shifter.

That's exactly what it is. 9 times out of 10 it's that the computer doesn't know where it is on a shift.....and when it doesn't know where it is....it goes into fail safe mode. Won't shift.

There is usually 2 causes for this, both involved with the contact surface and fingers in the shift motor. Either the grease hardens from non-use, not allowing the fingers to make contact (one will often notice that 4lo is usually the problem....most people just use in in 4hi in the winter, so only the 4hi gets reg use, so it will work, while 4lo won't....cause the grease hardened on this contact surface...k?), or on older models, a stop inside flattens and allows the fingers to move too far, and goes past the point of "rest" and doesn't get the contact it needs.

I think the second problem is usually on older 13-50 T-cases, the 13-54 system is quite a bit better, and with regular use.....works well.

The main thing that erked me about the manual t-case is the fact of needing to slow down in order shift into 4wheel. This is dangerous in snowy conditions, when slowing down and stopping either causes me to slide or become a sitting object for others to slide into. With an e-case I can shift into 4x4 all the way up to 55mph w/o skipping a beat.

 

[legoms013]

I agree with the sitting duck feeling if you had to slow down to shift into 4hi. I've many atime just flicked the 4hi knob and get going, when the road gets to hairy for 2wd (my locker actually makes driving in some snowy/icy conditions more dangerous than without one and I love being able to leave my hubs locked in all the time, but still being able to shift into 4hi whenever needed).


FAZDA, is that like saying FASTER with a british accent? lol

 

[Ranger44]

FAZDA, is that like saying FASTER with a british accent? lol

FORD....MAZDA = FAZDA.....sorta a demeaning, but not, nickname for the truck. better than the alternative chknfkr came up with.

It's catchy, and when people see Mazda sticker on the tailgate, and a FORD emblem up front it initiates some head scratching.....

But yeah...now that you mention it.....FAZDA is like saying FASTER with an accent....lol

But I really like the glass licking monkey from an egg....my life in a nutshell.