'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

Bottom plates are welded on:

 

[ericbphoto]

What are those bolts for?

 

[sheep herder]

What are those bolts for?

To keep the nuts from getting lost.

 

[Uncle Gump]

LMAO.... I asked the same thing!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

What are those bolts for?

Well you see a while back some guy talked me into a camper... and I am not overly fond of the clamp in bed mounts. So with the help of my high dollar laser rapid-prototype machine here is what I am making to bolt on there.



And they can be flipped around so they are not sticking out when not needed.

Also later tonight I got the sway bar in and tight for good (in theory)



Parking brake cable mount was remounted higher since I needed the hole it was in for the sway bar:



It now clears the defunct stock mount with ease and misses the cab mount by a good quarter of an inch:

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well you see a while back some guy talked me into a camper...

You make that sound like a bad thing....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

No no, and I am glad it caught me when it did so it was easy to tweak the bumper when it was still apart.

Between the external tie downs that will be good for other things and the sway bar which will be nice next month on the road the truck is better for the things the camper has needed.

And after 18 years I finally finished my pickup box trailer...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Bumper is pretty much blended:



The pretty much complete shell:

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

As I suspected the sender had a bad spot in it which explains its behavior last year going to Ohio. After about 100 miles it would read empty, I would trudge on for like another 50 in the dark about how much fuel I had before I pulled over to get gas. And then only put like 8-9 gallons in.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nothing worth taking pictures of but the fuel tank is wired, plumbed and hooked up. Fuel gauge seems accurate. Truck runs. Driveshaft is back in. Truck drives.

I have had a click going down the road. At first I thought it was something in a tire, couldn't find anything. Also why I initially pulled the driveshaft thinking possibly a u-joint. I drove it in the garage to extend the front breather and noticed the DS front hub was really warm. Spun the wheel and I got it to click. So I pulled the rotor off, I will tear into that Monday at break. Outer bearing didn't look bad.

Front breather is extended too by the way.

But the truck is turned around in the garage so progress can continue on other things.

Graphite on the speedo cable was a fail, worked great for 10 miles and back to a 10mph swing at 55mph.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Graphite on the speedo cable was a fail, worked great for 10 miles and back to a 10mph swing at 55mph.

So, there's a Mopa...

....Mopar product for that.

Never found anything better.

 

[Dirtman]

Seafoam works better....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So, there's a Mopa...


View attachment 46567



....Mopar product for that.








View attachment 46568



Never found anything better.

I go in any parts store and ask for speedometer cable grease and they look at me like I asked for a hyperdrive for my romulan warbird. Nobody has a frickin clue.

I see some use lithium grease which I tried first and it worked at low temps. High temps (like above 70*) it thinned out. Everybody else said use graphite so I tried that and it was worse.

I see Dorman also makes a graphite oil for them.

Whatever, I am going to start over with a new cable, I had to modify this one to fit and it is a PITA to install. If we go the stupid thing can just bounce all the way to Indiana, I have GPS.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Went to clean the grounds for the headlights. I pulled what I thought the drivers side off and pulled the switch to make sure I got the right one... and all the lights work. Ok, whatever. I hook it back up and pull the one off the passenger side... and they all still work. Consault my EVTM and note there is a shunt so there is actually a backup ground for both headlights, the two grounds I had pulled were connected. So I pulled cleaned both.

Also cleaned my windshield squirter, so that works now too.

 

[Grumpaw]

I go in any parts store and ask for speedometer cable grease and they look at me like I asked for a hyperdrive for my romulan warbird. Nobody has a frickin clue.

I see some use lithium grease which I tried first and it worked at low temps. High temps (like above 70*) it thinned out. Everybody else said use graphite so I tried that and it was worse.

I see Dorman also makes a graphite oil for them.

Whatever, I am going to start over with a new cable, I had to modify this one to fit and it is a PITA to install. If we go the stupid thing can just bounce all the way to Indiana, I have GPS.

You think speedo cable grease is hard to find....try asking for this and see how many screwy looks you get.....