Going the other way with gears

[Ranger850]

Man, those lincoln wheels look good on the truck. I need to find aome for my truck

I think the Crown Vic had the same wheels, but with Ford logos on the cap. Those rims really came off a Mercury Grand Marquis, I got the Lincoln caps from the JY. Parked the '95 Merc with a bad hose under the intake, Got a 97 Lincoln and wheel swapped it, Got the Ranger, then Put the Ranger steelies on the MERC, sold it, put the Merc wheels on the Lincoln, drove it for a few years, then swapped those wheels to the Ranger, and sold the Town Car.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

There have been quite a few Ranger gear ratios. I've owned a few between 7.5s and 8.8. Haven't driven many, but owned a few.

My donor 3.73 isn't a junk yard axle. It was a running driving 4.0L 2wd Ranger until the guy's wife wrecked it. Busted up the front clip and bent frame rail, many of y'all probably would have fixed it and kept driving. That was the owners intention, but plans fell through. I needed an engine for the 99 and bought it for parts. I don't have a lot of miles on the engine since (working on that now), but the previous engine would have shit a head gasket by now. Seems to have been a good $500 purchase.

Are you talking about the front or the rear?

If the rear. It's really easier to swap the axle than the gears and best I can tell there is nothing wrong with the donor axle. Although I haven't proven it, I believe that there is something wrong in the original axle. It's "clunked" since I bought the truck, like too much lash. If I get on the gas after coasting it literally clunks as it takes up greeply in the drivetrain. What ever it is, it's already messed up, I just decided to ignore it and fix it when it breaks. I've ruled out the transmission and the driveshaft, only thing left is the axle. Transmission has been rebuilt (for slipping) and the problem stayed, u-joints are tight and no play between sections of the driveshaft.

If you're talking about the front, that's entirely possible. That said I doubt I could buy new gears and have them installed for what I could buy a complete differential for. Front differentials also don't have near the wear and tear that rear ones get. I'll worry more about that when I get there.

BTDT on the bigger tires. As previously menioned, what I want is in the other direction.

My bad, I meant the rear, and 8.8" in particular.

Donor vehicle is cool, I would go with that.

Have you looked at any gearing ratio charts? The ones that tell you speed and rpm based on tire size and gear ratio?

Smaller tires make a big difference IME....I think besides the size, the reduced weight and rotating mass really frees up the ponies. Sounds like you are gonna have a fun truck.

Not sure what I would do on a TTB front re-gear....probably either have a shop do it, or just leave it and have two different gear ratios lol... I have gotten away with it before, just sticking with 4wd only on very loose terrain (pun intended).

 

[JoshT]

Have you looked at any gearing ratio charts? The ones that tell you speed and rpm based on tire size and gear ratio?

Smaller tires make a big difference IME....I think besides the size, the reduced weight and rotating mass really frees up the ponies. Sounds like you are gonna have a fun truck.

Yes, on all counts. It's been a little while since I've looked at actual gearing charts, but I have played with a lot of tire size and gearing calculators over the years. What you said there is why I'm not going entirely off diameters and gear numbers. There are many aspects beyond RPM that have an effect on the overall outcome. Smaller diameter, lower mass, less rolling resistance (depending on tires) less sidewall deflection. As I said previously this change isn't MPG driven, that's a potential bonus

Sounds like you are gonna have a fun truck.

That's the goal. I finally figured out how to describe my goal. It's not going to be a clone or tribute build, but lets say its going to be very inspired by the Saleen XP6/8. Not after the Saleen "appearance", but the stance, handling, etc.

Suspension wise will be very similar, though I probably won't go to 18s. Brakes will be the later 12" setup found on the Rangers because I don't know that a larger setup is available. Most of the XPs were eventually converted back to stock brakes anyway due to poor design on the conversion causing failures. Might eventually ditch the torsion bars for coil overs, but that'll be down the road.

I say 6/8 because the Saleen was available with stock 4.0 SOHC, 5.0L or 5.0L supercharged. I'll be sticking with my 4.0L OHV for a while, but open to 5.0L swap down the road. So open to it that I'll probably go ahead and stash away an Explorer donor when/if I find one for the right price, maybe a set of TM headers too. I will stay naturally aspirated, but will probably make similar power to what the supercharged Saleens did (or more).

Not sure what I would do on a TTB front re-gear....probably either have a shop do it, or just leave it and have two different gear ratios lol... I have gotten away with it before, just sticking with 4wd only on very loose terrain (pun intended).

I'm not either, probably pick up a spare beam and learn how to do it myself. Glad that I don't have one, so I don't have to worry about it.

I'd do about the same with this 99 if I wanted a non-stock ratio. I'd get a spare differential assembly, buy the gears, learn to do it myself. Since I'm dealing with a stock ratio, I might as well pick up a complete differential in the right ratio to just swap in. I'll check it out and change fluid of course, but I don't see a front diff being that bad on wear and tear.

 

[Ranger850]

for reference.

Saleen xp8

Saleen xp6

Saleen xp8 supercharged


this ^^^^Sounds like my end goal. When I finish, I hope to have an AWD Single Cab Ranger 5.0. I'm using a '01 Edge as my base and a '00 awd Eddie Bauer Explorer for the donor.

 

[JoshT]

View attachment 85859

^^^^Sounds like my end goal. When I finish, I hope to have an AWD Single Cab Ranger 5.0. I'm using a '01 Edge as my base and a '00 awd Eddie Bauer Explorer for the donor.

Visually that white one is closest to what I'm after, except Ranger and without the Saleen pieces.

I thought about doing the regular cab short bed thing, but I like having that extra room. Visually I prefer regular cab on the square bodies and extended cab on the round bodies. Proportions I like the regular cab long bed, and extended cab short bed. Regular cab, short bed looks good it just isn't my cup of tea.

 

[Ranger850]

Visually that white one is closest to what I'm after, except Ranger and without the Saleen pieces.

I thought about doing the regular cab short bed thing, but I like having that extra room. Visually I prefer regular cab on the square bodies and extended cab on the round bodies. Proportions I like the regular cab long bed, and extended cab short bed. Regular cab, short bed looks good it just isn't my cup of tea.

Reg Cab Short Bed was gifted to me, so I can't complain. I would prefer a little more cab room though.

 

[superj]

all those look cool. i didn't even know they made saleen explorers but a saleen ranger would be just as cool.

i would like an extended cab also but this single cab is so nice, i don't want to chance getting rid of it and never finding an extended cab this nice. and its just me usually so i just put the camper on the back when i need to carry anything out of the weather, or the big toolbox in the bed for smaller things i don't want stolen

 

[JoshT]

Yeah, my back "seat" stays full of junk even though I have had a bed cover for almost the whole time I've owned the truck. In fact I just bought another bed cover for it yesterday, and the back seat will still probably fill up again. I like the little bit of extra leg room and being able to drop the seat back and take a nap.

 

[Roert42]

I would have preferred a single cab long bed, I don't really use the back seat for anything. Anything that I do put back there would fit behind the seat or just get tossed in the bed.

The extended cab short bed trucks are so common though. The long beds are hard to find at all, let alone good shape.

 

[SenorNoob]

ForScan has a free trial for the paid version. Might look into it.