Making a AWD v8 supercharged ranger

[Gotta_gofast]

My old ranger was north of 400-425hp with a 4000 stall converter and 4.11 gears. The rear grabbed the road pretty well with cal-tracs on leafs designed for "weight transfer", a tight limited slip and 28x10.5 MT ET street radials.

All AWD is going to do is add weight, draw more power to turn, and if your rear suspension is set up right there won't be much weight on the front tires to be worth a damn anyway.

 

[4x4truckstop]

All AWD is going to do is add weight, draw more power to turn, and if your rear suspension is set up right there won't be much weight on the front tires to be worth a damn anyway.

Ok you have me convinced on this one! Within the next couple weeks I am going to buy the cal tracs along with some of the mickey thompson et street radials and see where that gets me!

Cant wait!!

 

[89Ranger5.0]

Ok you have me convinced on this one! Within the next couple weeks I am going to buy the cal tracs along with some of the mickey thompson et street radials and see where that gets me!

Cant wait!!

Take pics!!!! We wanna see the install

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Ok you have me convinced on this one! Within the next couple weeks I am going to buy the cal tracs along with some of the mickey thompson et street radials and see where that gets me!

Cant wait!!

Other worthwhile mods are relocating stuff to the back like the battery and fuel cell. I don't know where your 302 sits but I tucked the small block as far back as I could (having to do some surgery to the firewall). Any modification to increase traction by itself will be minimal, but combining it all makes the difference. The cal-tracs, good tires, and possibly rear leaf springs + front coil springs designed to assist in weight transfer under acceleration will help out tremendously. You'll have a great start with the cal-tracs and MTs. Play around with that and then look into some springs/shocks later.

 

[4x4truckstop]

The block is tucked back against the firewall as tight as possible without modifying the firewall and sitting low oil pan to engine crossmember. I can get some photos if you like.

What kind of shocks would you recommend? My shocks are about wore out.

I will take pictures of cal-trac install for you good fellows also!

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Any adjustable drag type shock will do you good. Here's what I ran on my old Ranger in the front. Competition Engineering 2646. The springs I used were stock 4.0L 2wd springs. I can't remember what I had on the rear for shocks. I remember the cal-tracs and I remember having to weigh the back end of the truck to give calvert racing the weight so they could get me some leaf springs. I think the rear shocks were from calvert racing, also (but i'm not completely sure).

All this talk makes me itch to build another V8 Ranger. I had just gotten out of my truck at a movie theater and some mexican idiot in a Denali SUV hopped a curb (estimated 35-40mph in a parking lot by the police report!) and smacked right into the little ranger. Tipped it up on its side and was totaled. Sold the engine and trans along with some misc. parts to build a unique quad and purchase a bike.

So far I've picked up a 351 roller cam block and 4" stroke crankshaft. Not sure if I want to build another ranger or try a mustang. Anyway, just me day dreaming of old times.

 

[4x4truckstop]

That's a sad story about the old ranger, such a pity to see a project get destroyed!

Sounds sick man put that 351 in a newer ranger!

 

[purplehaze]

Man, just throw on a set of drag radials and your spinning problem will be solved.