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My 1996 Ford Ranger 4x4 (TRS-2) Re-Build


PetroleumJunkie412

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Location
Dirtman's Basement
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Size
2.9l Trinity
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Give 'yer balls a tug. Fight me.
sketch-1600303966585.jpg


If youd put a 2.9 in it, it would be 33% more awesome by volume...
 


ericbphoto

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Location
Wellford, SC
Vehicle Year
1993
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6"
Tire Size
35"
My credo
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are different.

Jim Oaks

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Location
Nocona, Texas
Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
Ok. As long as it's an Ecoboost.
 

Jim Oaks

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Location
Nocona, Texas
Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
20201205_203901.jpg


My kids got me a stereo for TRS-2 for my birthday.
 

scotts90ranger

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Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
Nice, Pioneer's good stuff, have a similar one in my '90 and it's still alive after not having a sealing rear window in most of a decade in the Northwest... that and a leaky windshield so the floor is always wet...
 

AgPete139

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Location
Houston, TX
Vehicle Year
1997
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0L OHV
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
Solid Axle Swap 4x4
Total Lift
~9"
Tire Size
35"x12.50"x17"
Nice! It'll be good to have bluetooth and updated tech in her.
 

Jim Oaks

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
The old girl needs a lot.

The 4.0L is tired, and it's been through (2) transmissions. One from me, and then it needed one when I got it back. I'm seriously thinking about doing the Explorer 5.0 swap. I want some more power to put it on 35's, but more importantly I want the benefit of a stronger transmission. I also have the parts here for electric power steering, but I don't want to bother with it until I do the engine swap.

I'm also considering a Dana 44 TTB swap before it sits on 35's.
 

Jim Oaks

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15

85_Ranger4x4

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If you can't fix it with a hammer its probably an electrical problem. :icon_thumby:
 

Jim Oaks

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4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
I swear I replaced that solenoid last year.
 

dvdswan

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Location
Seattle, WA
Vehicle Year
1991
Make / Model
Ranger XLT 2WD
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
Keep your mind like an umbrella, it only works if its open... Continually learning.

Jim Oaks

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1996 / 2021
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0 / 2.3 Ecoboost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6-inches
Tire Size
33x12.50x15
There's (2) ways to do it:

One would keep the 65-inch width, and the other would narrow it to 63-inches.

Ford Ranger Dana 44 TTB Conversion FAQ’s – The Ranger Station

The Dana 35 is 59.5 inches.

The Dana 44 also has a different wheel bolt pattern.

If I narrowed it to 63-inches and used a 1.75-inch thick wheel adapter for the rear axle it would make the rear the same width as the front.

The only point would be to go up to 35-inch tires and not have to worry about busting the front hubs and get a to slightly larger ring gear. The Dana 44 TTB would allow me to keep the look of a factory setup. I could also swap in the Dana 44 knuckles and get the hubs that way, but I'd like to replace my front locker, which makes it a good time to go to a larger axle.

I could just go with a Solid Axle Swap (SAS), but if I'm doing that I want to go at least with a Dana 60 and probably a 36-inch tire. If I'm doing that much work I want to at least be replacing the axle with one that's significantly stronger than the Dana 35. That also requires swapping out the rear for a 1-ton axle as well.
 

Shran

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Consider this - my buddy down the street did some parts swapping on his D35, which basically involved late model Bronco (95/96ish) D44 spindles, hub, rotor, and outer axle shaft. The spindle bolts right onto a D35 knuckle and the only other part that you need to modify is the rotor itself. Have a machine shop turn it down so that the outer diameter is the same as what you have now... you then use your current caliper and pads.

You gain most of the D44 benefits without the extra width, weight, and misc other modifications that the mappyjack method or full on D44 knuckle swap entail... it's super easy, removes two of the BIG D35 issues (weak hubs and crappy spindle/wheel bearing design.)

Here's his build thread on EF:
 

ericbphoto

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Age
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Location
Wellford, SC
Vehicle Year
1993
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6"
Tire Size
35"
My credo
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are different.
There's (2) ways to do it:

One would keep the 65-inch width, and the other would narrow it to 63-inches.

Ford Ranger Dana 44 TTB Conversion FAQ’s – The Ranger Station

The Dana 35 is 59.5 inches.

The Dana 44 also has a different wheel bolt pattern.

If I narrowed it to 63-inches and used a 1.75-inch thick wheel adapter for the rear axle it would make the rear the same width as the front.

The only point would be to go up to 35-inch tires and not have to worry about busting the front hubs and get a to slightly larger ring gear. The Dana 44 TTB would allow me to keep the look of a factory setup. I could also swap in the Dana 44 knuckles and get the hubs that way, but I'd like to replace my front locker, which makes it a good time to go to a larger axle.

I could just go with a Solid Axle Swap (SAS), but if I'm doing that I want to go at least with a Dana 60 and probably a 36-inch tire. If I'm doing that much work I want to at least be replacing the axle with one that's significantly stronger than the Dana 35. That also requires swapping out the rear for a 1-ton axle as well.
I'm beginning to see these things in my future, too.
 

dvdswan

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Location
Seattle, WA
Vehicle Year
1991
Make / Model
Ranger XLT 2WD
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
Keep your mind like an umbrella, it only works if its open... Continually learning.
Great read and info. But I though I read on the site somewhere that you could put the d44 carrier in the d35 housing. Is this correct or did I read that wrong?
 

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