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SenorNoob's '88 Ext Cab "Build"


SenorNoob

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Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
The truck is running better now. I'm guessing the filer had left some trash in the fuel rail that needed to be flushed through.

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Life has been very crazy lately.

We had inventory at work on Halloween and people have been keeping us busy since getting things for Thanksgiving dinner.

My sister got into it with her boyfriend and had me and dad drive ~100 miles in the middle of the night to get all of her stuff. The fog coming back was ridiculous.

Then things really got bad. My 1st cousin (who was like a brother to me) passed with a case of what we believe to be walking pneumonia. Before anyone asks, he was born with a weakened immune system. I'd like to leave this here in his memory. It's his 1st sermon just a few months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK66VChUsJo
R.I.P. 1995-2014
 
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SenorNoob

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Location
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1988
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
I'm back again. I did a little noise reduction today. Put a screw in the passenger side of that plate on the tailgate, removed the license plate and reinstalled it with a sock behind it, and finally fixed the exhaust leak/interference issue. I bent the rear hanger and replaced the spring bolts at the catalytic converter to intermediate pipe with solid bolts and put in a new gasket. I still have a very minor leak that seems to be coming from the passenger side manifold to y-pipe connection.
 

SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
I made the truck earn it's own upgrades a little.

Three days of driving around in 6" - 12" of snow and this.



I've recently noticed a serious vibration when braking *sometimes*. It almost feels like a bent steel wheel but only when lightly braking. Really step on the pedal and it goes away. It seems to be coming from the front so I pulled the wheels and checked everything I could. There is a little movement of the wheels suggestive of ball-joint failure but only sometimes. (I spent half a day going back and forth on the front checking it and scratching my head.) Also a squeaking when rolling slowly. It's more pronounced when cold. I'm thinking wheel bearings maybe?

If it is, I'm considering going to the D44 TTB outers. Did anyone ever try the caliper bracket on the D35 knuckle? I know they both only have 2 bolt holes. I have no idea how far apart they are. It'd be cool if the bracket just bolted onto the knuckle. I know the spindle does.

BTW, if your having the cooling system thump, and your heater doesn't melt your face off on high then replace the heater core. I'd say your problems will go away. I never knew the Ranger heater could work that well.

Oh, I got a tailgate that works right. It's just the wrong color. It'll be spring before I paint it....

Edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for a bastard spring pack that will have enough arch to maintain my height or maybe even gain a little and delete the factory blocks? I don't wanna have to move the spring hangars down off the frame.
 
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SenorNoob

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Location
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1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
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Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for a bastard spring pack that will have enough arch to maintain my height or maybe even gain a little and delete the factory blocks?
A little research seems to indicate that 80-96 2wd F150 springs with the Ranger top leaf will be about what I need.

I did come across something some you might find useful.


As well as: http://www.thesuspensionking.com/catalog/
 
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SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Well, the problem was a pair of severely warped rotors. One was bad enough that it couldn't even be turned completely true. It's close enough though.

I haven't done much to the Ranger due to the weather and being busy.

I did bring this home for my dad.





It's a '93 Nissan. Pretty much the only truck I'd consider even close to equal to a Ranger. It's got the 2.4L and twin-sticks. Pretty cool that it came factory with 4.375 gears. Currently riding on 35-13.5R15s.

I'm supposed to get the tires for towing it home 70 miles in the middle of the night. I plan to use them to correctly size my lift. If the 35's clear then I can run 33's with no problem. They wouldn't do to run due to the dry rot.

He drove it 6.5 miles before catching frying an oil jug in the bed (stupid exhaust) and expects to be driving it by the end of the month when the registration on his car expires.
 
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SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Just because I haven't posted doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Pics incoming..
 

SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
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1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
I did a little painting yesterday..

Started like this:





In progress:







And the way it looks now:







I intend to get some chrome nuts and bolts for the holes in the tailgate. I'm thinking acorn nuts sticking out the back won't look bad and I can get rubber washers to seal everything up.
 

SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
I also picked up a few new parts:

A good center console. Too bad it's the wrong color. It won't be for long..



A solid transmission mount for when the M5OD goes in. I didn't even have to pull it. Somebody took the transmission and left it laying.



Some 2" Add-A-Leafs for a Jeep. They are the correct 2.5 in wide for the Ranger though. I'm hoping to stop using my factory block when the 8.8 goes in.



And thanks to someone posting the RC Scratch and Dent Ebay link. New Rough Country front shocks for 2" lift.



I've already got the sticker on the truck...




I also have another of my projects lined up.. Gotta do something about this.



It needs a solid mount made to hold in place in the bed. (The toolbox and the spare!) And the toolbox needs paint in the worst way.

I really need to get under the hood again and re-seal and re-paint my valve covers...
 
Last edited:

luke

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Rig's looking good. Amazing what a coat of paint can do.
 

SenorNoob

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1988
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Thanks, I just painted the tailgate and the stripe on that one spot..
 

luke

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Is that the same tail gate as in the first picture? If it is I didn't know the ford letters where under that metal plastic stuff. I think I'll do the same think (but keep it red :icon_twisted:)
 

SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Yep, it's the same tailgate. I think some of them had more and larger holes under the cover though...

BTW, to remove the plate, take out the 4 screws in the corners and all of the screws on the back except for the 3 in the handle... I always forget and pry it off the plastic clips first.
 

luke

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Transmission
Manual
Cool, I think I'll do the same thing.
 

SenorNoob

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Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
I made some more progress today.

While I was painting the console..





These showed up. THANKS to Petemoss!



Shown compared to a stock spring..

And a pic of the console in place. It isn't bolted in yet...



In other news, I may be away for awhile soon. And if not the mods will most certainly slow down.. Details once i know for sure.
 

SenorNoob

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Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
2,348
Reaction score
520
Points
113
Location
Middle Tennessee
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5" Front + 4" Rear
Tire Size
245-70-R16
Oookkk. So I found out why the center console wasn't used with a manual transmission. With a large drink in the cupholder, 2nd, 4th, and Reverse are all unusable. By the time you push the console far enough back to completely get rid of the interference, the armrest is entirely in the back seat... I really should just switch to a bench seat anyway. Lol.

I also made the biggest purchase of my life.:D





Obviously some work will need to be done. But for what I'm paying I can't complain.

Oh and the best part.





Yeah, that's right. I have somewhere kinda indoors to work on my truck now. Just gotta make it nice.

In total it's 2.19 acres. 17 miles from work and 11 miles from a decent sized town. (At least it has a Walmart Supercenter. LOL) It's surrounded almost entirely by farmland.
 
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