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


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
So do we need a new k-member?

You should post up a list of parts we need. Sounds like we need a new k-member, drivers side D35 axle beams, and some spare D35 shafts. Maybe someone along your route from Detroit back to the New Philadelphia Ohio area has some spare parts laying around.
 


adsm08

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Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Unfortunately I am not nearly the pack-rat I used to be. A few years back I had all these parts on hand, and knew where they were.

I have since sold or scrapped most of it.
 

bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
So do we need a new k-member?

You should post up a list of parts we need. Sounds like we need a new k-member, drivers side D35 axle beams, and some spare D35 shafts. Maybe someone along your route from Detroit back to the New Philadelphia Ohio area has some spare parts laying around.



i was just trying to do a complete as possible list out of what i seen so far..

cant really say untill we get it stripped right down about the beams or k member, but i suspect they will be usable. probably should not have said anything yet:icon_confused:

...this was just a peek up the skirt....its awesome people already offering stuff:icon_hornsup:...




i went through the lovely ice storm via altoona today and i am back in tunkhannock.

before i went home i was on the other side of bing up in new york looking at stuff for my bronco.

so if i dont have to drive the drill rig back to ohio when we get done up here ...whenever the hell that actually happens.... you never know what can be a good meet and pickup point.

hell jersey isnt too far out of the way depending what projects we go to last :annoyed:.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Location
SW Iowa
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1985
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Ford
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V8
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5.0
Transmission
Manual
95-97 beams/parts are not hard to find in my area... which is kind of in the middle of nowhere as far as bobby picking up parts though.
 

deathbypsi

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Cant wait to wheel with this thing!

If needed I have 1 or 2 1354 tcases and one 1350 manual Id be happy to donate.
 

cnelson

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Cool the original build owner gets it back. I'm looking for a 95-97 or 91-92 extra cab to replace my comanche. After reading a few post up about d35s being easily tweaked had me a bit discouraged. I'm after a ttb to hopefully get a bit better ride while being mildly built for trails and forest roads. Look forward to seeing the progress

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
sensible driving with a normal weight truck and 35 inch tires is not a serious challenge for a d35.


but idiots like me tear them up fast getting in the 300 hp range and extra stupid with the skinny pedal..
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Location
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1985
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V8
Engine Size
5.0
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Manual
Any TRS2 news?
 

bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
i have been laid up at home....


i have been in contact with oem calibrators and builders/owners of several vehicles with various powertrain upgrades.

plan to be in ohio monday...was supposed to go on the 30th. need to do some doctor stuff.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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i have been laid up at home....


i have been in contact with oem calibrators and builders/owners of several vehicles with various powertrain upgrades.

plan to be in ohio monday...was supposed to go on the 30th. need to do some doctor stuff.
Well take care of yourself :icon_thumby:
 

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
I have a set of brown leather explorer seats you can have. Not perfect, but they're free for this project.
Post a pic if you can :icon_thumby:

I'm anxious to start working on this, but it probably won't happen until around March. We get warm days here in Texas, but the truck is in Ohio. It's a two day drive from here to where Bobby has the truck in Ohio. I really don't want to make a 4-day round trip just to work on it for a weekend. I need Bobby to put up with me for a week, so I can get some work done, and justify all the drive time and miles.

The bed sides are in rough shape. They've been beat on and straightened, but need replaced. I plan to replace them with these:



The left front fender has a crack in the fiberglass, and it keeps cracking every time it's fixed. If I'm replacing the front fenders, then I'm also updating the look:



That means I need a header panel, grill, hood, and headlights to convert this from a 1996 to 2011.

I'll also need some 2010 Ford Raptor tail lights.

As I've mentioned, the drivers seat is broke. I need to replace the buckets, and would like to find some leather ones. I'd really like to find some brown ones to see if I could mimic the look and feel of a King Ranch with brown leather interior.



Right now, I think the biggest thing I need to hunt for is bucket seats, and the hood, grill, and header panel for the last generation Ford Ranger.

When I arrive in March, I hope to strip the truck down, clean the frame, inspect, repair or replace any bad suspension bracket, leaf spring mount, or coil bucket. I need Bobby to take a look at the coil buckets and leaf spring mounts to see if they look like they need replaced.

I'm hoping in that first week to get the frame cleaned up and painted, the axles rebuilt, and the suspension all back together. Basically I want everything that needs done from the frame rails down completed. It already has a lift, gears and lockers, so hopefully I can just overhaul everything (bearings, seals, etc). I also need to do a complete brake job, and add the parking brake components to the Explorer 8.8.

As you can see, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done during that week. I also need to take the wheels to Discount Tire and have them mount up new tires for me. I'm using them so I can pay the tires off over time, to free up money for other parts that I need.

If I can get that all done, then the following trip I'll work on hanging fiberglass and getting the body ready for paint. I'm also hoping Bobby has a welder and can help me put together some sliders. Not that I'm going to do any rock crawling, but the drivers side rocker panel was damaged dropping down a step on a trail at Attica, so you never know.

It's going to need the interior done, and the air conditioning fixed because it gets fricken hot here in Texas.

So even though I'm basically refreshing this truck, it needs a lot of work.
 

351ranger

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I'll keep an eye out for the front end parts. I follow a junkyard on Facebook that's post pics of all the trucks that come in and they are really cheap. I got a king pin Ford high pinion dana 60 for $220
 

deathbypsi

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I like where this is going!
 

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
I'm probably going to go with Cooper Discoverer STT Pro mud terrains.

Not sure if I'm going to go with 35's or 33's.

From a side profile, I felt like the 33's looked a little small, and the new bedsides will have a larger opening than the stock bedside does.




My concern though is performance. The 4.0L, 4.56 gears, and 33-inch tire seemed like a great combination to go anywhere. I'm worried that the 35-inch may reduce the trucks crawling power climbing hills.

The Coopers measure 34.57" O.D. for the 35's and 32.72" for the 33's.

The BFGoodrich KM3's are 32.5" O.D. so I'm guessing that's what my BFG mud terrains were when I got them.

I probably won't buy tires until I swap out the bedsides so I can get an idea how the 33's are going to look, and how well the 35's would fit.
 

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Jim Oaks

Just some guy with a website
Administrator
Founder / Site Owner
Supporting Vendor
Article Contributor
TRS Banner 2010-2011
TRS Banner 2012-2015
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Joined
Aug 2, 2000
Messages
13,387
Reaction score
8,463
Points
113
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
Can't really tell if these are 33's or 35's:



Here's another look at the bedside (below). Those are probably 35's.
 

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