'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

Modified my fenders so they cleared the tires. I just cut a notch with my oscillating cutter, pinched it with vice grips and then rolled it in to basically make the same kind of flange but farther back. Then reshaped it to flatten it out with a hammer.







Bounced it thru the washout at the end of the driveway and hit the approach to the barn a couple times and couldn't get it to rub at all.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My cringeworthy driveshaft boot. No point in hiding it because good lord willin' some of you will hopefully see it in a week.





BTW when Amazon says 3" heat shrink they mean squished flat not the diameter, I had to kind of work it to get it on the big side. Hopefully it works for the roundup anyway. The exhaust needs rerouted but there is no way that is going to happen before next week.

I cruised around the barnyard in FWD-LO ('cause I could) trying to heat up the exhaust and flex the suspension and it doesn't look like it got hurt. Exhaust was too hot to touch so I guess intial indications are positive. Still feels like it is one of the stupidest things I have done...

I will also add the traction difference between FWD-LO and 2LO is huge.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

My cringeworthy driveshaft boot. No point in hiding it because good lord willin' some of you will hopefully see it in a week.





BTW when Amazon says 3" heat shrink they mean squished flat not the diameter, I had to kind of work it to get it on the big side. Hopefully it works for the roundup anyway. The exhaust needs rerouted but there is no way that is going to happen before next week.

I cruised around the barnyard in FWD-LO ('cause I could) trying to heat up the exhaust and flex the suspension and it doesn't look like it got hurt. Exhaust was too hot to touch so I guess intial indications are positive. Still feels like it is one of the stupidest things I have done...

I will also add the traction difference between FWD-LO and 2LO is huge.

That looks dirty. And not in an offroad sense.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That looks dirty. And not in an offroad sense.

Pretty much in every sense...

Test drive it work, it tore around where the shaft telescopes in and out. I tried to leave it somewhat loose so it had room to flex, the exhaust must have shrank it the rest of the way. Most of it is still covered though so I am still going to try it.

I have been fighting a vibration under hard acceleration/rpm. Tune up didn't kill it, PCV didn't kill it, I took the FPR off last night thinking it was maybe limiting fuel flow and that did nothing. Did some more poking around and it looks like the rear output shaft is leaking. New seal so I am guessing the bearing is on the way out. 5 nuts and 5 bolts and a $30 bearing... yay.

On the plus side I forgot the hubs locked in when I drove it town and it ran so smooth I couldn't tell they were in by driving it... so that is an improvement over the D28 anyway.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Just doin' Ranger things...



Old one was a little looser than the new one... not sure how much of a little bit goes a long ways here.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I got most of the vibration out of it, I think a lot of what is left is the cupped tires that I rotated to the back.

I drove to Omaha again, third trip so far. At 120 miles a trip that puts me at 360... almost halfway to Ohio (800 miles +/-) Averaging about 15mpg which I guess isn't terrible considering the truck is a brick on MT's and has the heavy high rise fiberglass topper with some gear in the back (two spare tires and what tools/spare parts I have rounded up thus far) I also drove it across Omaha to my BIL's house to stress test the cooling system since I have never done any real "city" driving in it, it did fine.

Front driveshaft thing was a bust, I pulled it back out. I have enough uptravel that the exhaust just ripped the stuff off. I will just stick it in at the ride and pull it back out before we go home. Truck will just have to be a 2wd until I get that sorted which could be awhile with kid coming in early November.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Camp kitchen is packed:



Tools/spares tote first layer:



Top layer:



Fluids/roadside tote. Spare ignition module, fuses, relays, tire pressure gauge etc are in the little red box with an assortment of fluids, jumper cables and camp stove.



Tent, air mattress, sheets/blankets and compressor are in the big tote which I didn't get pictures of.

And that is how I level my truck. I also don't think my shocks are very happy, it is a little bouncier than I would prefer.

 

[1qaz]

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

T-minus 17 hours to launch and we are getting greasy...



Resealed the oil filter base fittings (oil filter housing side) I am pretty sure that was where my oil was going, it was driving me nuts it was losing oil somewhere but wasn't burning it and was not puddling on the garage floor when I parked it.

I used this stuff, it was all Napa had, didn't think much of it when I got it but it is blue and thicker than normal. It worked nice here, I like it so far.

 

[ford4wd08]

T-minus 17 hours to launch and we are getting greasy...



Resealed the oil filter base fittings (oil filter housing side) I am pretty sure that was where my oil was going, it was driving me nuts it was losing oil somewhere but wasn't burning it and was not puddling on the garage floor when I parked it.

I used this stuff, it was all Napa had, didn't think much of it when I got it but it is blue and thicker than normal. It worked nice here, I like it so far.

Blue monster is good stuff.

They use it at our plant for all of the gas lines and compressed air lines. It is much thicker than your normal pipe thread tape.

 

[Shran]

I had a bad rear output bearing on my old 205 too. That was actually what caused the whole teardown/rebuild/twin stick deal last winter. Funny thing, I assembled it dry with just some light oil on everything and it felt like there was a ton of slop in the new bearing and in the gears but it's fine now, full of lube. Seems to me that the tolerances in these old transfer cases are pretty loose and the thick gear lube makes up for that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I had a bad rear output bearing on my old 205 too. That was actually what caused the whole teardown/rebuild/twin stick deal last winter.

How is twin stick life treating you? Work good last weekend?

Meanwhile...

 

[Shran]

Drive safe, bud! I feel ya, I've put around 7000 miles on my 27 year old Explorer in CO, WY, NE, NM, AZ, and UT in the last two years... it's nerve wracking. And it has not had any drivetrain swaps done to it!

Twin stick worked good, front dig is amazing, DTC was a winch fest. I blew out the radius arm and C bushings but came out otherwise unscathed, that's maintenance stuff anyway. My lady friend drove it on the lady's run on Saturday - it was not only her first time driving a Ranger, but first time offroad, and she got the full experience with the 4 speed, sloppy steering, no sway bars and 12 pounds of air in the tires. She had a blast and is real excited about getting her Ranger on the road (that stepside truck I bought.)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Not wanting to jinx myself I will say the truck has given me little to complain about.

I hit one of the many holes in Illinois and my cruise started surging. I pulled over and poked around a couple times trying different things. Eventaully it started to work again. Hit another hole and it surged again, hit a railroad crossing and it quit surging. Lightbulb.

I think the checkvalve was hitting the steel inner fender and jamming whatever a checkvalve has inside of it. One of my trials was trying to blow/suck both ways in the checkvalve so I think I was inadvertently resetting it.

I have a spare in the truck, I am going to get it out so it is easy to get to in the morning but it has gone most of the way thru Indiana without a hickup knocking on wood. When we get home I am going to take one a part and see what makes them tick, I am curious now.

It is using a bit of oil, not a new engine though. It has been on the list on the list.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

My cruise has recently started acting up. Works fine most times but then can start surging and shut itself off after a minute or so of surging. I can hit resume and it works fine for awhile. Maybe shuts off twice in a 100 mile trip.