'85 Ranger Restomod

[dangerranger83]

You're making the truck the way they should have come from the factory.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You're making the truck the way they should have come from the factory.

And very easily could have. Most of it is pretty period correct for the most part. The brakes and FEAD are 10 years newer but the rest of it was within 5 years of the truck's birthday.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I set the diff on the bench to do the seals, rolled it around and found numbers, 41-11. Looked it up and it does in fact have 3.73's so that is a good deal.

Also found this Dana online parts book that is pretty cool:

http://www2.dana.com/pdf/XGI.PDF

And that is all the progress made on the Ranger this weekend thus far...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

GF had a thing in Omaha yesterday so I hit the yards again. It was good hunting, I only got through one.

My splash shields had seen a better day. Would probably still work but I am here now, might as well try to fix it.

Awhile ago I pulled a set off a 95-96 2wd... not the same.

I found me a nice set yesterday though. Someone had nabbed the axle shaft so as I was going down the line of cars I noticed one shield was just laying on the ground under the truck.

I totally didn't plan on the stupid key for the auto hubs, went to the office and asked if they had a magnetic pick up tool for sale in their bin of cheap tools. They guy didn't know what I was talking about but said they had a big magnet. It worked with a little scheming.

I also grabbed the A/C harness out of a '86 BII since I don't know how much of mine survived The Great Wiring Purge of 2011... I know the wire for the compressor is still lurking around somewhere in there but after that I don't think there is much. All the thing had when I got it was a shot compressor and switch on the dash so I didn't have much to go by.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Axle seals are replaced:

Diff is pretty:

Knuckle and beam are cleaned and primed (somehow I didn't get any pics of the beam

New balljoints are installed:

Kind of miffed, I masked off the "diff cover" part of the beam so I didn't disturb the paint Ford put in there. I polished up the gasket surface after painting and went to wipe out debris with a brake cleanered up rag... and the paint wiped right out.

More parts primed. I have since got a coat of black on one side of them.

 

[dangerranger83]

This truck better win first place at shows

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Oh pish, I doubt that.

Modified 4x4's... I have no chance against a towering dentside shivy in my area.

For my club's show the '51 Ford Victoria with chameleon paint gets the host car class every year. My brother's Mustang was a distant third the year it was new. (the guy that owned the other car has since passed away)

I am doing it for me not a $20 trophy.

 

[BlackBII]

Did you get your balljoints seated all the way?

Painted diff looks great!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Did you get your balljoints seated all the way?

Yeah, neither the Raybestos or Motorcraft balljoints even have a snap ring for the top one. The original ball joint that was never changed on the drivers side (non greasable and shot beyond belief) didn't have a snap ring either. The diagram from Dana in the tech library doesn't show one at all on the top.

So they should be good to go

 

[dangerranger83]

It may have been a factory thing to show they were original if you went in for service.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It may have been a factory thing to show they were original if you went in for service.

Neither the old ones or the new ones have a snap ring though. I think they just use the same base for both balljoints.

 

[dangerranger83]

I've never seen any that use a snap ring.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The bottom ones do on mine, fits perfect.

 

[BlackBII]

Interesting.

Good to hear you got it all sorted out!

 

[dangerranger83]

Got updates?