88 ranger DD/mild wheeler

[YoungThomas]

This is my 1988 Ranger, has the oh so powerful 2.3 i traded a quad of mine for it. its pretty rough and rusty, but i needed something that would get better gas milage than my jeep, that got around 9 mpg.

so far all that i knew that was wrong was that a rocker came loose and chewed the hell out of one of the lobes on the cam, and it needed a headgasket. so i went hunting around the junkyards and found a mustang with a 2.3 so i picked it up for $50, then i was off to the parts store to get a top end gasket set.

new head on and back together:

after setting the timing my father and i got her to fire up but it had a very high rpm, so after playing with the engine a lil and checking the sensors we determined it needed a new computer. so while i wait to find one, i started to clean her up a bit.

threw some old jeep wheels on the back and started to grind out the center holes on the other two, i also hated the stupid stickers on the back so thoes were taken off soon after

then i painted up the grill and replaced the worn out badge with a new bigger one

got a push bar for some other truck so i cut it up painted it and made a few slices in my bumper and threw it on

the truck dont look too bad after all the PO put it through, next to come is to fix the passenger side leaf spring and drivers side shock mount on ther rear, a computer, a little tlc on the interior, and a possible new paint job.

but thats all i have for you now, this will be a rather slow build, as i am only 17 with not much money and i only can work on it during the weekends haha

 

[b2tamer]

Looks great! So it has the 2.3 is it a 4x4?

Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[dangerranger83]

Just turn down the idle, theres a set screw for that.


Some reason the truck is telling me it need a TC engine under the hood.

 

[BuckskinRanger]

Very nice and clean truck. Looks great. Keep up the good work. What are your main mod plans for it?

 

[YoungThomas]

-yes it is 4x4
-tried turing down idle but the IAC isnt actuating and it is brand new, not getting a signal from computer, also put a new MAF in it
-not quite sure of my plans yet, i've had 2 jeeps and im really into rock crawling, so it will prob be more towards something like that. so far i think i will swap in a 8.8 that has 4.10's, and if i go that route im gonna find a cherokee with a 4cyl in it and take the front axle out of it cause they all also had 4.10's in them, so i guess a sas could be in the future.

i did get a chance to go work on it a lil today and i swapped my 33's onto it just for the hell of it, i like it even though it would be a dog on the road

thank you all for the compliments, but looks can be deceiving as the firewall is starting to rot out the bed is pretty shot too

 

[upnsmoke]

Wow, the 33s look awesome on the Ranger as it sits, even if you wouldn't drive it exactly that way. I get some fender trimming done I might try to fit some 33s on my 88. The body work on your truck may not be too hard, especially if you have a place to work indoors. I know my tuck will be getting disassembled and restored in a big way when I get access to a garage.

 

[dangerranger83]

You may want 4.56 gears if your going to rock crawl with a 4 cylinder.

IM running 32s with a D30 SAS on 5 inches of lift (6 in rear) and still had my front tires rub on my finder but nothing some trimming didnt fix.

For more info on all of that check out my build thread (link in sig).

 

[YoungThomas]

i think i may just leave the 33's on it cause the tires i have for it wont pass inspection and i dont got money for new ones , so ill prob cut out the fenders and work on regearing it. i plan on sanding down the body and getting rid of alot of the shitty bondo job on the bed, and cover the truck in primer, then i may just clear it.

 

[86MUDRCJ]

Looks like our trucks are brothers. I have the 2.9 though. With the 33's I have a 4" lift and I cut the fenders a little to get them to fit. But even with that it still rubs on the frame an ra at full lock. Here's a pic of mine:

 

[YoungThomas]

i really like that truck

 

[upnsmoke]

86MUDRCJ, I looked through your build thread. I really like your truck. The stance and tire size look great, but I do believe you have a little more than 4" lift over stock. Regardless, I am fairly convinced at this point that I want to try 33s next time I need tires. Thomas, as far as gearing, I will say my truck is quite driveable on the street with 5.13s and 31s, so long as you don't do a lot of high speed highway miles. I think a 4cyl Ranger with 5.13s and and 33s would do well on the street.

 

[YoungThomas]

ya im pretty sure the 33's will be staying on, like i said i dont have money for tires at the moment anyways, this weekend im going to try to make some jeep seats fit in the ranger so i can make a center consol/sub box. im also gonna try to make some interior panels still waiting on a computer, anyone know where i can find one cheap or if any other computers will work from other rangers???

 

[86MUDRCJ]

86MUDRCJ, I looked through your build thread. I really like your truck. The stance and tire size look great, but I do believe you have a little more than 4" lift over stock. Regardless, I am fairly convinced at this point that I want to try 33s next time I need tires.

Thanks its defenatly a ways from done but its a nice toy. It is a 4" lift from rough country but I did trim the fenders so it may look like its has a bigger lift. The only thing I wish I had done to it before the lift would be sas and gears lol

i really like that truck

Thanks man yours looks good too. Keep at it and pretty soon it'll be nicer lookin' than mine!

 

[brinker88]

This will be a cool build. Subscribed.

 

[YoungThomas]

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, not much to do atm, but I got one of the jeep seats in, will post up pics tomorrow.. should be gettin a computer tomorrow also