94 Explorer diffs in a 91 Ranger?

[68Mercury250Ranger]

Hey guys I just bought a 91 Ranger supercab today for a great price IMHO.

I bought it for the low km on it, 144,000km or around 90,000miles.
I bought it for the 3.0 V6 and autotrans in it, putting it in my wife's 92 2wd Explorer. the 4.0 just guzzles the fuel, but I love the reliability/simplicity of the 2wd explorer. hopefully the combo will work well.

ok onto my questions:
I have a 1994 Explorer 4wd for parts with a rebuilt front diff and new front spindles on it.
Can I put these diffs into a 91 Ranger supercab?

I also have a 96 AWD explorer for parts with a nice gt40 engine and auto trans in it. I want to use this engine/trans in the 91 Ranger too.

OK guys these parts vehicles are rotted beyond repair, but now that I have had a closer look at the ranger its body is very nice, hopefully a good donor body/frame for my future driver/weekend toy.

opinions/advice welcome, experience appreciated

 

[scotts90ranger]

the '94 explorer front axle will be a bolt in for the ranger, but they're the same unless they are different ratios.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Hate to tell you...but a 3.0L in a heavy explorer is going to suck back more fuel trying to move it that the 4.0L will.......

The 91 ranger is 4x4?

If so it already has the d35 in it, so swapping in the one from the explorer is a direct swap over. The rear explorer axle will need the spring perches moved to the top side of the axle tube and some shock mounts added.

 

[bcost882]

i think the flange is diffrent on the ranger, i think it is a smaller one than whats on the 8.8, but maybe not.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Flange should be the same.

 

[scotts90ranger]

right, I made an assumption about the ranger being 4x4... if it's 4x2 then no, it won't bolt up...

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

OOPS sorry guys, forgot that part......... the ranger is a 2wd.

the 4.0 in the explorer runs mint but I can't get over 20mpg (CAN) or 16.7mpg US. it just sucks.

4.0 has tons of power which we really don't use, and a 3.0 should be enough power just to pull it around. a supercab shortbed wouldn't be much lighter.

I would be happy with a 7 or 8mpg improvement. we do very little driving over 60mph so power shouldn't be an issue.

we have had 3 Ford Taurus' 94/95/95 and even the worn out wagon could pulll over 30mpg in the summer

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

If you are getting anywhere near 20mpg with the 4.0L you doing damn good bud.

The 3.0L is going to suck in an explorer. Sounds like a complete waste of time to me, and a step backwards.

My 97 3.0L 5spd 4x4 ranger gets right around 15-16 mpg city FYI.

And the none of the 4x4 stuff will fit a 2wd ranger. The engine cross member (where the axle beams bolt onto) is different.

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

If you are getting anywhere near 20mpg with the 4.0L you doing damn good bud.

The 3.0L is going to suck in an explorer. Sounds like a complete waste of time to me, and a step backwards.

My 97 3.0L 5spd 4x4 ranger gets right around 15-16 mpg city FYI.

And the none of the 4x4 stuff will fit a 2wd ranger. The engine cross member (where the axle beams bolt onto) is different.

so maybe I should just stick the 5.0gt40 powerplant from the 96 into the 92 explorer and get better mileage than the 4.0 thats in it? and we could pull a trailer

my dad is bugging me to keep the ranger as it is and make it my dailyhe has been oogling it as soon as it got in the driveway, hasn't even come off the trailer yet
I better not complain, its in his driveway at the farm, not in mine

 

[4x4junkie]

What rearend gears are in that Explorer? If 3.27:1, I bet that's costing you a bit of MPG.

Could swap to a stickshift too...

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

It actually has a 3.73LS. goes like stink if you need to pass somebody. I actually drove it for a couple weeks and babied the throttle making sure to keep it under 3000rpm and I didn't even break 21mpg. and thats a Canadian gallon 4.54 litres not a US gallon at 3.78 litres.

I like driving it and so does the wife but we really can't afford to drive it anymore than local. it runs great
I should be getting her summer vehicle on the road in the next few weeks and I'll decide then.

found her a 93 aerostar 3.0 sport last fall with only 76,000km on it and no winters, I just don't have the heart to let her drive it year round.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I still find it funny to hear of someone complaining about getting 21mpg with their 4.0L explorer.....

I would be enthused.

My 05 sport trac with the SOHC 4.0L gets just under 20.

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

I guess my expectations were set too high by my previous vehicles owned

1989 F150 2wd shorty 4.9 5spd 3.08 . consistent 24mpg into TO and back.
1991 F250 2wd 7.3 E4OD 3.55s consistent 22mpg max 27,
1996 F250 4wd super/shorty,3.55s PSD/ZF 21mpg while beating it within an inch of its life everydaybest 28, worst 13.8
1988 EB Bronco 6.9 Diesel C6 3.00 9" on 31s 20mpg every damn tank empty or pulling trailer
my present daily 85 MB 300D sedan POS. anywhere between 26.5 and 29.5 mpg depending on outside temp, all short trips. had thought about this powertrain in the Explorer a while back

I did expect better from a fairly low km 2wd explorer, but I never knew anybody that had a 2wd before so...............................................

thanks for all the input guys, its been educating

 

[scotts90ranger]

my 4x4 190k M5OD explorer gets a solid 19.5mpg highway when it's running good . of course the O2 sensor just died and it was getting like 15mpg... gets about 16-17mpg city

 

[JohnnyO]

Uber-long thread, but 30 mpg is possible in an Explorer if you put enough money into it. Just sayin'....

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44372&highlight=quest

With the exhaust, K&N, and synthetic fluids I've seen as high as 22 mpg on highway trips if I keep it to 65 mph (no fun at all), got 23 mpg once in Florida where it's flat, but city mpg is no different.