dhkonrad's 93 ford ranger

[2004xlmiller]

Sick! Almost there!

 

[stiluv]

im diggin the c bushings.

 

[dhkonrad]

Sick! Almost there!

Thanks! Getting close enough to taste! Just keep running into bunches of small stuff...

im diggin the c bushings.

You talking the radius arm ones? Those are specially designed adjustable ones

 

[dhkonrad]

Way out of practice on my TIG...


Got alot better as I did a few...
trackbar welded up

Got it on its own weight. Kinda. Just jacks under the axle, but full weight on the springs none-the-less.

Drivers side spring has some spring bow, but not terrible. It will be even better with true wedge bushings in so it doesn't allow the radius arm and lower coil bucket to rotate

Passenger is terrible... that's even with a shim under the front of the coil

So my question is this. Passenger side coil bucket is super easy to move, while the drivers side would be less so. It is also my passenger side coil that has lots of bow, and would benefit most from having the bucket moved. Would it be terrible to move only one side? I don't see why it would, but...

 

[dhkonrad]

Oh and if anyone was wondering, the Wildhorse 5.5 rock crawler springs were about 17.5" with full weight on them. But that is un-broken in too.

 

[2004xlmiller]

I have a feeling moving one would result in not driving straight

 

[dhkonrad]

I have a feeling moving one would result in not driving straight

That was my same initial reaction, but as long as I made my radius arms the same length and the wheelbase the same on both sides...

 

[The Jester Race]

The links locate the axle, the springs(and shocks) control its movement. As long as the axle is located evenly on both sides having one coil bucket slightly farther forward then the other won't make it not drive straight. But it may cause some undesirable and/or unpredictable suspension characteristics.

 

[dhkonrad]

The links locate the axle, the springs(and shocks) control its movement. As long as the axle is located evenly on both sides having one coil bucket slightly farther forward then the other won't make it not drive straight. But it may cause some undesirable and/or unpredictable suspension characteristics.

Okay. That sounds like something I can put up with, at least for now. Truthfully I think this is going to be mostly a street rig for the next few months, IF I get it done in time...

 

[RockRanger]

Is that a 3 link or wedge style?

Sorry I took so long to get back to you. It is a three link. Should be fun once you get this done and get out to play on the trails.

 

[stiluv]

You done yet?

 

[dhkonrad]

Sorry I took so long to get back to you. It is a three link. Should be fun once you get this done and get out to play on the trails.

Im really hoping. With school right around the corner I may not get to play with it as soon as I want.

You done yet?

I wish... I feel like I'm up late on it most nights and yet I don't make any progress. Idk if I'm being ultra anal, or I'm inept, either way, progress is slower than molasses in January... and I only have 2 weeks...

The To-Do

My wedge bushings should be in at WFO tomorrow morning, so it should be on its own weight tomorrow.


Pulled the passenger side coil bucket off and cleaned up the frame

I also redrilled the frame and bolted the coil bucket back in. I moved it a couple/few inches forward, well see how that works.
Pulled my radius arms off and ground down some of the tacks so I could make them exactly parallel. Much better:

And then welded them up
Preheat as suggested by Brinker


First pass

the welds look small, but that was pushing some pretty good heat, and the penetration was good.
and final passes and heat on first arm

I feel thats a little hot, but oh well.
and I didn't have a heat blanket, so I used old oven mits that were going in the trash

I know that its not as good as a heat blanket, but it still took a couple hours to cool down all the way.
rinse repeat for second arm


Its final heat was a little less, which I think is because I turned up my voltage and wirefeed speed, allowing me to put down more in one pass and not have to do as many passes
And I don't know if any of you have ever used one of these

Its called a "tig finger", but it can be used for more than tig, and is super sweet. Allows you to be able to rest a finger right on fresh weld metal and not get hot.

 

[dhkonrad]

Cleaned up my crossmember for trac bar clearance



Got another pile of parts



Then the painting got a little out of hand...




Clearances with modified engine cross member is much better



Drag link and trac bar alignment:



I think its pretty good, and it will actually get better when I fix the drag link. Somehow I had the steering wheel a full crank to the left when I measured and cut my drag link, so I have to see if I can take up the difference in adjustment of the tie rod ends....
and on its own weight!!!





then tragedy struck




And of course it has to be the side that has a 60" cable, and I crushed the one going down my radius arm, so those two mistakes are gonna cost me about $60...
passenger side spring bow is still pretty bad, so I may have to add a little spacer on the front side of the coil bucket.

And I am waiting on wheel adapters, but I am semi worried that the width of the rear is going to be at least that of the front between the adapters and the added width of the explorer axle...

Thanks for looking!

 

[Kevery]

You should've moved your axle a little forward.

Truck looks awsome though. good work.

 

[kris97ranger]

Did you modify your coil buckets for the fullsize coils? I recall someone else having the same issues maybe swap over to a bolt on bucket from bronco graveyard for those springs