direction of mods

[strvger]

i'm running 31" tires and 4.56 gears. rear detroit and front open. i cruise at about 2900 rpms, making me good for about 65mph. i get 21 mpg on the highway driving a 2.8 carb motor and a 5 speed. admittedly, i have e-rated, all-terrain tires that are on the skinny side, but they do fine on off road trails and great on the road. i would think that you could do well with 32" tires, 15x8 aluminum wheels and keep your 4.56 gears. a light foot on the gas, avoiding quick stops, and economy shifting should get you the most mileage you can reasonably expect. you will find your braking improves with smaller tires and in bad weather, that could mean all the difference.
i've personally never been a fan of under-drive pulleys. has always seemed to me that the faster a part spins (water pump, alternator, etc.) the faster it will wear out. and if you break down on the trail or road, you can almost bet the replacement under-drive pulley will have to be special ordered, read: more time and money. as for the electric fan, it probably won't cool as well as your original factory fan/clutch combination. the electric ones just don't move as much air usually. testing i've read, and towing information and instructions back that up. not saying you will have problems with an electric fan, but if the factory one is fine, i'd keep it as you're planning on long trips as well as slow going over trails.
just my $.02.

 

[azaizai]

Well, I know the engine's running tip-top. New plugs and wires. I replaced the heads last year (both were cracked). I'm pretty sure I have an exhaust leak that I need to take care of (EGR tube) but otherwise I'm not too concerned with that aspect.

I guess what I'm looking for is the middle ground between decent daily driver ( 18-20mpg, wont shake my molars out on the highway) and a decent wheeler (good clearance, not winching all the time).

I think you guys are dead on though...need to get the 33x10.50s and maybe aluminum wheels. I like the sturdyness of the steelies tho

I need to get my foot out of the truck...I think its stuck to the skinny pedal and it loves to see speeds greater than 70.

I need to get a real dif in the front of her. I havent decided whether I'll go locker or open...this winter will tell. If I can get around fine in 2WD and a locker in teh rear...then I'll go open. If not...I'll have to find a locker.

Thanks again guys! The information was amazing!

 

[wahlstrom1]

You never mentioned if your speedo was corrected for both gears/tires? That will make a huge difference in mileage calculations.

 

[strvger]

a locker in the front axle will definitely affect the steering and handling. turning circle will increase, steering effort will increase (if you don't feel it, the power steering pump still will-trust me), increased front tire wear, etc. i'm a believer that front axle lockers are for trail only trucks. guess the only exception would be the selectable lockers, but as i'll never come close to being able to afford one, i never even consider them.
bottom line: good tires with lots of siping, rear locker, a little weight in the bed, and driving like you want to live till you're 100 will get you thru winters in grand style.
just my $.02.

 

[feellnfroggy]

An exhaust leak will mess with your mileage big time. It affects the readings of the o2 sensors as well as the sensor readings of the EGR valve, as much as exhaust is 'leaking' oxygen is also getting in, once you start messing wiht emissions readings you can kiss your mileage good bye. Id get the EGR thing fixed or deleted.

 

[azaizai]

ya, I've got the EGR tube ready to go...just havent lined up the time yet :/

and no...I havent corrected the speedo/odo. New enough vehicle I guess I'd have to go to Ford? or get one of those SCT tuners?

 

[wahlstrom1]

97' still has a speedo gear in the t-case, but it drives an electric signal. Check the Tech Section for speedo correction calculation and the how-to.

 

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

Even with a welded D35, if you simply unlock your hubs, what's the big deal?

 

[azaizai]

Even with a welded D35, if you simply unlock your hubs, what's the big deal?

well, thats an interesting point.

If I can really get along just fine with a locked rear, mud-terrains and some weight in the back in snow/loose CO trail dirt...then I guess its just fine up there.

Last year, with about 2 inches of snow on the pavement...it was really nice/easy cruising around in 4WD. Of course, technically I was probably only using 2 wheels at a time then (open difs all around)...and it took 2 inches of snow to get me to use 4WD. I'd like to be able to have the front ready to go if things get sloppy *and* be able to turn lol

I just know when I was wheeling it was a pain to turn that thing in 4wd and the turn radius was junk.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Any 4x4 locked in any way the turn radius is gonna go to crap, its a downfall you have to decide if you can live with. good news is we have small wheel bases, its not like were bulldoggin an f350 around a tight parking lot. Also the different in speedo readings is a matter of geometry, and ratios. old reading/old diameter divided by x/new diameter will give you new reading. The way it reads is multiply the old reading by the new diameter and divide the answer by the old diameter. Something like that. 55mph x 31inches = 1705 divided by 29 = 58.79 mph so when your 31's show 55 your actually doing almost 59. Throwing gears in the mix really fawks with things and i cant think that well. But there is a formula for that too. Hopefuly that all makes sense.

 

[colby450xc]

Unless you are rock crawling I see no reason to have a locked front differential. Are there LS differentials made for these trucks?

 

[feellnfroggy]

There are LSD made for these trucks or you can get one out of a mustang to fit the 8.8. But locked diffs are for more than just rockcrawling. Have you ever onewheelpeeled trying to get out of a mudhole? Or put it in 4 wheel just to have power to one front wheel and one back wheel in the snow or up a hill? Lockers can help in almost any offroad situation. Especially mudholes. 90% of mud stucks are one rear wheel buried. And lockers have also taken alot of two wheel drive farther than some unlocked 4x4's

 

[Original_Ranger84]

a locker in the front axle will definitely affect the steering and handling. turning circle will increase, steering effort will increase (if you don't feel it, the power steering pump still will-trust me), increased front tire wear, etc. i'm a believer that front axle lockers are for trail only trucks. guess the only exception would be the selectable lockers, but as i'll never come close to being able to afford one, i never even consider them.
bottom line: good tires with lots of siping, rear locker, a little weight in the bed, and driving like you want to live till you're 100 will get you thru winters in grand style.
just my $.02.

Well if you have the hub locked in it will affect it but if they are unlocked then it shouldn't affect steering at all...

 

[azaizai]

welllll...as things work out, and they always seem to these days...I've found a pretty interesting solution.

I bought an f-150. Its an 02 FX4 with the tow package. It'll *haul* my former DD and I can leave all the naughty crawler bits on the ranger and just drive it when I wheel it (or to nearby locations that arent worth getting a trailer for).

Of course...now I want my own trailer...lol

Thanks again guys, your info was awesome!