Exp rear end swap

[JoshT]

My thoughts on the turbo motor and emissions testing... Best option to me: Leave CA! Yeah I know it might not be the ideal solution for you. If you build a strong bottom end you might be able to get away with near stock compression ratio. If you can do this I don't see why your idea couldn't work. Biggest drawbacks I see is the work of swapping the stuff out just for smog testing, and you'd have to swap it a little while in advance so the learn codes could clear out of the computer.

I'd hold off on bracing in the bed. See what lowering and the sway bars do for you first. I don't know of many people that have needed additional bracing in the bed to improve handling, and if you needed to go that far you'd be better off caging the whole truck. Just bracing the bed will still leave flex between the cab and bed, a cage will stiffen up the whole frame.

I think you can find what you want about available gearing about half way down this page, Ford Ranger Rear Axles. Can't help you with best gearing, there are so many variables I don't know how to select what's best. I need to learn cause I need to figure out what will work best with my V8 swap. It's a regular cab, short bed, first gen Ranger in 2wd. Going with the automatic (for now), and my goals are very similar to yours. The explorer axle I have is 3.73 LS IIRC, and I'm not sure how that will work with my truck and tire combo.

 

[wr250rdr]

Ya that's the plan for the motor, I'm here in ca as well so i have to deal with the carb nazis. I have also thought about finding a totaled 2.3 and just building a turbo motor and trans ( probably the mustang trans for better ratios) and having a complete unit that should be able to be swapped in an evening or two

 

[JoshT]

I'm not real familiar with CA emissions testing. Is there no way to get the truck passed with the mods you are planning. I think I'd want to research it a little more to be sure before committing to that much work. Hell I've "heard" that you can't even replace the factory catalytic converter, but there has to be some way around those rules if done right. I mean if my factory cat plugs up what am I supposed to do scrap the vehicle?

 

[wr250rdr]

The cat one is an urban legend. The only way to get what I want done would be to go fill out a permit to create a "special construction" vehicle which basically allows you to negate the smog laws on that one car. The trick here is they only give away so many per year and the application fees for the permit, depending on your county, can reach a non-refundable total of 2500 buck no
Matter the out come of the permit.

But I also might just talk to some
Of the local rice rocket scene and see if there is a shop that will just pencil whip a smog cirt.

 

[wr250rdr]

Went out and looked at the rear end I picked up and I have both shock mounts!