Hauling and Towing

[FrankBoss]

I have a project build with my 1984 2wd short box standard bed ranger.
The purpose of the truck is to pick up engines and tow a small lawn equipment trailer.

I've been driving for a week with a fully dressed 289 and a C4 in the bed... and I'm not supper impressed with the handling. The truck does alot better with the trailer but the load in the bed makes it squat and roll in turns.

The V8 and trans is going into the truck to replace the 2.3L giving me more power to pull out of place I might find vintage petro burning treasures.
the rear end I've chosen is the 8.8 Disc brakes with a 3 L 73 out of a Ford Explorer sitting on 2 inch blocks and stock 84 Ranger springs.
I plan on putting a (possibly) larger gas tank on the ass of the truck as well.


Now the questions: should I use the Explorer rear sway bar to help with the roll of truck when loaded? or should I be looking at different spring packages to reduce the squat.

FrankBoss

 

[FrankBoss]

FIRESTONE RIDE-RITE AIR HELPER SPRINGS
Now in the past I have seen things like these using a simple Coil Spring.

I have a bit of down time working on the rear end so I hope to get Feedback and Ideas.

FrankBoss

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

A regular Ranger rear sway bar would probably go in easier, I would run the Explorer springs too.

After close to 30 years my truck sits lower in the back than the front because the springs are shot...

 

[DoctorPhate]

..........................

 

[Will]

Frank, not sure if you're aware but our trucks are rated for around 500lbs load in the rear.. not that anyone cares. I've put close to 1000lbs back there many times.

Check out pirate4x4.com for more fab oriented stuff, this form is dominated by bolt on parts.

Bullshit and bullshit.

A ranger is designed for about 1,500# payload and about 1,000# in the bed. A Ranger axle is rated at 2,750#, whether 7.5 or 8.8, and the rear end weight is about 1,500# give or take.

You putting a 1,000# load in the bed is, well, easily within the realm of a stock vehicle.

Trying to exceed the rear axle's weight with those springs doesn't do anything useful. The truck does just fine with the axle riding on the bumpstops. Holding the rear up doesn't take weight off of the axle shafts.

I've been on this site since inception, over 10 years. My truck has as much welding rod in it by weight as it does original steel. There are things I would go to Pirate for, but not Ford Ranger information. We have lots of real truck builders here. We also have a huge following that is just getting into it. One thing we don't allow is Pirate type abuse. We are more interested in supporting and helping each other than showing our e-toughness.

 

[scooter]

Check out pirate4x4.com for more fab oriented stuff, this form is dominated by bolt on parts.

Ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Bolt on parts!!!! Haaaaaaaaa.
Wanna go wheelin with my bolt togather kit truck this weekend?


Todd S.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

As for the squat, air ride helper springs or you could put a middle spring off an F250 over top of your main leaf and weld on a bump bar to the frame. Basically makes it so your truck uses the stock suspension until weight is put in lowering it then the F250 spring makes contact and hardens up the suspension. Thats the design I'm going for with my Ranger because I'll be towing a 6000lbs trailer with it.

As for the sway bar take one off an F150 and fab up a mount for it. You own a shop so I'm sure you can figure out how to fab.

Check out pirate4x4.com for more fab oriented stuff, this form is dominated by bolt on parts.

That is basically what the overload does but inverted on an Explorer spring pack, except all the other leaves are a little beefier as well. The more the pack is loaded the more the overload does.

There we go with bolt on stuff again...

 

[FrankBoss]

I've seen a lot of double main springs on trucks where the main spring is wrapped by a second main spring even around the eyelets.

Since I'm fabbing.. I have a 3 inch body lift and I'm adding tubular cross members to the frame after I get the new gas tank in.

So I'm adding weight to the arse! on top of the engines , motorcycles and other antique I might be hauling down the highway...

the Images above look good but! the top leaf might be best to have a eyelet rolled in it to keep them from biting/gouging what ever they touch?
Like a reversed rolled eyelet!

FrankBoss

 

[DoctorPhate]

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[85_Ranger4x4]

Frank if you're going to be pulling that much weight I'd suggest you throw in an X pattern to your tubular brace along the back. should help keep everything nice and square. And having some sort of overload springs back there is your best bet despite what our slower friends up here posted.

How much weight is he towing again?

A small lawn mower trailer is fine for a stock Ranger, I don't know how many I have pulling a lawn mower around town on a little trailer.

An engine or two in the back, it increases the CG of the truck and does increase the bodyroll, a swaybar would help that. The rear GVW on my door is 3940, there is no way my 3000lb 4x4 truck puts more than all of its weight on the back to come up with a 500lb payload capacity. A 2.8 with a factory 7.5 is rated to tow roughly 5k, which would make several of what I would consider to be a small lawn mower trailer.

For rear squat, I have a set of 13.6x38 tractor feedlot tire chains, 3 rims, a 7.5, a pair of Ranger springs and two large jackstands in the back of my Ranger that I just put the previously pictured Explorer springs in and it didn't phase the ride height at all.

 

[Ruffinit]

Well, my little Ranger with the 2.3/4.10/5 sp is rated at 750# for cargo and 1500# trailer towing. *note* I say rated; with an engine block it does set a bit, but doesn't squat and with the stock rear sway bar. I've towed 8x12 cargo trailers with it without problem. Doesn't mean that I get into overdrive, but I don't tow in OD anyhow.

My big Ranger has 4.0/3.27/5 sp and is rated at 3700# towing (don't recall the haul weight). The only changes in suspension has been new progressive coils in the front and Gabriel coil-over shocks in the back. I've towed up to 8700# trailers with it (with trailer brakes) and this is a pic of my Cougar that I towed out to Kentucky (525 miles) with it. trailer is 2400#, car is 4300#. Note that it doesn't sag much and that it was pulled at interstate speeds in 4th gear with no issues.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

My take would be sway bars plus bags or overload springs.

Richard

 

[rusty ol ranger]

By the time you spend the money, time, etc modifying a ranger to do what it was never ment to do you could of bought a Mid 90's F150 and called it a day.

That being said ive had 27 bundles of shingles in the back of my 87 Ranger....granted it was waaay overloaded and i dont know how i kept from breaking something...but i didnt...

later,
Dustin

 

[Captain Ledd]

Ranger Axle is 2750 lbs, which is the 7.5" but why would anyone run a 7.5 with a V8 hes talking about running? did you even read the OP? Jesus.

...

Between the 8.8 you'll probably want to run, the V8, overload springs, upgraded brakes you'll gain from the 8.8 and beefed up frame you can easily put 1500-2000lbs back there without batting an eye. Using a proper sway bar from a 1/2 ton will keep it all in check.

The Ranger 8.8 runs the same shafts as the 7.5", same axle bearings too. Did you read the Tech Library? The Explorer 8.8 (which is what he said he was going to run) has a modest 450 lb increase in capacity, which is pretty decent.

Ranger 10" brakes are the same as the Explorer 10" brakes.

I've had 1,100 lbs in the bed (according to the scales at the scrap yard), I never hit the bump stops once on that trip. I've also had the bed stacked bedrail to bedrail with salvaged commercial fire doors. Which I never got to weigh, but it was noticeably slower and I did touch the bump stops a few times on the 4 hour trip home.

That axle only now is wearing out, original bearings and seals too, at 210,000 miles. Actually more since I drove around for so long (roughly 2 years) after putting larger tires on it, probably closer to 220-225,000. The only reason for building my Explorer 8.8 for it was the option of a full locker, and otherwise the cost of parts was the EXACT same for a 7.5" as a Explorer 8.8. I had a housing that I bought for $80, repacked the L/S carrier for $20, sold just the carrier locally for $75 (I thought he was going to talk me down but he took it, so, $$$). It's a hell of a $5 upgrade.

But the 7.5" is a fine axle IMO, only problem was really the spider gears at higher power.




Back to the O.P.

The truck is an '84 eh? I'd have to imagine the rear springs are a bit clapped out by now if it has any kind of higher mileage on it. The Explorer springs would help some, they are a heavier rated pack. The newer/lower mileage the Explorer the better, up until 2000 (I'm pretty sure) had the rear live axles. After that they switched to IRS. The extra weight that seems to be in the bed than not will help with the rear looking too high all the time (explorer leafs will add about 1.5" on average).

Since it sounds like you have the Explorer sway bar run that too. If it still really pitches and roll in the corners I've seen sway bars doubled up, one on top of the other. I'd be surprised it that didn't cure nearly all of the pitch and roll issues.

Those two options should be an easy and COST EFFECTIVE start, you can fine tune things from there. Yeah it's not some crazy custom thing, but it should be able to be done in a weekend or two at the most and you can keep your truck driving on the road.

One last thing, since you more often than not have something in the bed/on a trailer, run some stiffer heavy duty shocks too.

Yeah it's not the most hardcore option, I've dabbled a bit in the wild stuff. In the end, I realized I could have done things a lot easier, and even closer to stock and accomplished the exact same goals with TREMENDOUSLY less headache.

Look at it this way: Your 28 year old truck has a saggy and squishy rear end. Does it seem like the solution to this problem requires a lot of one-off parts and special fabrication?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The Explorer springs would help some, they are a heavier rated pack. The newer/lower mileage the Explorer the better, up until 2000 (I'm pretty sure) had the rear live axles. After that they switched to IRS. The extra weight that seems to be in the bed than not will help with the rear looking too high all the time (explorer leafs will add about 1.5" on average).

4dr Explorers had a solid rear until '01, the Sport Tracs ran longer but I am not for sure what they had for springs.

I gained 3" with my Explorer springs, went from an inch under level to roughly where it should sit originally relative to the front (so really not much net lift) It really depends on how whooped the stock springs are.