Just got a Ranger

[DHPmike]

Well we just got back home with another Ranger. Its a 94 and its for my stepson. He will be 16 in two months. anyway..

It has a step notch for bags but no bags. the front coils have been cut, the gas door is shaved, the tailgate is shaved and the right door is shaved and its in ugly ass black primer. its in a ragged state right now.

the good thing is that it runs and drives good.

so whats the plan? bags of course. custom 4 link, watts link, move the fuel tank or fuel cell, basically the usual out back. the good thing there is that I also have my brothers 2000 Ranger in the driveway so I can compare frames and mounts etc. I would like to take this time to make a bolt on 4 link but Im not sure if the spring hangars are the same on both the I beam and control arm Rangers. anyone know??

second the fronts gonna be a bear. Ill probably do the tube arm conversion and regular bags. Ill probably have to wait until he gets some wheels for it.

Im so into Rangers its not even funny but its been a while since I did one. I have bagged a few 98 up but no 97 or older myself. I had a 93 but did nothing to it except drive the hell out of it.

any thoughts anyone?

 

[Frank The Tank]

You are a good step-dad.
Me and my step-dad built my drag car when I was 15....... I don't think he's touched a vehicle to that extent in over 6 years. We had a great time and really bonded.

Best of luck.

Frank

 

[TS6034]

Can't wait to see the pics of the watts link. When I welded mine up it was a little off center. I had to take the links and cut them to shorten one and lengthen the other. But it works now.

 

[constant_projecttruck]

I'm almost positive the leaf spring hangers are the same.

And good luck with. I'm starting my bags soon whenever I get a job.

 

[DHPmike]

The watts will be no problem, Ill just pull one off the shelf, although I may make a one off center crank.

I should take pics all the way thru.

 

[pwrranger88]

 

[TS6034]

The watts will be no problem, Ill just pull one off the shelf, although I may make a one off center crank.

I should take pics all the way thru.

I bought my watts from you.

 

[DHPmike]

I bought my watts from you.

Good! send me some pics! I hardly ever get peeps to send me pics.

I will take some pics of the 94 and the 2000 tomorrow. The 94 is about to be taken apart and start the build process. The 2000 is a test truck for all things 98 and up related.

I just finished testing a Ranger drop spindle and I will also have pics of that probably tomorrow.

does anyone make a bolt on 4 link for the Ranger? step notch specifically for the Ranger? anything other than crossmembers?

 

[TS6034]

Well the only bolt on that I'm aware of is the KP Kit. No ranger specific step notch either. I would think that would be a big seller.

 

[Coleosis]

Why everyone gotta hate on black primer?

Id probably shave the passenger door first...so it matches...then worry about wheels and bags.

 

[DHPmike]

well I dont have any idea on the black primer but the good thing is that all the things that made this truck not sell on craigslist to others is what made it sell to us.

By this I mean, lowered (most general public people wont buy a lowered truck) cut in bed and step notch (most see a hole in the bed and frame sticking thru and are out on that) black primer (to them it means ghetto trash) shaved door handles and gas door and tailgate (more reasons not to buy it.

all these things are things I would be doing anyway so it brings the price of a mechanically sound truck down to affordable for a first vehicle project.

3.0 V-6, auto trans, no stereo but if it had a stock one we would be pulling it out anyway. it has a bench seat which I thought was odd. Im a fan of the bench seat, you can get more people in and also have a girl sit next to you. You just have to cover it it with the right material. The good thing about the color is that its a base white truck so everything under the hood and in the door jams is white. So I will start at one end, probably the front and do one panel at a time until the whole truck is straight and then paint it whatever color my stepson wants it.

The bad thing is that the dash and door panels have that spray on fleckstone crap on them, probably another reason it didnt sell.

I have already gotten stuff to do a tune up and change the oil, flush the radiator, plugs wires etc so Ill get it running good first then probably start on the suspension.

Ill take some pics of it today before anything is done to it so I have something to look back at. Ill post here later


oh and the passenger door, gas door and tailgate are shaved but ill have to grind down the filler to see what they did and make sure its correct before I put anything over it.

 

[TS6034]

A pic of the watts that came from you

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[DHPmike]

Very nice!

 

[Z3CHYD]

Sounds exactly like my ranger, flat black primer shaved handles and lowered, i got mine for 500 bucks, and im still not done with it

 

[DHPmike]

I was also given an 87 Ranger with just a cab and rolling chassis. that one I will use to do my tube arm swap kit jig from. Ill note the differences between the 82-92 chassis versus the 93-97 chassis.