My backyard build (56K warning)

[fellows86]

WOW been awhile since i seen any updates on this thing glad to see your gettin back at it cant wait to see it done

 

[dude772]

hahah no, its 857. If i got my plate for the new explorer earlier in the day it would have been "007 BERN" but I got it at the end of the day and got 077

 

[dude772]

WOW been awhile since i seen any updates on this thing glad to see your gettin back at it cant wait to see it done

Speaking of which, what headers did you end up using for yours, I need to order some new ones, the james duff headers are garbage as far as fit and finish. Im thinking the AA 4x4 headers might work.

 

[fellows86]

Speaking of which, what headers did you end up using for yours, I need to order some new ones, the james duff headers are garbage as far as fit and finish. Im thinking the AA 4x4 headers might work.

i ended up gettin a set of mac long tubes for a 5.0l mustang . then me and my friend did lots of cuttinand welding but turned out great in the end

 

[fordwheelinman]

The james duff headers prolly are not designed to be used in a solid axle swap application.... i dont know, just throwing something out there.....

 

[dude772]

The james duff headers prolly are not designed to be used in a solid axle swap application.... i dont know, just throwing something out there.....

Its not just the interferance for the pinion, i can accept that as a "this wasn't designed for this type of application" type of deal. But the other side(passengers side) points directly to the trans crossmember, and tries to go under the transmission to cross over to the drivers side. Its a terrible fit! i dont like it at all one bit.

And the fact that they would not reply to any of my emails, and when i tried to call and talk to someone i got dismissed. I gave up. When the time comes to finish that bit up im going to order the AA headers. Most likely the 4x4 headers.

Today i had a bad day at work, so i had to go and work on the ranger to let off some frustration. Got the trans crossmember fitted, lined up the frame re-drilled for the new position and bolted in with left-over grade 8 1/2" bolts from the axle swap. tried to figure out what position i want to have the shift lever on the transmission, if i put it too low it will interfere with the front drive shaft. seems like an easy thing to make work.

The aim recently is to have this thing ready by the end of the month. I take a week of holidays at the end of june to work away at the truck. I want to take it up to Pembroke on the logging trails when i go in august. I'm gettin pumped to drive this thing for the first time in 3 years! Its brutal having all this time, energy and money sunk into a pile of metal sitting in a barn shop.

 

[dude772]

I've got this week off of work. And the only thing ive got planned is to get this beast DONE. Got a bunch of stuff done today. Front and rear brakes installed. The fronts were very frustrating because the axle didn't have brakes on it when i bought it. So i had to figure out the stupid spring, holder and anti rattle clip design. But i won in the end.
Rear brakes went nice and smoothly. New shoes, spring kit, wheel cylinders, and drums. Yesterday i went down to have some braided stainless lines made up. Those were finished today. I had the rear extended 13 inches and the front line i had made to be 25 inches total. I only had the end bit still bolted to the axle, so i had to guess at what i needed. $110 out the door for those.
Yesterday i also finished welding the front axle together. All the brackets and tabs for the links and trac bar.

Tomorrows plan is to finish running brake lines and bleed the system. Then if things go well I can fab up the shift cable bracket, so that i can weld the shift lever on the transmission then fill the trans with oil. After that its just a matter of the steering before it will move under its own power. Then theres still other things like gears, hubs glass and interior stuff. But the main goal this week is to make it move from its 3 year old ruts.

 

[dude772]

An update for today, no pictures. Ive been workin away too much to take pictures of anything. Couldn't find the origonal shift cable bracket at the transmission, i know i have at least 2 of them, but i cant find them. So i fabricated one out of some steel i got with the brake hoses. Then i was able to modify the shift lever that goes into the transmission. once that was done i could fill the transmission with merc 5 trans fluid. After that i started the truck for the hell of it.

DOH!!! forgot the transmission cooler lines. big oily mess!

Went back to northern performance where i got the bake hoses made to get some more brake hose retainer tabs for the front axle hoses. While i was down there i picked up a new trans cooler. Dropped off the last steering bits to have them machined so that i can weld them together, that will be ready tomorrow at 10ish.

Finished the brake lines. had to use a shitty ass flaring tool set. some of the connections leak a little. but i will deal with that when i get my good flaring tool fixed. Ran the trans cooler lines, mounted the cooler. tested the brakes by jacking up a front wheel holding the pedal on and trying to turn the wheel, felt good to me.

Modified the 5.0L thorttle cable bracket to recieve the ranger throttle cable. I used the half that bolted to the intake, cut it where it bends, drilled a hole in a piece of thin plate to recieve the cable and welded it together. works great.

Tomorrows plan is to pick up the power steering resevoir i ordered from work and the power steering pressure line, then pick up my bits from the machine shop, and play with some steering. After that its check that all the bolts are tight, and see if she will move under her own power. Theres still plenty to do, but My goal for the week was to get it to move under its own power. Looks like im winning so far.

 

[dude772]

And for the end of the week. I've accomplished my goal! I made the ranger "drive" for the first time in 3 years!

The power steering is hooked up, the pump if for a 98 explorer 5.0L the pressure line is the 98 explorer pressure line, the steel end on the line is 3/8, the pressure line for the steering box is 5/16. So instead of putting in a bunch of ugly compression fittings or adapters i had 2 choices. choice number one, cut the hose and bring it to a hydraulics place to refit the end with what i need. Or weld on a 5/16 line to the 3/8 line. and since i can always do option 1 if option2 fails, i welded away !

Worked fabulously. Flared the 3/8 line and used pliers to crush it around the 5/16 line and oxy-acetylene welded it together.

made my final steering link. The steering shaft coming off the steering column was modified to fit around the exhaust. I picked up a steering u-joint from bicknell racing products, its splined on one side to go directly onto the steering box and welded to a stock 4x4 steering shaft on the other with the rag joint removed. Clears but barely, but thats ok because im removing the garbage james duff headers and going for AA 4x4 headers.

Finally double check everything andput the gas pedal in started her up put it in gear and drive it forward a foot backward a foot and then forward again.

Time to get the finishing touches done to get it to safely drive down the road.

 

[Mechanickid]

You got me exited just reading that! Congratulations!

 

[bikerboy]

what's the update? Get different headers on it yet? steering and brakes all finished up? did you move stuff out of the way to drive it? come on man. i've been watching the build the whole time.

 

[dude772]

No new headers yet. Brakes done, steering done. Altho the steering box may need to be replaced, very sticky/ stiff turning left. Thottle cable done. kickdown cable lever and bracket fabricated, but may need tweeking, cable adjuster isn't working. I got the crap cleaned off the roof, and the windshield area, 80% of the crap in the back is cleaned out.

The shops still a mess, thats getting worked on. My next plan is to finish the drip rail, needs re-sealing. And order up a rear window so that i can take it out of the shop without water getting inside. Then i can take it to work and get alot more done.

Im waiting till payday to order anything else, i spent quite a bit in the past 2 weeks.

Good news is that with everything done so far, it starts with the key, runs, brakes hold, shifts into gear, and the thottle peddal will make the truck move forward and back were it sits in the shop.

 

[Duggo]

Nicely done!

 

[a-5 freak]

MORE UPDATES!!!!! You got me so exited! I wanna see this thing move!

 

[dude772]

MORE UPDATES!!!!! You got me so exited! I wanna see this thing move!

HAHA so do I! I ordered a bunch of tabs from ballistic yesterday, and some new headers from advance. i asked ahead of time what their policy is on headers that dont fit. They told me, "call us, get a return authorization number and pay for shipping back. no problems". So if these ones dont work, i'll try the other ones. I ordered their 4x4 5.0 conversion headers, non-plated.

Should be in soonish. Im getting my buddy who owns the shop to start clearing his crap out of my way to move it. Im picking up a new bolt-in style rear window, because i didn't like the gasket mounted origonal slider. So if anyone wants it, thats up for grabs if i can find all tha bits.

The urithane primer and urithane for the drip rails should be in, going to take care of that this weekend. Once the cab is sealed I can take it outside to work on in the sun, get a tan while i work.

Im excited. I will be sure to take a video of it driving out.



pics of the kick down lever i made up compared to the origonal