Project Apple Bottom

[95XL]

Couple of pics of the progress on the bed...

Sorry about the quality, this sunsetting at 6:30 is bull! Anyways, the side with the stepside on it isn't fully mounted yet, I just wanted to get it mocked up to see what it was gunna look like.

 

[stegomon]

i always thought makein a ranger look like a dual was stupid but mow that i have read this...it is realy neet..cant wait to see it done ...cool so far

 

[robbieo11]

dou still have them addapters for the rear and the rims?? i live near rochester and am going to start a 4 door long box ranger.
if so can u email me at rostrander73@yahoo.com

 

[lil red]

i really like this project, and now i want to build up a firs gen extended cab with a dual rear axel in it,because i dont have the paitance for all the math

 

[koda6966]

*is in shock*

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

crazy ass idea!! but looks cool, did he ever finished it??

 

[95XL]

Nope, still under construction. I have all of the pieces to the puzzle mostly, now I just have to start piecing them together.

I'd like to take this moment to sort out how much money I've got into it so far, because I haven't tallied anything up yet, and I'm kind of curious, so lets find out together.....

Rear Axle
Dana 60 Full Float from a 1996 E-350 Van ($90 from Junkyard)
4.10 gears for axle ($80 from a car show in Carlisle, PA.)
Gear Install [Labor] ($150)
Gear Install Kit ($25)
Spray Paint to make it look purdy ($25)
Diff Cover, cheap chrome one ($25)
Sub-Total $395

Front Axle
Dana 60 out of a 1994 Dodge 2500, with the CAD ($200 from Craigslist)
4.10 Gears for axle (haven't purchased yet, but lets say $100)
Gear Install [Labor] ($150)
Gear Install Kit ($25)
Spray Paint ($25)
Diff. Cover ($25)
Spring/Shock Mounts (Still need to purchase, lets say $50)
Sub-Total $575

Suspension
Front
Jeep J-3000 Leaf Springs (Free)
Spring Mounts/Shackles (Haven't purchased yet, lets say $100)
Shocks (Haven't puchased, but lets set aside $100)

Rear
Chevy 1500 Leaf Springs ($25 from the Junkyard)
Spring Hangers ($75 from local spring shop, rip off!)
Belltech 6400 Shackles (can't remember, think it was about $30)
Shocks ($50)
Sub-Total $380

Wheel & Tire
5 - Steel Dually Rims from a 1987 F-350 ($100 from Junkyard)
1 - New! Steel Dually Rim ($80 from ebay, Rip off!)
6 - 235/70-R16 General Grabber AT2's ($94 each + shipping)
Sub-Total $744

Grand Total: $2094!!!

Wow, hadn't realized I had spent that much, thats just a rough estimate of what prices I can remember off the top of my head, so give or take a few dollars.

So anyways, until next time.....

 

[marcehboy]

holy molly i was thinking of doing something like this, just knew i wanted to make a dauly bed out of a flairside and know i know its been done... too bad i thought i was a pioneer...

 

[88ranger2.95sp]

4.10 Gears for axle (haven't purchased yet, but lets say $100)
Gear Install [Labor] ($150)
Gear Install Kit ($25)
Diff. Cover ($25)

Umm... I hate to break your bubble man, but gears aren't a hundred dollars. And labor to install them is nowhere near $150. Unless you know someone who's doing it, you're looking at ~6 - 900 bucks to regear that axle correctly.

THe same goes for the diff cover. Unless it's from the junkyard, it'll be more than that.

Rob

 

[CopyKat]

Umm... I hate to break your bubble man, but gears aren't a hundred dollars. And labor to install them is nowhere near $150. Unless you know someone who's doing it, you're looking at ~6 - 900 bucks to regear that axle correctly.

THe same goes for the diff cover. Unless it's from the junkyard, it'll be more than that.

Rob

Why not? I paid $80 for my used 4.10's and it cost me another $40 for an install kit and the shop only charged me $75 for install.

 

[marcehboy]

yeah and with the proper tools you can buy a book or something to get all the set up specs and do it yourself

 

[gatlin04]

The bed looks really good! But i had a thought just the other day..... would a stepside f150 bed work instead of replacing the panel on a ranger bed? Just a thought....

 

[fordxranger]

are you gonna taper the front of the bedsides like the rear? or are you gonna let them stick out past the body like they are? I understand the fenders gotta stick out but I think it would look funky with the front step portion sticking out too.

 

[95XL]

Umm... I hate to break your bubble man, but gears aren't a hundred dollars. And labor to install them is nowhere near $150. Unless you know someone who's doing it, you're looking at ~6 - 900 bucks to regear that axle correctly.

THe same goes for the diff cover. Unless it's from the junkyard, it'll be more than that.

Yeah, I know the guy that does the gears for me, he's a retired mechanic who does stuff out of his shop on the weekends just to snag a little extra cash. And the diff cover, like I said, it's only one of the cheap chrome ones, I'm not taking this truck off-roading afterwards, so there is no fear of bashing those chinsey covers in, so why spend the money on a $100 beefed up version?

would a stepside f150 bed work instead of replacing the panel on a ranger bed?

Thats a good question, and might be worth looking into, cause putting those stepside fenders on is becoming a pain, haven't done much with them since I took the pics, but everytime I look at it I just cringe because I don't want to work on that bed!

are you gonna taper the front of the bedsides like the rear? or are you gonna let them stick out past the body like they are? I understand the fenders gotta stick out but I think it would look funky with the front step portion sticking out too.

I have thought about it, I might get them on and line the top up with the cab, and then bring it to a body guy to suck in the steps and paint it. But i did kind of like the idea of having the steps there, but you are right, it would look funny with the steps sticking out farther than the cab.

 

[Randy960]

Cool looking project. Still going to alfred state? I went there for a year for MET, but then left. I did some lathe work on those very same machines.