Road racing a Ranger

[Racin]

I race in the NASA Southeast in the American Iron Class, but on most Fridays we run an Enduro Race, anywhere from 2 to 8 hours depending on the event. My car is not suitable for an endurance race.

I've owned several Rangers as Daily drivers and got to looking locally and I can get a good straight 80's to early 90's Ranger for a few hundred bucks.
I was thinking about the SOHC, DOHC swap, or even a 5.0 and T-5 tranny with an 8.8 rear.
But also Explorer rear disc and Mustang or Lincoln Front Disc. For this type endurance racing we need common parts as these are low buck events for most of us.
I have no idea what can be done to the front suspension though, does anyone make a kit to install a Mustang system? or can the stock one be reworked for handling? And I need to lower the truck several inches.
Although I've owned several Rangers and have a 2004 Edge at the moment I can honestly say I've never looked at them from this aspect before.

Pleae chime in on opinions, parts packages, etc... that you think would be a good swap.
The truck will have an 8 point cage, fuel cell and all typical racing safety gear.

Thanks,

 

[TheBeast]

Your best bet, would be a low buck 3 link setup with staggard coil overs. Most of that can be made cheaply if you do most of it yourself. The leaf springs, high rates, and the heavy nose weight will be a bit of an issue to get over. Trucks, specifically single cab short beds are light, and with 2.3's they will rock along and handle well, since the trucks well balanced. However with a v8 swap, you end up having a ton of nose weight that puts the truck in the dirt with dive when braking hard, and other things. I would use a WAP explorer block, or mark VIII motor, since both are aluminum blocks and heads, in order to keep some of the weight off. A good bell housing, and a good T5 will serve you well also. They make Bell's that will adapt T5's to modulars now. As for front suspension I would look into a mustang II front end. A complete IFS will go far beyond the capabilitys of the stock TTB. You may find that it would be easier to take a car chassis that has similar size that you can put the body on. It's an idea.

 

[Racin]

I don't have to go the V8 route, if I could get better handling with a modified 4 banger that would hold up to endurance punishment in a heavy truck my lap times could possibly be similar with the improved handling of the lighter engine. Road Atlanta favors high hp V-8's but on tracks like CMP and Roebling a 4 cylinder would probably do just as well and require fewer pits stops for fuel and front tires.

 

[Mac]

Welcome by the way! Someone here posted a vidieo several years ago of them racing a V-8 Ranger on the road course up at New Hampshire Int. Raceway. From the pictures, looked like he was doing good and having fun. Sounds like it would be a fun project.
Dave

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I wonder what a newish set of BII leafs (if they could be found) and do an axle over spring with an Explorer axle would do.... Softer springs and you'd be loosing a lot of height....

Or a mono-leaf from an Explorer...

You can swap a 2.3L turbo from a T-bird. If you get a truck that already has a 2.3 in it, I would imagine the swap would be relatively easy.

 

[TheBeast]

2.3T that was hopped up would serve well in mileage and power. Up the boost, a few small upgrade, and I'd bet it would do just fine.

 

[Racin]

I found this kit, pretty basic but it'd be a start.

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/DJ...ems/Suspension-Lowering-Kit-_-K300234/558149/

A co-worker runs a 2.3 in his Pinto Dirt track car, said he's getting 175 hp at the flywheel normally asperated but it took some doing.

Curb wt for the ranger is listed around 2800 before I start gutting, but after adding back in the cage I'd guesstimate around 2300-2500's race ready unless I get really drastic.
Pretty heavy for 175 hp, I think a min of around 250 hp is what I need and I'd like to keep from going overboard on the build.

I did some checking on the web, it looks like the 289-302 is pretty light even with Iron heads.
The Aluminum SOHC and DOHC 4.6 shows promise but aluminum heads, intake and running a carb on the 302 is easier to work on. Could always add a 331 stroker kit.

Middle number is the wt

Ford Zetec-SE 1.3 DOHC 202 (107) 1996 Fiesta
Ford 1600 CVH 282 (49) (US Escort)
Ford 2.3 Lima/Pinto L4 418 (2) (also 2.0, 2.5)
Ford 2.3 Lima/Pinto L4 307 (18)
Ford 2.3 Lima/Pinto L4 450 (2) (turbo)
Ford 2.3 Polimotor 152 (12) plastic motor
Ford 2.3 Polimotor 168 (55) plastic motor
Ford Germany Taunus V4 205 (2) (and SAAB V4)
Ford England Essex V4 327
Ford Germany 2.0-2.8 V6 305
Ford England Essex V6 379 (2) (3 liter)
Ford 3.8 V6-90 351 (4) (w/start, alt, less clutch)
Ford 3.8 V6-90 311 (18) ("fully dressed")
Ford Duratec 2.5/3.0 V6 360 (45) ("fully dressed")
Ford CDW27 60 deg V6 365 (47) "as delivered to assembly plant"
Ford/Mazda Mondeo V6 225 (64) 60 deg, all aluminum, 4v
Ford 170-250 L6 385 (except Australian w/aluminum head)
Ford flathead V8 525 (124) 1932 model, integral b'hsg, iron heads
Ford flathead V8 569 (1) ('53 239 CID)
Ford Cosworth DFV 353 (2) (racing engine, DOHC, 3.0L)
Ford 255 Windsor 468 (4)
Ford 289/302 V8 460 (late 5.0s are a bit lighter)
Ford 221-302W 460 (48)
Ford Indy 255 pushrod 360 (120) all aluminum, 1963
Ford Indy 255 DOHC 400 (120) 1964, later known as Foyt Coyote V8
Ford 5.0 V8 450 (109)
Ford BOSS 302 500 (48)
Ford 351 Cleveland 550 (48) (includes BOSS and Australian 302-C)
Ford 351 Windsor 510
Ford 351 Windsor 525 (48)
Ford 351M-400 575 (48)
Ford Y block V8 625 (272-312 CID)
Ford FE big block 650 (332-428 CID)
Ford FE big block 670 (1) ('59 352 CID)
Ford FE 625 (48)
Ford 427 SOHC 680 (48)
Ford 429/460 V8 640
Ford 429-460 720 (48)
Ford 460 V8 720 (10)
Ford BOSS 429 680 (iron block, aluminum heads)
Ford BOSS 429 635 (48)
Ford 4.6 SOHC 530 (93) iron block, aluminum heads
Ford 4.6 SOHC 473 (72)
Ford 4.6 DOHC 464 (72) "9 pounds lighter than SOHC"
Ford 4.6 DOHC 437 (77) without accessories
Ford 4.6 DOHC 521 (94) aluminum block and heads

 

[AllanD]

What do you think is special about bronco2 leaf springs?

If I were going to attempt to "road race" a Ranger First I'd read the rules.

presuming it was allowed what I'd do would be:

1) choose a 2wd LONG BOX V6 truck with either a 3.0 or 4.0.

Longbox because the directional stability when you want it is nice
getting it to "dance" can be accomplishedby proper motions of your right foot and left hand (throttle and steering technique)

2)Put the biggest radiator that would fit (but a 4.0 A/T rad would probably do it)
3)1998-00 4.0 transmission (improved synchro setup)
4)Hurst shifter

Now for the suspension:

For Road racing on SMOOTH race track surfaces unsprung weight isn't critical
So I'd prefer a TIB setup, but I'd use the '95-97 beams with the two piston
brakes. and EBC "Yellow" brake pads.

The thing is a RIGID suspension is far more important than an "elegant" suspension.

Any spring more than what is absolutely required to hold up the vehicle
is counter-productive so I'd look real hard at a set of the base model
fiberglass leaf springs. And again, if the rules allowed a pair of James
Duff traction bars.

If you can find them Koni adjustable shocks, if not the Bilsteins are
almost as good.

Urethane EVERYTHING in the bushings.

You WANT power steering, but allegedly the steering box from an F-series
chassis cab intended for building an ambulance will bolt right on and is
SUPPOSED to be a faster ratio.

You probably want your front sway bar from an '87-89 STX "Highrider"
and a rear bar from 2wd Bronco2.

Tires? whatever people think about tires, tires that don't reduce
"scrub radius" to an absolute minimum will only slow you down.

Basically you want the axis through the two balljoints to meet the
ground at the center of the tire tread.

225/70-15's do this about as well as it can be done.

If the rules don't look too closely at track width I'd sneak
a Gen3 axle into a Gen2 truck.

the wider track width can only help.

again, IF the rules allowed....

All this sounds... well... EXACTLY like the 1992 that's sitting in my yard that I'm building as a sorta "hotrod ranger" that's sitting

IT will be for sale after it's finished.

AD

 

[zukirider21]

i say you go for a light, regular cab, short bed 2wd truck, do a 2.3 turbo or 5.0 engine swap, get nice sticky tires with beefy ass sway bars front and rear, good adjustable shocks (such as http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73166), upgrade to later model ranger front brakes, and do an explorer disc 8.8 swap in the rear with appropriate gears and a posi.

ALL of that can be done for cheap as hell, and im sure it would handle pretty damn good for a ranger...

 

[adsm08]

and don't forget the demon camber for the drift races.

 

[adsm08]

Read this thread before ordering from street beat customs.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67855&highlight=street+beat+customs

As far as I know all TRS members are still in active boycott of them for that catastrophe.

 

[TheBeast]

You will have literally zero steering feedback with a power steering gear box. They feel loose compared to a properly setup rack or even a manual gear box.

 

[Racin]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

We'll be looking real close to see if using a Ranger is worth it vs a Fox Mustang since both can be had fairly cheap. We're just looking at doing something different since Fox's are way to common, and we'd make the ranger look like a mini NASCAR truck.
Looks like I need to check more indepth the available suspension parts, and weight distribution of the truck. My dirt track buddy has a set of scales, might be a good place to start.

I run PS on my car, you do loose some feedback but manual can wear you down in long races. Then again my car weighs 3300 lbs.

Thanks again.

My Firebird

 

[RobbieD]

Nice Firebird!

 

[AllanD]

You will have literally zero steering feedback with a power steering gear box. They feel loose compared to a properly setup rack or even a manual gear box.

You have zero steering feel with a manual steering box when the upper bearing fails as they ALWAYS do.

So since there is no such thing as a "Good" manual steering box...
and earlier rangers don't readily accept rack and pinions
AND since converting to rack and pinion might not be allowed
by the rules...

Engine swaps of a 2.3T or a 5.0 might not be allowed.

As for rediculous camber? you don't corner better that way...

Radial tires generate maximum lateral traction when they
are kept to right angle to the surface.

as for the shortbox? shoter wheelbase = less stable.

If you can't control which way it's pointed...

And with ANY halfway decent powerplant you do a lot
of your "steering" with your right foot and stering technique.

You can all keep repeating the urban myth and hillbilly engineering,
but understanding how things work is always better than thinking
you know.

BTW, you want more steering feeling? Add more caster.

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