Sasquatch_Ryda's Ranger refit

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Well as some may know, I bent the front end up in my 91 ranger in August during a club annual event. The drivers side beam was bent in the middle enough that it was rubbing on the drop bracket for the passenger side beam. The coil bucket on the drivers side was starting to give out as well, the passenger side bucket bent on me a year ago sending the coil up under the hood on a trail run. I replaced that side, but never got around to the drivers side yet. Now that I have the front end out, I figured it was time to tackle it. The new buckets I'm using are from an early bronco and are much more stout. I also figured it was time to build some extended arms for it as I'm still running stockers with drop brackets. Here's some shots of the rebuild so far.

Here is the new drivers side beam with a truss welded into it to prevent any future bends here.

Here is the old beam, you can see where the paint had popped off of where it bent. I hit the diff skid plate hard on a rock and it caused the beam to bend to the side of the skid, so I know the skid is tough enough.

Here is the bucket that is starting to get bent/mangled up on the driver side.

The 'new' bucket waiting to be installed

Here is what the bronco bucket looks like on the passenger side

Here is the start of the new extended radius arms. I'm using 2x2 .250 wall square tube to extend them. I'm using 30" of tube for each arm. The total length of the new arms is 41". I got the drivers side all fabbed and tacked together. I built a touch of caster into the arms. Still need to come up with a transmission cross member that will have the radius arm brackets built into it.

Updates will come as I get stuff built and installed!

 

[-Nathan-]

looking good bud. You going to be running the same coils or go to something else?

 

[gwaii]

i've bent a few of those arms myself.a brace is a good plan.one thing i found with the bronco buckets is they push the top of the spring out a bit further,sometimes this can mean clearance issues.
hope it all works out fine!

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

looking good bud. You going to be running the same coils or go to something else?

Same skyjacker 6" softrides for now. No money for fancy steering to go to softer coils right now.

i've bent a few of those arms myself.a brace is a good plan.one thing i found with the bronco buckets is they push the top of the spring out a bit further,sometimes this can mean clearance issues.
hope it all works out fine!

I found the coils actually sit better and straighter with less bow in the bronco buckets. The passenger side doesn't have any clearance issues and its been that way for a year. The drivers side coil has so much bow that it rubs the tire under compression.

 

[gwaii]

perfect!love it when things work out,i usually find out how things don't fit well.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

This should be a great write up!

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Got the other arm fabbed and tacked together...will post more pictures later once I get them fully welded.

 

[wahlstrom1]

The key to re-using stock buckets with the longer shock towers is to gusset them behind, weld them to the shock tower and put a piece on the front edge to keep them from folding upwards. I did the same thing only much worse on my truck before installing a kickass new set of JD buckets.

Sorry to thread hijack, your progress looks good!

 

[bobbywalter]

refits......


i guess i need a camera and to learn how to easily post pics so i can refit too



one thing that always perplexes me...is why someone would intentionally combine radius arm mounts with a tranny mount?


i am always pulling trannys....working on smashed exaust etc...whether its to clean the frogs and swamp juice from the clutches...or simply replace the overheated and cooked seals, somethings always happening.

though i am sure yours will be sectioned. i see allot that are not.

 

[gwaii]

ya,show us some pics,bobby.

and give'er hell,sasq!

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The key to re-using stock buckets with the longer shock towers is to gusset them behind, weld them to the shock tower and put a piece on the front edge to keep them from folding upwards. I did the same thing only much worse on my truck before installing a kickass new set of JD buckets.

Sorry to thread hijack, your progress looks good!

The passenger side on mine was like that when it gave out on the trail one day...it folded straight up...coil busted through my air box....fun day and a long night on the trail with a generator and mig welder piecing it back together to get it off the mountain!

refits......


i guess i need a camera and to learn how to easily post pics so i can refit too



one thing that always perplexes me...is why someone would intentionally combine radius arm mounts with a tranny mount?


i am always pulling trannys....working on smashed exaust etc...whether its to clean the frogs and swamp juice from the clutches...or simply replace the overheated and cooked seals, somethings always happening.

though i am sure yours will be sectioned. i see allot that are not.

Haven't come to a final idea yet for the mounts and If I will make it part of the tranny xmember or not....we shall see

 

[Jim Oaks]

Come on Bobby. Your kids have to be good with a computer and digital camera. They're at that age they probably have both of those things. Designate one as your PR person.

I hear you have a diesel, but haven't seen it yet.

All this 'refit' garbage is making me want to get out in the shop and put those D60's in the old Ranger and take her back out in the mud. With a 4-car shop, it's not like I don't have the room to work now. Just need a welder.

Sorry for the hijack.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

4 car garage? You suck.

I'm working out of a 24x28 garage that my mustang project takes up half of all the time....

 

[bobbywalter]

well jim....i been in the area a few times and have not had time to stop.


my kids that do computer stuff moved out, but madisyn could probably do something...they have those pc pages...face space and shit like that...but they make them elsewhere i think.

even my wife has one now i found out a few months ago.

and i am not allowed to touch her camera...and its broken too.

but i just started the flatbed thing so maybe some pics of that would be a good start.












on edit here...


my rig is nothing to see. its horrid and truly in need of a refit.

i have shit piled up that needs to go on it.


the diesel swap is great. i literally slid it in and never wired it up or anything....just layed the shit in there and two years and just obout 100 k later have not even looked at it...the chevy dash is hanging from my heater controls. that has to be worth a pic.

 

[gwaii]

4 car garage? You suck.

I'm working out of a 24x28 garage that my mustang project takes up half of all the time....

you suck...i have a 28x14 tarp shed with a dirt floor that floods everytime it rains.....and it always rains here.


that's why the gt12 is in the house.