Sgtsandman's 2011 XLT

[sgtsandman]

I'm finally getting around to making a "build thread" for this thing. While not as creative or illustrious as some of the other projects people have done on here, I need to put things all in one place instead of spread around all over the forum. I've been avoiding doing one because, quite frankly, making a build thread or a thread that details a maintenance procedure with pictures takes a lot of work and taking the time to take the pictures. So, here goes...

Here's how the truck started, bone stock, just after I bought it.

 

[sgtsandman]

I added a bug guard and window visors not long after along with a block heater. Ignore the red cap, that came later but this is as close of a picture I have that best shows the bug shield and visors.

 

[sgtsandman]

I ran a craigslist cap for a while until I started looking into adding a roof rack to carry the canoe and kayak. I found out that cracking is a potential problem with fiberglass caps. So bought a new cap with a reinforced roof and rails for a roof rack.

 

[sgtsandman]

A Big Sky rack was installed to leave room in the back of the cab for gear and to get any stored rifles out of sight, out of mind. There is a traditional rifle rack in the back window but that is reserved for the snow brush and the small shovel.

The trim pieces were cut to allow clearance for the rack and give things a cleaner look.

 

[sgtsandman]

I installed a holder for the orange off road safety flag in the front bumper, drilling through the plastic cover and through the steel in the bumper. The holder operates like a collet on rotary tool. Insert the fiberglass pole and tighten the black outer part. The silver inner part has four jaws that clamp down on the pole and lock the flag in place.

 

[sgtsandman]

Now, the installation and painting of the windshield visor was a build project! Getting the paint to match the truck and installing it was quite a challenge being that I had to paint it with five coats or so before the paint would wet sand and polish to the same color and finish as the rest of the truck. Then there was the drilling of holes in the roof and installing it in such a way that it wouldn't leak.

 

[sgtsandman]

I had stepped up from the factory 29" tires (235/75R15) to 31X10.5R15 just before I tackled the visor project.

 

[sgtsandman]

I had some pretty bad rubbing issues with the factory post 2007 ride height. So I had to address that with some torsion bar keys and axle blocks for a 2007 Ranger. I also installed new 1,750# springs in place of the original 1,250# springs and upgraded the torsion bars from the original B bars to 1 bars for increased load capacity. New shocks were installed as well. Rancho 5500s, I believe.

I have no pictures for the key installation but some for the axle blocks.

Picture of the axle blocks with a tape measure before the lift.

An old axle block next to a new one

New leaf spring next to the original

Original spring on the truck

New spring on the truck

 

[sgtsandman]

Old and new spring and new and old block comparison.

New measurement with the new springs, blocks, and shocks installed.

These are the bolts I used to install the new leaf springs.

Picture of after the new suspension was installed.

 

[sgtsandman]

Not long after I had gotten the craigslist cap for the truck, I had build a platform for the bed of the truck. Partly to store sand bags and to also store spare parts, recovery equipment, and fluids. The sand bags were discovered to not be needed. The weight of the cap, platform, and stuff was more than enough to deal with snowy roads.

An here is a better picture of the back of the cab with the window rack and gear installed.

 

[sgtsandman]

This is going to be @Rick W 's favorite part. The CB. Yes, there is a piece of 2X4 between the cab roof and the headliner holding the CB in place. I also have a quad band ham radio installed on the front of the seat using the existing holes for where apparently some trim levels have a cup holder.

102" whip and quad band antenna installed

 

[sgtsandman]

I also installed some painted yard cloth over the screens in the cap to protect them from things being hauled in the bed.

 

[sgtsandman]

When I went to install the GMRS radio and setup an antenna for a dual band handled (future plans for a dual band DMR mobile radio), I had to move the quad band antenna to a different location and since there are no such antennas with spring loaded protection against hitting things, I needed to drop it's height down. The best place for it is the left cowl area. That required some hacking, filing and trimming.

test fitting

Installed. You can also see the other antenna mounts on the rear suicide doors. The one in the right of the picture for the GMRS antenna and the one on the left for the dual band.

 

[sgtsandman]

When I did the first gear oil change on the front axle, I decided I didn't want to have to drop the axle to do a fluid change anymore. I found a pipe thread plug at the hardware store along with the appropriate tap, drilled a hole and tapped it while the axle was removed, and installed the plug. Note that it sits close to the reinforcement rib for the differential housing to protect it from hitting anything.

 

[sgtsandman]

For the rear axle, I finally broke down and bought a new differential cover that has a drain plug so I don't have to pull the cover to do fluid changes anymore. It also reinforces the housing and is more resilient than the factory one if I happen to hit a rock.