Sports car technology in a humble little truck

[superj]

when i got rid of my 79 bmw, i took the factory leather recaros out and put them into my replacement 89 bmw. when i got rid of that one, i took the recaros out again. they are sitting in my garage waiting the day they go back into service. and if htey never do, they will be worth a bunch on ebay since the stickers are still on the frames saying recaro and whatever is written in german and the mounts all say recaro and some stuff in german. they do need the supports replaced though. the cloth straps that go across under the seat, like lawn chairs used to have

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I've had to resort to counting the teeth on the ring and pinion gears and doing some math, on an actual calculator back then. Or I would mark the driveshaft and tire, then spin the tire one rotation and count ho many times the driveshaft turned. Round to nearest ratio.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Worse come to worse, I remember the ratio being cast in the side of the ring gear as well. That's how I found out that the recycling yard tried to sell me a bill of goods instead giving me the axle I told them I wanted.

If I remember right, sometimes the number on the ring gear needs to be converted. You’ll know right off if it does because the number will be in a weird format like 331 or something. If the number corresponds with a normal ratio, then no conversation is needed. Don’t remember the specifics, but I have run into it before.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I got a u pull UR own yard. I might get the wrong part, but at least I can return it. I will only waste a half a day. I wonder if any of the members has a foto. That way I can also tell at a glance. I say this because I have already pulled something with the right number that did not fit

https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/ford-7-5-8-8-inch-axle-tag-door-codes/

Start there. A lot more info can be found in the tech pages too

 

[sgtsandman]

If I remember right, sometimes the number on the ring gear needs to be converted. You’ll know right off if it does because the number will be in a weird format like 331 or something. If the number corresponds with a normal ratio, then no conversation is needed. Don’t remember the specifics, but I have run into it before.

I didn’t know that. The one I ran across was a replacement 7.5” for the 1998. They were supposed to get me a 4.10 and the ring gear was marked 3.73 clear as day.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

When I regeared my F-150 I left the 3.31 tag on it for a surprise of a different flavor for the next guy.

Now that’s just evil

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I didn’t know that. The one I ran across was a replacement 7.5” for the 1998. They were supposed to get me a 4.10 and the ring gear was marked 3.73 clear as day.

Think it’s mostly older ones that the problem sometimes comes up, but not really certain. I take a paint marker and write the ratio on the axle tube or pig and I have a book for each of my trucks with all the information and mods. Or at least I’m trying to keep books.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You, dear sir, have just made my day. Here's hoping you drive the Ranger of your dreams.

I’m working on the Ranger of my dreams. Well, it’s changed a little from the original idea (reg cab short box stepside with the rear tubbed out for slicks and a big V-8 under the hood) to something a little less obvious (extended cab fleet side AWD with a modded 302 under the hood). Was slated to be finished last year but a couple concussions and some problems extended that timeframe to sometime this year, hopefully. Someday it will be a 331 but it’s not in the budget right now. Someday I may build my original idea too, but I‘ve really grown to like the idea of a more sleeper style build.

The Bronco II of my dreams is largely done with my choptop, just needs a few things yet but the basic concept is done. Now if I could just get it to stop eating motors and front axles, I’d be in business. (Three 2.9s and two 4.0s dead so far and shattered front axle shafts 3 times with minimal effort). I have no explanation for this other than the first 2.9 was fault of a previous owner and the other two were partially the fault of the previous owner (heater core had a leak, but had used RTV to seal the heater box, very effectively hiding the problem to a leak nearly impossible to see and not anywhere you would normally look for a coolant leak, out of the firewall under the a/c and fan box, would run down the firewall behind the fender liner and disperse). No idea why the 4.0 melted a piston though. Haven’t pulled the current dead 4.0 but I’m betting another melted piston.

 

[cbxer55]

Mine's a 98 3.0 auto. I know the 3.0 gets a lot of bad marks, but I love mine. MAC cold air intake with multiple sources of forced cold air. Dual exhaust in front of the axle. JET chip. 4.10 gears in the axle. Hellwig anti-sway bars front and rear. Only thing I haven't done is lower it, because I hate, no, despise driving lowered vehicles. It's not the prettiest vehicle in the world, but it is my daily drive beater. I have a friend that paints, and may be letting him do an old school all flat black on it this summer. It's not really a dual exhaust. It's minus the muffler with a bent Y and two tips welded to that. But it sure sounds good.

For being a 3.0, I love how it runs. It pulls high into the rev band, something it didn't do with the stock intake. And the JET chip moves the shift points higher than stock. With the 4.10 gears, it 's running truck. There's a really curvy road about ten miles from me, the only one in the area. About 15 miles around a lake, endless style. 45 mph all around. Got a ticket doing 75 on it a few years back in the old Ranger. Cop was cool and only wrote me for ten and under, which keeps it off your record here. She did that because when I saw here, I pulled over and stopped, rather than make her chase me.

I've had sports cars on my tail going around that lake, and they never got an opportunity to pass me. PRICELESS!

 

[Ranger850]

It's not really a dual exhaust. It's minus the muffler with a bent Y and two tips welded to that.

Dual Tipped Exhaust

 

[cbxer55]

Dual Tipped Exhaust

Yup. See the plates in the end. I was playing around with them with different sized holes, tuning the back pressure. I made a whole bunch of them, with holes varying in size by 1/8 inch. Just kept changing them out until I got the desired result. It's loud. A friend's dad, asked me while it was sitting outside his machine shop idling, "What size V-8 is under the hood?" Told him "It's a V-6." He responded "sounds great!"

Intake is a three inch polished tube, from the MAF to the TB, with a large Spectre stainless steel filter. And the hood scoop, a lot of 1.5 inch holes in the hood under it, with six of them impinging directly on that polished tube. And the two small scoops on the side are directly overtop the filter. With another large tube running from the grill to the filter area. I can drive the truck the long way to work around my favorite curvy road, pop the hood and the air filter is cool to the touch. Yup, gets wet when it rains. Hasn't caused a single problem yet. And man, when it rains here, it pours.

 

[Lefty]

One very nice truck. Is that a Mustang hood scoop?

 

[Lefty]

Mine's a 98 3.0 auto. I know the 3.0 gets a lot of bad marks, but I love mine. MAC cold air intake with multiple sources of forced cold air. Dual exhaust in front of the axle. JET chip. 4.10 gears in the axle. Hellwig anti-sway bars front and rear. Only thing I haven't done is lower it, because I hate, no, despise driving lowered vehicles. It's not the prettiest vehicle in the world, but it is my daily drive beater. I have a friend that paints, and may be letting him do an old school all flat black on it this summer. It's not really a dual exhaust. It's minus the muffler with a bent Y and two tips welded to that. But it sure sounds good.

For being a 3.0, I love how it runs. It pulls high into the rev band, something it didn't do with the stock intake. And the JET chip moves the shift points higher than stock. With the 4.10 gears, it 's running truck. There's a really curvy road about ten miles from me, the only one in the area. About 15 miles around a lake, endless style. 45 mph all around. Got a ticket doing 75 on it a few years back in the old Ranger. Cop was cool and only wrote me for ten and under, which keeps it off your record here. She did that because when I saw here, I pulled over and stopped, rather than make her chase me.

I've had sports cars on my tail going around that lake, and they never got an opportunity to pass me. PRICELESS!View attachment 72401View attachment 72402View attachment 72404

Yours is much more highly evolved than mine. I put an extra pair of leaf spring shackles on mine six inches forward of the axle. they help the sway bars and level off the rear end on the twists and turns and campen the effects of axel wrap.

 

[Lefty]

Lefty,

The optional leather Recaro bucket seats are the best "sports car" tech; nothing like some extra comfort on the inside of an old truck.

I grew up driving long bed farm proven Silverados, F-150's and Power Wagons (all bench seats with multi colored burlap seat covers). The first time I rode in a mid sized pick-up I was in love with the amount of road they needed to navigate but a set of leather Recaros transforms each drive into a memorable, desired experience, with one underlying thought...dog-gone these seats are comfortable!

I rather don't like the look of the stock 60/40 seats. The trouble is that they are pretty comfortable. I expect to make a change some day, but it's one that's a little bit lower on my wish list.

Recaros are very cool. You're very right. Bucket seats of any kind will certainly create a sportier look and feel.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Every Recaro seat I've tried was a bit to narrow for my liking.