The daily demo car.

[prerunner]

Sounds like you need to find a dock fast, I think your boat is sinking.


This is depressing but my bank account says fix it.

 

[prerunner]

About two months ago I found a set of Alcoa wheels from an FX4 Ranger on Craplist for $400. Yesterday I picked them up for $100.
I think these are one of the best looking factory wheels out there for an RBV. And since they're also strong and cheap they'll find their way onto this at some point.

Not perfect but the Exploder's only a few steps from being turned into new Hyundai's anyway. I can't justify good ones...

 

[prerunner]

Ya know, I was being somewhat facetious by calling this pail the "daily demo car." But I was rear ended on the way to work this morning so its becoming a self fulfilling prophecy or something.
Interestingly, the drivers seat track which didn't work from day one now works. I might need to bash this thing more often.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

About two months ago I found a set of Alcoa wheels from an FX4 Ranger on Craplist for $400. Yesterday I picked them up for $100.
I think these are one of the best looking factory wheels out there for an RBV. And since they're also strong and cheap they'll find their way onto this at some point.

Not perfect but the Exploder's only a few steps from being turned into new Hyundai's anyway. I can't justify good ones...

I would love to find a set of Alcoas for mine. I agree, #1 RBV wheel. I don't think I have ever seen them on an Ex before though.

The guy started out wanting $400 for those?

Ya know, I was being somewhat facetious by calling this pail the "daily demo car." But I was rear ended on the way to work this morning so its becoming a self fulfilling prophecy or something.
Interestingly, the drivers seat track which didn't work from day one now works. I might need to bash this thing more often.

What the heck hit you clear up there leaving the bumper unscathed?

 

[prerunner]

In talking to the guy, he had taken them off his Ranger and sold the ranger with different wheels. He offered to throw the wheels in for more money but the buyer didn't bite so he threw them on craplist for what he wanted as an extra when he sold out. I thought about it at $400 but couldn't justify that back then.
For $100 I'm in though. Leaning towards 31x10.5 A/T's for them.

Guy who rear ended me was in a Tahoe with a chrome push bar on the front. Its not in the pix here but the plastic on top of the bumper was destroyed. His push bar was folded up like origami in the accident.

 

[prerunner]

To my great surprise I still have this toilet, it runs, drives and takes me to work pretty much every day.
Still.

And while its been reasonably reliable - especially considering I paid $500 for it two summers ago, and expected it to barf its guts out back then - I've wanted to replace it with a full size pickup for some time now.
But s#!t happens. The taxman went back to 2012 and "reassessed" me and I owe more again all of a sudden. The upshot of this is that I have to stretch this out a while longer.
The Mickey Duck repairs I've put into this are, at best, half-assed and some are ridiculously under engineered. It shouldn't be reliable at all but is for some reason.
An example: the trans cooler inside the radiator had been leaking into the rad for several months. I just kept adding ATF so it would take me to work and all. Eventually the rad was full of ATF and wouldn't cool the engine. I drained the pink slime out of the rad and added an external trans cooler after cutting the valance away so I could access that area easier. The rad still works on water alone to this day. It needs to be flushed and refilled with coolant. Before winter, I suppose. lol Its ugly as sin though. No. No pix. lol

Anyways, I'm updating this for the first time since April. I have to get a few more months out of it so it might get some improvements yet. Mad Max style.

 

[prerunner]

Well I think I've reached the end for this thing and I'm pretty disappointed at the trivial reason.
Coming home from work Wednesday in a rain & wind storm the drivers side wiper quit. Sounds like a minor fix right? Well its held on by another one of those white plastic sockets - and thats what failed.
And for the life of me I can't find a way to reattach it. At least not in a way that won't die again in minutes. I need wipers in rainy season, its not an optional thing. I'll give it another shot Saturday sometime but I'm already shopping for a full size pickup.
The good news? Parts of this will live on in the Ranger. Plus I'll let the gf think she won on this one.

lol

 

[prerunner]

Picked up an 05 F250 reg cab, 2wd, 5.4 with an atrocious amount of mileage on it today for $850. (atrocious being 624,xxx kilometers) Outer body and interior are decent (thats why I went for it) but the tailgate and floor of the box are beat. It used to be a delivery truck for the Kenworth dealer.
I still have to go through the binder of bills that came with it but its had a rebuilt auto trans and rear axle among other things so I'm told.

Didn't quite make it home and had to be toad. It has issues, what can I say?

The ad is still up for some reason: https://abbotsford.craigslist.ca/cto/d/2005-f250-super-duty/6347483989.html

 

[prerunner]

Yup. I've still got it. Headed for year three. Who woulda thunk it?
After an exhaustive search I found a Dorman replacement "wiper linkage and transmission" (PN 602322) for a 1997 & later Exploder / Ranger. Of course it wasn't the right one but I installed it anyways. Its for cars built after a specific date and mine was before so the plastic ring that holds it on is broken and the wiper arm was vastly different. Got the arm from a Ranger at the wrecking yard. Its still not right but it works. Sorta.
So, going forward (in reverse) this tub will be the recipient of many castoffs from the Ranger. Up shortly will be the '07 FX4 seats and 1st gen console. The console is to make room for a 4406 Tcase.

I'm picking up a BW 4406 TC today or tomorrow.
The TC is from a '97 F-150, floor shift. Might include the front d-shaft.

Its in my B-II (on Vancouver Island.)

How to convert a V8 AWD Explorer to a PT transfer case: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-bw-4406-manual-shift-a-how-to-thread.166726/

 

[wiggle_wagon]

I'm always surprised that I still have this beater. But here I am still grouching about it.
I've come to the conclusion that of all the things that annoy me about it, all but two are my own damned fault. The drivers side seatbelt flips over almost every time I put it on so the narrow edge of the belt rubs my neck. And the seat is too high and won't adjust down any further so I about bang my head getting in every time. Still haven't changed to the FX4 seats, btw. (I'm trying to find a way to salvage the Ranger, though the gf still wants it gone.)

I sometimes think I should fix this thing since its been years since I had as reliable a ride. But somewhere in the back of my brain I know it'll dump its guts out just as soon as I invest hard in it. Or it'll get pulled over and get a box 2 inspection notice and order. Then its truly over. Realistically, I'm driving it on borrowed time.

The SD F250 was to replace it but I haven't tried climbing under it yet. When the weather improves I will. It looks the same too, but has a flat right rear tire now.

I'm still lurking here guys. I'm just not posting much.

Edit: I just realized some of you might not recognize me as wiggle wagon but I was prerunner but lost that name when my computer forgot the password. It was done from an email account I haven't had for ages so its gone forever. It didn't suit me anyways as I wasn't really into prerunners. Oh well...

 

[wiggle_wagon]

In my job I get a lot of time to do nothing but think (I drive a dump truck that sometimes sits on site for hours.) And since its not too expensive to lift a 2nd gen Exploder, provided I don't go up much, I'm thinking of doing it.

An AAL (add a leaf) with a TT (torsion twist) might gain 1 1/2". Pretty paltry, I know but better than nothing. Might fit 32's. More if I add a body lift...

Already checked and my sploder has the "1" torsion bars, supposedly the strongest OEM bars put in these things. Will also add new shocks and an alignment.

Wondering if the torsion keys might be an alternative for the front. Same suspension as the 98, correct?
https://www.4wheelparts.com/Suspens...58&t_pt=9333&t_pn=EXP62170#overview_Container

 

[alaskan155]

In my job I get a lot of time to do nothing but think (I drive a dump truck that sometimes sits on site for hours.) And since its not too expensive to lift a 2nd gen Exploder, provided I don't go up much, I'm thinking of doing it.

An AAL (add a leaf) with a TT (torsion twist) might gain 1 1/2". Pretty paltry, I know but better than nothing. Might fit 32's. More if I add a body lift...

Already checked and my sploder has the "1" torsion bars, supposedly the strongest OEM bars put in these things. Will also add new shocks and an alignment.

Wondering if the torsion keys might be an alternative for the front. Same suspension as the 98, correct?
https://www.4wheelparts.com/Suspens...58&t_pt=9333&t_pn=EXP62170#overview_Container

just get some longer bolts from fastenal, and do a shackle in the rear, good for about 2" all around.

i was looking back at my notes i think m12x1.75 90-100mm 10.8(grade 8) will work but i may be wrong, been a few years since i did it.


also when you do the shocks in the front add a couple nuts under it as spacers(between shock and a-arm) and a nut or 2 at the top of the shock for a spacer, i ripped mine out when i maxed the bars and this fixed it. ghetto but it works nicely.

 

[wiggle_wagon]

just get some longer bolts from fastenal, and do a shackle in the rear, good for about 2" all around.

i was looking back at my notes i think m12x1.75 90-100mm 10.8(grade 8) will work but i may be wrong, been a few years since i did it.


also when you do the shocks in the front add a couple nuts under it as spacers(between shock and a-arm) and a nut or 2 at the top of the shock for a spacer, i ripped mine out when i maxed the bars and this fixed it. ghetto but it works nicely.

Sounds like a good plan. The add a leaf isn't too expensive though @ $50. + it deals with the saggy rear leaves. I have a pretty good idea how many Dana axles I've packed around in this thing. Hey, the 8 bolt 44 lived in there for a few months.
lol

 

[wiggle_wagon]

Sounds like a good plan. The add a leaf isn't too expensive though @ $50. + it deals with the saggy rear leaves. I have a pretty good idea how many Dana axles I've packed around in this thing. Hey, the 8 bolt 44 lived in there for a few months.
lol

Decided I'm going to do some wear parts while I do this. My left front tire is wearing out so I think I'm losing the upper ball joint there (I haven't checked yet though.)
So I'm going to do the upper A arms, TT and get the alignment done all at once. Back half is still just an add a leaf. New shocks all around too.
Thats the current plan, at least...

 

[wiggle_wagon]

I have a love-hate relationship with this car.
Sometimes I kind of like it and think I can fix it up a bit. Other times, and lately, what a POS.

Yesterday some dude pulls up to tell me I have no brake lights. And it turns out I don't.
Replaced brake light switch, bulbs, fuses and searched for a lights out module, which I don't have. Still don't have brake lights.

This thing still drives me nuts.