The "Donkey" build/rebuild

[jer305]

Great build! Encouraging to find someone not afraid to cut fenders to fit large tires. Anything done to the suspension for those meats or just cutting and wheels?

 

[Bracket racer]

I'm not so sure it's dedication or just stupidity.....
See, after half rolling it, the wife got wound out of shape and said she wouldn't goin it unless it had a rollbar. She keeps pushing to get a jeep which has a single hoop. So, logically, I should of put a single hoop inside the back of the cab, a couple bars coming forward to the back of the doors and called it good. Nowhere near effective for roll over, but it would of kept the wife happy and I'd be snow wheeling right now. But me, can't just stop until it's way beyond stupid decided, hey, a roll cage inside (because a roll bar is no good, HAS to be a cage right?) is dangerous if you're not wearing a helmet, maybe I should build an exoskeleton? And since I need sliders and skid plates made, I'll tie the skeleton into that too!

So now I've got a ton of bars on the stupid thing, I can drive off a cliff or through a building, but I'm thinking, what the heck am I doing?? (but of course can't stop)
Everyone else who bought a $500 truck and subsequently broke it would go buy another $500 truck and use this one for parts...I'm not that smart. Or too damn stubborn?

Here's the latest pictures...note that I can't just put bars on it, I had an epiphany, I should gusset it too!! (holy crap, somebody take the welder away from me!!!)

I'm thinking I still need an X brace across the back of the cab and two tubes running down to the tail....then add the back fenders....
The funny part is, why do you have an exoskeleton in the first place?? To protect the body panels...wait, what?? LOL! Other that the new drivers door I put on, I'm quite sure every single panel is scuffed.

 

[Bracket racer]

As far as the cutting of fenders;
When I showed up at my cousins for the first time, he looked at the 205's or what ever was on it and laughed and said I couldn't go anywhere with those so stick these on. He gave me a set of 34 super swampers out of the pile of tires there but they wouldn't hold air. Ok, he said, grab the 35's. I bolted them on and he passed me the air powered tin shears. This was an hour or so before we (about a dozen or more trucks) were about to leave on a run. Cut the front fenders out and since it didn't have a box on, off we went.

Suspension; I have an old school bus that has been converted into a motorhome (fridge/stove/microwave/tub/toilet/etc) and there was and extension added on the back to put a drag car in it. (16' long) So, whatever I haul, cannot be over 16' long.(and about 6'5" tall) The ranger was 17'5" with the trailer hitch so I couldn't close the ramp. And so started my quest for shortness.
I cut the frame off behind the leaves and that was a couple feet. It fit in, but was tight. So, I got a set of trailer springs from the local RV place and they were 26" long, installed them and relocated the rear hangers to fit. Didn't like them after they were installed so I cut the stock ranger's main leaves and overlapped them and drilled a new centre bolt hole. This made them 26" long as well but the ranger leaves had rubber bushings as opposed to the trailer springs that had brass bushings that wouldn't of articulated. So now that the hangers were installed and the frame chopped off again even closer behind the spring, I added the winch.

It's been a long journey...too long actually. But, I still want to add more tubes, cut the stock box sides to fit and make it like a bronco ll and maybe put a short dump bed back there. I want to build a skid plate for it and after looking at the rear suspension (which I still don't like) I'm thinking of building a long arm suspension with coil springs/struts out of a bmw. I need to be able to "pull a pin" so I can drop the suspension down so the truck is short enough to fit in the bus with the 35's on instead of putting the 205's on to move it, then 35's to play, then 205's back on to move it....

Did I mention I think I'll put a CB in it too and maybe a 12V cooler??

(aaahhh, it's an affliction!)

Edit: Just realised I didn't fully answer the suspension question. No, I did not do anything to the suspension due to putting 35's on. All the suspension work was done to shorten it.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Spring above or below, your choice depending on pinion angle. Could also use two sets of springs one above and one below axle.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

View attachment 38106
Spring above or below, your choice depending on pinion angle. Could also use two sets of springs one above and one below axle.

This is all Romulan to me but would you want the leaf stacked the other way when loaded like this? Is there a special spring used to do this?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It is called a "quarter elliptic spring".
It was popular a few decades ago and has been used on dry lakes racers. I will see what I can find.

Leaf spring - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

No special spring, its a pack with one end cut off.

 

[Bracket racer]

View attachment 38106
Spring above or below, your choice depending on pinion angle. Could also use two sets of springs one above and one below axle.

Interesting! I like the thinking outside the box. I was also considering a transverse leaf with a pin at the top or a removable cradle..or something. Then I saw the struts and started thinking about that.
My concern with semi elliptic 4 link would be as soon as you pull one pin you lose the suspension geometry. In other words, if I pull either end of the four link bar, axle rotates on the spring bolt and is only stopped by the driveshaft u-joint binding. Or, if I pull the spring or the pin for the spring, the axle rotates on the 4 link pin, same problem. Yes I could ultimately lower the truck down, but the axle would not be held solid and I wouldn't be able to put power through it to load.

If you look at your drawing (thank you so much for going to the effort by the way!) and could leave the pins in, but pivot the frame just in front of the attaching points, the suspension would pivot up, but the geometry would remain. (if you see what I mean)

However, working off your drawing....If you pulled the pin for the spring at the front and swung the spring down and pinned it to the 4 link bar, you would have triangulation to keep the rear end in proper geometry, but the whole thing would swing up.....hmmmm...you're going to make me start cutting again aren't you!!! Lol!


Alright...now I gotta think about this......just when I thought I has 1/2 done, this puts me back a month LOL!!!

 

[Bracket racer]

Alright...came up with three idea's, kinda what I was thinking before but you gave me inspiration haha.

First one is with your semi elliptic spring, pull pin and rear end travels up still configured correctly;

Second one is the same but with a strut (or coil spring)

And the third is with 2" square (or round) tubing in the leaf spring perch of the rear end and again a strut or coil for spring. Axle won't flop around as it's held solid by the U-bolts on the 2" tube.

See...I'm way over thinking this too, now I'll start hacking more crap up and I'll never get it done!
If it ever does get finished though, it'll be the first ranger that can be a low rider/rock climber/mud bogger/swims/flies/walks the dog....

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The last 2 look like how Chevy did the rear suspension.
I've seen air bag suspension used on long travel buggies.
Do some if the race shocks use air or nitrogen to set height?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

When you pull the pin on my original design the axle should hit the frame rail bump stops. It is also held from moving side to side because the spring and axle is still attached to the frame by the pivot bolt and secondary links.

 

[Bracket racer]

I think I see what you're saying. I'll add it to the "and for my next project..." lol!

Well, back in the shop and I got quite a bit done in one day. (well two days if you include tracking my fuel issue.
Long story short, every once in a while the pump wouldn't bzzzt for a second when you first turn on the key. Of course it wouldn't start and I thought it was the connector on the tank because I was messing with it. Anyway, rely is clicking fine, I have 4.4 volts to the pump harness at the tank. After digging, I find the roll over protection switch has been removed and the wires soldered together. (actually I was impressed, most just twist them together) Anyway, a bit of diagnosing and I had a relay with bad contacts inside.

Next, put the donkey on the hoist and pulled the driveshaft off and cut it;

Cut another driveshaft I had here and slide one inside the other. Both had 3 1/2" high yokes so I clamped them on a piece of angle iron to get them as close as I could and shimmed so its really close to perfect.

I timed both the yokes and the grease nipples so I could grease without turning the driveshaft....yes I'm anal....

I also pulled the crossmember out since I won't be using it anymore.

Bolted it back in and that's when I realised there are two different flange sizes. No real problem, but I wanted the slip joint to be up by the t-case, not at the rear end. Total length flangeto flange is 46 1/2".

Another fine picture by my potato.....


Of course once it was all together, I greased it up, and since I had the grease gun out, did the rest of the truck. But nothing is easy, I had to replace some grease nipples in the front end before I could finish. (of course)

 

[Bracket racer]

Anyhoo, moving on, I cut some 1 1/2" square tubing for skid plate mounts, drilled holes for the bolts and then drilled holes in the side so I could weld in nut.

Then realised if I put the holes closer to the end I could of just welded from there....whatever....
Cut out a plate of 1/4" steel and drilled holes in it to match the square tubing. Bolted them together and took it over to the donkey which was still on the hoist.

Used the lift to hold it in place while I tacked it in,

Then I pulled the plate off, welded everything solid;

 

[Bracket racer]

Not sure if I can get in tomorrow but the next part is building a skid plate for the front. Haven't decided exactly how I'll do it, but I'm thinking of a plate from the front bumper down to the engine cross member. Something to protect the steering linkage....got some idea's about a driveshaft protector as well....

 

[Bracket racer]

Another productive day due to covid 19! LOL!!!

Today I built the front skid plate.
I welded on some angle iron that I drilled holes in and welded nuts to. Welded one to the front bumper and built a drop down box for the back to bolt to;

Tomorrow...what's tomorrow....I haven't fixed the console since the wife tore it off when she landed on me with it when I rolled it..could fix that up I suppose...
Maybe a rear diff cover protector...

Lots of idea's while I "self isolate" myself at the shop. LOL!

 

[Bracket racer]

LIGHT BAR!! Forgot, it's at home, maybe that's tomorrow's job, install the light bar. Got to do something with the front end too, either try to put the headlight buckets back in or something. I'll bring that in too. I was thinking also, since I cut the inner fenders away and have the headlight bulbs hanging there, maybe I should build some rock crawling lights that shine under the vehicle an point out in front of the tires?? That sounds interesting.

Anyone else have lights pointing at the ground in front of their rigs so you can see where to place a tire??