Too-Weel Ranger project

[Plop]

too-weel to four-weel Ranger project

To start off, I bought the Ranger in the beginning of September with full intentions to make it for off-road. I started off with a 4.0L stick 2wd ext cab truck in decent condition. At first I wasnt going to go big, so I bought a 2" lift kit off ebay, put it on and wasnt up to my standards.

The next day I went back on ebay and bought a 4" rough country lift kit. I spent about a week to get it mostly done and ran into a problem with the pitman arm, that took another week alone. I ended up buying some junkyard find cragar soft 8's that were chrome and painted them black. Then I got a good deal on GL4x4 and found some 31x10.5 Mudcraft Courser MT's in nearly new condition for $300 + some S10 coil springs I had laying around. And for the most part it WAS done.

Now I am not too happy with the outcome. So it is going to be off to a solid axle. I plan on doing 78/79 full width Bronco axles and using radius arms and coils upfront. I am going to do the axles before I do the trans and t-case. I am going to use some EB lift coils and figure something out for the back. I think I want to use the same tires I have but in a 35" because they work great.

Now I am done "talking" and time for pics.

Stock:

2" Lift:

4" Lift

And stuck

 

[Plop]

Minor change, I am doing a D30 and leafs.

Well my project just got a jump start today. Thanks to "Fraser (a GL4x4.com member)" I got a Decent D30. and once I got home, I headed to the junkyard to get the front leafs off of a YJ, My brother and I made a personal record for getting ceased up bolts out to get the leafs all in 50 minutes before the yard closed.


Now all I need is some square tubing to make the front crossmember and some more tubing for the hangers and shackles.

 

[Plop]

put more work into the axle today, about 4hrs worth. It was horrible trying to cut off the shit for the xj 4 link. but it looks better and somewhat cleaner.

 

[sluginxlt]

im jealous. im supposed to stay focused on the gmc, but now i wanna d30 in the 90

 

['95 ranger]

nice keep us posted

 

[Plop]

hope to get started soon, but I still have to get spring perches and materials for everything else.

 

[sloue]

i would like to take your wagon for a ride down a big hill

 

[feellnfroggy]

I know this was slowing downa bit but,,,, that D30 looks kinda thin and lightweight? is there something I dont know about them?

 

[Plop]

yes, its thin. I plan on bracing it. But its not "light" at all, it was pretty heavy to get in and out of my truck to clean it up.

 

[Plop]

possibly getting a parts explorer this week, its a first gen explorer. I am gonna use the trans, and front drive shaft for sure, and possibly using the rear drive shaft to extend the one for the ranger, and possibly use teh push-button transfercase.

Once I get it/if I get it, I am gonna use the parts I need and either part it out or use it for the next project, I am not sure yet.

 

[BlackBII]

i would like to take your wagon for a ride down a big hill

I lol'd!


Cool man. SAS's are cool, what size tire you gonna run on that D30?

 

[oatmealman]

being that it's a dana 30 I wouldn't run anything over 33's.Some people get away with 35's.Not being a dick here but why did you go with a dana 30 and not a dana 44?

 

[Plop]

I am doin 35's. I have seen a bunch of cherokees with 35's (heavier than a ranger) wheel the shit out of their trucks. I am not really a hardcore wheeler, and the solid axle is my way out. instead of being a 2wd POS that gets i the way.

I knew the question for why I picked the D30 would come, but the reason is that is was close to the same width as the ranger/explorer. Plus it is way easier to find and cheaper than an EB D44. And with doing the D30 I dont have to replace the rear axle, I keep the same bolt pattern all around. If I did a D44 I would have to do a rear axle as well or else it would be pointless to run a decent axle in front with a shitty axle in back.


Depending on the condition of the explorer that I was gonna use for parts, I just might put the ranger on hold and do the explorer. but we will see.

 

[Plop]

Well the explorer didnt work out, called and left a message, called back later and said someone was "looking at it". oh well, didnt need to waste money on that anyways.


well, got a little progress, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Ruffstuff. Looks like I have, and have stuff on the way to get the axle all the way in.


I got the
spring perches for the D30
6" long shackle pieces
The leaf spring hangers
and the shackle hanger with bushings
all ended up being $158 shipped at least I know all of the stuff is going to be the same and more accurate than I could make everything.

 

[Maverick]

What year is your D30? If it's pre-95 then you have the small joints and you will have problems making them survive with 35's. If that's the case the best thing you can do is grab some junkyard shafts out of a 95 or newer XJ and swap them in. If you already have the big axles swap in some Spicer 760X joints and tack the caps in place. Doing this will help make it handle 35's better. I went a step further with my D30 and welded the tubes up and threw a truss on it. I think it will last just fine.