Two Questions. A Tach question and a Lift question

[Tedybear]

Just to get some feedback on a couple of things.

Heading down the highway....65mph. Transmission in overdrive and TCC engaged. When cold (aka...first thing in the morning...or our great winter months). The tach will hang at about 2950 rpm.

Now if it's warm out---or I stop the truck and restart it within an hour? The tach will now hang out at about 2550rpm.

The engine kinda sounds like it might be running at a slightly higher rpm...But I'm more wondering if it might be more a lack of the tach dealing with the cold/temp. So far the truck is running decent after all the issues we just took care of. Transmission is shifting decent and isn't slipping. The torque converter was replaced when we last replaced the transmission a year ago...so I know the TCC isn't slipping.

It's always been this way for the last couple of years. When super cold? It just seems to read a higher RPM. Like I said...just wondering about if the tach gets wonky when cold in these older beasts.

2nd question... I've got the RWD edition of the BII. Meaning dummy transfers case---It holds it's own with the snow and such... But come spring time? I'm interested in trying to get some additional clearance for larger tires. I've already got 235 75 15's. Big Good Year tires. The rims are actually built for larger tires. (the rims go about 12" wide..The tires look like donuts LOL) They also rub a touch when the back end potholes out. (I have load leveler springs to tighten it up.)

I've seen the tech areas with the notes..but nothing really seems to address lifting a 2wd. I'm interested in doing at least a 2 inch-3 inch lift..but need to figure out if a body lift would be best--or suspension lift...etc... The body lift seems to make sense to get additional tire space.

Soooooo.... With a body lift...how does the brake system react to a lift? The brake master in relation to the RABS module. The module on the frame...and lifting it 2-3"? Are new lines required? And with the steering...How reliable are the extenders that come with the kits? And what would be considered a 'safe lift' for a 2wd?

Or would a suspension lift work better on a budget? (Money is always tight....)

Just trying to get a plan in the works for maybe spring of next year. So there's not a rush on the lift stuff. The Tach question? That's one I would love to figure out.

Best Regards!

S-

 

[wildbill23c]

When the engine/transmission is cold the transmission will not shift into overdrive until the engine/transmission reaches a certain temperature, this is why you are experiencing higher RPMs initially.

Your suspension lift will be far cheaper than a body lift especially for only a couple inches of lift. As for the ABS module you shouldn't have an issue, it doesn't know the vehicle is sitting higher than stock or not. You may need longer brake lines, and you may have to lengthen the ABS sensor wires at the wheels. Other than that it shouldn't be that much of a problem. If you get a brand name lift kit the lift kit extenders, and parts will all be very reliable don't buy a cheap knock off kit you are prone to get weaker foreign steel which will over time break down and you'll end up sitting at the same height or lower than you are now LOL.

 

[wildbill23c]

When the engine/transmission is cold the transmission will not shift into overdrive until the engine/transmission reaches a certain temperature, this is why you are experiencing higher RPMs initially.

Your suspension lift will be far cheaper than a body lift especially for only a couple inches of lift. As for the ABS module you shouldn't have an issue, it doesn't know the vehicle is sitting higher than stock or not. You may need longer brake lines, and you may have to lengthen the ABS sensor wires at the wheels. Other than that it shouldn't be that much of a problem. If you get a brand name lift kit the lift kit extenders, and parts will all be very reliable don't buy a cheap knock off kit you are prone to get weaker foreign steel which will over time break down and you'll end up sitting at the same height or lower than you are now LOL.

 

[Tedybear]

Normally I'd agree with the tach overdrive bit. However it hangs at about 500rpm higher for the duration of my drive into work (about 30 miles) Everything is up to temp by the time I'm heading out of town...and the last 20 miles of the trip is on the interstate. I can see on the tach and feel everything 'shifting' (as in, all 4 gears and the TCC kicking in).

When it heads to 45 mph--the tach goes up to about 3200....hits that magic number--and drops down to normally 2500ish. It does the shift points and TCC without fail at about the same points each time I drive it. The only wild card? When stone cold--instead of 2500ish---it's about 450rpm higher.

I get what you're saying about open loop and closed loop operation of the ECM. But sense it's in closed loop operation after the 15 minutes it takes me to get to the interstate--and the temp gauge is well within 'normal'....(also the idle speed hangs about 850 rpm at the stop lights by this point) I'm sure it's in that closed loop.

Nothing seems to be slipping or out of wack---Just the tach seems to read higher cold then it does when warm. Could it be the engine running that high in reality? Sure, that's possible.... I'll probably spring for an add on small tach and see what happens.

Like I said...this is one of the annoying bugs that I've been wondering about. It's been this way sense we purchased the truck. I'm confident it's not the transmission slipping--as we are on #3 transmission--and it's always been this way. (knock on wood...so far this transmission has lasted the longest)

S-

 

[wildbill23c]

Could be the tach is going bad, a bad ground, bad connection, etc. Or it could still be the transmission. The tach might be sticking, who knows, kind of hard to diagnose problems when you don't have the vehicle in front of you to fiddle with LOL.


Seems the automatic transmissions in the rangers became junk after the early 80's. After 2 transmissions in my grandfather's 93 ranger the truck was sold.

 

[Tedybear]

Could be the tach is going bad, a bad ground, bad connection, etc. Or it could still be the transmission. The tach might be sticking, who knows, kind of hard to diagnose problems when you don't have the vehicle in front of you to fiddle with LOL.


Seems the automatic transmissions in the rangers became junk after the early 80's. After 2 transmissions in my grandfather's 93 ranger the truck was sold.

I'll have to hold off on getting an aftermarket tach to hook up. (money is ultra tight). It was good as gold this afternoon on the way home from work. 2600 rpm at about 62. (love the fact the cruse still works) On the way into work? 2900. The ground is always possible--This bII was a school "Learn how to be a mechanic" truck for a number of years....I've found left overs from the amp and sub that someone installed back in the day. Kinda stupid really. They used (and I'm not kidding) Monster Brand cable from the radio TO the amp which they cobbled to the rear cargo area. It would make more sense to have the monster cable running the speakers---and not the low level inputs.



I'm not going to loose sleep over it. The truck is shifting normally and doesn't seem to be slipping. The engine has the usual 2.9's edition of "snap/crackle/pop" when I drive it. Between the lifters and the injectors? Not sure which one is louder. LOL

As for the lift? Not sure yet. I'll have to research it more. I like the idea of doing the suspension lift--as the bulk of the springs on the old girl are beat up, so new springs and a suspension lift would help cure my severely out of wack camber issues. I'll have to wait and see how the $$ holds up next year. Between doing a FSA program for my medical expenses? And getting no pay raise for a number of years? Things are going to get tighter.

S-

 

[wildbill23c]

I understand the $$$ issue, kind of in the same mess myself. I have recently acquired an 84 B2 4x4 2.8L V6 which the previous owner practically destroyed it inside/out. I have major rust problems to deal with, the interior has a leak in the roof, but otherwise it runs and drives pretty well for being 28 years old.

Some of the high school shop project vehicles can be a mess to try and put back together, students usually don't care its not their vehicle, they're not the ones paying for it, so as a result they get a vehicle for free like that and destroy it.

The suspension lift would do you just fine, body lifts end up causing major issues as you now have the body farther off the frame and those spacers eventually wear out over time and can cause looseness of the body to frame connections. The suspension lift will not only give you new springs and shocks, it looks far better than seeing a vehicle going down the road with the whole frame exposed, to me it just looks ugly and costs far more money as well.

 

[Tedybear]

My mess is 100% medical. I'll be doing the bankrupt bit in Feb most likely. Between the heart attack almost 2 years ago and dealing with thyroid cancer this year? I'm lucky the insurance company hasn't tossed me to the wolves.

At any rate. I found a 'kit' on Summit that seems to only include new springs for the front and two 'add leafs' for the rear. The page states for 4wd..Then I noted it's also listed for 2wd as well.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sja-132k/media/images/year/1989/make/ford/model/bronco-ii

For $234 it's about twice the budget I could probably scrape together (tax refund will be for the bankrupt...and that will leave me with luck a few hundred to work with).

It states under 'required' that new shocks would be needed? (along with camber kits)

Now I get the alignment parts...Then again? With how bad my camber already is from the sagging springs? This would be a 2" kit..So that probably would get me about 3-4" after the front springs and rear springs are corrected.

I'm wondering about the shocks? It states to use "Their" shocks...But I recently installed new MonroeMatics...And it's just the expense of spending about $40 per shock? Can the stock shock do the job?

S-

 

[wildbill23c]

The $234 for the kit isn't that bad actually, with an income mess it seems like a lot I understand that but in reality its a pretty good deal.

If you already replaced the shocks I would hold off on the kit for a while as you will have to use longer tube shocks with a lift to keep from having the shocks break or breaking the shock mounts in severe articulation.