What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[Rick W]

It kinda is...

I've never been too rough on this one. But... the factory suspension bits were tired. Feels good on this refresh.

Still a good truck... totally worth putting some money into.

I like that rear bumper. Very functional, but looks good. Did you make the test? that? What are the devices on each end? Could we get a close-up picture of that?

 

[Uncle Gump]

I like that rear bumper. Very functional, but looks good. Did you make the test? that? What are the devices on each end? Could we get a close-up picture of that?

 

[Uncle Gump]

I bought the bumper from Affordable Offroad... I built the swing out tire carrier. The black box on it is a "chuck box". Which is another name for a cook box.

 

[sgtsandman]

Affordable Off Road offers a tire carrier but I’m not a fan of the design.

I like @Uncle Gump ’s approach much better.

 

[Bgunner]

Stopped at the parts store and ordered up a set of calipers for the beer fetcher. It's been pulling to the left when I hit the brakes so the right one is hanging up. This will be most of the brakes replaced since I've owned it. I just don't feel like doing all front hard lines at the moment even though they really should be replaced. Another time perhaps.


I wish shops still turned drums as mine have about 6,000 miles on them and are out of round.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Soooo, when I was at the 40th I asked if anybody knew where I could get a belt for the drive in the OEM cassette player in the missing Linc. The TRS folks seemed like nice guys, but they ganged up and pressured me to get a universal repair kit, and just do it.

So when I was at Harbor freight, I picked up this universal belt kit. I didn’t want to spend all the money at retail, but I was afraid of the blowback from the other guys at the 40th.

View attachment 96964

Rick, I found a guy that can fix you up with a drive belt, rubber bands will last maybe a few weeks. Let me find his contact info. If you got the remains of the old one, measure the length and thickness, take off about 5% for stretching.

AJ

 

[97RangerXLT]

@Rick W

Rubber drive belts for electronics at Ken's Electronics, (Wholesale & Retail Electronic Parts) Kalamazoo, Michigan

square neoprene rubber cassette tape deck drive belts, Autosound Car Stereo belts, CD Compact Disk and DVD player load belts, cd-rom load tray belts, Phonograph idler tires, rubber VHS and Betamax VCR drive belts, rubber record player turntable drive belts, rubber telephone answering machine...

www.kenselectronics.com

 

[Rick W]

Rick, I found a guy that can fix you up with a drive belt, rubber bands will last maybe a few weeks. Let me find his contact info. If you got the remains of the old one, measure the length and thickness, take off about 5% for stretching.

AJ

That would be great! The radio seems to be in otherwise very good condition, but the belt is missing. Actually, it may have been laying in the corner of the passenger floorboard in a little pile of dust (I don’t think the truck was cleaned in 200,000 miles before I had it), but I didn’t think to piece it all together.

It won’t happen very quickly, but the next time I go into it I can get a measurement.

Thank you very much, I looked around for a long time and then I gave up. And then I made the mistake of bringing it up at the 40th…

 

[Rick W]

@Rick W

Rubber drive belts for electronics at Ken's Electronics, (Wholesale & Retail Electronic Parts) Kalamazoo, Michigan

square neoprene rubber cassette tape deck drive belts, Autosound Car Stereo belts, CD Compact Disk and DVD player load belts, cd-rom load tray belts, Phonograph idler tires, rubber VHS and Betamax VCR drive belts, rubber record player turntable drive belts, rubber telephone answering machine...

www.kenselectronics.com

I’ve actually dealt with this guy before. A few years ago, I was looking for a manual for one of my Cobra 148 night watch sound tracker (NWST) CB SSB radios. I couldn’t find one anywhere, and when I got this guy on the phone, he said which cobra 148 do you have? I didn’t know there was more than one version, there are like a dozen. The guy is ancient, but he has the wisdom of the ages. Great guy, very knowledgeable.

Thanks again!

 

[pjtoledo]

replacing both lower control arms on the 2005 2wd. they are the originals with over 360,000 miles.
ball joints have been replaced many times.
the hardest part was the end link. you can see the threaded rod used in place of a shock to de-tension the spring.

 

[pjtoledo]

I finished up my suspension a couple days ago. Today was the first time I drove it.

New 1750 lb springs in the back... new shocks... complete brakes... 1 inch lift shackles... Yukon heavy duty diff cover. I really tried to put my new/used heavy torsion bars in the front. The lower control arms just wouldn't give them up. The bushings and lower ball joints still checked good... so I really didn't want to replaced them. So I left the factory arms and torsion bars and installed RC 1 1/2" forged lift keys. It's sitting at 1 1/2" over factory max spec. Still has plenty of rebound and it actually drives rather well. I have a couple hour trip tomorrow... I'll measure/adjust if necessary and calling it good.


those bars really gave me a hard time. I heated the sleeve then pushed them forward. that allowed me to clean inside the sleeve then push the bars back to the rear for removal.

 

[Rick W]

I found this on my hourly craigslist scan. If it was a little closer, I’d go grab a half a dozen sticks for who knows what on the Ranger, may be a pipe rack?

It’s a little long to drive, but it’s a hell of a good deal! I may go get some anyway…

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I really tried to put my new/used heavy torsion bars in the front. The lower control arms just wouldn't give them up.

BFH.

I ended up cleaning out the hole as best I could, sprayed a bunch of penetrating oil, then gave it the ol 10# drift hammer. Was a little worried about shattering it, but it moved just fine…

 

[Uncle Gump]

BFH.

I ended up cleaning out the hole as best I could, sprayed a bunch of penetrating oil, then gave it the ol 10# drift hammer. Was a little worried about shattering it, but it moved just fine…

Trust me... there was certainly a time in life I wouldn't have accepted no for an answer. This just wasn't the time... my hammer swinging hand works at about 50% of what it did pre radiation treatment failure... resulting in cooking my hand.

I had a plan B going in and chose to go B route for now. Still have a few things to do before the trip... but im past the biggest task... and it rides and drives really good.

Those big bars will go in when it's time for ball joints.

 

[Rick W]

Trust me... there was certainly a time in life I wouldn't have accepted no for an answer. This just wasn't the time... my hammer swinging hand works at about 50% of what it did pre radiation treatment failure... resulting in cooking my hand.

I had a plan B going in and chose to go B route for now. Still have a few things to do before the trip... but im past the biggest task... and it rides and drives really good.

Those big bars will go in when it's time for ball joints.

I’ve been told there’s a quote in the US Navy manual that says “if it doesn’t work, use a bigger hammer.“