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

[scotts90ranger]

It'll probably work, how straight and balanced you got it is anyone's guess... hopefully you clocked the U joints!

For the driveline flange, I don't remember what exactly you were doing but I think just one piece driveline swap, '89 was the last year of the small flange on the rear axle so the "easy" route is to pull the pinion nut off yours and one from a '90-11 Ranger or Aerostar or whatever has a 7.5" and swap that over...

Not much ranger related for me lately other than daily driving the '97, still just enjoying the new tires, after a thousand miles or so I almost have all the nubbins wore off...

 

[tw205]

Well I stopped by the old secret parts hordin spot, and got the surprisingly good stock leaf springs from my original 83 ranger. Got them wire wheeled and painted. Even though it's kinda pointless, but now the axle, lift blocks, and springs are nice and black. Got everything put together on the driver side. I still need to cut the pass side original leaf spring free to get it replaced. Then it's just a matter of connecting the main brake line, and getting the conversion u joint. Also thinking about running a set of b2 wheels white, with the black squares around the cut outs, and red pinstriping, I do love my aloy bullet holes but idk these may look good. Idk there is a reason we all go with the bullet holes, i wish i could find another set of chrome bullet holes granted they need love View attachment 97326View attachment 97325View attachment 97324

I have a set of those on my 85 BII. Wasn’t sure if I liked them at first but they have grown on me. Mine were painted to match the truck before I found it in a farm field abandoned for 6 years.

 

[Rick W]

[

I have a set of those on my 85 BII. Wasn’t sure if I liked them at first but they have grown on me. Mine were painted to match the truck before I found it in a farm field abandoned for 6 years. View attachment 97372

If you look back at mine, on the center caps, I just used an artist brush to repaint the red circle and the red line across the circle. A lot of the paint on the wheels and those kinds of things is close, but not perfect, but the reality is that after you do it, nobody else is ever going to look at it that close again, they just take in the whole truck.

 

[tw205]

The details on yours look awesome. I haven’t tried matching my paint yet. It looks like grabber blue.
I’m always my worst critic. My eye will always focus on what I know isn’t perfect while others never see it until you point it out.

 

[Rick W]

The details on yours look awesome. I haven’t tried matching my paint yet. It looks like grabber blue.
I’m always my worst critic. My eye will always focus on what I know isn’t perfect while others never see it until you point it out.

A lot of folks make the mistake of backing up on a project, and making a list of every single thing they want to do if they could do everything. And then they want to do it perfect, so they spend a tremendous and amount of time on a little detail, when they could patch up the whole thing, and have something decent to ride around in, and then they could go back and fix what they want “correctly/properly.”

I learned in commercial real estate, when you walk up on a piece of property, what are the worst three or four things that pop out at you. Fix them. Then when you come back, what are the next three or four. Then fix them. And if you do that two or three or four times, you haven’t fixed everything, but all of a sudden it just pops!

Of course, with a vehicle, first and foremost, it has to run and be safe, but you could chip away at the cosmetic a little bit at a time.

When I go to shows and this and that, some people jump out at me about the rustoleum, or a little bit of Bondo, or who knows what. And they say “you should’ve done it this way or you should’ve done it that way.“ of course this is usually from people who haven’t done anything.

I have very little money in my two trucks, but I get compliments everywhere I go. And I’m not in it for the compliments, I’m in it for the fun.

(Paint your wheels with the silver Rustoleum, do the circle and bar and vent surrounds in blue, go to the pull apart and get some clean Lugnuts, and the whole truck will pop)

$10

My two cents hope it helps

 

[tw205]

A lot of folks make the mistake of backing up on a project, and making a list of every single thing they want to do if they could do everything. And then they want to do it perfect, so they spend a tremendous and amount of time on a little detail, when they could patch up the whole thing, and have something decent to ride around in, and then they could go back and fix what they want “correctly/properly.”

I learned in commercial real estate, when you walk up on a piece of property, what are the worst three or four things that pop out at you. Fix them. Then when you come back, what are the next three or four. Then fix them. And if you do that two or three or four times, you haven’t fixed everything, but all of a sudden it just pops!

Of course, with a vehicle, first and foremost, it has to run and be safe, but you could chip away at the cosmetic a little bit at a time.

When I go to shows and this and that, some people jump out at me about the rustoleum, or a little bit of Bondo, or who knows what. And they say “you should’ve done it this way or you should’ve done it that way.“ of course this is usually from people who haven’t done anything.

I have very little money in my two trucks, but I get compliments everywhere I go. And I’m not in it for the compliments, I’m in it for the fun.

(Paint your wheels with the silver Rustoleum, do the circle and bar and vent surrounds in blue, go to the pull apart and get some clean Lugnuts, and the whole truck will pop)

$10

My two cents hope it helps

I defiantly set project priorities based on safety and mechanical soundness. I haven’t done any real body work on any of mine. But all start, run, stop, and all systems function as they should. Body mounts and brackets as well as suspension components are always among the first things I do. Clean and in good repair. I always get comments and likes when I take one out. None of mine cost me more than $600 but none of them ran. I have put a couple bucks into them but out of enjoyment not necessity. I DD the 2nd gen.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

It'll probably work, how straight and balanced you got it is anyone's guess... hopefully you clocked the U joints!

For the driveline flange, I don't remember what exactly you were doing but I think just one piece driveline swap, '89 was the last year of the small flange on the rear axle so the "easy" route is to pull the pinion nut off yours and one from a '90-11 Ranger or Aerostar or whatever has a 7.5" and swap that over...

Not much ranger related for me lately other than daily driving the '97, still just enjoying the new tires, after a thousand miles or so I almost have all the nubbins wore off...

Ya I did clock the u joints 90° out. I had it set on top of another driveshaft, while I shimmed so hopefully it'll be straight enough, I had identical shims all the way around and it was a tight fit. Now as far as balanced we all know it isn't, and I'll need to take it in hapefully it will be balancable.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, yesterday’s progress was to cut my frame after doing all the prep and prep the donor for cutting.

 

[Curious Hound]

Dynamat on the ashtray.

If your ears are so sensitive that you hear cigarette ashes falling into the ash tray, you might be a good candidate for being a sonar tech in the Navy.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

To those who read my posts you know the feeling

 

[tw205]

To those who read my posts you know the feelingView attachment 97386

Success!!!!

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Success!!!!

And now the repair I may have still been in my feelings while building it, yes i held my breath while welding, and walked away from the cloud before i took a breath

 

[tw205]

And now the repair I may have still been in my feelings while building it, yes i held my breath while welding, and walked away from the cloud before i took a breathView attachment 97388

That’s gotta be leaf spring nut because I have that same specialty wrench. Both open and boxed end styles.

 

[sgtsandman]

Meh, not to get into politics, but the current one is not only a babe in the woods but a deer in the headlights. At least Jen Psaki could make up stuff and lie somewhat convincingly on the fly… besides, all they produce is trash. Even a lot of the Repiglicans. I don’t need that sort of help. I could, however, make wonderful use of some of the millions they throw around, that could solve my problems…

Anyway, no, what I could use would be someone like you, or really any of the other guys on here that aren’t afraid to sally forth into the great unknown with a welder and grinder. Or even just a grinder and knowing how to use a tape measure to fit things. That would be a vast help to be able to divide and conquer. I could use a clone…

Unfortunately most of us live some distance away and have to work for a living and can’t really just say hey, I’m going to help a friend for a couple days. Current prices on things don’t help that either. Would be a much better world if that was possible though, that we could just drop everything and help someone…

I'll have to wait for my back to no longer be painful. Then maybe I can help you screw things up a bit.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

That’s gotta be leaf spring nut because I have that same specialty wrench. Both open and boxed end styles.

Right you are and now it's a captured nut