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

[SenorNoob]

Axle flip? U-bolt plates with shock eyes? Sounds like a stock Explorer axle setup...

 

[scotts90ranger]

Went to help at the grounds and graciously offered to take some of the lumber offcuts, doug fir 2x10's will make nice firewood for early season... it's an as thrown 2/3 bed full in the '97, sure drove nice on the way home, bit more gutless than normal though

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Took step #1 in restoring ride quality in the ranger.. ordered a new drivers side rear cab mount.

Looking in the side view mirror going down the road.. LOTS of wiggle in the cab lol. Since the Mirror is obviously mounted to the cab all the bouncing makes it so it looks like the bed is about to flop off the frame

Step 2 will be 4 new shocks.. id really like to go with bilstiens.. but I might end up doing an axle flip, making the rears too long. Perhaps some custom shock mounts will be in order? Someone makes u-bolt plates with eyes on them to convert to an outboard mounted shock setup.. which would improve handling.. hmmmmm

When I did the Explorer rear axle in my green Ranger in the spring under axle, I used the Explorer spring plates and moved the passenger side shock mount on the top back by the spare tire carrier. At some point I’ll change out the rear shocks, but I was in a hurry and money has been tight and stock 2000 2wd Ranger rear shocks fit.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yesterday I got a little more done on the green Ranger. Ended up having some help so the bed got fully set off and is mostly patched now. Or almost as much patching as I’m willing to do to a bed that’s nearly junk. Bumper is on wood blocks under the back of the Ranger, gotta get it adjusted, holes marked and drilled and then mounted. That’s today’s project because I can get help getting the bed back on later. Traction bars are on, I had to persuade the one with a sledgehammer to get it lined up. Wiring mostly just needs loomed and plugged in.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, I was trying to get stuff ready to put the bed on and I was looking at the patch on the bed and it didn’t look right. It’s the front panel, and I had a simple idea that would work to line everything up by cutting the bed below the top of the lower bulge and cut the donor piece reverse of that, so the bulge could be used to locate the donor piece. Mr certified welder that “helped” yesterday managed to weld it up 3/4” out from one side to the other. So I got to undo everything he did and start to do it correctly.

Then dad decided to help so I had him drilling some holes for lights and stuff in the bumper and somehow he managed to drill them all at an angle. Not real thrilled about filling them with the welder and re-drilling, but that may have to happen.

Which means the Choptop most likely will not be making it to the 25th. I just don’t see having enough time to finish fixing the Ranger (the bed has to be on tomorrow or I lose all of my help), and fix both axles in the Choptop. Theoretically I could have the Ranger done tomorrow and fix the Choptop Wednesday and drive down Thursday. In theory, it’s possible. If nothing else goes wrong. I’m not sure where my magic wand wandered off to this time though.

The good news is that my Ranger should be in ok shape though. I’m interested in seeing what the traction bars and fixing my oxygen sensors being wired up backwards does for fuel economy and performance.

 

[pentode]

Yes I replaced it with a Murray branded one with the same diameter and very close to the same offset without ridges. It looks like yours now and the bonus of no squeak yet. Oh and no rocking. The rocking was weird because it would only rock to one side but when brought back it would be perfectly strait and not rock the opposite direction. The bearing in the old one feels fine I can not feel any play in it at all. I have no idea what was causing the rocking.

Am I the only guy cheap enough to knock the old bearing out and replace? Check that, I’m sure I already know the answer.

 

[superj]

saturday i put a new third brake light gasket in and changed the bulb to that spare 912 led i had. holy cow, that light is bright now when you hit the brake pedal.

and luckily i did that gasket. it started raining sunday and is supposed to rain till saturday

 

[Blmpkn]

Axle flip? U-bolt plates with shock eyes? Sounds like a stock Explorer axle setup...

When I did the Explorer rear axle in my green Ranger in the spring under axle, I used the Explorer spring plates and moved the passenger side shock mount on the top back by the spare tire carrier. At some point I’ll change out the rear shocks, but I was in a hurry and money has been tight and stock 2000 2wd Ranger rear shocks fit.

As of now.. the plan is to just buy the DJM flip kit for simplicitys sake (along with the beams)

I do wish I could see a truck with that kit on it in person though.. 3" seems like a lot up front.. that's most of the wheel gap. 1" lowering springs (if they exist?) and a shackle flip may be my ticket to happiness

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Bought a new air filter. Didn’t install it today bc it was dark when I got back. And my underhood light is dead.

I change my engine air filter every 6 months or so. Especially here on gravel roads, I think the volume of dust exceeds even the “increased frequency” schedule from ford.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

As of now.. the plan is to just buy the DJM flip kit for simplicitys sake (along with the beams)

I do wish I could see a truck with that kit on it in person though.. 3" seems like a lot up front.. that's most of the wheel gap. 1" lowering springs (if they exist?) and a shackle flip may be my ticket to happiness

Well, I now have the Explorer traction bars in the green Ranger. So minus the dampener shock, it’s a complete setup from an Explorer back there now. Have to finish a few things tomorrow, then load up for Kentucky, so we’ll see how it does. I will say this though, I built custom 5-leaf spring packs out of used Explorer and Ranger springs, did two tight pack clamps on each pack, and used a shackle for 2” of lift and I still whack the bump stops regularly. I also can’t get the front low enough to level it out without doing something different with the upper control arms. An axle flip is some no-joke drop. You would probably have to do a side exit exhaust in front of the axle if you went into frame notch territory.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Some progress today on the green Ranger. Still have to finish dealing with the bumper and a couple odds and ends tomorrow, then I’ll bump the blocks out and set the bed the rest of the way down.

 

[97RangerXLT]

for the last few weeks I have been working on the brake system on my Ranger (see post a few pages back) replaced all of the lines from the Master Cylinder to the driver side front wheel and to the RABS unit, and replaced the line from the driver side front wheel to the passenger front wheel. New Master Cylinder and booster are bench bled and installed, lines are hooked up. New Calipers in the front. decided not to mess with the brake line from the RABS to the back axle or any of the back brakes, as the line from the RABS unit is really imbedded in the frame and requires removal of the bed and gas tank (which is full) and did not look bad, so leaving it. leaving the back brakes for now. got the bleeder screws to break loose, I feel an accomplishment there, as they are the original wheel cylinders and probably have not been bled or messed with in 27 years. Need a second person for bleeding. ended up getting a Mityvac vacuum pump for a "one man bleeding tool". that has helped but overall does work that well. not able to get a good bleed with it. also found out that the driver side rear wheel bleeder is plugged solid. replaced the bleeder screw. had some leaks in the new hard lines where they connect to the front wheel soft lines.. tightened them up. hope that I don't have to take them out and reflare them... also having trouble with the passenger rear bleeder not sealing well when tightened.. may end up replacing it as well. worst case scenario, I will rplace the back brakes and wheel cylinders (got the parts) and likely have to do the hard lines on the axles as well. probably should do the soft line, but it is likely going to make me have to address that hard line from the RABS unit, and I can likely splice into that one fairly easily, getting the soft line unclipped and replaced looks like it may be a chore... so one aggravation at a time. if I can get everything bled and drive it for a bit to make sure nothing is leaking...

Also, brake light switch. I must have hooked that up wrong, the brake lights are on all the time now. got to do the mechanics yoga and look into that again...

AJ

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Vacuum bleed it using engine vacuum...
A mason jar, 2 holes in the lid so clear PVC line will barely fit. One really long line that will go from engine vacuum tree to farthest wheel. Short line that goes to bleeder, long enough so jar can sit on ground without tipping. Start engine with long hose hooked up. Crack bleeder and watch until fluid is clear. Don't run the master dry. There will be bubbles but that is air leaking in on bleeder threads, don't worry about it. Just watch for clear fluid.

 

[Blmpkn]

Well, I now have the Explorer traction bars in the green Ranger. So minus the dampener shock, it’s a complete setup from an Explorer back there now. Have to finish a few things tomorrow, then load up for Kentucky, so we’ll see how it does. I will say this though, I built custom 5-leaf spring packs out of used Explorer and Ranger springs, did two tight pack clamps on each pack, and used a shackle for 2” of lift and I still whack the bump stops regularly. I also can’t get the front low enough to level it out without doing something different with the upper control arms. An axle flip is some no-joke drop. You would probably have to do a side exit exhaust in front of the axle if you went into frame notch territory.

Yeah.. exhaust is something I didn't think of lol

I can't find 1" springs anywhere.. only 2-3. I guess I could always run 3" lowering springs with a 2" lift spacers though

Ooooohhhh! I'm just remembering about coilsprings.com.. I could have them make me a pair of custom springs, would just need stock part#

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah.. exhaust is something I didn't think of lol

I can't find 1" springs anywhere.. only 2-3. I guess I could always run 3" lowering springs with a 2" lift spacers though

Ooooohhhh! I'm just remembering about coilsprings.com.. I could have them make me a pair of custom springs, would just need stock part#

Yeah, my one exhaust pipe has “self-clearanced” itself on the diff cover. Actually where it touched it probably would have cleared a stock cover but since mine is like 3/4” thicker. The guy that did my exhaust was doing a lot of complaining about the lack of space anywhere. I was looking at it and there really isn’t a lot of room for fishing two 2.5” pipes, and I think he was pushing the limits of what can be bent without kinking. Probably after Kentucky I’ll get under there with a torch and warm the pipe and do a little massaging so it doesn’t keep tapping.