I’ve seen a lot of people buy a vehicle with a dream of what they want it to be. Some of those vehicles sit and never become anything. Some are continuing works in progress and always seem to be steps away from the end goal. And then there’s the few that actually achieve if not exceed the goals of the builder. I would say that this 1993 Ford Ranger 4×4 definitely met and probably exceeded the goals of its builder.
Forum member -Nathan- first introduced us to this Ranger in March of 2011 stating:
“Well, as most of you know, I couldn’t kick the habit, and got ahold of another Ranger. This will be a dedicated trail rig, with stage 1 being a low-buck build, just to have fun with, and stage 2 will involve a SBF, 1 tons, and 38’s.
Well for now here is the truck,
1993 Ford Ranger XL 4×4 2.3 L 5 speed, 250 000 km.”
As you can see, the Ranger was a little ‘rough’ when Nathan got it. The Ranger has come a long way since then to become the amazing truck you see at the top of this page.
The 1993 Ford Ranger 4×4 came from the factory with a Dana 35 TTB (Twin Traction Beam) front axle. I’ve seen people upgrade them with Dana 44 knuckles and hubs, but a lot of people think you need to replace the TTB with a Dana 44 or Dana 60 solid front axle to be a serious off-roader. Nathan stood out from the crowd by using a Dana 50 TTB.
The Dana 50 TTB (Twin Traction Beam) 4×4 front axle was used in the Ford F-350 from 1980 until a mid-year change in 1985, when the F-350 was fitted with the Dana 60 solid front axle. The Dana 50 was an option on the Ford F-250HD (Heavy Duty – over 8500# GVW) from 1980-1986. In 1987, the Dana 50 TTB replaced the Dana 44HD TTB in the F-250 becoming the only option. The Dana 50 TTB remained the front axle in the Ford F-250 4×4 until 1998. All Dana 50 TTB (and Dana 44HD TTB) trucks were leaf sprung. So, Nathan basically upgraded to a 1-ton independent front suspension.
This Ranger pretty much runs 1-ton axles, a V8, 37-inch tires, a highly modified suspension, and a bunch of tube work including a roll cage.
Specifications:
Drivetrain:
5.0 HO engine from mustang, mild build. M5OD-R2 5 speed from an F-150, BW 1356 from a full-size Bronco (fixed yokes front/rear). Rear 32-gallon fuel cell, Bosch 044 pump. Rear mounted Fluidyne aluminum radiator with dual Flexalite fans. Dual rear mounted red top Optima batteries.
Axles:
Rear – Trussed and disc converted Sterling 10.25, Yukon Grizzly locker, Yukon 5.13 gears.
Front – custom long travel Dana 50 TTB (knuckles/center from 50 grafted onto 44 arms, cut and turned, trussed and plated) Lock-right locker, Yukon 5.13 gears. Custom single swinger steering system. 1.5″ 0.250″ wall tie rods, heim joints. Tires are 37×12.5R17 BFG KM2.
Suspension:
Front – Custom drop brackets, 2″ – 0.250″ wall DOM custom radius arms, King 16″ travel, 2.5″ remote reservoir coilovers, King 2.0 bump stops, quad wrap limit straps (front cycles 24″ travel)
Rear- Custom 64″ leaf pack, custom hangers and inverted shackles, King 18″ travel 2.5″ remote reservoir shocks, King 2.0 bump stops, quad wrap limit straps (rear cycles 18″ travel)
Body:
Full 1.75″ 0.120″ wall cage from the rear, through the cab, through the firewall and into the front. McNeil fiberglass 6″ rear bedsides. Fiberwerx fiberglass 6″ front fenders. Paint color is the factory Cayman Green Metallic. Graphics are hand painted. Cage and components were all sandblasted/powder coated. Corbeau Baja Ultra-wide seats, PRP harnesses.
More Photos & Details:
To view the whole build and see more details and photos of this amazing Ford Ranger check out the build thread at:
Rangerbe Version 2.0 (Forum Build Thread)
Photo Gallery
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
