2011 Off-Road Truck Of The Year: Wahlstrom1 1997 Ford Ranger
Every year, The Ranger Station’s Off-Road Truck Of The Month winners compete for the title of Off-Road Truck Of The Year. After another year of impressive Rangers and tough competition, the members of The Ranger Station have selected their choice for the 2011 Off-Road Truck Of The Year.
This year’s winner is forum member and Ranger Station moderator wahlstrom1, better known as Andrew Wahlstrom, and his heavily modified 1997 Ford Ranger 4×4.
Andrew’s Ranger is built for serious off-road use. The truck features a custom solid axle swap, an Early Bronco Dana 44 up front, a Ford 8.8-inch rear axle, Detroit Lockers, 4.56 gears, custom high-steer, large off-road tires, a roll cage, homemade bumpers, and plenty of custom fabrication.
But what really sets this Ranger apart is that Andrew actually uses it. In 2010, Andrew and his father, Cliff, were selected to participate in 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine’s Ultimate Adventure, putting the Ranger through a week of demanding trails alongside some of the country’s most capable off-road vehicles.
Getting Ready For Ultimate Adventure
Being selected for Ultimate Adventure meant making sure the Ranger was ready for the abuse that comes with the event.
Just before the adventure, Andrew replaced his existing coil spring buckets with James Duff solid axle swap coil buckets. The new buckets were incorporated into the Ranger’s custom front suspension and helped prepare the truck for the hard use ahead.
The Ranger’s front suspension is based around an Early Bronco Dana 44 solid axle. The axle is equipped with 4.56 gears and a Detroit Locker, while the rear Ford 8.8-inch axle also uses 4.56 gears and a Detroit Locker.
Andrew also had to consider recovery equipment. The Ranger already carried Warn winches, including an older Warn M8000 on the front. Warn was one of the sponsors of the Ultimate Adventure and planned to supply winches to participants who were using other brands.
Since Andrew already had Warn products, Warn offered to refurbish the winches belonging to participants who were already running their equipment.
Because Andrew was coming from Canada and the Ultimate Adventure was approaching on short notice, shipping his winch down to the United States and back wasn’t particularly practical. Andrew contacted Warn and asked if they could instead supply a new solenoid pack for his M8000.
While talking with Warn, Andrew also asked if there were any upgrades available for the older-style motor in his M8000. He expected to receive an email with a part number that he could purchase himself.
Instead, Warn went well beyond what he expected. A complete new solenoid pack and a new-style Series Wound motor showed up for his M8000.
Andrew was understandably impressed with the company’s support, describing the gesture as going “well above and beyond” his expectations.
Goodyear Supplies The 37s
Goodyear was also a sponsor of the 2010 Ultimate Adventure, and the sponsorship gave participants an opportunity to run new Goodyear tires during the event.
Each participant was supplied with a set of Goodyear tires and allowed to choose the size that best suited his or her vehicle. For Andrew, this was a particularly good opportunity.
Andrew already had a used set of 35-inch tires, but he wanted to move up to 37s. With Goodyear supplying the tires for Ultimate Adventure, he was able to get the size he wanted for the Ranger.
Andrew selected 37×12.50R17 Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar tires and received five new tires for the trip.
The larger tires were a natural fit for the Ranger’s solid axle conversion, 4.56 gears, and locked differentials. They also gave the truck additional ground clearance and the aggressive tread necessary for the difficult trails ahead.
For Goodyear, supplying the tires was good advertising. Ultimate Adventure attracted a large audience of serious off-road enthusiasts through 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine, and the event was also filmed and produced as a video. The sponsor’s products were being used on the trail, photographed for the magazine, shown in the video, and discussed by readers.
That’s the basic idea behind this kind of sponsorship: the manufacturer supplies products in exchange for exposure. The expense is treated as advertising, while the company gets its products in front of exactly the audience it wants to reach.
Andrew’s Ranger provided an especially good showcase for the Goodyear tires because it wasn’t sitting in a parking lot. The 37-inch MT/R with Kevlar tires were being used on difficult trails as part of a nationally recognized off-road event.
2010 Ultimate Adventure
With the Ranger prepared and its new Goodyears installed, Andrew and his father, Cliff, headed out for the 2010 Ultimate Adventure.
Ultimate Adventure is not simply a weekend trail ride. Participants spend days traveling and wheeling difficult terrain, putting their vehicles, equipment, and driving skills to the test. Mechanical failures are part of the experience, and the ability to repair a vehicle on the trail can be just as important as the parts used to build it.
Andrew and Cliff made a strong impression on the Ultimate Adventure crew. 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine described them this way:
“Andrew Wahlstrom and his father, Cliff, were a great addition to the Ultimate Adventure. We were all moved by young Andrew’s driving skills and motivation to finish the trails. He wheeled like a seasoned UA veteran, and his Ranger performed exceptionally well. He experienced a few mechanical failures but was more than capable of digging right in and fixing them.”
That is a pretty good endorsement for both Andrew and the Ranger.
The truck did experience some mechanical failures during the event, but Andrew didn’t simply wait for somebody else to fix them. He was capable of diagnosing problems, getting his hands dirty, and making the repairs necessary to keep moving.
That’s exactly what serious off-roading is about. A capable vehicle is important, but so is the person behind the wheel.
Ultimate Adventure Brings Attention To The Ranger
The Ultimate Adventure also created some unexpected publicity for Andrew and The Ranger Station.
When the 2010 Ultimate Adventure issue of 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine came out, members of The Ranger Station forum began noticing a familiar green Ford Ranger in the magazine’s coverage.
Threads started appearing in the forum from people who had seen the Ranger in the magazine and wanted to know more about it.
The response from other members was often simple:
“Yeah, he’s a member here.”
That was usually followed by a link to Andrew’s build thread and the discussion about his selection for Ultimate Adventure.
It was a great example of how the off-road community worked. Someone could see an impressive Ranger in a national magazine, come to The Ranger Station looking for information about it, and discover that the owner was already an active member of the community—and one of the site’s moderators.
The exposure worked both ways. Ultimate Adventure gave Andrew an opportunity to showcase his Ranger to a national audience, while the magazine coverage introduced new people to The Ranger Station and its community of Ranger enthusiasts.
A Serious Solid Axle Ranger
The heart of Andrew’s build is the solid axle swap. The factory Twin-Traction Beam front suspension has been replaced with an Early Bronco Dana 44.
The Dana 44 is equipped with 4.56 gears and a Detroit Locker. The custom front suspension uses Skyjacker coil springs, ProComp shocks, and James Duff solid axle swap coil buckets. The truck also uses a Northwest Fab high-steer system.
Out back is a Ford 8.8-inch rear axle equipped with matching 4.56 gears and another Detroit Locker.
Having both ends locked gives the Ranger a significant traction advantage when one or more tires are unloaded or the trail becomes difficult.
The rear suspension uses 5.5-inch Pro Comp Chevrolet leaf springs and ProComp shocks.
Custom Fabrication
Andrew’s Ranger also contains plenty of fabrication work that can’t simply be ordered from a catalog.
The truck has homemade front and rear bumpers and custom rock sliders made from Schedule 40 1.5-inch pipe, which has an outside diameter of approximately two inches.
A custom roll cage provides additional protection, while the Warn M8000 provides recovery capability.
The body has also been modified with a Keystone fiberglass hood and flared fiberglass front fenders. The manufacturer of the front fenders is not known.
The combination of the fiberglass body parts, large tires, solid axle suspension, and custom bumpers gives the Ranger an unmistakable appearance.
2011 Off-Road Truck Of The Year
Andrew Wahlstrom’s 1997 Ford Ranger is a good example of what The Ranger Station’s Off-Road Truck Of The Year award is intended to recognize.
It is a serious trail truck that has been built through a combination of aftermarket parts, Ford components, and Andrew’s own fabrication work. More importantly, Andrew actually wheels it.
The Ranger has a solid axle Dana 44, locked front and rear axles, 4.56 gears, custom high-steer, 37-inch Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar tires, homemade bumpers, custom rock sliders, and a roll cage. It has also been put through the Ultimate Adventure and demonstrated that it can handle the kind of terrain that most Rangers will never see.
Andrew is an active member of The Ranger Station and currently serves as one of the site’s forum moderators. His participation in Ultimate Adventure has also brought attention to both his Ranger and the Ranger community.
After being selected as an Off-Road Truck Of The Month winner, Andrew’s Ranger has now taken the top honor for 2011.
Congratulations to Andrew Wahlstrom and his 1997 Ford Ranger, The Ranger Station’s 2011 Off-Road Truck Of The Year!
Andrew Wahlstrom’s 1997 Ford Ranger 4×4 — Specifications
Vehicle
- Year: 1997
- Make: Ford
- Model: Ranger 4×4
- Owner: Andrew Wahlstrom
- TRS Username: wahlstrom1
- TRS Role: Forum Moderator
Engine & Drivetrain
- Engine: 4.0L V-6
- Transmission: M5OD-R1 five-speed manual
- Transfer Case: BorgWarner BW1354M
Front Axle
- Axle: Early Bronco Dana 44
- Gear Ratio: 4.56:1
- Differential: Detroit Locker
- Steering: Northwest Fab high-steer system
Rear Axle
- Axle: Ford Explorer 8.8-inch 31-spline
- Gear Ratio: 4.56:1
- Differential: Detroit Locker
Front Suspension
- Type: Custom solid axle swap
- Lift: Approximately 8 inches
- Coil Buckets: James Duff SAS coil buckets
- Coil Springs: Skyjacker 7-inch Early Bronco
- Shocks: Procomp ES3000
Rear Suspension
- Leaf Springs: 5.5-inch Pro Comp Chevrolet leaf springs
- Shackles: Belltech 6400
- Shocks: Procomp ES3000
Tires, Wheels & Brakes
- Tires: 37×12.50R17 Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar
- Wheels: 17×9 Mickey Thompson Classic Lock
- Ultimate Adventure Tires: Five new Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar tires supplied by Goodyear
- Brakes: Procomp Ranger extended brake lines
Steering
- High-Steer System: Northwest Fab
- Front Steering: Dana 44 high-steer setup
Recovery & Protection
- Winch: Warn M8000
- Winch Upgrades: New solenoid pack and Series Wound motor supplied by Warn
- Front Bumper: Homemade
- Rear Bumper: Homemade
- Rock Sliders: Custom, fabricated from Schedule 40 1.5-inch pipe
- Roll Cage: Custom
Body
- Hood: Keystone fiberglass
- Front Fenders: Flared fiberglass; manufacturer unknown
Ultimate Adventure
- Event: 2010 4-Wheel & Off-Road Ultimate Adventure
- Participants: Andrew Wahlstrom and his father, Cliff Wahlstrom
- Magazine: 4-Wheel & Off-Road
- Goodyear Sponsorship: Five 37×12.50R17 MT/R with Kevlar tires
- Warn Sponsorship: M8000 solenoid pack and Series Wound motor upgrade
Build Thread
Andrew documented the construction and modification of his Ranger in The Ranger Station forums in his build thread, “My Build, All Parts And Prices ***2016 Updated*** still not done…”. The thread contains additional information about the build and its evolution.
View Andrew’s Ranger build thread
Videos
Photo Gallery
About The Author
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.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
