dhkonrad's 93 ford ranger

Specs:

Front suspension:
1/2 ton Dana 44 hp axle out of a 78/79 F150 --->start of SAS (clicky)<--- --->mostly completed SAS (clicky)<---
Warn non-premium locking hubs
Gears are USA standard 5.13
Coils are EB 5.5 Crawler springs from Wildhorse4x4
Procomp es9000 shocks --->shock hoops (clicky) (half way down page)<---
--->Custom wedge style radius arms with 1.25" Heims joints (clicky) <---
Adjustable trackbar with 7/8 Heims joints
GM 1-ton TRE's with DOM tubing
Custom painted diff cover

Rear suspension:
31 spline 8.8 out of an explorer
Gears are USA standard 5.13
Leafs are explorer leafs
Custom 2" extended shackles
Factory blocks
Wheel adapters to math the 5.5 x 5 lug pattern of the front

Body armor:
Roll bar with 4 lights
--->Custom rock sliders (clicky)<---
--->Custom front DOM tube bumper with an 8k lb Warn spur drive winch (mostly finished product: (clicky)) <---
--->square tube rear bumper (clicky)<---

Odds and ends:
too many lights
CB radio
LED rocklights/underglow:--->V 1.0 (clicky) (halfway down page)<--- --->V 1.1 (clicky) (2/3 way down page)<---
Wheels are 15x10 Bart racing rims with 4 inches of backspacing
Tires are 35x12.50 15 BFG KM2's
--->Cut fenders page 3 (clicky)<---
Custom fender flares --->write-up on making them (clicky)<---
Engine is fully stock 4.0L
Tranny is a 5 speed manual
--->oil quart box (clicky) (yet to be installed)<---

Like on so many other members' trucks here on TRS, everything besides weld on tabs is custom fabricated and built almost from scratch by yours truly. I have made an effort to do as much as I can myself, even setting up my own gears with almost 0 experience and very little guidance besides the extremely helpful TRS. (not meant sarcastically at all. I would not have been able to hardly anything if it wasn't for this great resource). I don't have really any experience at all, so almost everything is learn-as-you-go


How the truck sits right now:






















Original post:

I have been here on TRS for a while, just haven't posted much. I have been working on this truck for a little while, but haven't started a build thread until now, since it hasn't come together super fast. I'm a fulltime student, and only 19 so bear with my slow progress. I have already had 6 RBV's, and done plenty of maintenance on them (Replacing trannys, rebuilding a totaled 2wd ranger and then proceeding to roll it... etc) but this is my first truck to do any real custom work on. Also, I am kind of a picture whore so bear with me there too.

The truck in the same shape as when I got it. Completely stock except for 31s


I had to do some tranny work (reason I got the truck) so I figured I would do a lift at the same time


lift going back on, as well as a bumper I had made a while back


brake lines


lift+31s+roll bar I got for free



extreme lack of flex


finally saved up for some 35s



I think my flex was a bit better due to the wheels being kicked which effectively softened my front springs


Figured I should build some radius arms, since I was tired of rubbing the tires on the stock ones, not to mention I figured it would help with flex




finished product

tried to flex it out a little more, but my inner axle is hitting on the passenger side beam window


and more poser flex. Kind of ran out of ramp room, and couldn't use my forklift cause it has its head off at the moment

this is my project I am currently in the process of trying to complete:


cutting and reinforcing the frame:

I cut the top and bottom of the frame back a few inches because the stock frame isn't straight and I plan on running some plate about a foot back along the frame since the frame has so many holes for the crumple zone. Don't mind my crappy welds....

That pretty much brings me to where I am at now....

The design on the radius arms is rather unsafe. You should have had the tubing bent to keep the integrity intact. There's just too many stresser areas.

Other than that, nice little rig you've got there. I absolutely love the way you routed the front brake hoses.

brinker88 said:

The design on the radius arms is rather unsafe. You should have had the tubing bent to keep the integrity intact. There's just too many stresser areas.

Other than that, nice little rig you've got there. I absolutely love the way you routed the front brake hoses.

Click to expand...

Thanks, although I have to admit the brake line idea wasn't all mine.

I completely agree that it would have been stronger to bend the lower tube rather than miter it, however the lower tube is there more to tie in the end of the arm and for looks, and wasn't needed structurally.

Couple more odds and ends.
Kinda hard to see: rocklights.



also a little bit more progress on boxing in the frame.

planning on bolting the winch plate to the frame. I like the ability to take stuff off (within reason) just in case it doesn't work out.

damn thats alot of switches. what do you need so many for? how do those leds hold up to the weather? they dont look sealed

koa's93ranger said:

damn thats alot of switches. what do you need so many for? how do those leds hold up to the weather? they dont look sealed

Click to expand...

lol yeah, I got a lot of crap when I bought them too. lights on the bumper, the 4 lights across the top I have on two different switches, then all those three are on their own switch so I can turn all 3 switches off with one switch (back row). Front row is rocklights, I have two more that are a cross between fog lights and rock lights, a back up light, and then one is there assuming I will need it in the future.
They have held up good so far, but I have only had them on a few months. They are surface mount LEDs and then epoxied over so they are waterproof.
site for them------> http://www.horsepowerjuice.com/led-lights/rocklights.html
one of the pictures shows them underwater......

oh so theyre made specifically for rock lights. thats cool. thought it was some homemade contraption. how bright are they? do they give enough light for night time crawling?

btw, i like the configuration of your switches, how you can turn them on individually or all at once.

What did you set the caster at on your extended radius arms?

koa's93ranger said:

oh so theyre made specifically for rock lights. thats cool. thought it was some homemade contraption. how bright are they? do they give enough light for night time crawling?

btw, i like the configuration of your switches, how you can turn them on individually or all at once.

Click to expand...

Haha yeah, I bought them. They are pretty stinkin bright, I was impressed. They come as a pretty short string with the lights close together, so I cut them apart individually and soldered longer wires on. I bought a string of 20, only put 12 on, and its daylight all underneath the truck, as well as a bit around it. IMHO, I would say DEFINITELY bright enough for crawling. Credit for those goes to Stiluv (member on here).
Thanks, having the switches together makes it easy to flip them off if I come around a corner face to face with someone.

brinker88 said:

What did you set the caster at on your extended radius arms?

Click to expand...

IIRC, I set it as close as I could to 5*. When I took it to get it aligned, the alignment collars ended up being pretty close to centered, with a ways of adjustment +/-.

Did you modify you shock brackets? It's kind of pointless to have extended radius arms without having a shock that could have that kind of travel

brinker88 said:

Did you modify you shock brackets? It's kind of pointless to have extended radius arms without having a shock that could have that kind of travel

Click to expand...

I flexed it out as far as my ramp would allow me, took measurements, then moved the lower mounts down a bit, and put in a shock that still has an 1-2 inches extension and compression top and bottom respectively (at the shock, so more than that at the tire). At some point (hopefully soon) when I have my forklift or some other means for flexing the truck further and taking measurements, and/or it becomes an issue, I will redo my upper shock brackets, but all in due time. At the point I was, I just needed to get my truck back on the road for school. Not to mention most of my reason for the radius arms was for turning clearance (as stated in my op) and strength, with flex a bit of a side benefit, that I figured I would be working on at some point anyway.

Couple days after I got my tires, went to Fordyce trail in California. first time out with the lift and no shocks so it was all over the place.

updates?

stiluv said:

updates?

Click to expand...

some...
Got a little bit more done on the frame



now back to work

Got a little bit more done today:




Now I need to cut my front body mounts off so I can plate the frame back aways.
So far I don't think that the amount I have extended the frame should interfere with my approach angle too much...