Finally got a 2nd Ranger

[PlumCrazy]

1100 watt RMS, I have it turned down a little so I don't blow my subs. I have two 10" Slim Class Memphis subs in a sealed box. I have a lot more amp than I need, but it is the perfect size and I got a hell of a deal on it.

-plumcrazy

[PlumCrazy]

The spring swap is done. cleaned all the rust and crap off the frame and sprayed it down with penetrol to seal it and fight rust, I am going to prime it and then paint it satin black so it will be pretty and easy clean.



I am in the process of making my exteneded radius arm brackets. I am going to intergrate the tranny crossmember into the brackets so it will be super solid. I will get some pics up soon. I also had my dad get some strips of stainless steel to make some rust proof gas tank straps. (I have put spring hangers and gas tank straps on 5 different Rangers so I kind of have this whole underbody rust thing down to a science.)lol

[PlumCrazy]

Still no pics, but I did make some progress today. I got about 90% of the exhuast parts I need to run 2.5" from the the cat through a Thrush welded muffler and out in front of the rear wheel. I am going to use all mandrel bend tubing and I redid the flange on the cat so it doesn't reduce down to to 2.25" or 2 or what ever it used to be. I also managed to the cat/y pipe flange apart and cleaned up as well.

I also finished up my tranny cross member/ radius arm mounts. I am still on a hunt for a one peice drive shaft and disc braked 31 spline rear. I need to finish up my exhuast so I can figure out how I need to make my cross member to replace where the carrier bearing cross member was.

I also managed to prime and paint the the frame and make my new stainless tanks straps. I also redid my intake so it will take a 3.5" K&N cone filter. I will snap some pics of it tomorrow, my dad works for a company that makes stainless restruant equipment so I sent my plans with him to work and his TIG welders made it happen. It turned out really nice for having 0$ invested.

-plumcrazy

[PlumCrazy]

I guess I did take a couple pics of the intake.





And no, I do not plan to gain any power from the intake or the new exhuast. I understand that intakes and exhuasts dont add 30 hp.lol I just wanted to use the K&N filter and precharger that I already had and I wanted a nice deep toned exhuast.

EDIT: As I posted this, the ad at the top of the screen was claiming that a K&N filter will ad 20 Hp to your BMW.lol

[PlumCrazy]

I finished welding up my exhuast, All it needs a coat of high heat paint to dress it up.


I went to the JY today and got my 31 spline Exploder rear with disc brakes. It came with almost new rotors and pads and recently replaced calipers and hoses. I cut the old spring perches off and made new ones out of 3/16 wall 2.5 x 2.5 box tubing. I welded the new perches on and set the pinion angle at 6.5 degrees.




I am waitng one my one peice shaft to come so I can figure out where my new crossmember needs to be.

It got dark before I got a chance to get a couple pics of the freshly painted frame.

All the junk that doesn't go back on.

[spaz1879]

well so far so good, i like how you made your own shift boot. Did you get your leaf pack and what not from the junkyard?

[PlumCrazy]

I used 64" leaf packs from a 96' Chevy 1500. A guy I work with let me have the set for 40 bucks, and they had new bushings in them.

-plumcrazy

[WNY964x4]

this thing is lookin better and better

and about the rear axle , both my trucks are 3.73 geared , one is an open and the other is gettin ( another ) 8.8 28 spline L/S with drums swapped in on monday

[PlumCrazy]

I finally got a few pics of the tranny crossmember and RA mounts.


I finished welding my perches on, I cut all the old sway bar mounts off the new axle and welded on some shock mounts I was able salvage the shock mounts from the old axle. I picked up new parking brake shoes and a hardware kit as well. I cleaned up the axle and shot it with some primer but it got dark to quick for me to get any pics of it.


I also got a pick of the frame now that it is all cleaned up and painted.

I finished up the exhuast and bolted it on but once again it was too dark for my cell phone to get any decent pics.

[PlumCrazy]

Got the rear end all primed and painted. I dont have any pics of it under the truck yet.


I put all new seals in it and filled it up with synthetic




I got the exhuast finished.


this is where I put the new flange on the cat so it doesnt reduce to 2.25


I started putting on the the front lift brackets, but I ran into some more fun stuff that halted that whole project. I found out that when the previous owner said the front end is pretty tight he must have meant it was tight .... last year. I ended up putting in 4 Moog ball joints in and 3 axle shaft Ujoints, and discovered that the RA bushings were junk, but the RA's don't bother me because I already got some new Moog bushings for when I finish my extended RA's.

I picked up a D 35 with 3.73's in it as well. It needs new seals but other than that it is ready to bolt on.(not sure if I mentioned before that the truck came with 3.27's in it)

I was at the JY the other day and noticed that some older Exploders have a front sway bar that curves down about 2 inches on the ends. If I run it with my stock links I can run a sway bar with my lift. I will get a few pics tomorrow.

I am still waitng on my rear shocks and drive shaft so I can finish up the rear. I am going put the calipers on and make my new P brake cable brackets tom. I think I will need to find a way to extend my cable though.

[PlumCrazy]

I got a lot done today.
I put all new ball joints, ujoints, and seals up front, bolted the front diff on, got the TTB drop brakets on, and slipped in the lift coils.

I took off the the old RA cross member and I finished up my ext. RA's and bolted everything up. I got made some retainers to keep the coil seated up top and I painted the RA's but it got dark before I got a pic of that stuff.


I gusseted the drop braket everywhere I could.


Here is a pic of the rear axle all bolted up. I still need to put the calipers on and make a bracket for the p-brake cables since I moved the hanger foward.


I managed to twist a bolt off in the yoke on the front diff, so I will work on drilling that out and finishing up my p brake stuff tomorrow. It is amazing how much stuff I can get done with a day off work. I am still waiting on my one peice so I can make my cross member. I got my new rear shocks today but they sent me the wrong ones so I had to send em back and wait for them to send a new pair. I ordered some extended front brake lines today. I am looking for a drop pitman arm still. I have a deal in the works for some black steel 15x8 rims and some 33"s too.

[OtteWell_Ranger]

oh yeah! I have always wanted to do a TTB ranger. It is coming along good pics man......going to be watching the outcome.

[PlumCrazy]

I started on my cross member, I decide to us the old one, but the hump that clears the exhuast didn't line up right. So I cut 4 inches off the driverside and added 4 inches on the pass side to shift the hump over. I had a random peice of stamped steel channel that worked out perfect for the middle peice.




I made my c-clip elimanator



the stock boot wouldn't fit over the spring so I used a shock boot that was alittle bigger.(I didnt get a pic)

got the front yoke fixed. I drilled out the bolts and replaced the old ujoint retainers with the u bolt style ones. Now I can actually get a wrench on them.(and no the pinion seal isnt leaking, I got cutting oil all over it when I was drilling out the yoke)

I got a couple pics of the truck with 30"s on the front and some random pontiac wheels in the back. The truck will sit almost level, it will lean slightly foward when its done.



I got a pic of the coils in and the shocks sitting in place, the front is basically done. I just have to put my new sway bar on and swap out my pitman arm and brake lines.

[86_4x4beater]

love what youve done with the from suspension !!!!! definatly alot stronger then stock ! keep the pixx comin !!!

[WNY964x4]

Originally Posted by PlumCrazy

Here is a pic of the rear axle all bolted up. I still need to put the calipers on and make a bracket for the p-brake cables since I moved the hanger foward.

doe it matter what direction you mount the shackles in ?