Shran's '86 Build

[Shran]

Neither here nor there for me but for everyone else is there a pushrod you do recommend?

I used the one from the Land Cruiser slave. Was for a 1973 model year. I think Speedway sells a pushrod that would work fine - just needs to have a rounded ball on one end.

 

[Shran]

Some updates:

A couple years of wheeling and zero maintenance were really hard on my truck. I went into teardown mode, and replaced every u-joint, bushings in the front end, both rear leaf springs, and my steering drag link. I also built a new skid plate for the t-case, straightened my tie rod, and added a heim joint on the axle end of my track bar so that I can adjust it. My tie rod was bent so far that I had almost 1" of toe-in. Fortunately I have a shop press and it was easy to bring it back into spec.

One thing worth mentioning regarding the rear springs is that my original Skyjacker lift springs were supposed to give me 6" lift. I have since discovered that they send out 4" springs with 6" kits, and they assume you'll use the factory 2" blocks. One spring has been bent for a while and the aluminum shims broke, so I ordered new 6" springs. I was able to remove the shims from the new set and keep my pinion/t-case angles within 2* of each other. Very happy about that.

So my other motive for posting was about power steering pumps. Most factory pumps from the late 70's to the mid-late 90's are the typical plastic style and have the return line nipple out of the bottom of the reservoir. This has not worked well for me since I have very little clearance in that area, and the hose touches the steering box and eventually rubs through and leaks.

My research led me to discover that there is another pump with a rear return nipple that is specific to 90-91 Mercury Topaz and Ford Tempo as well as 94-95 Mustang with 5.0 engine. Supposedly 93-95ish Ranger with 3.0 as well but I have not been able to 100% verify that. This pump would fix my issue but it is near unobtainable locally, and $50 plus core online.

Note the differences, rear nipple:

Bottom nipple:

Naturally I decided that $50 is too much to spend when I have a stash of free parts at my house, so I dug through my fittings and modified a reservoir that I already had. It is sealed with an o-ring, a rubber washer, held in place with a nut on the back, and RTV. It also has a baffle to direct fluid into the pump rather than up into the filler neck. I filled the bottom nipple with RTV and then glued a vacuum cap on so it should not ever leak there. We'll see how it works, so far I have only $7 into a seal kit for the pump, and the return hose is miles away from anything now. If it ends up leaking I will buy the right pump but so far so good.

 

[Shran]

Just about wrapped up the winter rebuild, in addition to everything in the last post, I also put in a new steering box (old one was trashed) as well as completing the blue interior swap and new wood/paint on the flatbed. The last item was the coil spring cups on the front end, they were severely bent and allowing the coils to bow out. I ended up flattening these with a hammer and plating the bottom side with 3/16. The coil bowing is a little better, not gone, but something I will just have to live with for now.

Some pics, let's start with the skid plate, for whatever reason I left the factory one in place all these years. It wasn't even protecting anything and it actually got so bent that it twisted the frame. That is now fixed, I welded two factory skid plates together and relocated them under my transfer case.

A view from the rear of the new springs, shackles, etc

Adjustable length track bar:

New wood deck and paint on the flatbed. Wood is just white 2x6's with deck stain on them.

And what I am the most happy about, the finished blue interior. I wish there were blue seats in late model trucks but it is what it is, I will probably swap a black/gray set in someday if I find some good ones.

So there you have it. I need to get my toolbox, shovel, spare tire reattached and do a bolt check, some other really minor things, and I am ready to wheel.

 

[BlackBII]

Ah yeah I remember this build. Awesome truck.

That wood deck bed looks very nice.

 

[Shran]

One more, just for fun, during disassembly mode. My spare tire was very flat and has obviously not been removed for some time as there was quite a cornucopia of crap under it.

 

[Shran]

Pics are now fixed, and hopefully will be forever. Yay me.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It does exist!

I actually missed it (gawking out the side window) but the GoPro was soaking in the sights and caught it. Sounded good as it went by too (external mic picked it up)

 

[Shran]

Hahaha! That's awesome. Hope you guys had fun and a safe trip back.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Hahaha! That's awesome. Hope you guys had fun and a safe trip back.

Had a great time as usual (our 7th year going to the Mustang Rally)

Trip home sucked as usual (drags on forever) and it stormed just about non stop while we were gone so I have a ton of branches and sticks to pick up.

 

[Shran]

Right on. Next year you should bring the Ranger out and do some light wheeling with our group!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Right on. Next year you should bring the Ranger out and do some light wheeling with our group!

It is going to be hard to miss a year but we are thinking about going to the TRS thing next year which is in the other direction a week later.

Two years with no steak tips

 

[Shran]

I'd like to go to the 20th anniversary deal but it's a little further than I want to travel and I'd have a hard time getting vacation approved.

In other news the transfer case I thought was having issues about 6 years ago is having issues. After wheeling all of labor day weekend, it started making some unhappy vibrations around the rear output area. The bearing is a little loose. Not really a surprise because it was basically a junkyard t-case, and I have another one to rebuild. I also have a spare transmission that I will be rebuilding this winter as well.

Parts order for the t-case came in, I decided to just buy shifters and twin stick rails rather than mess around with building my own.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'd like to go to the 20th anniversary deal but it's a little further than I want to travel and I'd have a hard time getting vacation approved.

Yeah, its 10hrs to drive out to Rapid City, interwebs show 14hrs+/- from here to Ohio... so yeah, a heck of a drive for you.

I might fly out, I might just take my '150... I don't know yet.

It will be neat to see how the lever kit fits in a Ranger. Using a nonstandard trans in a nonstandard body I figured either way I would be more or less making them. At least you have the right trans.

 

[Shran]

I'll make it fit one way or another!

Seems like I had plenty of room where the shifter bolts on and it looks like it's kinda sorta shaped the same as the factory shifter. I'm not opposed to floor pan mods by any means but I think they intended to make it fit through say, a '77 F150 shifter hole.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'll make it fit one way or another!

Seems like I had plenty of room where the shifter bolts on and it looks like it's kinda sorta shaped the same as the factory shifter. I'm not opposed to floor pan mods by any means but I think they intended to make it fit through say, a '77 F150 shifter hole.

It seemed like the 4wd shifters sit a lot farther ahead on a M5R2 than they do on the older transmissions. Coupled with not knowing how the trans and t-case were going to fit in the truck (was concerned about everything ending up too far back) I just didn’t know how the kit would work out. Knowing what I know now, probably not bad if the linkage is long enough for mine.