'85 Ranger Restomod

[sgtsandman]

Nice thing about the setup is that the mount is a friction fit for the flag and it's relatively small. I just cut off the threaded end on the flag and chamfered it. It slips right in. And the flag breaks down like a fishing pole so you don't have to make it fit somewhere.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I went this direction for the flag and the mount.

Amazon.com: Fly Racing Straight Mount Safety Flag #6A: Automotive

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Amazon.com: Tusk Quick Release Flag Pole Holder 5/16" Pole Black: Automotive

Buy Tusk Quick Release Flag Pole Holder 5/16" Pole Black: Flagpole Hardware - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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I have that mount already lol:



The flag I had found that apparently amazon quit selling broke into like 4 parts, two parts are still better than one.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ok, in light of the new TRS Roundup this fall the current plans this year for the truck are as follows.

Gotta dos:

Finish the rear suspension
- Install new bushings in Explorer leaf springs
- Delete the factory lift block and install Explorer springs in truck
- Replace at least the passenger side shackle (which is seized) if not both (if I need Belltech shackles to maintain ride height)
- I will also need to relocate the brake line mounts (aka weld a 1/4" nut a little lower on the spring perch so it doesn't hit the spring in its new position)

Replace fuel pump/sender
- Delete the frame mount Mr. Gasket pump and go to a low pressure in tank fuel pump like out of a '86ish truck

Install ahead of axle front swaybar (and delete existing behind axle front sway bar)

Reroute the exhaust to allow the front driveshaft to be in the truck at all times like a normal 4wd.

Add another 12 circuit blue sea fuse panel for battery constant power along with changing the key power relay to support more demand (and some other tweaks to the electrical system too)

Add dual Mercedes efans.

Mount flag on truck

Like to dos:

Finish and mount tire carrier/bumper

Install a CB radio

If I can find the *(^&*%! fuel tank skid plate that I have I would like to mount that too.

I really hope to go and the "gotta do" list is really pretty short and sweet (compared to last year!) but there are other issues in play too.

Anyway to update on progress so far I have the fender back on, I think the doors open better. Alignment is still off but after delving into it the alignment of everything is off and I can't do much about it as the truck sits now. The hood isn't square to the cowl so the fender is either off compared to the cowl or hood... I just need to do more to get after it and I am kind of under excited about doing it, I will probably call it good until I pull the truck apart to repaint it.

Almost done painting the sway bar stuff, just gotta figure out end links and I can go back together with it:



It is interesting all three of the bigger stamped parts have this stamped into them, I can't find much about them. Just a bunch of crap about the Nissan Titan.



The two big plates have ovals and Ford part numbers on the other side. The little brace is just smooth.

This thing has kinda bugged me for awhile. Was it an aftermarket sway bar set Ford bought and restamped with the oval and arbitrary part # for the BII and Supercab trucks? They do have kind of an aftermarket look to them compared to the later trucks... Or did some contracted parts supplier sneak their own stamp on the parts they made for Ford? I think when they are installed (I know the two plates are but I am not sure about the brace) the "Titan" stamp would be out of sight. Googling anything related to "Titan swaybars" returns a bunch of Nissan junk. I kinda talked myself thru it with @PetroleumJunkie412 over lunch and tried googling"Titan Tool Canada" going after the contracted supplier angle with kind of a generic name. And bingo:

Welcome to Titan Tool & Die Limited, World Class Manufacturing

A privately held woman-owned world class manufacturing supplier Established in 1956 by the late Joseph Szecsei. Owned & Operated by the Szecsei Family since 1956.

titantool.ca

Same stamp (with established 1956 added) and they are in Windsor which is basically across the river from Detroit.

So mystery solved and another useless bit of Ranger trivia discovered.

And if anybody is interested in guns the founder of that company also came up with multibarrel bolt action rifles:

 

[sgtsandman]

I took a closer look at the 2011 front bumper. The metal bumper behind the valence is right up against the valence with plenty of access. Perfect! I can drill right on through and install the mount right in the front!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Welded another nut on the PS perch to lower the brake line below the spring, with perfect strategic placement and an equally perfect bend added to the brake line it fits perfectly.



All new bushings ready to go:



The little turds fought some but they are all in:













I did not notice they had changed the front spring bolts to the larger size when I put these springs in a few years ago. Needless to say they had a lot of slop in the front.

Supporting the truck's weight:



It looks much better without the blocks:



DS rear shackle has a little side to side play in it, PS will swing back and forth by beating it with a hammer. Like half a dozen whacks for a full swing. I also noticed the PS spring hanger has been replaced so it is bolted on... I am thinking I will just replace the hangers instead of fighting the top bolts with the bed on.

 

[sgtsandman]

The hanger replacement isn't that bad. I did them on the '98 without too much fuss.

Are you going to be able to make that larger bolts work with your existing front hangers?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The hanger replacement isn't that bad. I did them on the '98 without too much fuss.

Are you going to be able to make that larger bolts work with your existing front hangers?

I screwed up when I put the '09 springs in a few years ago and didn't catch that they changed sizes (also didn't catch they had been overloaded, I was in a hurry before the wedding) It actually wasn't until PJ's thread in the suspension section that I knew they changed them... which got me to wondering. PJ also noticed I seemed to have a lot of rear axle movement on the trailride (seemed ok to me from the drivers seat) Since the '09 springs had been horridly overloaded at some point I decided to put my '96 Explorer springs back in, delete the blocks and replace the shackles with Belltechs if the need arose. The springs I just replaced the bushings in and reinstalled are the Explorer ones.

The '09 springs are already in the iron pile.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Stuck at home with a sick kid, can't work outside and I don't have a whole lot of parts on hand if I could so I figure I will type up my plan for something to do.

Rear of truck is on jackstands, springs are back out of it. USPS did deliver new slider puck things this morning so I can get those put in the springs tonight maybe. I have greaseable bolts coming for the spring eyes and upper shackle bolt, due on Monday. I have had 1/3 of them seize on me and I hope to eliminate that in the future. Just ordered new rear spring hangers and Belltech shackles that should hopefully show up next week sometime.

So, after I get the pucks in my springs I need to get the rear hangers ripped out of the truck. One has been replaced before and is just bolted in (the one with a siezed shackle actually) so I don't see my impact caring much about him. DS will need the rivets ground off, drilled out and driven out. Then install the springs on the front bolts and the axle and wait until the rear spring bracketry shows up, then slap it on.

Then on to the fuel pump...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The war wages on...

New plastic spacers are not quite right, if I open up the slot and shave a little off the sides they go in:



I haven't messed with the ones under the clamps yet, not sure how to do deal with the clamps as of yet. As a whole they look to be in better shape the ones that don't have the spring clamps.

And time to get sparky:





Convenient rust hole to watch the progress thru, Ford just thought of everything!



Its coming!





Success!



I am going to try to rescue the shackle, it would be a spare for my pickup box trailer:





Then I borrowed a service truck from work with a big on board air tank (mainly for filling tires or running an air gun) and an air hammer and buzzed the rivets out. Like 5 or 6 hits each, compared to drilling and beating the coil bucket rivets it was a cake walk.

I wire wheeled the rust off and threw some paint on it:



And the other side was bolted on, not sure why. I don't think it had been replaced. Coincidentally it also has the seized shackle. I am going to try to save this bracket for a spare now that I can fight with it in the open. The odd mix match of fine thread and course thread was a neat touch by the previous owner too.



I also cleaned and painted the frame behind it but didn't get a pic. Waiting on parts, bolts are supposed to show up tomorrow, hangers and shackles on Tuesday... so hurry up and wait.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I has parts!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

One new hanger and shackle:



Another new hanger and shackle!



How I modify the spacer pucks to fit in the springs:



Glad I did, all 8 of the were shot, these 4 on the clamp end of the springs looked pretty good until I got them out.



It can hold its own weight



The springs are actually curved now!



To recap the ride height changes as I have removed and added things. I was content with where my truck sat but I wanted to ditch the lift blocks. Measured from the center of the wheel arch to the parking brake drum.

Whooped '09 springs, factory lift blocks, factory shackles:





Explorer springs, no lift blocks, factory shackles:



Explorer springs, no lift blocks, Belltech 64000 shackles:



I gained a little bit, I can live with it. Better than losing.

So now I just need to tighten everything up, get the parking brake cables on it and then move on to other things...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Are the shackles oriented correctly? I would have thought the open end of the U would face the springs....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Are the shackles oriented correctly? I would have thought the open end of the U would face the springs....

The factory shackles were this way in both my Ranger and F-150 and the write up says they go this way.

How-To: BellTech 6400 Shackle Install - The Ranger Station

Original Poster: mjonesjr & Kona Difficulty: 4 out of 10 Time to install: 45 minutes to 1 hour Disclaimer: TheRangerStation.com, TheRangerStation.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

It bugs me though, if i had to scratch one on a deserted island with no instruction I would opt for the other way, it just looks more “right”.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Yeah. The way its installed it seems more likely to hit the spring on a big bump.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah. The way its installed it seems more likely to hit the spring on a big bump.

It would a biblical bump, I could move it up a hole if I wanted to.