94 Long Bed Budget Build

[MetalDeerSolid]

It isn't really "under construction", it's my daily driver. So I guess this is the right section?

I got the truck in late october of last year, my first vehicle! 1994 Ranger XL 2.3 5-speed long bed, absolute base model (only option is power steering, and it didn't even have it from the factory! one of the PO's had it put in). Paid $1500 for it, and damn it was clean! Had 351,000 km, but it looks like it has a 3rd of that. Apparently the original owners towed it behind an RV a lot, so that partially explains it. Anyway, on to the pics!

PO's house... she was actually pretty cute, but she replaced the Ranger with a Cobalt... too many chevys I see that black truck on the right parked every day at the local GM dealership, I guess her brother works there or something.

Bringing it home for the first time

One of the first things I did... the seats were the yucky cheap ones, and they were all worn out and the foam on the driver's side was collapsed. Yanked these from a '92 Custom. Much better!

First time getting it stuck lol. Too low, beached the frame on that hump

Bush bumper I found on craigslist... $40 for the bumper, $40 in bolts and brackets from Canadian Tire, and viola!

Some intake mods: removed the baffle (don't know why it's even there ) and put on an ebay cone filter.

Had the canopy windows professionally tinted, makes it look a lot cooler/less dorky.

Chrome rear bumper from an 03 XLT, $20 off craigslist!

Cheap ebay LED "fog lights", mostly just daytime running lights, they don't do much other than look cool lol

Saw this guy in the parking lot, just had to park next to him

Puddle killer!

Fully loaded up for a dump run, making good use of the long bed!

Playin' in the mud

Washed up and looking pretty

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Here's where it gets a little more interesting... Timing belt straight up snapped, 3000km after I bought it

Had some other goodies so I decided to install them while my truck was out of commission.

Chrome bumper off a 97 XLT, 25 bucks off craigslist, and he happened to have crystal-clear OEM headlight housings so I grabbed the pair of those for $5! Also repainted my grill.

By this time I had replaced the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, upper/lower rad hoses, serpentine belt and flushed the coolant. Getting the timing cover off was tricky, the power steering pump was right in the way! But anyway, IT'S ALIVE!

A couple days later I put my bush bumper back on, and I mounted some rectangular LED running lights to the grill. (I broke one of the round ones, but I think it looks a lot better like this) Oh and that rope was used to tow my truck home after the timing belt broke, got towed home by my mom's camry lmao

Got a tool box for the bed, $50 off craigslist. Also was changing my oil in this pic, used Valvoline SynPower 5w30 and a Motorcraft FL-1A filter.

Had a custom cat-back magnaflow exhaust put in, HUGE improvement. My engine never really seemed to like to rev higher than 3k, now happily pulls up to 5k!

Looking real sexy, all washed up in the sun!

LED tailgate strip from ebay, looks slick at night!

Finally putting that bumper ball to use, bought a tent trailer off a friend for $500!

Some more pics of the trailer, it's really not too shabby. Can't wait to take it out in the summer

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Okay, here's the good part. Got a huge tax return, so I decided that I'd finally turn my truck into MY truck.

Picked up this axle for $500, 8.8 out of a 92 Ranger 4x4, rebuilt 4 years ago with 4.56 Yukon gears, rebuilt Traction Lok. Paid another $50 for the leafs and shackles/mounts, so $550 total for what's in my truck. Has the 10" drums with good shoes too, there's another upgrade.

Painted the axle with Valspar Anti Rust Armor... seems to be holding up pretty well so far.

Picked up a set of 4 BFG AT's, 31x10.50x15 on American Racing alloys, 60-70% tread. He threw in a 5th tire for free, starting to dry rot but should work fine as a spare. $300 for the lot!

Painted the diff cover chrome

Painted the leafs with bedliner, new bushings on the front mount, new U bolts and front coil spacers.

I'll post the rest of the build tomorrow, hope you guys like what you see

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Axle swap pics!

Bed off and my rusty shackle hangers

Old axle out and frame coated with gravel guard

New axle in (w/ belltech 6400's)

Rockin the funny car stance... the rear was 9" higher than the front

Another ass shot

Test fit of the 31's in the front

Rubbed on the radius arm and sway bar. The lift took care of the radius arm rub and I removed the sway bar.

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Finished!!!

This was at a grocery store parking lot the other day, had to take a pic. His was a newish FX4, but same truck, same colour, same tires.

Had a little fun in the mud, seeing two giant rooster-tails behind you is a great feeling

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Powerwashed all the mud off today, I now have 3 days off so I'm going camping tomorrow! Only problem...

I don't like that angle of the trailer after lifting the truck, the trailer's bumper is too close to the ground imo. Solution: drop hitch? Nah, too much money. My way: lift the trailer! Switched it from spring under axle to spring over, definitely improved the angle quite a bit, and didn't cost me a dime! I'll take some pictures tomorrow, it was too dark by the time I was done.

 

[90jurassic2]

How big are your rear shackles? did you have to move your shackle hanger at all?

 

[93bushtruck]

I recognize this truck from the FB group, its like the 2wd version of my truck lol. Hey, do you still have the bodycolor bumpers? I might be able to take them off your hands

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

How big are your rear shackles? did you have to move your shackle hanger at all?

They're just stock right now. If you're talking about the belltechs, the hangers were in the stock position totally bolt in. You don't have to move the hangers if you stick with ranger/explorer springs.

I recognize this truck from the FB group, its like the 2wd version of my truck lol. Hey, do you still have the bodycolor bumpers? I might be able to take them off your hands

Nah sorry they're long gone in the dump. You wouldn't want them anyway they were all scratched and dented and rusty.

 

[93bushtruck]

Nah sorry they're long gone in the dump. You wouldn't want them anyway they were all scratched and dented and rusty.

Oh well lol. Im looking for something I can weld to, I dont want to sacrifice my other chrome bumper lol. Your neighborhood looks like a place I used to live, anywhere near Evans place in Poco? Ahahahaha

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

This is how my trailer looked after switching to SOA:

I really like the way this trailer looks with my truck. It's got a lot more ground clearance and is more compact than a regular tent trailer

My campsite:

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Over the past few days I installed and re-torqued my wheel spacers. Definitely a big improvement in the looks department, the front wheels fill the fenders and the rears look less awkwardly narrow (still have about an inch of fender though). It also seems more stable in the rain, before I was sliding all over the place but now it's much more composed. The front spacers also gave me enough room to put the sway bar back in, no rubbing at all

Also, yesterday I noticed that it was sort of leaning to one side. I also noticed it while towing my trailer, the tailgate looked slanted. I measured from the ground to the fender on all four corners and found that the passenger side was 3/4" higher than the driver's side. I guess the rear leafs were a bit saggy, but I had no excuse for the front, I must have put the coil spacer in wrong. I rotated the spring into what I think is the right position, it now looks more level in the front but I'l have to let it settle to see if it's the spring. The driver's side spring looks way older and more rusty than the passenger spring.

While I was putting the sway bar back in, I noticed a small oil leak:

I checked the oil and it was still full, so I'll check every few days to see if it needs to be fixed. It's probably the crank seal, which I didn't have time to change when I did the timing belt...

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Getting ready for Canada Day, lol

https://vimeo.com/67033319

Also finally found a free rim for my spare tire!

This is how I want to mount it, it's just propped up right now:

I also painted the wheel black, it looks a lot better that way.

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

Keep forgetting to update this thread lol

Picked up a tailgate swing spare mount from the junkyard for $10, I think it's off an old K5 Blazer or something (5x5 bolt pattern)

Not going to use the swing for various reasons, but the mount works well with the bed.

Mocked up

Picked up some off road lights for $17.50 (50% off)

They're pretty bright witht the stock 55w bulb but I ordered a 100w blue bulb off ebay to match my headlights.

 

[MetalDeerSolid]

My new ride at work, the Turtle! It's a 2008 F350 XL 5.4 with a 11'1" high box. I get to make all the big deliveries now. It has a huge gas tank but it burns through it pretty quick, the computer says average fuel consumption is 32L/100km, which is just over 7 mpg

Got my truck stuck real good. Bad idea

Just wanted to hit a bit of mud on the side of the road, and it was going well until that puddle, and before I knew it I was dragged in.

Had to get towed out, only damage was to my wallet ($135! )