AJE Ranger K-Member Who's Done It!?

[Yotaismygame]

Frames are only riveted together so yeah they are pretty flexible. Especially without the cab and bed bolted to them. Thanks for the update.

 

[bobbywalter]

Few Updates: Went back to the track and ran a 12.33 at 120mph. I think the way the truck sits I could get that down to 11.5 or slower. Need a little better starts and more wastegate spring to hold boost on the top end. Keep in mind this is on street tires and a manual.

Also finally got a decent front sway bar under this thing. Turns out explorer bars or newer ranger bars will not work. Found this out the hard way. I do not recommended buying from SDtrucksprings. They took almost a month to get me the explorer bar that didn't fit and also sent the wrong mounts with it. Now I'm trying to return it but they take days to respond.

Ended up ordering the Belltech 5445 bar 1.25" from Summit and even though it was a drop ship item still got it in four days!. Fits almost perfect and you'll just need end links. I used some off amazon for a dodge ram. They are almost perfect too. Kina pricey though. They could be maybe half inch shorter. Which would be easy to do. Just shorten the sleeve and grab a shorter bolt.

I do have a complaint with the AJE mounts on the LCA. They're too narrow. To get the end links to be verticle I would need to cut them off and move them out about an inch. This was an issue with the stock sway bar also. Someday ill get around too that.
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120 traps...? damn.

what are you about 3400 pounds?

that thing will go low 11s trapping 120s....how far do you have to drive it out of the hole or do you have to pedal everywhere?

radical fun i would wager.

 

[Yotaismygame]

120 traps...? damn.

what are you about 3400 pounds?

that thing will go low 11s trapping 120s....how far do you have to drive it out of the hole or do you have to pedal everywhere?

radical fun i would wager.

Yeah 3400 ish. With my street tires and probably the lake of track prep for the night I race makes it difficult. It's all in my 60ft. Last time out I went 12.00 with a 2.06ft 122mph on borrowed drag radials. Made three passes and everyone was faster then the last. With more time and practice I could do better for sure. This was on 16psi too but my setup produces a lot of back pressure and it falls to 14psi pretty quick. I think I have a boost leak after making a new charge pipe, moving the WG and adding a 4 port boost controller. Running a 7lb spring with a 4 port should net me a solid 16psi and it wasnt. It's funny on the track I want more power but I'm near the end of the capabilities of this little s366. But on the street I have to turn it down or ramp in power pretty late. Otherwise its spin city.

 

[tubbyb23]

I just ordered this kit for mine. We'll see how it goes

Well, I have things mostly installed. It's a lot of work to say the least. I changed to a manual rack(flaming river) strange brakes with fox v8 spindles. The strut Tower brace is the toughest thing for me to get lined up. I think I'm going to Learn to hate that thing. I'm currently working on getting the 302 back in, which I'm sure I'm going to have to relocate the trans and exhaust, as I'm sure these mounts will not be in the same place as the last ones. Hopefully, I don't need to have the driveshaft remade. Heres a link to my YouTube videos.

 

[clippii]

Big update,

Now that it's no longer winter, been making some good progress these last 3 weeks.

Got the rear rims in, 15x14's for the rear and will probably be 15x7's in the front. Tire's still on backorder for the last 6 months. ugh.

Continued boxing and welding the frame as well, got all the sections put in place and welded some temporary cross bars in place before I welded everything in completely. Beveled the edges of the frame and plate so the bead lays inside making for a cleaner finished product when ground down.

Welded on the top half of the frame before flipping it over to weld the bottom side

Underside;

Then came the fun part of grinding all welds flush so that once its painted you'll never know it wasn't supposed to be this way. No one will ever see it, but I'll know.

Motor in background getting a coat of paint, have to still paint the timing cover, it's cast aluminum and was not taking the paint I was using very well. Will most likely need to throw some etching primer on it first.

Then came the AJE part. Phew Finally! Fully mocked up minus outer tire rods and strut brace. Plan on dropping the cab on very soon and will square everything up once that is done.

Still didn't drill these rear holes as its kind of still a mystery where they go exactly but I think I'm just gonna go with my sharpie marks and call it good. Nothing pre existing on my 93 frame to give me any reference.

Also the AJE kit comes with grade 5 hardware, but I'm going to swap out everything for grade 8 zinc coated, I've got a mixture of some of it now just for mock up.

Next up was this front strut hoop mount. My frame from the factory is completely boxed in in this front section making it basically impossible to get a wrench or anything back there to get the nut in place. Those bolts are just in place with no nuts, but I think I can run a carriage bolt on a 1/4x1x3" plate the other way around and put a nut on the outside.

This next part is my own doing, as I boxed everything in I had to drill some access holes to get a wrench, a socket, crows foot wrench, everything in the toolbox to gain access to the back of the hardware without completely turning my nice new plate into swiss cheese. I'll plug these up with some rubber/plastic plugs eventually to keep big debris from getting in.

pass side, also side note; Milwaukee Dozer Hole Saws are as round as an egg. 0/10 purchase

Front spindle mocked up with the race craft 2" drop spindles.

That's most of the useful pictures and updates I have for now. Will post again once the cab is down and hopefully the motor goes in for the first time.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Lefty]

Big update,

Now that it's no longer winter, been making some good progress these last 3 weeks.

Got the rear rims in, 15x14's for the rear and will probably be 15x7's in the front. Tire's still on backorder for the last 6 months. ugh.

View attachment 110416


Continued boxing and welding the frame as well, got all the sections put in place and welded some temporary cross bars in place before I welded everything in completely. Beveled the edges of the frame and plate so the bead lays inside making for a cleaner finished product when ground down.

View attachment 110417View attachment 110418

Welded on the top half of the frame before flipping it over to weld the bottom side

View attachment 110425
View attachment 110422View attachment 110421

Underside;

View attachment 110419

Then came the fun part of grinding all welds flush so that once its painted you'll never know it wasn't supposed to be this way. No one will ever see it, but I'll know.

View attachment 110420
View attachment 110426
View attachment 110424
View attachment 110423

Motor in background getting a coat of paint, have to still paint the timing cover, it's cast aluminum and was not taking the paint I was using very well. Will most likely need to throw some etching primer on it first.

View attachment 110427

Then came the AJE part. Phew Finally! Fully mocked up minus outer tire rods and strut brace. Plan on dropping the cab on very soon and will square everything up once that is done.

View attachment 110428

Still didn't drill these rear holes as its kind of still a mystery where they go exactly but I think I'm just gonna go with my sharpie marks and call it good. Nothing pre existing on my 93 frame to give me any reference.

Also the AJE kit comes with grade 5 hardware, but I'm going to swap out everything for grade 8 zinc coated, I've got a mixture of some of it now just for mock up.

View attachment 110429

Next up was this front strut hoop mount. My frame from the factory is completely boxed in in this front section making it basically impossible to get a wrench or anything back there to get the nut in place. Those bolts are just in place with no nuts, but I think I can run a carriage bolt on a 1/4x1x3" plate the other way around and put a nut on the outside.

View attachment 110430

This next part is my own doing, as I boxed everything in I had to drill some access holes to get a wrench, a socket, crows foot wrench, everything in the toolbox to gain access to the back of the hardware without completely turning my nice new plate into swiss cheese. I'll plug these up with some rubber/plastic plugs eventually to keep big debris from getting in.

View attachment 110431

pass side, also side note; Milwaukee Dozer Hole Saws are as round as an egg. 0/10 purchase

View attachment 110432

Front spindle mocked up with the race craft 2" drop spindles.

View attachment 110433
View attachment 110434

That's most of the useful pictures and updates I have for now. Will post again once the cab is down and hopefully the motor goes in for the first time.

Thanks for reading!

A most amazing build! Wonderful work!

Perhaps too, all this hard work is also something of a tribute to these little trucks and how special they really are.