My Low Buck Ranger Build

[Lonesome7.3]

This is my first late model Ranger. I usually get into FirstGens. But this one is proving to be worth the time. When I got this Ranger itwas rather beat down. The interior was nasty and it ran horrible. It was clearthe truck had not been maintained very well. Being since I cannot afford a 4x4right now I have been using this one in the woods and on the trials. Even withan open diff and no T-case it has gone everywhere I have wanted it to. I have todrive around my friends in jack up 4x4’s when they have to get out and lock inthe hubs. I have only gotten stuck once and that was my fault for not paying attention.If I had a traction aid I think I would have gotten out though. So, I am doingto some minor mods to make this truck fit my lifestyle a bit better. I am usinga lot of parts and pieces I already have as well as parts from the salvageyards and seeking out good deals on the rest. Plans include an 8.8 swap with atraction aid and disc brakes, minor suspension lift, 31 inch tires and severalother mods along the way.

Already done:

I got the truck running good with a tune up and cleaning theintake thoroughly. I installed a new clutch, radiator and several other partsand pieces I noticed needed attention.

Interior:

Being since I hate sitting in filth, I started with theinterior. The seats were beyond salvage so I stripped the parts I needed off themand scraped the rest. I used a set of Eddie Bauer 95 F150 bucket seats I hadlaying around. I tore them down to the frames and used the tracks from theRanger seats. They turned out great. Once I get new seat covers I will postphotographs. I gutted the rest of the interior including the dash. I scrubbed,scraped, and disinfected everything. I hung the carpet up and saturated it witha powerful cleaner. After allowing it to soak for a while I sprayed it down andrepeated the process until it was clean on both sides. It even smells goodnow. A couple of days before I startedthis project a friend of mine accidently busted out the rear window. Hereplaced it though. While it was out I pulled the headliner and cleaned it aswell. While everything was out I insulated everything I could. I had a rollleft over from another ranger I did a few years ago. I have no need for a cigarettelighter so I converted mine. I got a 12V cap from a Ranger at the salvage yardand modded the bezel to make it fit. I had to use an O-ring as a spacer but itturned out great. It looks like it came with two 12V outlets from the factory. Ialso sprayed foam under the cub holder bezel that the shifter goes through. Idid this mostly to keep my drinks a little cooler for a little longer. I have noticedit is a little quieter in the truck now. But I think that is also because ofthe insulation I ran throughout the interior. I have not done the doors yet.That “should” be the final step in the interior portion.

Next, the front suspension, Stay tuned.

 

[01f1502wd]

Looks like a fun little truck! I would love to get a ranger and make it a super reliable trail rig, no interior, prolly put in a small block chevy (because cheap and cheap parts/maintaince)

Be sure you replace the back window sticker

 

[Lonesome7.3]

This started because I need tires for the truck but cannotafford a new set. A friend of mine gave me a nice set of 31 inch tires. However,they will not fit. This Ranger sits lower than others like it. It is also the firstFord truck I have owned that is not raked. So, some suspension mods are needed.I bought a cheap two inch kit on line. It sits under the springs and gives mejust enough lift to not only clear the 31’s but also gives them room to moveoff road. The passenger side already has a new Moog upper control arm. Thedriver side got a new upper control arm few years ago when my buddy owned it.However, he booggered up the knuckle when the original control arm broke.Driving on it over the past fear years in turn, boogered up the ball joint onthe upper control arm. I a good used knuckle and warrantied out the uppercontrol arm. Other than the sway bar links, the rest of the front suspensionlooked good. While at the salvage yard I picked up a few sets of good used swaybar links. I placed the lift spacers in the lower control arm and used a springcompressor to install the spring. After greasing absolutely everything, I couldI topped it off with brand new shocks. It gave me the lift I need but I cannotsay I like the ride quality. Even though the seller claimed you do not needshock extensions, I think I need to make a set anyway. I am hoping that mayclean up the ride a bit. I got it aligned and it drives straight and does willon smooth flat roads. But I dread speed bumps.

Next, first round of bed mods.

 

[Lonesome7.3]

The rest.

 

[Lonesome7.3]

Looks like a fun little truck! I would love to get a ranger and make it a super reliable trail rig, no interior, prolly put in a small block chevy (because cheap and cheap parts/maintaince)

Be sure you replace the back window sticker

Yeah, I told him he better find me a new one.

 

[Lonesome7.3]

Next I worked on making the bed more functional. I had thisbed extender off my old Ranger but it has been sitting around for years. I hadno mounting brackets so I figured I would make a set. I used some aluminum angleI had laying around. Once I got them cut to the approximant size I clamped thetwo pieces together and drilled all the holes. I then took a hand file andcleaned up the edges. My intention was to bend them so they matched thebrackets that set that came with it and would look and function like them.However… I learned I cannot bend aluminum to my will. All I did was break oneof the pieces. So, instead, I used square nuts as spacers. I am not happy atall with the final product. But I was not going to start over either. Theystill work, but I prefer a cleaner look. I also gut down the edges of the bedliner. As you can see they had been rubbing the bed for a long time.

 

[Lonesome7.3]

Not sure what I will tackle next. It comes down to what I can afford and what parts I come across at the time.

 

[Zembonez]

Looks like a fun little truck! I would love to get a ranger and make it a super reliable trail rig, no interior, prolly put in a small block chevy (because cheap and cheap parts/maintaince)

Be sure you replace the back window sticker

Yeah, I told him he better find me a new one.

Let's feed O to the

Truck is coming along. I like projects like that.

 

[daddy]

Why all the hate for the Crimson Tide?

 

[slims]

Why all the hate for the Crimson Tide?

Cause....