I think it's time to get going on this

I brought this home a while back and think it may be time to start working it into a mud truck.

That'll be cool Schmitty.But i'm kinda partial to these Rangers.My DD is a 88 4WD,2.9L ---RED

i likes them lil trucks to the 2.9 is a tough lil bas#$#d , i cuss like h e doubletoothpick every time i gotta put a module in one had 1 in a Mercur Scorpio that would scoot

I Love Your Lil Bird Red

I am still trying to figure out exactly what to tackle first. I am on the lookout for a fullsize 80-96 frame to start with. A shortbox would be ideal, but anything will work. There is a few rules in the class I'm going to build it for. I've been visiting with Lem on a block to start with and Adney on the rotating assy, but the heads are still the kicker on this deal. Most of the guys who run in the Mod class around here are putting out some serious hp 1100 and up. I was considering using some of what I have now and adding a set of P's and duplicating what Fabio and KY have and getting close to 1000hp. On the other hand, I could keep Ole Gray together and just start all over with a whole new drivetrain. There are some real good A head engines out there putting out over 1000hp too, and that would be enough for now. As far as the local stuff I run, the P's would kick everyones butt, and I'd be in the hunt with the bigger guys in the state organization, but would probably not cash too many checks. I want to keep this fairly reasonable as far as cost is concerned, if that is even possible when talking about $10k engines and $5k drivetrains. LOL It is going to be built over several years at the rate that I"m putting the cash together right now. Goal for this year is get the cab on a chassis and get started on the engine. If I can, I'd like to find a good set of used cut Boggers too, new ones are big $$$$$. I'm thinking of a good 9" in the rear and a straight D44 from a 70's in the front, gutted 208 T/C and 1350 joints on the shafts.

just my oppinion but u might want to think about leaving it on the ranger frame, it'll be alot lighter and it will achive the same thing as the full size... sure will be a cool build tho. my dad has a 84 ranger short bed with a 614 w/a-heads runs very well...eric

i like the old rangers. Are you putting on some race weight body panels or are you leaving that all as-is?

Side-note: I made a spread sheet of yoke part numbers for some of the common transmissions, and rear ends we'd be using in our projects. If i could figure out how to post a spreadsheet on here i'd do it.

KJett did a little comparison between frame weights of a full size and a Ranger frame and there wasn't hardly enough weight difference to go to all of the trouble making the Ranger frame hold the big block. I don't want to use front/midplates to hold the engine. It will be much cheaper to just use a full size frame with the factory mounts.

Its surprising how little difference the frames can be. I know a truck puller who hole sawed a bunch of holes through their truck frame to try to save weight. After all was said and done he didnt even save enough for an extra suitcase weight on the front.

Schmitty, I have an 89-91 short box 4x4 frame. I just need the cab. If your are interested, give Ground Zero a call it is at his shop. CHEAP!! Maybe a couple cool ones and a little help pulling the cab.

fatal addiction wrote:just my oppinion but u might want to think about leaving it on the ranger frame, it'll be alot lighter and it will achive the same thing as the full size... sure will be a cool build tho. my dad has a 84 ranger short bed with a 614 w/a-heads runs very well...eric

Just a tidbit of info, but a stripped down 89 ranger long bed frame weighs within 50lbs of a 79 f-150 short bed frame. The added bonus of the 79 frame is the wheels just about line up perfectly with the openings and all of the motor, trans, t-case, and sxle mounting points will be right. It's good to have access to a scale!

It you remove all the stock 79 crossmembers and replace them with tubular ones, that weight is dead even! Makes it nice to get a complete drive train then drop a light weight gutted body on the frame. My cab was cut out so much that me and buddy put the cab on by hand. As in we picked the empty cab up and walked it over the rear of the frame and set it in place! I can remove my front clip by myself as 1 piece! It's all about the creative cutting...

Are you wanting to go through the mud or over the top of it? A lightweight 1000 hp ride will let you glide over the top of it especially if on cuts. Front tire sizes?
50 pounds is that much less you will have to pack down the track. Put tubular crossmembers in the ranger frame and save what weight you can. Hole saw the frame all you can if allowed, but keep it safe. Even if there is a weight minimum build it as light as you can or can afford and add weight where necessary to make the truck work.

leathal557 wrote:Schmitty, I have an 89-91 short box 4x4 frame. I just need the cab. If your are interested, give Ground Zero a call it is at his shop. CHEAP!! Maybe a couple cool ones and a little help pulling the cab.

What brand and when?

Well I nailed down the frame and got a set of rear tires, if anyone knows of a good set of 15x38.5x15 cut boggers let me know. I may even consider a set of 11 wides if the price is right. Now I have to get the axles and suspension found.

are you looking for coil sprung or leaf sprung?

Lessons learned from my past year. If it's deep mud and your goal is to get on top, then abandon the idea of running skinny tires! My skinny fronts kept cutting down and sucking the front of my truck in the mud while the wide 39.5x18's tried to pull it back up. I made a pass at the end of the year with a borowed set of wide 38's up front and what a difference! Looks like my skinny 38 bogger set will be put on my woods/hunting truck.

I'm not exactly sure what I will do for the front, but really considering just putting a D44 from the 70's in it. I'm thinking about doing a ladder bar or 4 link in the rear with coilovers, and might do coilovers in the front too.
I'm not in much deep stuff here Karl, mostly just wet and sticky. Probably could run an uncut set up front and be just fine. Not gonna be a whole lot of people gonna keep up with it the way it is.

I can tell you that my ladder bar/coilovers with a monoleaf and spring slider to locate the axle and keep me in class rules is working! If I get a goot bite off the line I can carry the front tires out of the hole. If your class rules don't have any restrictions to not having the leaf, then just go full 4 link and be done. S&W racecars has all fo the parts needed to get you going, you just need to cut your tubes to the lengths you need and figure all the measurements out.

I can use whatever suspension I want in the Modified class. It is pretty open for rules, about the only thing is engine placement and an OEM frame with a couple of factory crossmembers.

Nice. Then make sure whatever you end up with works for you! If you only need 2 factory crossmembers, then leave the front under the engine and the middle where the cab sits. The rest will need to be replaced anyways with the coilover and ladder bar or 4 link mounts. Then make sure you do what I'm doing this winter and ditch the factory stamped trans crossmember for a tubular light weight deal. That flat place acts like a scoop to keep mud in front of the transfer case!

Well been pretty busy here and haven't had much time to put towards this truck. Thinking about doing an air bag rear suspension. Has anyone seen somebody do this before?

schmitty wrote:Well been pretty busy here and haven't had much time to put towards this truck. Thinking about doing an air bag rear suspension. Has anyone seen somebody do this before?

My brother's 4x4 92 f150 is fully set up for towing and has Air Lift air springs in the back for towing. It came like that, he said it road really smooth. Can go from 5psi to 100psi and make it have quite some rake like back in the day if you air them up a bunch. This is what his setup looks like:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/AIR-57215/

What I'm thinking about is using air bags on the rear instead of conventional type springs. I have a kit that a buddy cut me a great deal on. I'm thinking about a trailing arm style suspension like trophy trucks use with the pivot point somewhere under the cab, and a panhard bar to locate side to side. The big kicker will be figuring out what to use for shocks. My reasons for trying this, is that the air bags are easily adjustable even coated in mud and they should provide more travel on the rougher tracks.

Engine has been decided on. Don't think the Ranger body will get on the chassis this year, so I'll keep running the F150 for another year. I will try to graft the Ranger body on next year. Too many upgrades have to happen this year to the chassis and drivetrain to let me get to the body. I hope the new bullet will make it fly.

I sell you my whole 85 ford ranger 4x4 for $500

schmitty wrote:Engine has been decided on. Don't think the Ranger body will get on the chassis this year, so I'll keep running the F150 for another year. I will try to graft the Ranger body on next year. Too many upgrades have to happen this year to the chassis and drivetrain to let me get to the body. I hope the new bullet will make it fly.

It will