Completed Project Kirby's 1991 Ranger Build Up

I haven't posted much here since I sold my 1993 Mazda Navajo around 2010 or 2011. It was 10 years in the making and finally to a solid, reliable state. I had some other priorities and decided to sell it and get something more versatile. I will include some pictures below of its developing states and final state when I sold it below. In the end, it had 37" MTRs, Arb front, detroit rear, 4.56 gears, D and D doubler and I built all the armor and the Dana 44 front Solid Axle Swap.

James duff 3.5" VR coil lift, 235" defender tires and a home made heavy ugly bumper (around 2000 when I bought it) :

2001 with 33x10.50s and James duff 4.5" lift with extended radius arms, manual hubs and new auto tranny:

Here it is just after the SAS with 34s and a swapped in manual tcase and tranny:

Winching out of Mikeys hot tub circa 2002 or so

Stuck on a tree just after 37s

37s, winch bumper rebuild etc

Final State Explorerforum moab trip 2010

Last Poser Shots

I hear it still gets around Colorado and Utah and I have had buddies call me with airings from time to time.

I have had a few rangers and one explorer since I sold my explorer.
Here are some pics of those:

Beat up 1994 Ranger 2.4l ($250)

Traded 1993 Ranger 4.0l and an abused auto tranny

1991 Manual Tcase and Tranny Explorer Sport

We have also had a ton of cool Jeeps. Here are a couple of pics, along with our current Jeep which we are hanging on to:

2005 unlimited Rubicon Sahara 5.7 L Hemi

2005 unlimited Rubicon 35s and 4" lift

Our Current 2005 Unlimited Rubicon 4" Lift 315 Kevlars

It does great grocery getter, family truckster, and occasional wekend wheeler, but I need a truck and I miss my exploder, so I decided to build a Ranger. However, I want to build it a little different this time.

I have always wanted to build a 1989-1992 ranger, so I spent a considerable amount of time looking for a low mile one with the right engine, tranny and tcase in good shape. 4.0l, m5od and 1354M stock. My explorer ended up with this combo, but started out as an auto tranny and tcase. This made for a ton of modifications and headaches with my explorer. Rangers can be had in many other undesirable configurations because they were available with 3 different v6s in 1989-92 and a 4cylinder. It proved to be a difficult task. Finally in the fall of 2012 I picked this one up. A 1991 4.0l manual tranny and transfer case 4x4 extended cab "mountain States Edition. It had 130k on it and ran great. The paint was toast, it had a rusty bed and (my biggest complaint) it had no factory air.

I drove it for a year until I was ready to have it painted. I fixed a bunch on it- thermostat, muffler, wheel bearings, brakes, had a new headliner installed, etc. When I got a quote for the paint (one solid color and fix the dings) it was 2k. So then I started thinking I better look for a different ranger to build! I settled on this one. It too is a 1991, it has air (huge plus after not having it in my other truck all summer), manual case and tranny and everything else and a 4.0. The body is really straight no rust and the interior is super nice. The odo read 83k and I believed it.

Since then I tracked down the original and only owner to find it has 183 k on it and they were all hwy miles. The only complaints I have is I wish it had the other mirrors and pop out extended cab windows. I can deal with those, though. This truck has been taken care of.

First order of business was a tune up, brakes and leaky valve cover gaskets.

The build plan is pretty simple: build it similar to how my explorer ended up, with out all the half builds in between. It took me a lot of work and money to get my explorer to preform well off-road and on the street and be reliable. On this one I want to skip all the poor performing, cheapskate half steps I took with the explorer.

My goal is to end up with a reliable, daily drive able, off-road capable ranger that will make a great driver, great work truck and great expo vehicle. I like the idea of a truck over a explorer sport because I need to haul dirt bikes and Sheetrock and plywood and all kinds of stuff all the time so I always needed a pickup when I had the explorer even though I wanted to drive the explorer all the time. Hopefully this will do both functions well.

So far, I have installed:

A blue tooth pioneer stereo (replacing the stock tape deck)

A optima yellow top

A Black grill and headlight bezels along with new headlights:

The only body work it needs is the topper it had on it was put on with a loose and poorly placed clamp that rubbed a hole in the bed cap. I will weld it up and hopefully add a LineX bedliner over the top

I purchased a Dana 44 out of a 76 f150 with no guts or outers for a $50 bill. I still have my spare warn premium hubs off my ex, and I plan to build this one stout before I put it in and leave it full width but move the c bushings in about 2" per side. I will likely then run stock style f150 wheels with stock backspacing and 35s or 37s as skinny as I can find. It will get a full rebuild and at least 4.88s, maybe 5.13s. I am not decided on radius arms yet. I suppose extended ones are on the bill instead of the stock wristed ones I had before, but I haven't sorted that out yet. The wrist traveled fine but it clunked and made a racket and it was also a pain to get out and pull the pin when it was time to wheel. Extended arms won't perform quite as well on the street as the stock length ones did with the pin in, but longer arms should stream line things.

For the rear I will rebuild a full width late model 31 spline 8.8 put of a bronco or f150 and install explorer disk brakes. I will likely need to have the axle flanges turned down and drill the rotors for the new bolt pattern.

I will extend the wheel base around 3" by moving the front axle forward and leave the rear axle centered in the wheel well. I plan to leave the bed size stock as I need the truck to haul stuff all the time. I will build bumpers and sliders before I beat it up this time.

Stay Tuned, I am picking up the front axle tomorrow.

 

[DB_1]

Good deal...glad you got it worked out

Harbor freight has a decent looking cart that has drawers I've been eyeballing for awhile. Might be able to pick one up cheap during the holiday season.

 

[section525]

Looking good, Kirby! I was just in your area again for T-day. I'm thinking of buying a house I like it so much there!

 

[Kirby N.]

Let me know if you move out section. It seems like homes are moving fast right now.

I have been enjoying the ranger, but the speedometer quit a few weeks ago. It bounced around a bunch reading random things then just quit at pegged. Idk what the deal is. I have tried to do some research but there doesn't seem to be much out there on it. The odometer works fine, so it's not the cable. It must be internal. Maybe a gear in the cluster? Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Tia

 

[timtimtimajim]

It might be the gear in the transfer case for the speedometer. It's located at the back of the transfer case where the driveshaft connects in. The gear is only plastic so it's very likely it stripped out or broke.

 

[Kirby N.]

I will check that. I swapped in a new one recently to compensate for the tires and gears. I don't think it is that because the odometer and cruise control work fine.

 

[timtimtimajim]

Well if it's not the gear it would have to be something with the cluster. Maybe the connection between the cable and the speedometer. I can't remember exactly how the two are connected, but I do know the connection can go bad. I have a buddy with an Aerostar and he has the same issue you're having. He said it had to do with the connection between the cable and speedometer.

 

[Kirby N.]

I ripped out the cluster and dropped it off at the local speedo shop. He said it is really common for fords and likely needs a jewel and a magnet. $95.

I got to use my welder too. Almost got the jeep bumper done before I ran out of gas. That's a new sensation for me.

 

[josh40601]

I changed all the fluids in the ranger and raised the breather hoses in prep for hunting. Then last week, I really put the ranger through its paces. 5.5 hours of highway at 80 mph, then snow/ mud wheeled all week, then drove it home at 80 mph another 5.5 hours. I even got to yank out a jk on 37s who was stuck. You can't tell from this pic but it has all 4s chained up due to the 24" deep snow up high. The ranger performed flawlessly.

I didn't kill an elk, but I got to shoot at a few and my buddy Phil murdered a cow.

On the way home I picked up my daughter at my parents and cycled the suspension in my favorite spot I have used since I was 12 with my blazer. The driveshaft still hits a little bit but it is a simple trim. She flexes excellent. (Excuse the hunting mud. I did wash the front so I could see out to drive home)

Unfortunately I need to do some more trimming. Or some bump stops. Or both.

The rear:

The front:

I also broke my inside door handle. So I have to roll the window down and use the outside handle. Lame!

A note on the bumps vs trimming... My ranger had the same problem, and ended up collapsing both sides of the bed and the edges of the fenders, and I blame this on not having bumps. With bumps, it will limit your up travel, and allow the front and rear suspensions to flex, providing much more down travel. This is one thing I will be working on with the revised version of the truck.

As far as the rest of the truck goes, very nicely done. I even like the bronco alcoas! such a nicely done simple ride.


What are your plans for transfer case? Is duffy still around? Sorry if you already covered this in the thread

 

[Kirby N.]

The bumper is done:

I mounted up my cheap winch with the integrated solenoid that wouldn't fit my ranger too.

I drove the ranger to x games in Aspen this weekend.

It was a 3 hour drive. The truck got up to 17 mpg. But then for much of it I was going fast so it was wrapped out. Those times it got 13 or so.

According to my gps I broke triple digits in my crawler. That was fun. It's fine at that speed but a little wound.

Lastly before the trip I did a throttle cable mod I read about on another forum. Basically, you add zip ties to the end of your throttle cable to remove the slack a stretched cable causes. Then you get wot again. It really woke my truck up. I can't believe I have never heard of this mod.

 

[BKennedy]

I have had mine up to about 85, but only before any modifications with the TTB and after the SAS. It's amazing how stable a radius armed solid axle is, even with large tires and long coils.

 

[Kirby N.]

A note on the bumps vs trimming... My ranger had the same problem, and ended up collapsing both sides of the bed and the edges of the fenders, and I blame this on not having bumps. With bumps, it will limit your up travel, and allow the front and rear suspensions to flex, providing much more down travel. This is one thing I will be working on with the revised version of the truck.

As far as the rest of the truck goes, very nicely done. I even like the bronco alcoas! such a nicely done simple ride.


What are your plans for transfer case? Is duffy still around? Sorry if you already covered this in the thread

Thank you. I am really happy with the truck. The rims were hard to find, but ended up costing me $20 a piece and I have 5 from the local pick and pull.

I do plan on bumping it at some point. I haven't decided how or where I am going to get the funds. I like bkennedys jounce cans and I am leaning that way at the moment. I am not sure how I will do the rear and the front is really tight space wise so it will take some thought. I would still really like to do fiberglass and paint. We will see though.

I have no plans for another tcase right now. The 1354 manual in it will be fine for now. I won't be doing another doubler if I do change the tcase. After all the extra work and extra cost associated with the last d and d doubler I decided if I had to do it again it would be an atlas. But, again it's money and the 1354 is just fine right now.

 

[BKennedy]

For the rear bumps, I have had the same set of Daystars for many years and they are not showing any wear. They contact the U-bolt plate and are mounted to the stock location. In my build thread, page 44, post 874 are some pics when I dropped the bumps a little.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387037&page=44

 

[josh40601]

looks like a great trip! Fastest I've ever had the Ranger was a little over 80. I drove 75-80 in it everyday when it was still powered by the worn out 4-o.

 

[Kirby N.]

For the rear bumps, I have had the same set of Daystars for many years and they are not showing any wear. They contact the U-bolt plate and are mounted to the stock location. In my build thread, page 44, post 874 are some pics when I dropped the bumps a little.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387037&page=44

Cool. The stock position is the same spot on the frame rail for the ranger above the axle, but the springs are outboard of the frame. So the bump will actually miss the spring pack. Which is fine except it will have to reach all the way down to the axle. I don't know if it will reach that far. I will have to do some flexing and measuring.

 

[josh40601]

what about just putting a bump stop on the end of a tube, and putting the tube where you want it? Could even sleeve it, drill holes in the side of the tubes, and have an adjustable BS. That's the plan for the Ranger's rear to keep the tires out of the bedsides this time around

 

[Kirby N.]

That is pretty much how I did the explorer many years ago. Here is a couple of pics:

Actually welded a cap on the end of a pipe Union then bolted the bump on there and screwed it on to the tube.

I didn't like that it wasn't progressive and it wasn't tunable. Last resort I will do the same, but I prefer to build in some adjustment and use a progressive bump of sorts.

 

[josh40601]

I didn't like that it wasn't progressive and it wasn't tunable. Last resort I will do the same, but I prefer to build in some adjustment and use a progressive bump of sorts.

Ahh, now I understand.

 

[BKennedy]

I originally had the bumps for the front in nearly the same location you had on your Explorer, and the same bumps. I made them adjustable by making up some screw in spacers that were in 1/2", 1" and 1-1/2" lengths. When I got the length correct, I welded them together.

 

[Kirby N.]

I have been busy. I sleeved and gusseted my buddies '13 jkr front axle. That was a fun project.

I got the ranger out and stretched its legs last night. The driveshaft is still making contact on the gas tank skid, but further back. I modded it further back and now it is barely touching the front on full articulation. I need to deal with that again I guess.

Pics of the stretching

Front at full stuff:

That is pretty much all the front shocks have. The front definitely has more travel and travels with less effort then the rear. However, I am really happy with the travel on the rear. It actually travels even with the very light rear end. I got it to lift a rear tire. I have yet to lift a front.

 

[Kirby N.]

I borrowed my moms Honda pioneer sxs this weekend for youth camp. The golf carts wasn't going to cut it in the blizzard that was forecasted. It barely fit in the ranger, but it fit!

My pops and my dog thought it fit.

I used my winch about 15 times this weekend. I pulled people in everything from a Mercedes to a Nissan Leaf.

It was a blast. And my winch mount held up ok in current form.

The toughest pull was this:

1 ton van loaded up with all our sound gear pulling a little enclosed trailer. I had to pull it all the way up a hill.

This is when it was almost out and at the top- my winch was spooling up too thick on one side so I am spooling it out a little and I'll keep pulling.

It kept pulling my truck across the road, so I had to anchor it up.

Good times! I would have anchored with a chain but I left my other one in the jeep so my 30k strap worked ok.