This forum needs some excitement!! DB_1's Ranger SAS rebuild

[DB_1]

Since my last post on here I recieved the front fender flares and got them installed. They went on as easily as the rears but there's a gap I couldn't get rid of at the body seam...no big deal though.

Something interesting that I noticed after the Cleghorn/BB trip was that my
remote resevior on the drivers side was rubbing on the inner support structure
of the hood and nearly wore a hole in the res' itself I have relocated the resi's to the shock hoops so now they are in a safer position...forgot to snap pics of that but i'll get some up.

The next order of business is my tail lights, I destroyed the drivers side tail light last trip out and I decided that's the last time I want to replace those things at $40 bucks a pop. I few ideas ran through my head like using jeep lights mounted inside the bed, or magnetic trailer lights that I would stick on the bumper then move into the bed out of harms way. I'd still have to find a place for some back up lights with the magnetic lights idea so thats out.
I started doing some searching and www.roundeyes.com has some pretty cool stuff, I was looking at their round LED's but I really don't want something that big (4" dia.).
Then I came across www.superbrightleds.com which has more of what I was looking for. They've got some 2" dia and 2.5" dia. in red and white for back up lights. I'm gonna get 2 reds and 1 white for each side...haven't decided which size yet. They have a bracket that holds 3 of the 2.5 inchers so if I went with those, i'd mount the bracket just on the inside where the tailgate would be next to the old tail lights. Hopefully that bracket will have enough flex in it that if I backed into a hill or whatever that it would bend with out breaking the lights but if a light did break, it'll only cost me about $8 insted of $40

Today I made a template off of my remaining tail light and transferred it to some 22 gauge sheet metal. These will fill in the holes where the old lights were so those will get bashed insted of the lights

EDIT: The light bracket is for the 4" lights only, I just ordered 4 of the 2" red ones and 2 of the 2.5" white ones and i'll have to make my own bracket.

Pics (just for you section )

Fender flares:

Tail light filler plates:

 

[DB_1]

I got some new bling in this week as well as some other crap that should keep me busy this weekend.

Change in plans on the LED lights, since the stop lights are 3 wire while the turn and back-up lights are 2 wire, I ended up buying the 4" round LED's because that's the smallest I could find with the right wire configuration.
So now I'll have the 4" round LED's doing double duty as the stop and turn signals and then the 2.5" round white LED's on top of those. I think it'll be a cleaner look than having 3 LED's in a row like originally planned.
Filler plates still need to be attatched as well, just need to figure out how i'm gonna do that

Finally got some mudflaps that will fit my truck...sort of. Went to NAPA and got some big ol 24" wide trucker flaps that i'll cut to fit. Everything else I saw wasn't wide enough.

Recieved a full set of Superiors to slam in my D44 but I need to order some Longfield joints first. The axles come with spicer joints but no way i'm gonna run those.
The reason for the Cro-mo's is that I finally bought a front locker I ordered an Aussie locker and it should be here next week.

Last but not least (drum roll please) a set of Allied rock-a-thon beadlocks
I chose the black Rock 8 style, 16x8 w/3.75" BS and recieved them 2 days after ordering them from: http://www.highimpact.net/wheels/index.htm ...pretty damn fast!
I originally wanted an aluminum beadlock like Walker Evans or buy a set of aluminum wheels and send them to Champion Beadlocks to have them do the beadlock treatment to them. The WE beadlocks are awesome but they are expensive and I'd have to buy new tires to boot since mine are 16" and WE's are a 17" wheel. My tires are still pretty new and I like them so far for off roading and would hate to get rid of them. Buying new wheels and sending them to be beadlocked would also be expensive and would be a hassle.
The rock-a-thons were $200 a wheel and in stock and they weigh only 5 lbs. more than their aluminum beadlock wheel so it was pretty much a no brainer for me. I'm really looking forward to installing and torquing 160 bolts (I bought 5 wheels) Here's a pic:

Killer Chihuahua guarding my wheels:

 

[410Fortune]

wow those are all quite the project boosts!

how about welding in the filler panels?

 

[RockRanger]

I like my aussie up front. Seems quieter and smoother thrn the lockright I had in my 86 ranger. You will love being locked up front. Looks like sometime this winter we will have to do a hammers trip.

 

[DB_1]

wow those are all quite the project boosts!

how about welding in the filler panels?

You know I was going to but i'd have to do a lot of finish grinding so they'd fit perfect in there and I don't have the patience to do that plus i'm pretty sure I'll smash em up while wheelin then I'll make some out of 16 gauge instead of the 22 gauge they are made from now. I got them finished and screwed in using the existing holes for the tail lights...makes them easily replacable.
Also got the tail light assembly's done and they're not half bad IMO. Hopefully they will be out of harms way now. Just gotta wire them up and i'm good to go

Got my locker today so as soon as I order the Longfield joints I can get everything installed. So yeah Matt, Hammers are looking promising

I worked on one of the beadlocks just to see how it would go and man is it a lot of work. Installing the wheel itself is cake, it's the tightening of the 32 bolts that is a pain but I came up with a system that ensures even tightening so the next 4 wheels should go a bit faster. To balance the wheels i'm going to try some beads from www.innovativebalancing.com which a lot of big rigs have been using and now popular in the off road world so we'll see how that works out when I recieve them.

 

[FROADER]

Looking good Dave. I love flat black!

 

[410Fortune]

you have built a monster! Nicely done

 

[DB_1]

Got some good news and some bad news...good news is over the weekend I finally finished up my tail lights by adding the 2" round blinkers and everything works great except eventually i'll have to get the relays to stop the fast blink but I can live with it for now. I went to snap some pics of the lights in action but my camera needed to be recharged Tomorrow I'll get some pics posted.

Bad news is I went to take the truck for a test spin to see how it drives with the new beadlocks and it started shaking VIOLENTLY at around 45mph or so Scared the crap outta me as well as traffic coming the other way, they slowed down wondering what the hell was going on with my truck. I let off the gas and it still was shaking so I quickly slowed it down to about 20mph then cruised it back to my house. I put the recommended 10oz. of dynabeads in each wheel but obviously that didn't do a thing so hopefully I can find a place to balance them the regular way.

 

[IZwack]

shaking VIOLENTLY at around 45mph or so Scared the crap outta me as well as traffic coming the other way, they slowed down wondering what the hell was going on with my truck. I let off the gas and it still was shaking so I quickly slowed it down to about 20mph then cruised it back to my house.

I'm going through the same issues after my SAS its alll fun and games

 

[section525]

Here here. Still chasing clunks and bangs here too.

Lookin good Dave. Thanks for the pics.

 

[redranger4.0]

my guess is that you need another 5 oz or so in each tire. they recomend 10 oz for regular wheels, which are more balanced then a beadlock. i say step up the weight in each one.

 

[Jefe]

my guess is that you need another 5 oz or so in each tire. they recomend 10 oz for regular wheels, which are more balanced then a beadlock. i say step up the weight in each one.

I'd have to agree. I've got 8oz. of Equal in my 35's on steel wheels and that is barely enough now that they're half worn.

 

[Stic-o]

Here here. Still chasing clunks and bangs here too.

Here as well, that's why it's on "operation DD mode" I can slowly work out all the qwarks I still can't drive over 50mph

 

[IZwack]

I still can't drive over 50mph

My limit is 35

 

[Stic-o]

My limit is 35

Well to tell the truth I get a little vibe up til 35, then it gets worse, and from 35-49 you think this is bad! Then you get to 50 and it gets really bad, and you get this really loud (and I do mean loud!) tone from under the truck.

 

[bmxking5]

My limit is 35

I haven't reached my limit yet and I've had it up to 85 so far.

 

[DB_1]

I just may try out more beads and see what it does, too bad it takes forever for the stuff to get here from NY

Here's some pics of the lights in action, didn't even try to get one of the signals working but they work.

Parking lights:

Stop lights:

Back up lights:

 

[Jefe]

I haven't reached my limit yet and I've had it up to 85 so far.

Heck, past 80 mine rides like a Cadillac.
I've even had it up to 95 once. But that was flooring it down a 10% grade. LOL

 

[FROADER]

Looks sweet Dave. I like the brightness of the reverse lights.

 

[DB_1]

Looks sweet Dave. I like the brightness of the reverse lights.

Thanks, I was thinking they would make good rock lights too.