RockRangerII the build up.

[RockRanger]

I will find out this weekend I havn't tried the 4wd yet cause there is no where remotly close to my house to try it right now. Expect a few wheeling pictures after new years.

 

[DesertSpive]

Matt,

It has been a long time since I was over here, but I was glad to read this thread. It is great to see you are back in action, RRII looks pretty awesome. Congrats!

--Sean

 

[RockRanger]

Sean nice to see you around. Maybe you could make one of our runs sometime in the future. It would be great to see you again.

I took the truck out over new years weekend to truckhaven to give it a "gentle shake down run". I think the gentle part lasted about 30 seconds then it was on to seeing what kind of trouble I could get into .

The first pic is of its first real flex shot out on the trail. A decent amount but I will need bump stops to help keep the front springs from going negative so far negative (second Pic).

 

[RockRanger]

I was out for about an hour and got a little to aggresive and decided to take an optional line and that took care of the drivers door. Still works fine though. I think a good kick from the inside should hopefully get it closer to being strait.

Then later in the day we found a more flexy spot. I am going to need to cut some sheet metal and I need some bumpstops bad on teh front if I want the spings to live long up there.

 

[410Fortune]

Awesome.
I will say it again, this poor Ranger still has no idea whats in store for it

 

[RockRanger]

So after a few days of wheeling I have found a few things that need to be changed/ addressed

1. I need to replace some of the nuts I used with locking ones. The shock mounts kept coming loose through out the weekend.

2. I need bump stops on the front to make the leafs up front to survive.

3. I need to cut the wheelwells much bigger. I am getting tire rub all over the inner fender on the front. Some of that will be taken care of with bumpstops though. I will cut the fenders along the flares much like DB1 has his cut.

4. I need mud flaps on the rear so I can get the fix it ticket signed off that I got while heading out.

5. I need wheel spacers for the front axle. The tires rub way to fast with 4" of backspacing. My turning radius is about as tight as an aircraft carrier.

6. I need more weight in the bed. The 75 degree down hills were a little interesting with no weight in the back. A spare tire tool box and moving the gas tank will help alot.

For those that were interested in the front driveshaft it worked out great. I had it up to around 25 mph while in 4wd with no vibration. I had the truck up to around 50 with it in 2wd and the hubs locked and had no vibrations there as well. I am very happy of how it worked. When it is time to lengthen the front again when I put my doubler in I will do it the same way again.

I was super happy as well with the aussie locker up front. It was much quiter then the lockright that was in my old truck. It had a little push while on harder surface but that is expected of any locker. I think there were only 2 or 3 times throughout the day that a rear locker would have helped. I was super happy with it and am thinking about getting one for the rear axle as well.

 

[RockRanger]

Awesome.
I will say it again, this poor Ranger still has no idea whats in store for it

It was the same thing with my last ranger. first 12 or so years were nice and calm then I got a hold of it and showed it what the engineers at ford realy ment for a ranger to do

I do like wheeling with the 4.0 much more then the 2.9 It was great having a motor I could lug down to 400 rpms and not have stall on me. Then hit the gas and have it rev to 3000 almost instantly.

 

[410Fortune]

oh yes I know, the 2.9L to 4.0L was a huge improvement, I have been out twice with the 5.0L now, and well....its about the same jump in happyness for the driver.
Effortless power

 

[Jefe]

I do like wheeling with the 4.0 much more then the 2.9 It was great having a motor I could lug down to 400 rpms and not have stall on me. Then hit the gas and have it rev to 3000 almost instantly.

But its not near as much fun to watch without all the stalling & restarting.

 

[FROADER]

But its not near as much fun to watch without all the stalling & restarting.

True, you look at them climbing and they stop, and you're wondering 'what is he doing?' Then you hear the starter go.

 

[RockRanger]

But its not near as much fun to watch without all the stalling & restarting.

But its much more fun in the truck to not have the stalling problems of before. It is also much nicer now having a good ebrake when I stall. Hopefully in a month or two I can have the doubler in the stalling will really be limited.

 

[RockRanger]

So I got a few hours today to work on the truck today. Basically all I got done was built some removeable mudflaps for the rear tires and pulled out my worn out drivers seat and put in RangerX's old passanger seat as my new drivers seat. This gives me the ability to put a center console down the middle of the truck eventually. I also needed teh space for my duel tcase shift lever to eventually come out through the floor. I also want to add a hand operated ebrake handle instead of the floor mounted one I currently have.

 

[Nick26]

pulled out my worn out drivers seat and put in RangerX's old passanger seat as my new drivers seat. This gives me the ability to put a center console down the middle of the truck eventually.

haha, i didn't think that would work like that... will the seat belt connect anymore? and isn't the recline lever on the inside now, getting in the way of a center console?

 

[RangerX]

What's that mudflap hanger made from? Looks beefy as hell!

And that is not a Dr Pepper between the seats.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

Great build up

 

[BKennedy]

First trip out and you already cave in a door?? I think the truck is getting a pretty good idea of what's in store for the future. Fords like a few dents.

 

[RockRanger]

haha, i didn't think that would work like that... will the seat belt connect anymore? and isn't the recline lever on the inside now, getting in the way of a center console?

Seat belts are fine. They are attached to the floor not the seat. I also took the center lap belt out and moved it to the driverside. That way when wheeling I can wear the lap belt and not have tlways be pulling down the sholder harness. I am going to raise the back seat mounts 3/4" once I get some longer bolts. I still feel like I am sitting in a hole. It should also improve visibility over the hood. Yes teh recline lever is on the wrong side. I am going to try to pull them off my driverseat and see if I can get them to fit so it will end up on the right side. Just ran out of time last night to mess with it.

 

[RockRanger]

What's that mudflap hanger made from? Looks beefy as hell!

And that is not a Dr Pepper between the seats.

Hanger is made out of 3/4" square .120 tubing and some 1/8" flat stock bolted to the frame. 1/4" pin and when pulled out they come right off.

Yup there is a Dr pepper can hiding in that pic in two places

 

[410Fortune]

Matt yuou should be able just to use his fabric and foam on your drivers seat frame? Or was it a 60/40?


those mudflaps are missing something....

 

[Jefe]

Those mud flaps look oddly familiar. Except yours are just bolted on