1954 F100 short bed body onto a 1999 Ranger short bed Chassis

[410Fortune]

is that hood safety latch broken? looks odd in pic

is that wire copper or just copper coated? Wire is super expensive right now! I had to buy 100' of 8ga + and - for running solar panels.......sheesh PRICEY!!!!!!!!

 

[Josh P]

The picture is too blurry to read the print on the insulation. At 10 feet that wire should be good to 150 amps of current.

 

[allmyEXes]

The cable is really heavy like copper. On Amazon they are $70- plus. Here is a link to an Ebay one.
10 ft cable I remember somehow getting it cheaper than this.
The hood latch was damaged in the rollover accident.
A couple of hood pics in post #26. It's recyclable aluminum.

 

[Josh P]

Sometimes when I need wire, I check the recycling yards around phoenix. Sometimes you can find spools of wire probably stolen from the finest businesses in town for a lot less than retail. A Macgyver method to crimping lugs onto the ends of the wire is to find a nut slightly smaller than the lug, cut it in half then use a vise to crush the nut together on the lug.

 

[allmyEXes]

Testing the cruise control unit

I think that the way that I'm trying to test the CC unit is good. To turn the system on I am touching the power wire with the 1K ohm resistor to the light blue/black wire, to the Control Switch Input lead. Then to set/accelerate I'm touching the 680 ohms resister the CS Input.
I have the truck on stands however at 50 MPH the right wheel is shaking quite a bit. Must be the old tire that has threads showing. I think that my test is good but I'm not even sure that the LKQ INC unit works. And I had read that the control unit is engine specific. I took the one off of the 4.0 powered truck and from the end/tip of the cable to where it bolts down to the bracket, it is an 1.5 to 2 inches longer. I wonder how the 5.0 cable end compares? Post #98 has some factory wiring schematics...
So, until next weekend, when I can track down my friend with a 2002 Ranger 3.0, I'm on hold. I want to bolt my control unit on his truck and head down the road in it and test using the stock steering wheel switches.

 

[allmyEXes]

Maybe I need to install a fuse somewhere?
Also, I may be missing a brake position switch.
ADDED: Fuse #9 7.5 is the brake pedal position switch. This may be the brake light switch.
There should be a fuse #10 in the PD Box.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d fuse the circuit wherever you are grabbing power.

 

[allmyEXes]

The main power is coming off of a brown 6 pin connector under the dash that used to go up to the clock spring. I'm going to look for fuse #10, under the hood.

 

[allmyEXes]

Both fuses are in.
As I was putting the cruise control module back on the '97 Explorer, I got the idea to take the one off of the Ranger and plug it in to the Explorer harness under the hood. Then I ran the control cable through the passenger window and went for a drive. I was moving along about 52 mph and the converter was locked. Then I armed the system and pressed the set/accel button and the cable moved 3/4" or more. So, I feel like I have a good part. I put it back on the Ranger and couldn't get it to work. But my warranted unit is good. When I thin down the body harness, I will trace all of the cruise control wires and make sure that I have everything that I think I need to get it working. That's all I'm doing too the CC for now.

 

[allmyEXes]

Turn Signal switch info: More to be added to later
I'm attempting to find a chart that says what each color of wire does. No luck yet.

684 pink/yel
359 gry/red
880 lt blu/org
44 lt blu
385 wht/red
3 lt grn/wht
9 dk blu/wht
5 brn/yel
2 wht/lt blu
511 lt grn

these are for high beams
dk blu/org
red/yel
gry/org
red/blk

Found something for a 2001 Sport Trac

additional info
Added Sat 9-10-22 This information isn't exactly correct for my '99. I believe the chart just above is for some year of Ford truck.

 

[allmyEXes]

last night and this morning, I have been looking for a chart that says what color of wires does what as it has to do with the turn signal part of the multi switch. I have the wiper part figured out as what to do with them and also the headlight wiring. But I still need to sort out the turn signal wires.
Left front signal color
Right front signal color
Left rear signal color
Right rear signal color
Also trying to understand how this emergency flashers work in and out of this. Do one of you wiring "brainiacs" know about this? I think 2nd Gen Explorer may be the same as 1998 to 2001 Ranger. This info might be in Jamie's BIG book.

 

[410Fortune]

I will have my wiring books out tonight I will look see!!!

 

[allmyEXes]

I'm getting my every Saturday dose of Ranger wiring. Between it being limited as to what I can do this this project at home, and glad to be working on the bulk of the wiring early in the project, later when it's time for the road tests, I won't have wiring holding me up.
Here is what I have done today. I unplugged the turn signal part of the switch and wrote down the wire colors. Also I used the Ford truck chart that is not exactly the same and I think that I have the switch part "decoded".

Dark blue/white Trailer tow connector?
Brown/yellow Trailer tow connector
Solid light green Brake pedal position switch
Light green/white Left front turn signal
White/blue Right front signal
White/red Full-time power
Solid light blue Flasher to switch

This may or may not be correct. I would like to compare to what Jamie has in his book.
Also, I think that somewhere I read that there are separate relays for left and right. There is one flasher relay.
I did a test of the emergency flashers and all four corners blinked. I did a turn signal test and only the right side would flash.
Question: Do I have a bad left side signal relay?
Fuse and relay box info

 

[joney]

Make sure you add the "recall" to that red cruise control brake switch, that is the sucker that was burning down Fords and owners homes
They add a series of fuses, I am sure you have the recall harness around somewhere

If not, a replacement can be ordered! I did.

 

[allmyEXes]

After looking at fuse and relay diagrams, I've determined that there are not separate left and right signal relays but there are separate left and right side fuses. I checked #3 and it was good. Then I noticed that my left front bulb wasn't flashing with the rest when it had the emergency lights on. I messed with the bulb and got it to contact. However, to get the left side to flash, I could hold the flasher lever and it would flash. If I clicked the left side down, it wouldn't flash. Must be a Ranger switch issue which I won't be using anyway. I had a faulty flasher relay that would buzz when it would quit flashing. I plugged in a yellow ford one that I recently picked up. It was flashing real fast though. Half of the bulbs up front are not plugged in and the '54 will only have one 2 filament 1157 bulb per corner. I think that it is not enough load on the stock flasher to flash slow. It would be good when your towing and the trailer lights plugged in.

 

[allmyEXes]

I still have to verify that the 1968 Mustang/Cougar turn signal switch, that I want to use will physically fit and be able to secure it properly in the F100 bell of the column. I will just have to add a hole on the side of the bell for the emergency flasher button.
1968 Mustang turn signal switch info
Here is a summary of the info
pin2 white/blue RH front turn
pin3 green/white LH front turn
pin4 green brake light switch
pin7 white/red Emergency flasher full time power
pin8 green/orange LH rear flasher
pin9 orange/blue RH rear flasher
pin10 blue Turn signal flasher

Well look at that, the colors for the 1968 Mustang switch match the 1999 Ranger. Mostly...
If you look back a few posts, there is a chart for the F150 that I wasn't sure about. It turns out that the extra color info matches up to the 1968 switch.
1968 Mustang turn signal switch source

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune I think that I might have the turn signal wiring figured out.
The windshield wipers will be a stand-alone system and the hi-lo headlight switch will have to be on the floor wired 3 wire.
The headlights will use the stock Ranger in dash switch.
There is still a little work to do on the ignition switch wiring plan.
@Josh P I like the split/half nut idea as a crimper.

 

[allmyEXes]

'54 F100 Steering Column
Parts have been coming in for a few vehicles that will have to have some kind of modification to the columns before they go back in. One is the '54 column. The truck will be using the stock '99 Ranger rack&pinion however the '54 cab will still have the '54 column in it. It will be too long though. From end to end it is 37.25 inches. I have a shaft out of a '65 Mustang steering box that is a solid 3/4" shaft. It is about 37" too. The column will need to be cut down to ~ 34" and the shaft ~36". I was able to purchase a lower column bearing that is 1.5" in diameter. Also 2 set screw 3/4" collars. The collars will keep the shaft from moving up or down. A little dimple for each Allen screw of the collars also with thread lock on the screw/s.

bearing and collars

The bearing fits very snug up in the end of the tube. The factory clamp is more than adequate to hold it all tight. Here is a
picture of the bearing and collars on shaft.

The original "3 on the tree" column that has been modified to operate just one lever.
More later...

 

[allmyEXes]

'54 F100Steering Column continued:
I was able to get in a few hours this week on the old truck mixed in on adding Prius steering to a 1967 Mustang Fastback. The owner of it is 73 and doesn't have as much upper body strength as he did when he was 19 just home from Vietnam when he purchased it new. The vehicle has somewhere between 600.000 and 700,000 miles on it. Also we got in some time on the Mustang II project. Back to the truck.
Here is a picture of the '54 column housing tube laying beside the Mustang/Prius set-up.

'54 column before shortening. I've settled in on the column tube being cut to 34" to go with the steering shaft cut to 36" with one inch of shaft sticking out of the top and one inch sticking out of the bottom

The steering shaft is at the Machinist having a 'DD' cut on the bottom of the shaft

1967 Mustang turn signal switch being fitted to the truck column

Measuring to get the column at the stock height. This is easy if you have an original steering box in place. I did not. I had to get a measurement from a 1953-55 F100 owner. Sometimes a ruler or a yard stick is better than a measuring tape that won't stay locked

Column in chop saw. Yes is the answer to all of you 'Woodworking people' that is a recommissioned 'Compound Miter' saw

There are a pair of column bracket bolts that hold up the column. Fortunately, I had mine. Copies can be made out of short carriage bolts.
A few of you aren't old enough to know why they are called carriage bolts...

Column shift rod has a hole in it to hold the shift lever in a certain spot. The shift rod is getting shortened too so the pin hole has to be relocated. There is a slug tack welded in the hollow tube to have something solid for the pin to ride in.

Slug will be reinstalled after new hole is drilled. The factory had spot welded the tube in 4 places. Coincidentally my cut was right through them and the slug was easy to remove.
ADDED: Early next week I will be picking up the 36" steering shaft from the Machinist. It is a recycled '65 Mustang shaft cut off of a wore out steering gear box. 'DD' on the bottom end will fit an aftermarket DD u-joint. It will be attached to a shaft going down to the Ranger that has DD on one end and Ford 'V' (shaped like an ice cream cone) at the R&P. There may be a little different configuration in the end.

RockAuto picture of rack connection.
credits to Speedway Motors and RockAuto for pictures...

 

[allmyEXes]

Today I got the shaft from the Machinist. I didn't remember machine work costing so much. No trip to Olive Garden this Friday Evening.
The bottom of the column has a temporary collar until the "DD" steering U-joint arrives. I'm going to trim the bottom of the column tube to get everything to an exact length. I want the DD end of the shaft at least 1" into the u-joint. It will also serve as the lower collar and there is one above the hotrod column saver bearing which is 3/4" ID and 1.5 " OD.

Here is a picture of the column assembly near ready.

18" stock '54 F100 steering wheel. I'll be able to steer with one finger with the Ranger power steering rack&pinion