410Custom's builds a 2007 Ranger V8 - custom truck build - Project "Ranger Premier"

[CDW6212R]

Unfortunately Toyota axles are more stout than an 8.8. Toyota uses a setup very close to a ford 9" that supports the pinion bearings very well. You'd be going backwards trying to make it work in my opinion.

Cool. The two pinion bearing support of the 9" is why those are so strong. Almost all rears have just one pinion bearing.

 

[410Fortune]

The Holley has arrived!!!! They shipped it to Brett, he re packaged and sent to me... he probably picked up two of these things knowing him.
Pics coming, progress will be made this weekend. Plans have changed SLIGHTLY
The 07 will be getting a NEW rebuilt 4r70w automatic, the low mile Ford reman that is in there now needs to go into another truck..............
So Eddie Money and I decided to use a Brett built 4r70w in his 07!!!

NOW I can start on the wiring...........I will lay out all the Holley parts and snap some pics!!

 

[EddieMoney]

Thank you Brett!!

I thought he would have worked a bundle for 3!!! Lol. What the heck Brett, 410 needs one for the BII too!!!

 

[410Fortune]

lol good thinkin! bundle and save. Now this is some strange weather for North Idaho in December, or so I have been told.
Instead of this being frozen solid we are having snow followed by rain followed by flooding and now our ditches and ponds that usually do not run unitl spring are full, threatening to flood. Our road is basically a plowed piece of slick ice with patches of dirt for 2 miles from the house to the gate.....yikes.
We are hoping for colder temps and more snow.
This should be frozen solid and I should be on skis/tracks not boots and studded tires.

No reason to watch Nat Geo when it happens right in your back yard, our "mini yukon":

Anyways that cannot stop progress!!! Holley has arrived and we are getting familiar
Here is the 3.5" touchscreen where the magic happens:

Terminator X Max, with built in LED status lights, MAP sensor vacuum line, trans controls and built in accessory controls for things like cooling fan, nitrous shot, you know the basics
Drool drool

More goodies to be incorporated into the new "premier" package LOL

Viper Alarm from Directed with remote start, smart phone remote start, window and seat automation and more

Double din stereo and display for camera's, Lawrence wayfinder

360 degree 4 camera system with sonar
It even comes with grid line mats to lay on the floor and calibrate the camera's wicked wicked cool. Only thing missing is a 3rd person drone to follow you around and record the action from god view!!

Time to start laying this all out in the truck and make a list of junk yard donor parts needed for the EATC, power windows, power seats and power locks/keyless

Merry Christmas!!!

 

[Josh P]

Looks like sex in a box!

 

[410Fortune]

working to modify the trans cross member to accept the prothane F150 AOD mount

here we go

 

[vroomzoomboom]

fox body mustang should also work

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, the Mustang mount might be a bit shorter too, which is closer to the OEM version. I'd want the one most common to find in a pinch.

Watch the front to rear bolt hole location too, that's a hair different on the urethane applications.

 

[410Fortune]

Thanks dudes!!

This is Prothane mount 6-1604 for AOD, it fits stangs and F150 and anything else that had a AOD. You can get it on Amazon

Yes the hole spacing is different on the truck side (pic #2) and the distance from center line is 3/4" different
this is why I'm customizing the cross member to suit!

10,000# 2 post Christmas present to me is installed this blue truck is going to look super sick on its new mount 6' up in the air
I am pretty stoked to be able to do suspension and undercarriage work not on my back!!

 

[Paul]

Holy crap! ! ! What a great build. More !

Paul
'91 Sport
'11 Ranger FX4

 

[EddieMoney]

Hope theres room for one more box....

Heated signal mirrors with red signal


Like a rhinestone cowboy......

 

[410Fortune]

Allright back at it!
Brett is getting ready to ship me the custom built 4r70w for this truck
I have ripped out the front suspension and I am prepping Superlift brackets for install

We are going with a long travel IFS on this truck
We are also going with selectable lockers front and rear

I have been doing MANY hours of research in between wrenching on builds

LONG TRAVEL IFS:
For 98-12 Ranger 4wd long travel kits there appear to be 3 options:

Vegas Desert Fab (VDF)
Blue Torch Fab (BTF)
and
True Travel Dynamics (TTD)

That's it.
No offerings from Camburg, Solo, Giant, Brenthel (Bajakits.com), Total Chaos, or Autofab
I cannot find any info on what happened to Dixon Brothers, I'm assuming they are the VDF group now?
Baker motorsports has fallen off the planet, or if they still exist they do not advertise any kits.
I am sure you could have something fabbed at some of these desert speed shops, but that is not for us.

The VDF kit is nice it uses a high angle ball joint which I really like
The BTF stuff is awesome, uses uniballs
The TTD appears to be the way to go these days, lots of shops are selling that kit. Also uses uniball. I like that they include the upper coilover bracket with provisions for a bypass shock. Also the tabs for limit straps are already in place and there is room for a bump stop.

I am really liking the TTD +2 kit for this truck, +4.5 might be a bit tooo wide for our mostly trail use build here
We will be using one of these long travel kits in addition to the Superlift drop brackets..... This should make things interesting.
I am not seeing any other Rangers setup this way, with a short google search?

LOCKERS:
Months of back and forth with Eddie Money on his traction device options have led us to one conclusion.
We want open diffs for daily driving and snow, with the ability to lock up the diffs when needed.
This is the same conclusion I came to for my truck and my wifes years ago.
So there are no Detroit lockers, Truetrac, Aussie, Eaton, in the future for us.
I will not do a E locker...I don't trust them, So that leaves us with:
ARB (air)
or
OX (cable)

I am going to call Chase at ECGS this week and get his opionion's. I have already formed my own thoughts, ECGS is a dealer for both ARB and OX, I trust what they have to say as we have bought many setups from ECGS and they are AWESOME!
After messing with the on board air systems and ARB lockers for years I like the idea of a cable actuated unit.

Thoughts? Examples? Anyone else go down the long travel + drop bracket route with a RBV?
We are about to!

 

[gmanpaint]

There are a couple of BTF off road companies.

One I recommend is Brandon & Travis aka BTF Fab (Members here as well). They offer a few stage kits. Basic to Bad ass Race, with the race kit using RCV axles & room for 3" shocks. They can take up to 3 months to receive them once ordered, and non-refundable, so beware. lol

98-12 4x4 Ranger/Explorer race Longtravel

Dixon was bought out by Vegas fab years ago. They dropped many of the parts Dixon offered.

I couldn't find a select-able for the SLA D35 at all. I was told that ARB doesn't offer them, and I couldn't find one for OX either. Torsen LS is my only option other than a lunchbox ( currently installed), for a mechanical unit. If you find out different on these lockers, please share!!!

 

[410Fortune]

dang I cannot believe there are no select able lockers for the SLA D35 front axle!!
Thanks for the info, bummer

 

[MrQ]

I have heard you can use the some of the D35 parts for a Jeep rear diff in the Explorer D35, carrier is the same as well as the spline count (27) IIRC.

 

[EddieMoney]

I found this for anyone looking to get the torsen 35 SLA, its should be available now or very soon.

 

[Paul]

Good stuff - - can't rush the progress, but man, want to see this thing come together! Really interested in the Lowrance gear and some of the other electronic gizmos. . . Which says a lot from a guy who still rocks an iPod. . .

Paul
'11 Ranger FX4
'91 Sport

 

[EddieMoney]

@Paul, after seeing what you've done, your interest in the gizmo's is quite a compliment.

 

[CDW6212R]

dang I cannot believe there are no select able lockers for the SLA D35 front axle!!
Thanks for the info, bummer

The special axle snap ring is what makes the Explorer D35 so special, in a bad way. I think only a high end rear end builder could do something with the odd parts(make something from a normal D35 go in there). I doubt there's enough interest to motivate any place like Currie etc. The Torsen will be good for me if it doesn't cause too much pushing in the snow, on slick roads.

 

[gmanpaint]

ARB makes units for CV axles with Cir-clips. The IFS SLA Ford 8.8 found in the F-150 for example.

There is just too much confusion with all the different Ford D35's.

Someone just needs to make a front SLA 8.8 conversion kit, and swap out our D35's! Moar beef all around! LOL