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

[gmanpaint]

Glad to see an update.
While you have the 88 stripped, it's a great time, to heat and weld the tubes to the center. If Eddie is interested in a rear Bridge or truss, I got the hook up for great affordable DIY weld kit.

I hope you don't have to wait another 3 months for the rear Kings. Everybody is slow right now. AA said yesterday that any new Atlas orders made, will not ship until December!

So is the front staying open? Not entertaining the LS?

As far as the CV's go.... What happens if one breaks? Will spares be bought once figured out? I won't leave the house w/o both spares loaded. LOL

 

[410Fortune]

No more bump stop, frame again prepped for final shock tower placement

Modified tower now cleaned and coated with weld through primer (protects your parts and welds from developing rust)

You can see the "fingers" that used to drop down onto the frame rail have been removed, some grinding was done to help clear the coilover coils

Tower placed back onto the frame and this time tack welded pretty heavily because we will be mocking up the front suspension, the welds have to hold the vehicle weight

NO THOSE ARE NOT THE FINAL WELDS LOL those are heavy tack welds, even tacked two spots on the back side

Needed to make SURE suspension will cycle cleanly AND the CV clears

everything fits and we have the clearance we are looking for, time for full mock up and find ride height

coilover was adjusted, lowered the ride height to its upper limits, and with suspension at full droop we still have plenty of clearance around the coils

desired location for bump stop, will build a striker pad into the LCA

limit straps will have to be re located, also planning to make the bump can and limit straps "adjustable"

This is approximate desired ride height, for now. I like what I see!!

 

[410Fortune]

This is approximate desired ride height, for now. I like what I see!!

truck is sitting on coilover, frame rail just starting to lift off jack stand

Time to hang the front diff, knuckle and upper control arm (UCA) and check suspension travel and clearances

front diff prepped with drop brackets

Looking right through the diff

clearance everywhere at full droop with springs in up most position

Spring clears everywhere we need it to

 

[410Fortune]

At ride height with diff, knuckle and UCA

I also "stabbed" the passenger side CV axle to check clearances, there is a ton of room for the CV shaft
I did not have a helper then so I was unable to get pictures.... That will happen today!

 

[410Fortune]

Been doing a few rounds in the mountains lately and it has been performing amazing

Sickness!! Explorer looks awesome!! Keep those heims lubed. Also working on some small boots to protect the uniballs and heims where possible. Up here in the PNW the salt and road grime reeks havoc on those parts

Still wanting to know more about this Terminator "Explorer Package" y'all have put together.

Its coming together now. I have spent much time with the holley parts and instructions sorting out my plan of attack.

So is the front staying open? Not entertaining the LS?

As far as the CV's go.... What happens if one breaks? Will spares be bought once figured out? I won't leave the house w/o both spares loaded. LOL

The front diff will be open for now.... with a rear locker, long travel, 35's and a good driver you can go places that get you in trouble!! Before we run a limited slip in the front or a full time locker I would rather do a little machine work and stuff another ARB in there.......... I know it can be done, especially with Bretts help (he has seen one that exists and has a plan)

I plan to build two trail spares from stock cv axles, simply cut, extend and sleeve them with some plug welds..... you know like we have been doing in the desert for years!! Who needs custom parts all you need to get home is a little fabrication!!

Thanks dudes! Updates are coming, you will find me in the shop working on this truck

 

[BKennedy]

Moving very quickly. When you decide its time to go, you go.

 

[CDW6212R]

Great parts and pictures. I like the spindles with both sets of holes for either 11" or 12" rotors.

Are you aiming to leave the rear brakes stock? If so there is a minor upgrade that can be done, but more easily when you have the whole back end apart. You may have read me suggest it before elsewhere, the 2003-06 Crown Vic, TC, and GM have a slightly bigger 12" vented rear disc. Those use a different type of parking brake cable attachment, it goes in perpendicular, and has a tab on the rear to hold the cable. So the swap would be to drill the backing plate holes to rotate it 90*(to get the cable where it can fit on the side), and weld a small tab on the housing to hold the cable, plus adapting the cables to the vehicles front cables.

I bought a rotor and pad kit long ago thinking it was going to be an easy upgrade, then I discovered the problem of needing to rotate the parts, and the welding. I like those rotors much more than the plain 11" solid rotors, but they won't upset the balance or gain a large amount in braking. It would be a minor gain, most useful for high stress braking, not normal use.

 

[410Fortune]

messed around and mocked up the cv axle with wheel bearing. I measured preliminary ride height (where the coil over takes the weight of this corner of the truck) vs what I believe to be full droop, stopping the suspension before the uniball's max out and still well within the operating angle of the CV shaft) and it looks like easy 6" of down travel.
I need to remove the coil over and measure where I think full stuff is, somewhere around 5-6" of up travel...this should work out nicely!

Of course I will still need to add all the weight to the front bumper, measure/adjust caster, camber, level the rear and put her on tires until we know where to bump and strap it final.. 12"+ of usable wheel travel in a 4x4 IFS is awesome! That is about what my Bronco II has

CV Axle clearance

At ride height

Somewhere around full droop

 

[410Fortune]

Glad to see an update.
While you have the 88 stripped, it's a great time, to heat and weld the tubes to the center. If Eddie is interested in a rear Bridge or truss, I got the hook up for great affordable DIY weld kit.

I hope you don't have to wait another 3 months for the rear Kings. Everybody is slow right now.

Slow because they are so busy and there are supply chain issues everywhere! We shall persevere

I do plan to weld the tubes, I did that on the last Ranger I built
I have never spun a tube in my rig, I know one person who has
Welding the tubes is no problem

How much is the truss kit? Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[Mikerider]

might consider gusseting the upper control are mounts as well, Camburg sells a nice kit for a reasonable price or you can just fab them up.

Camburg Ford Ranger Edge 2wd/4wd 01-12 Frame Gusset Kit

Our Camburg upper arm mount frame gusset kit will help strengthen your frames weak link. The upper arm mounts can and will tear out under extreme conditions and hardcore driving. This gusset kit will work with most suspension systems out there. This kit is made of laser cut 3/16″ steel and comes...

camburg.com

Nice work so far!

 

[gmanpaint]

How much is the truss kit? Pics or it didn't happen!

The Black Hole

Well, now what? This just arrived this evening. lol If anybody remembers, way back when, I posted I wanted a Truss to handle the weight of the trailer for off road abuse. We also recently discussed the Timbren bump stops, and how they needed a pad welded onto the axle. Well, that was the...

www.explorerforum.com

 

[mounty71]

Haven't checked in here in a while. Looks like a cool project! I remember seeing a ranger on another forum with a Dixon Bros LT kit and Superlift kit combo and thought it looked great with the extra height. Is there a reason you went with the emulsion front shock instead of remote reservoir like the coilover?

 

[Mikerider]

Haven't checked in here in a while. Looks like a cool project! I remember seeing a ranger on another forum with a Dixon Bros LT kit and Superlift kit combo and thought it looked great with the extra height. Is there a reason you went with the emulsion front shock instead of remote reservoir like the coilover?

that rig out of BC pulled the super lift off after about a year. he bent every bracket on the superlift. It did look good though. I just added a 1" body lift and cut fenders to clear my 35s with my dixion kit.

 

[410Fortune]

Ah yes I know that story all to well
The superlift drop brackets could use/will get some gusseting and re enforcement
The added leverage of the long travel A arms put the drop brackets under some real stress
Plans are already in the works to add some strength here..........just spending time with the truck in the shop you can clearly see where the drop brackets could use some "help"
steel plate, plasma cutter, dimple dye, welder........... we should be good!!

 

[410Fortune]

While waiting for the differentials to get setup I have been working on the suspension, both sides have been final welded, gusseted and are ready to rock.

The superlift gusseting and support design is complete and now in the fabrication stage. The design is simple, yet strong. I do not see these drop brackets bending anytime soon..

The new rear chevy 1500 leaf springs are here as are the kartek shackle hangers. I am in the process of cutting all of the factory rivets in preparation of the shackle flip
Plan is to be rolling as soon as the diffs are done and explorer rear axle is setup for spring over.

All new front and rear brake parts here as well

Starter, starter wiring, transmission cooler lines and exhaust downpipes are being prepped for install. The downpipes will only have a single wideband Bosch 02 sensor on bank 1

I have many pictures to sort through as computer time is not as common for me during busy summer months

Lets do this!!

So last we saw the front passenger side shock tower was tack welded in place, happy with the design and fit we proceeded to make some gussets. Basically a copy of the Camburg design, except we are incorporating the True Travel shock tower as well
Out comes the plasma cutter, bench grinder, hand file, etc.......

pass side done, teaser pic, how we got there.........

onto the drivers side. Drivers True travel tower was modified just like passenger in effort to clear our 10" threaded body with dual spring setup

MUCH TIME was spent making sure the tower is exactly where we want it, I have several tools for this, angle finder, micrometer, eyeballs, etc

frame rail prepped, bump stop bracket shaved flush

tower placed

 

[410Fortune]

tack welded, control arms added, shocks added, this side was fully mocked up to ensure we are correct with clearances....we are. Time for final welds and gusseting

Cardboard shapes were created and traced onto 1/4" plate

240V plasma cutter "freestyle" I just use a straightedge and do my best, bench grinder, belt sander, then once installed it was all hand filed (ALOT) to remove any sharp edges so when you work on your truck you do not get any snags!!

more later I have to take my son for haircut, he goes back to school tomorrow!!!

 

[410Fortune]

Now that all tabs/supports are cut and placed time for final welding.

Tabs tie control arm mounts into frame, triangle pieces connect arm mounts and tabs into shock tower

After wire wheel, light grinding and hand filing, clean and ready for paint

Drivers done, ready for schlage cleanup, grinding, hand file and then satin black paint!

ALL final welds are done both side, all edges were filed down to be smooth, rounded, NO SNAGS and no sharp edges, also removed some of the super booger welds for a cleaner appearance before final black satin paint. Frame rails were also cleaned front and back with flapper disc before Krylon satin black enamel

Sorry no pics of black finished product, or the superlift supports/boxing, YET!!!!!!!! I will get them when I am back at the shop tomorrow.

Pictures of the Kartek rear shackle hangers, these are similar to flipping the stock Ford hanger BUT include a 1.5" drop so that the shackle can be mounted and clear the underside of the ranger bed

I will be busy cutting rivets....16 per side, to allow the install of the flipped shackle and Chevy 1500 springs (04 silverado, 1700lb spring rate, brand new Husky springs from Rock Auto)

 

[donalds]

Minty af

 

[CDW6212R]

Awesome work, and I love the smoothing of edges, that's a big thing for me too. I had about two hours of grinding and filing of my older Ranchero UCA's, before new bushings and paint. That was in 1989 before powder coating was hot.

 

[410Fortune]

more eye candy
Differentials still two weeks out

Here you can see the new 63" chevy leaf springs, and all the new powerstop brake parts
I ordered the 12" rotors to use on the front of this truck since the Superlift knuckles have provisions for them

Raebestos coated calipers.. I am thinking of painting them body matched blue? But the silver is nice too. I will check with @EddieMoney on what he prefers

and the sliders! Waited months for these to arrive, worth the wait these suckers are NICE!!
well packaged to say the least, all 140# of them

Next up you will see the rear suspension mock up with the relocated front hanger, Kartek drop hanger and Chevy 1500 leafs

Sliders are available here

Ford Ranger (98-11) - Rock Sliders/Rockrails | 12° North Industries

FORD RANGER ROCK-SLIDER KITSFord Ranger Rock Sliders – 1998-2012, are excellent protection, and great for step use. Built with 3/16″ Hitch steel tubing as the strongest kits on the market! We have Rock slider kits for nearly every 4WD vehicle. >> Want some video proof? << Rocky Road Ford Ranger...

www.12degnorth.com