BDS Suspension 83-97 Ranger 6" kit on My '91 EX!!!

[slapthefunkyfou]

Today I'm going to start installing the lift kit for my truck. Weird thing is that it's a ranger kit. Although it will not be strange to have extra parts left over, this time it was planned that way. There will be some 4" lift blocks and some skinny aal's when I'm done.(they would be used on a ranger)
I'll try to figure out how to put up some pics when I get done.

My goal is to be finished before 5p.m. Then I can go golfing on this beautiful day.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

I'm also going to change out the differential gear oil whil the axle is off. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pump that thick of oil though a tiny tube into that tiny hole? This time I'll be able to just dump it right in!!!

 

[Creager]

It would probably take hours to pump it all out by hand. Ive never gotton those pumps to work for me. If you got the beam off, tip it on its side, and let all the old oil pour out on to the floor...er... carboard box with a plastic bag lining it. Of course you would want the driverside axleshaft out to do this.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

I got a new differential cover gasket, so I plan on making a huge mess dumping it out that way.

 

[Creager]

wait, are you talking about the front or the rear?

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

wait, are you talking about the front or the rear?

Rear.

I'd think I'd rather pump it out through a little tube then take the whole axle assembly apart to take the cover off of the front.
The oil in the front is still good, but since the rear is going to be so much easier with the axlo out, I just figured I'd do it now.

 

[Creager]

ahh dude, Just remove the cover for the rear to drain it, you dont have to remove the sway bar or anything... Actually, last time i did it. i taped each corrner of a plastic bag underneith the axle. Two corrners on the sway bar, two around front of the pumpkin, pop cover off and all the oil fell into the bag. Easy as cake.

i thought you were talking about the front at first.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

ahh, now see, I have to take off the axle anyway, but I really like your bag idea. I think I'll punch a hole in the bottom of the bag and let it drain right into a big jug of some sort for easy transportation to checker to recycle.


p.s. My sway bar was removed around 2 years ago, so I'll have to tape it to the bumper or something.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[sn0border88]

you were acually going to pump out all the old fluid rather than just take the diff cover off? ouch. Just remember to put on a good bead of RTV silicon to seal it back up nicly.

I also used a pump off one of those large bottles of gojo and come clear hose to pump in the new fluid, it worked great. You can also buy large bottles of sta-lube 80w-90 with a pump and hose already on it if you can find it. i think they sell them at NAPA.

 

[Creager]

I also used a pump off one of those large bottles of gojo and come clear hose to pump in the new fluid, it worked great.

That is an incredible idea, i dunno why i didnt think of it myself! I could never get those siphion pumps to work for the life of me, i guess i suck at sucking!

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

It never even crossed my mind to pump it OUT until you guys mentioned it.
I was talking about pumping it back in.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

The project is coming along great. I already had to go to checker once because some idiot forgot to empty the oil draining bucket last time I changed the oil. So I had nothing to empty the gear oil into.

Well now I'm trying to get those bolts off that hold the springs together in the middle. I'm gonna just grind them off.

Can you believe I don't have any duct tape at my house? I'm not even worthy to call myself a man with no duct tape handy.

I'm going to tape the springs together temporarily so they don't all fall apart when that bolt finally breaks loose.

 

[sn0border88]

I dont have any duct tape either, I dont know why I just never think of getting more when im out.

Just re-read the first post, you hoped to get the whole thing done by 5pm? Good luck with that. It took us 15 hours.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

Well, I just finished welding the spring perches on. Gotta go return the rental welder.

Man, I need some practice welding.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

OK, first thing, The new ubolts for the ranger kit are 4 inches too long and not wide enough.

Another trip to checker....

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

Well, I didn't get it done by 5. I cleaned up tonight at about 11. But it's all taken apart. getting the rusty bolts off was tougher than I remembered. So tomorrow just put it all back together. Hopefully that will be easier with all new bolts.

Thank god for huge breaker bars.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

ok. Beginning of day 2.
I just got back from getting some ubolts made.

Hopefully 3 more hours and I'm done.

 

[Creager]

Got pics?

 

[410Fortune]

hahahaha so you are doing the rear leaf springs only? What about the front end?

With 4" leafs and 2" blocks on my spring over 8.8 I can literally hold the gallon of 80W-90 above the rear axle and let gravity do my pumping, I use a $3 spout that will fit just about any lubricant bottle and it even has a on/off feature which is real nice. So it goes like this, open new gallon of 80W-90, remove foil seal.
Attach my $3 on/off spout with large clear hose. insert hose into fill hole, open spout. Hold it like this for 2 minutes until 1/3 of the bottle drains out. use pocket knife to make small hole in the bottom of gallon container, and watch the other 2/3 empty into the axle in about 20 seconds.

repeat with secdon gallon, without making the small vent hole, because the 8.8 only takes 2/3 of the second gallon..

I have used hand pumps in the past on trucks without so much lift/clearance around the rear diff, and although it is a PITA and takes ALOT of pumping, its not that big of a deal really, just makes your pumping arm stronger

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

I'm taking pics as I go, I'll post them when I'm finished.

I'm doing a soa and 6" coils in the front with all the brackets.

How many pints are in a quart? The rear diff takes 5.3 pints(I read on here somewhere) That would make it about almost 3 quarts, right? I could be wrong. What axle do you have that takes 1.6 gallons? Maybe I'm misunderstanding something.

Another thing. The ranger kit didn't come with extended brake lines. It came with some brackets that were supposed to lower the lines far enough. Those are some of the dumbest things I have ever seen. Now I have to make another trip to the store to buy some extended lines. This job is getting more expensive every minute.

All of the other brackets, axle pivot drop bracket, radius arm bracket, bump stop bracket and swaybar bracket work awesome.