Chop, Cut, Rebuild: DB_1's Ranger...again

[DB_1]

Dead nodes are gonna happen sometimes...the frame doesn't line up with the A-pillar tubes. I wasn't even going to make those rear tubes but I needed an easy way to mount the rear shocks so that's it's main function, it will also stiffen up the frame. As for roll protection, that's the cage inside the cab's function.

It's kinda like the dash bar, it doesn't do a whole lot unless it's tied into something but people still run them anyways. Plus they are handy to mount stuff to

 

[mounty71]

I guess I'm just wondering why you don't want to run it like this, which is how most people do it. I usually am looking at cages in prerunners where tubework sees a lot of hard impacts and working with load paths is important, which is why I personally would do it the other way, but I know in your situation (slower crawling) it would most likely be plenty strong the way you have it. But one benefit to changing it would be when/if you roll again, that top corner of the cab is gonna want to crush again without anything supporting it, and I figure after this you don't really want to be doing another round of body work.

Either way, it's good to see a cage going in this truck, and i'm jealous of that.

 

[Stic-o]

Don't take it personal Dave, we just care about you and your personal safety.


And where is the new umbrella mount? :

 

[RockRanger]

How are you planning on sealing the cab where the tube comes through above the window.

 

[Dannyboy]

How are you planning on sealing the cab where the tube comes through above the window.

http://www.marcorubber.com/grommetsearch/search.asp?rdsort=3

1.75 ID!

 

[DB_1]

How are you planning on sealing the cab where the tube comes through above the window.

Not sure yet, i'm just building it and worrying about those kinds of details later:
There's some nice seals from Seals-it (http://www.sealsit.com/firewall.asp) that have a rubber center with a metal ring that can be screwed to the sheet metal. Since my holes are elongated and not a perfect circle they won't work. I'll have to come up with something else.

I've got one more tube to notch for the cage inside the cab before I can start welding it up. I decided to make 2 diagonal tubes from the upper A-pillar corners that meet with the center overhead bar at the B-pillar hoop. They are made from 1.5" X .120 wall tube to maximize headroom. I also moved the tubes that exit the cab from the B-hoop down to the frame so they meet up with the A-pillar tubes. Once those are welded in i'll make a bar connecting those 2 tubes to mount my shocks to.

For the B-hoop supports I changed my plan a little bit. I added a horizontal cross bar in the event I decide to get suspension seats and harnesses. If and when I do i'll have to build seat mounts off the cage. Back to the B-hoop supports...so it's a horizontal bar with diagonal bars from the top corners to the frame corners and a center bar from the top of the B-hoop to the center of the "X".
That was some fun notching there

I'll get some pics up when I finish notching the last tube sometime this week.

 

[DB_1]

Pics

 

[Stic-o]

Very nice Dave that thing looks beefy now...what is the plans for the super cab area now though? Kinda just became worthless space

 

[section525]

Mad skillz, Dave. You're really mastering that whole bending art.

 

[DB_1]

Thanks guys, it only took me what 4 months to build:

It was quite a learning curve going into this but totally worth it. If I were to build it again, I would have gone about it a little differently. Mostly to make life easy fabrication wise but overall i'm happy with it and it should do the job.

Yeah Steve, I thought about that from day one of this build. I didn't want to sacrifice legroom and wanted to make it as roomy as possible. I'll probably use the supercab area for lesser used items like spare parts and the like.

The next plan of attack is to weld up the cage then I need to get this thing smogged. After that I can concentrate on the bed area, I have a few ideas floating around in my head but nothing concrete yet.

 

[Stic-o]

Maybe you could but a short piece of plexi in the rear window in between the bars, so it would swing up like a lift gate glass on a Explorer, to access the S-Cab area. I have some spare Ex. lift gate glass hinges if you want to try...

 

[BKennedy]

Maybe you could but a short piece of plexi in the rear window in between the bars, so it would swing up like a lift gate glass on a Explorer, to access the S-Cab area. I have some spare Ex. lift gate glass hinges if you want to try...

Ditto!

I don't know how you get those cuts so exactly lined up. I end up doing a bunch of weld fill.

 

[DB_1]

Maybe you could but a short piece of plexi in the rear window in between the bars, so it would swing up like a lift gate glass on a Explorer, to access the S-Cab area. I have some spare Ex. lift gate glass hinges if you want to try...

That's more work than I want to deal with right now but thanks
I didn't use the supercab area for much before anyways so it's not a big deal. I had my battery, fridge and amp plus i'd stuff some camping gear there on weekend trips all of which I can still do with the cage in place.

Brian, having a decent notcher helps plus doing dozens and dozens of test notches until it fits the way you want it to.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Supercab area could be used for a air tank, compressor, etc. for onboard air, tool box, straps, chains, etc..

 

[Tbars4]

...Any updates Dave?

..I'm hoping the reason we haven't heard from you is because work is so busy and your making bank...:biggthump

 

[DB_1]

Updates...yes, i've been working but not sure on the making bank part

I was in a mad scramble to get this drivable so I could get it smogged. Good news is I got what I needed done but the smog didn't go so well...more on this in a bit.

Cage is done and painted with the interior back in although I decided to make a dash bar which still needs to be welded in.
Bent up a tube to mount my shocks on and got the upper and lower tabs welded.
Mudflaps are re-mounted but will make them quick release style at a later date, I had them mounted to the underside of the bed before.
Whipped up a bracket to mount the gas filler neck, I think the factory set-up is a bad design since the tank is mounted off the frame and the neck is mounted to the body. We've all seen how much frame flex these trucks have.
Had to find a new location for the battery since the cage sits in it's old home, I just moved it over to the middle for now.
And finally, I had to re-do the tail lights since the old ones were taking a dump. Stop lights are from Savvy offroad and the amber turn signals are from Trail-Gear which also makes them in clear that i'll use for back up lights.

So I had an interesting time at the smog station. They asked me some basic questions before the test and told them the battery had been disconnected for some time up until a day or so before I brought it in.
That was my only concern for the test but the guy came back out and gave me some crap about my transfer case being manual when it was originally electric. We all know it has nothing to do with their test but they didn't like the 4WD hi/lo lights flashing on the dash. He calls the ref and is told not to test it so I leave irritated, I was gonna take it somewhere else but said screw it and went home. The cherry on top was on the way home when my check engine light decides to come on...great. I kinda laughed, got it home, parked it and didn't look at it for a couple days. I did pull the bulbs for the 4WD lights so that's one less thing to worry about at the next visit to the smog station.

With no time to fix it I had to non-op it until I can deal with everything. So with that and summer coming, it will pretty much sit for the time being.

My laundry list:

Patch up sheet metal on bottom side of the rockers and around cage where the b-hoop goes through the floor.

Rock sliders

Tube bed of some sort

Cut and paint front fenders and probably some other odds and ends I can't think of right now.

Pics

 

[section525]

Dave.. why do those smog guys have to playa-hate? I took the Explorer in a couple months ago and the first thing the tech says is 'that ain't gonna pass'. What does he know. But it did... and on the way home my CEL came on too. : Suckas.


Anyway.. your cage came out way sweet. Looks great painted. Now come help with mine.

 

[DB_1]

Dave.. why do those smog guys have to playa-hate? I took the Explorer in a couple months ago and the first thing the tech says is 'that ain't gonna pass'. What does he know. But it did... and on the way home my CEL came on too. : Suckas.


Anyway.. your cage came out way sweet. Looks great painted. Now come help with mine.

I know huh I'm positive it would've passed if he had ran it through but oh well.

I'd help ya if you were closer, it's a bit of a trek to Red Bluff:

I forgot to mention it but I used Rust-o-leum black hammered paint althought it's more of a dark grey which I like.

 

[Brian1]

Nice work Dave!

 

[BKennedy]

Nicely Done!

You are right, the 4wd lights have nothing to do with the smog. I removed the whole 4wd push-button panel on my rig when I put in the NP231 t-case. You should be fine with the Non-op for the summer. If you do need to take it somewhere, you can get a one day trip permit from DMV. Its only good for driving a vehicle to a repair or smog shop. They are supposed to be free.