Completed Project Kirby's 1991 Ranger Build Up

[Kirby N.]

It’s about 3” and I would need to come up with something to shim it up on the bed so it doesn’t hit the cab- so that would add to it.

 

[410Fortune]

air down!

 

[Kirby N.]

Lol

 

[BKennedy]

I would sell it and get a small pop up trailer. I towed a 12' Jayco around for several years. It had a sink, stove, potty, shower and slept 6. I don't like roof top tents because if base camping, you need to break down your camp every time you leave.

 

[Kirby N.]

Good morning explorer forum! I have had a wonderful summer and I have just been driving the ranger and not wrenching on it. Not to say that it doesn't need it!

I did sell the Flip Pac and made a handsome profit on it. We have taken the ranger on two dirt bike trips this summer and it has performed flawlessly.

2 recent problems with the ranger:

1. The A/C took a dump on me. I replaced ALL of the components when I painted it. Everything including compressor. It worked fine for 2 months, then a coupe weeks ago the new compressor seized up while going down the highway. Grr. Thats $300-$400 wasted. I have just been dealing with no a/c life and soon it will be cool enough around here that I won't need it. I will worry about it in the spring. Unfortunately I am told that when a compressor seized it comes apart on Ford systems it pollutes all the lines and to properly start over you have to get all new components yet again. Frustrating for sure.

2. My bilstien shocks are garbage. The front lower mount bolt is frozen in the mount (not the fault of the shock) and the eye came off the shock (showed in previous post)- so my "bilstien support sucks" fix was to weld the eve on to the shock shaft. That kind of worked, but I must have gotten it hot and ruined the seals on the shock because now it is oozing oil everywhere and not dampening at all. So I think that is a priority- to get new shocks.

Any shock suggestions? I am considering anything BUT bilstiens. Maybe Fox shocks? Something with a dampening rate that I can select would be cool. These have been good with their rate. I am going to look through my build thread and see what lengths I needed.

 

[Kirby N.]

Also- I had a guy reach out about the Navajo. He is the current owner and got my number from my buddys performance shop that I had stickers on from. Looking for info on the D and D doubler.

 

[410Fortune]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh ac black death = sucks!!

I swore off bilsteins 10 years ago now after going through similar
Fox shocks have been good for us much much better
I also like Skyjacker black max
Rancho 9000's are blah.....shafts are rusting??? shocks are like 1.5 years old and barely driven..........was really hoping for better

Put kings on the wifes FJ........OMG these are what all other shocks wish they were....but of course $1000+ for shocks is hard to swallow, unless you are keeping your truck forever and these are the last shocks she will ever need........so now saving for kings for the front

 

[Kirby N.]

Yeah, Black Death after 2 months. I don't know if I got a bad compressor, if the guy who charged it didn't put enough oil in the system or what. The warranty on the compressor is long gone because I bought it before paint, installed after and then didn't charge it until spring. IDK if RockAuto is a good place to get things like compressors.

I have been combing through my build and found my shocks are:

At the mount full stuff is just under 21", full droop is 27". Bilstien part number: 33-185569: 17.9- 29.7"\

I am thinking fox after hearing that. Thanks Jaime

 

[gmanpaint]

Fox has the select-able knob Resi versions for a few bucks more. I wish I ponied up for them when I got mine. Download the Fox Catalog for sizes, I'm sure you will find one close to what you need.

 

[Kirby N.]

Fox has the select-able knob Resi versions for a few bucks more. I wish I ponied up for them when I got mine. Download the Fox Catalog for sizes, I'm sure you will find one close to what you need.

ok, found the catalogue. Looks sweet. Found the adjustable ones. I don't think I can do $350 per shock!!! WOAH!

 

[Stic-o]

Been very happy with the Fox's on JP. Even after 10+ years. Plus there fully rebuildable, which is good, because I think one was starting to leak from sitting.

 

[Kirby N.]

Ok, You guys have sold me. I think I am going to order 2 for the front for now- just the lowest end I can buy. Unfortunately, I can't swing the remote resi adjustables.

Thanks Stic-o. Unfortunately, I think the bilstiens are rebuildable too- but they suck.

 

[gmanpaint]

You will be happy you got them, no matter which you buy. They all are leaps and bounds better than most out there.

Wish I had room for the 2.5's up front, but don't. I have the 2.0 coilover's w/resi up front, and 2.0 w/resi in the rear. Rig has never felt as good as it does currently. The adjustable resi's aren't much more, and why I wish I got them. Saved like $100 w/o them. In comparison, that was nothing to the total costs, and I regret it to this day. Buy once, cry once. Lol!

 

[410Fortune]

Have had good luck with Rockauto and fourseasons AC kits

The fox threaded bodies on the wifes FJ are holding up just fine, which is leaps and bounds above the prior two sets of bilsteins, first set blew out lower bushings, second set of bushings lasted months before replaced with another set of bilsteins, then lower eye completely broke off shock........finally replaced with Fox's and now no issues. Same length shock, same coils, same setup, but the bilsteins just broke??
So then we put Kings 2.5" with resis on the rear and now, well the kings just make the $800 foxes look like little play toys....so saving $1500+ for some front kings.......and $4000 for some front long travel...... can do this stuff when you plan to keep the FJ forever AND at 220K miles its holding up like a tank considering what we put it through.....our driveway is starting to look like a rough section in Baja and the wife treats her FJ like a prerunner....daily and over and over

 

[Kirby N.]

Went out to my dads today and he has a perfect spot to cycle the suspension so I did and measure for shocks.

She still has it. Tucks and travels really nice. The bilstiens were really the perfect length. 18" compressed was perfect and fully extended is about 28".

I decided to go with a little longer shock. I am going to hack off the lower mount anyway, so I will move the lower mount down a bit. This will give me a little more travel available. I really need to do air bumps at some point anyway, but for now I will be sure I am not maxing out my shocks.

I got my buddy Ed to order me 2 shocks today. They are 10 days out. Went with the performance series 2.0 smooth bodies. Part #
985-24-006 19.65 inches compressed and 31.75 inches extended 12" travel shocks.

As a side note, I had a gentleman contact me about my exploder sport this weekend. Apparently, he is the 3 guy to own it since I had it and the guy before him beat the body up pretty bad. So he took the good parts and scrapped the rest. The good parts ended up in his ranger. He sent me some pics. He is on the search for another d and d machine doubler for another build. I don't think that will ever happen again....

looks like a nice ranger. Long live my Navajo!

 

[Kirby N.]

Have had good luck with Rockauto and fourseasons AC kits

The fox threaded bodies on the wifes FJ are holding up just fine, which is leaps and bounds above the prior two sets of bilsteins, first set blew out lower bushings, second set of bushings lasted months before replaced with another set of bilsteins, then lower eye completely broke off shock........finally replaced with Fox's and now no issues. Same length shock, same coils, same setup, but the bilsteins just broke??
So then we put Kings 2.5" with resis on the rear and now, well the kings just make the $800 foxes look like little play toys....so saving $1500+ for some front kings.......and $4000 for some front long travel...... can do this stuff when you plan to keep the FJ forever AND at 220K miles its holding up like a tank considering what we put it through.....our driveway is starting to look like a rough section in Baja and the wife treats her FJ like a prerunner....daily and over and over

LOL. That sounds like a fun commute.

From Rockauto I used gates hoses and a delco compressor. The condenser and evaporator was who knows what. That evaporator is going to be a pain to get in again. Grr. I didn't know four seasons was good stuff. Maybe I will try that next round.

 

[RockRanger]

Behemoth in Tennessee is making ranger doublers. However getting one seems to be an act of Congress. People pay and takes months to get them with parts slowly showing up and charge backs on credit cards being threatened. Be cautious dealing with them.

 

[BKennedy]

Just reading what Behemoth has done to customers in the past would keep me away. Promises not kept, months overdue for parts, charges credit cards up front then never finished the orders, etc.

 

[Kirby N.]

Yeah, that and all the driveshaft and other mods I had to do on the explorer I would just do an atlas next time. I told him that but he doesn’t seem to believe me.

 

[BKennedy]

I think if I was doing the Atlas again I would have put a Black Box-i from NWF in front of it. He doesn't have the rear seat footwell to contend with so it should fit in there nicely.