oh yes, have I got some plans!!!

[nova801428]

I am going to pick up an 85 Ranger, with a 2.8L v6 and manual. The first thing I wanted to know is, what the hell should I do with it? I want to make it into an off roading maching but yet still be street legal. I want to know what are good things I should do to it,it has a 3" lift kit, probably blocks, but how much is too high for a lift kit? I've seen a ranger with probably 4' of lift, how is that going to help with off roading. What winch and bumper should I get? Lockers, are those necessary? Do, I need a bed, it does not have one, would a flat bed be better? Thanks, thats it for now.

 

[Positive Vibes]

Dam buddy thats a lot of questions but I will try and answer a few. You need to figure out what type of wheeling you want to do, that will help us guide you to the correct setup. Your gonna want a suspension lift not a body lift. The lift allows for bigger tires which allows for more ground clearence. (I have about 7" if lift.) Winch and bumper all depend on your budget. And yes if you are going to be doing any serious wheeling you will want lockers front and rear. No you dont' need a bed. Also the "search fearture" is your friend.

 

[nova801428]

I am not sure on what type of wheeling I want to do, because I live in a valley, close enough to the coast and close enough to the mountains and desert type terain. I guess I really want to make it an all around vehicle, but if I had to choose, it would be slippery wet terrain, rugged, up and down hills.....mountains I guess....does that help.....I can't really describe it though

 

[Positive Vibes]

Basically you want an all around rig. That what I've set mine up to be.

A few pics in this thread, http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125214&highlight=pic

 

[nova801428]

yeah, thats about how I want it to look. Except, I will have a custom bed, or maybe no bed, and I want a winch mounted on a bumper welded to my frame, thats it though, not too extreme.

 

[410Fortune]

4.0L conversion, dana 35 TTB, 8.8 rear axle, lockers/gears, suspension, trim and go.

Is it a 4x4?

The sky is the limit for a Ranger, but there are alot of Gen I rangers built up this way out there, and they are reliable, tough and great all around wheelers.

 

[MrShorty]

A couple of things to consider:

1) If you want a serious offroad machine with big tires, probably the first thing to do is ditch the D28 front in favor of something larger. Especially with big tires (and/or locked), the Dana 28 is fond of snapping axleshafts. There's also veryt little (if any) aftermarket support in terms of traction aids for the D28. Since you say you're not going too extreme, I would expect a D35 from an Explorer should be adequate, and is a near bolt in swap.

2) If you're going big enough, you might also consider replacing the 7.5 rear with something larger. I would decide on which axle to run before deciding on lockers, because you buy those for a specific application. It would really irritate me to buy a locker for my 7.5, only to ditch the 7.5 a year later. For something not too extreme, though, the 7.5 might be adequate, though the 8.8 has better aftermarket support (better selection of available lockers and such).

 

[nova801428]

yeah, I planned on swapping the axles out, I want an 8.8 rear, but does the front have to be the same as the rear? Does the gearing have to be the same too? What would you put up front? Yes, it is 4x4!!!

 

[410Fortune]

yes gears must be the exact same
A dana 35 ttb and 8.8 from a 91-94 Explorer or 90-97 ranger will work

try searching this forum, this stuff is discussed here alot