RockRangerII the build up.

[RockRanger]

i never joined this site soon enough but what did your last ranger look like

Johnstone posted up a picture of it. That was before a few more good size dents were added to it running more trails. It was beat on pretty good but sure was fun to wheel.

Basic stats were 1986 with a 2.9 5 speed. 4.10 gears lockright in the front dana 35 and a detroit in a broncoII 7.5 4" basic lift kit and the bed was bobbed 14" . running 33" tires and a bunch of dents. I flopped it 6 times in the time I wheeled it. One of them is the picture in my avatar. That was running the tank trap that Fourwheeler magazine runs every year for TTC.

Here is what happened to it http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97941&highlight=fire

 

[JS91X]

i couldnt find your avatar to see

 

[DB_1]

Nice winch Matt...so what do you have to do to get an Atlas?

 

[FROADER]

i couldnt find your avatar to see

It's the picture under his name. That is called an avatar.

 

[JS91X]

ohhh...see guys im still learnin'

 

[RockRanger]

Nice winch Matt...so what do you have to do to get an Atlas?

Well to get the winch I did a job he calculated would take 45 man days to complete. I did it in 23. Big money saver in wages for him and it was an on the road job so that ment hotel and perdium I saved him money on. When the next offer comes up I am leaning towards a plasma cutter . I need to get another one of those long road trip jobs where I run up a few 80 hour work weeks.

 

[DB_1]

Man, I could really use a plasma cutter for some brackets I need to make for the axle. Making radius cuts with an angle and die grinder is no fun.

 

[Jefe]

Man, I could really use a plasma cutter for some brackets I need to make for the axle. Making radius cuts with an angle and die grinder is no fun.

Thats it, we're making a SoCal Plasma cutter fund. . .we all pitch in and buy a plasma and trade it around. I'm in. Matt, Dave, who else?

I spent a half day last sunday making my 'axle launcher' because I was using my angle grinder to cut 1/2" steel. (The oxy/acetylene torch I was hopeing to use was out of gas :fire: )

Course I guess that doesn't help when we're all trying to work on our trucks at the same time.

 

[tdavis]

Hehehe... Believe me, a Plasma cutter is good.. but it still doesn't solve the problem. A plasma cutter has a HUGE learning curve, and you still will need to grind brackets.

I do find that having a plasma cutter and a disc sander makes some things easier..

I have a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38, and I've realized I should of popped the extra $400 for the Cutmaster 51.

 

[FROADER]

Hy in anoher thread I heard that Josh S. has TDG's plsma in Orange still. I think TDG also said that he would sel it for reeal cheap. It's a smal one though and I think he saiid it cut through 1/4'. Not a bad idea really........though I may jut be drunk posting????

 

[RockRanger]

Spent a little time working on the truck today. I started by trying to figure out why my dana 44 hubs are loose. Still am not sure why Then I pulled my tranny cross member to see how I could modify it to clear the front driveshaft when the doubler goes in. So I tacked a few pieces together to see if it looked like it would clear. It looked like it would clear everything, so I marked it out on my welding table ( ilike haveing one alot)and then made 2 new pieces that are a little cleaner. I can't mount them on the tranny cross member till the tcase gets moved back cause the front Ujoint will hit it currently. I plan on adding 2 pieces to go across at the top and then box it all in with some plate steel and maybe add a gusset or two.

I also saw something on RRORC about how the 4.0 fuel pump can be modified easily to fit the BII gas tank So I am not to worried about having a problem there eather. Maybe tommorow I will get a chance to get the doubler welded up. Plan is to try and get it installed between the run in feburary and TDS.

 

[RockRanger]

Got a few more hours to work on things today. I decided to start welding the doubler together. So I assembled it and then put it in my press to help line everything up and hold it stait while I welded it up. After I got it all welded up I relized that the tube in teh center was 1/8" to short and would let it all bolt to gether and turn smoother. I am going to get a piece of 1/8" plate steel and cut it to fit then silicone it on both sides. Hopefully it wont leak. I still need to add a drain hole, a fill hole and a small hole between the tube and main case to let the oil flow between the two. For the fill holes I am thinking of drilling a 3/4" hole in the metal then welding a nut over the hole. Use a short bolt to fill it and call it good. Anyreason why this wont work?

I also noticed I bent my gastank skid plate while out a truckhaven over new years. Good thing its getting pulled out in 3 weeks.

 

[034x4]

Lookin good so far man.

You refering to a fill plug for the adapter/tube or for the front/reduction case?

The weather looks really nice and warm there. It's cold and about to rain here.

 

[DB_1]

Looks like things are coming along good with the doubler so far Matt.
Did ya hack the fenders yet?

As for the plasma cutter, that wouldn't be a bad idea except for the fact I don't have an air compressor I've seen some plasma's that have it's own compressor but they only seem to cut up to 3/16" or so. Not that it's a bad thing but i'd want up to 1/2" capability.

 

[RockRanger]

Fenders haven't been hacked yet. Ill probably do it next weekend. Need to get my fix it ticket signed off first. I also need to decide which locker I want for the rear and I need to order some front wheel spacers as well. I thought I was just about done spending money when I got the truck on the road again.

 

[410Fortune]

the 4.0L fuel pump is the same as the BII 2.9L pump of 89-90 (Single in tank high pressure unit instead of the 84-88 style dual pump setup)

Also the BII drop in unit can simply have the small electric pump replaced with the 4.0L unit (like $30 instead of $85)

 

[RockRanger]

Well a few updates on the truck from going to truckhaven this weekend. Thursday night and friday moring before I left I hacked out the all 4 fenders to above where the stock fenderflairs go. Worked great and I have 99% of my tire rub issues taken care of. I get out to truckhaven and I managed to blow a hub friday night. Of coarse I left my spare one at home. Luckly Michael had a spare that I was able to use for the rest of the weekend. I also was having problems with my U joint and axle flange on the rear axle rubing on the gas tank skidplate. I borrowed stic-o grinder and thought I trimmed enough but obvoisly I didn't. I should hopefully have a few good wheeling shots as others post pictures from the weekend. Here are two that rick has posted. First is me fixing my broken hub friday night with the help of a bunch of supervisors watching. It rocked being outside at 11 pm in jeans and a t-shirt (See you missed out jamie ) Then the second is me clearancing my skid plate but I didnt get enough and it still hit. Now I get to start on the install of the doubler.

Now that I look at the pic I was being a dumbass to be using an abresive wheel like that next to my gastank. Next time I will use a sawzall or something less likely to give the possiblity of spark next to gas tank. So all you safety people dont have to point out my stupid ways .

 

[Stic-o]

Now that I look at the pic I was being a dumbass to be using an abresive wheel like that next to my gastank. Next time I will use a sawzall or something less likely to give the possiblity of spark next to gas tank. So all you safety people dont have to point out my stupid ways .

I had a Sawzall, all you had to do was ask , and where are your goggles buddy? I had those too.

 

[RockRanger]

I had my z87 safety glasses on I thought about a sawzall but thought I might cut through the gas tank. Doesnt matter anymore I am hoping to have the gas tank out tommorow and start on the BII gas tank swap.

 

[Jefe]

Now that I look at the pic I was being a dumbass to be using an abresive wheel like that next to my gastank. Next time I will use a sawzall or something less likely to give the possiblity of spark next to gas tank. So all you safety people dont have to point out my stupid ways .

We were commenting on that over by the fire. I was more worried you'd slip and grind the gas tank. . now that would be bad.