Section525 - SAS D44 - Page 2 (Finishing... maybe)

The other thread was a little too long and a little too old. So this is where you can keep up and give great input and advice so we can all get this project out on the trail as soon as humanly possible.


So today I had some time and motivation to get out into the shop. Here is what was accomplished.

Bend up some new taller hoops. These will give me more room to grow. They'll also allow my new bling Ballistic Fab shock tabs to angle down giving tons of clearance to the shocks. I also have some BF lower shock mounts which weld to the c's. They're an inch or so higher than my current mounts.

The Pro-Tools notcher. Super bad. Now I keep my retarded cut-off wheel notches out of the build.

Way better notch than I could ever do.

Pretty high. Looks like I'll have to have a yard sale to get rid of the items that used to be there.

Hugh hoops! It'll all make sense when you see the other side. I'm clearing my FJ60 steering box over there.

Tabs and shock in. Lookin' good.

Both sides. It's as done as it's ever been! :

And this is where I left off. I cut the engine brace shorter than I wanted to. I'm a total newb at this bending stuff. So I'll have to wait until Monday at the earliest to pick up some more 1.5".

But I do have about 30' of 1.75" laying around. We'll see what the motivation level is like tomorrow. Maybe I'll start some bumpers!

 

[section525]

Thanks!

Yeah. I'm building a bumper for the rear asap. Just to have a decent tow-point back there. As for the front.. it'll be good as-is for a while.

 

[DB_1]

Those tires look great, kinda miss my old 36" IROK's but they were a little to wide to work with my axle.

 

[IZwack]

Beef!! Are they radials or bias-ply?

 

[section525]

They're bias ply.

 

[james t]

Looks good- you'll really like them.

The driver's side front is backards? :shifty_ey

 

[Stic-o]

Wicked! Looks killer!

Do you run with no bumpers?

It just for looks...He dosn't actually wheel it. :

 

[BADB4C]

Looks good- you'll really like them.

The driver's side front is backards? :shifty_ey

I never would have noticed that, that is funny. It does really look good though.

 

[rookieshooter]

And this is where I left off. I cut the engine brace shorter than I wanted to. I'm a total newb at this bending stuff. So I'll have to wait until Monday at the earliest to pick up some more 1.5".

But I do have about 30' of 1.75" laying around. We'll see what the motivation level is like tomorrow. Maybe I'll start some bumpers!

Just make a telescoping piece out of 1.75 ID. Cut your 1.75 OD in half, slide the larger piece over. You can have this piece short of full width,sort to speak. Then bolt up the two ends, center telescoping piece and weld. In fact I've seen certain applications where there was two pieces done like this on purpose.
Could even cut the ends on the telescoping piece on a angle giving it a really cool look with more welding linear welding surface and no one would be the wiser.

One other thing, you could always pull the rubber inserts out, go to your steel supplier, get that diameter stock, drill appropriate hole and bolt. Or it looks like it's just tacked, then grind off bushing and weld the above said piece in it's place, but get that size OD solid rod to fit those sexy notches you have.

Love that rear bumper might have to steal that from ya. Read thru it all, great work. Did not have to see the mans ********s hanging down though.

Like IZ mentioned, no rubber.

 

[section525]

The in-laws ordered the ARB tire inflation kit for me since I was so good this year.

It'll do a 35"-37" in just over two minutes (it claims). We shall see.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Awesome.

Do you have anything rigged up for holding your optima in place? I just picked one up and am looking for idears.

 

[Stic-o]

It'll do a 35"-37" in just over two minutes (it claims). We shall see.

So....Does it?

 

[section525]

Awesome.

Do you have anything rigged up for holding your optima in place? I just picked one up and am looking for idears.

Mine is using the stock hold-down. Did you battery come with a couple different snap-in lips that clip to the bottom of the battery? You just snap one on and bolt it all up. At least thats how it was in '05 when I threw that one in.

I'm going to pick up two new ones here soon. So.. that'll make under the hood more interesting.

 

[90ranajo]

How did you end up dealing with the rear brake line to master cylinder?

 

[section525]

Plumbed it straight into the MC. Into the smaller of the two ports.

 

[90ranajo]

What did you use for the fitting?

Right now I've got the M10x1.0 port converted from European bubble flare to SAE 45° double flare for the fronts and I've got the M12x1.0 bubble converted to double flare, but I can find any fitting that will work for the rear line other than the fitting I pulled from the ABS pump. But that fitting won't work in the master cylinder.

 

[section525]

I just cut out and reused the same fitting that came out of the MC. That won't work for you?

I know james t is going through this same thing on his 1st gen. Maybe they're different for 1st/2nd gen?

 

[james t]

but I can find any fitting that will work for the rear line other than the fitting I pulled from the ABS pump. But that fitting won't work in the master cylinder.

Weird, i just bent the rear line (that went to the pump) up and bolted it right in the MC. I cant see why the ranger would be different?

 

[DRIFTGOD187]

Little bit of a winter update.

Got a smokin' deal on some 37x14 IROKs. They'll be awesome in the snow. Running them on the 8" wheels for now. I'll probably do a DIY beadlock kit on my steel wheels and throw these tires on those wheels. But for now:

LOOKS BADASS

 

[section525]

After my last trip out I noticed that my front springs were now "W" shaped. Woo hoo.

So I picked up some Rancho 44044 springs from a guy on PBB. I ordered some bushings from Summit Racing on Thursday in the 4 o'clock hour and the bushings arrived Friday. Amazing. Anyway, here they are assembled and ready to go in.

Now we have a nice little arch.

Side and front shots:

It came out slightly higher than I would have liked. But it did seem to have leveled it out fairly well. I do know it rides and handles 100% better.

That's another thing. The 5-leaf JC Whitney springs I had on before sucked. I thought that I made my mounts too wide for the springs because I had to have washers on the inside of the mounts to take up space between the spring and mount. But the Ranchos fit in there perfect. So, don't buy the JCW springs. At least in 5-leaf.

Next up is doing some finish welding, painting, pretty-ing up. Also going to get a gen 1 driveshaft to lengthen and replace the square tube.

 

[gmanpaint]

Those are some impressive leaf packs. 2 main leafs? I haven't seen the 2nd main shaped like that before. I like it a lot.

My rear mains are starting to invert in the rear, and I have to break down and get a new set. Depending on price, these look like the answer to my ongoing battle with leaf packs.