Teds Shed Build Thread

[allmyEXes]

I'll be having some "dent side" stuff available this summer. Straight long bed frame (1/2 ton). Restorable stripped cab with doors.
Another truck, long bed roller F-250 complete missing the engine and transmission. Southeast US parts etc.

 

[Teds Shed]

Seems to be the march of time.
Thanks to Scott and another friend of ours, Lloyd, my truck is home. Lloyd's truck is a 93 with a turbo 6.9 as well. Those old IDIs aren't snappy, but sure are good!I'll get some ttb pics later today and get this thread back on track!

 

[Teds Shed]

I finally snapped some pictures. First, Scott gave me a matching 8.8. Needs brakes and 6x5.5 shafts. In the background, you can see explorer leaves as well. On the beams, we spaced out the bottom 1/2" and he plated it. He also added weld to the bungs for the radius arms. Finally, you can see the DS truss and diff plating

 

[Teds Shed]

Yesterday, Lloyd and I went to jalopy. I wanted to get an automatic transmission pedal assembly that was in an old ranger, and some Dana 44 hubs. I got the assembly, but the hubs were being a pain, so I gave up. The good thing, though, was we got a 4l60e core for Lloyd. Someone pulled it and left it under the Tahoe. All we had to do was drag it out. Easiest transmission pull I've ever done. I also received my Dana 44 ball joint adjustors

 

[410Fortune]

Nice! I’ve scored a few transfer cases that way… people drop the trans and leave the 4406m sitting there it’s like winning the lottery

 

[Teds Shed]

Yeah, it seems like usually the transmission is what people take, so we were surprised that they had pulled the engine and T-case, but left the tranny. Worked out for him, for sure!

 

[Teds Shed]

Today I worked on the 8.8 a little bit. I cut off the brackets, cleaned it, and welded and smoothed some of the gouges left from cutting off brackets. I also got a broken diff cover bolt out

 

[Teds Shed]

Does anybody know if the B2 spring width is the same as a late 90s explorer? I'd like to cut off the spring under perches, but was leaving them on as reference for the spring over.

 

[Josh P]

Does anybody know if the B2 spring width is the same as a late 90s explorer? I'd like to cut off the spring under perches, but was leaving them on as reference for the spring over.

Yes.

Those old IDIs aren't snappy

Heaviest 100 hp you'll ever make.

 

[410Fortune]

Bronco ii spring mounts same as ranger not same as explorer

Explorer leafs are under the frame rails and under the axle
Ranger and Bronco ii leafs are outboard the frame rails and on top of the axle

They are 1/2” +/- ’off each side you cannot just align them.. the explorer perches are wrong offset for bii
I still have my spring plates in the bottom of the axle
My u bolts span over them
They make a nice spot to put a jack

I usually loosely Bolt everything up, center the axle under the rig, set pinion angle and tack weld spring perches and shock mounts, remove axle and final weld

Good Time to weld the pumpkin to the axle
Tubes also

 

[Teds Shed]

Would you post a picture of your spring perch setup, so I can see both the factory and the SOA perches?

 

[Josh P]

I know the spring width is the same between the explorer and the Ranger/B2 cause I laced a set of Ranger springs in with explorer springs when I swapped an 8.8 from a explorer in my 87 Ranger. I welded the perches on outside the vehicle, for me it was easier. I used some threaded rod and a 2x4 to make a template for the perches. The existing axle that was in my Ranger, I ran a threaded rod thru the centering pin hole in the perch, cut some short pieces of 2x4 to build up enough height to clear the center section and bolted it to a 2x4 that's the width of the perches. I bolted the perches I wanted to weld to that template. With the axle on saw horses I used a floor jack to set the pinion angle to 6 degrees then welded the perches on at 0 degrees.

 

[Teds Shed]

Thank you for this. I didn't have much time today, but here's what I came up with. I measured out 1/2" (5.5 vs 6") marked it with a sharpie, and gently scored it 180 degrees from the SUA perches, so when I cut them off, I can reference the score marks. I figure weld will cover them when I burn the purches in

 

[fordpickupman]

We will want to mock it up in the B2 to match the angle of the tcase output with the pinion angle at ride height. You might get lucky doing it the other way, but with the engine swap and axle swap let's just take the time to match it up so you don't have any harmonic vibrations when coasting.

 

[Teds Shed]

Yeah, I'm not actually using it for a final location. Just reference so it'll be close enough to go from a known point. I ordered a digital angle finder to help with my camber, driveline angles, etc.

 

[410Fortune]

Explorer and ranger distance between leaf springs is close, but it is not the same

I have installed about 15 explorer 8.8 into rangers
I’ll get a pic of my bii setup

If you kept the same distance your leaf springs would not be hung straight up and down in the hanger and shackles

This axle was setup under my bii about 25 years ago now if you can believe that crap hahahaha man oh man she’s been a good rig

 

[Teds Shed]

Thank you for the picture. I guessed on which way you meant about the 1/2", and it appears I guessed right

 

[410Fortune]

I have notes around here somewhere for when o do the spring perches something like 57” vs 58 I can’t remember. Basically I always set them up the same because every ranger I build is a little different. I plasma torch all the old brackets off the axle tubes. Then I plasma torch the shock mounts off the old 7.5 axle and clean them up with grinder. Tubes are smoothed. Spring pads and u bolts put in place axle loosely hung under the leaf springs, centered checked, pinion angle set… tack weld spring perches and shock mounts… remove for final welding and paint.
Scott will do it exactly like this

 

[Teds Shed]

Yeah, that's how I was going to do it as well. I made the crosses to get me close without a bunch of measuring.

 

[Teds Shed]

Here's some more pictures from yesterday. I got everything off the axle and started painting. I also opened up the shaft window in the passenger beam. The last picture is my ball joint removal tool. It's a broken Sterling shaft. A couple years ago Lloyd somehow broke the rear axle in his F350, and got an extra Scott had laying around. I ended up with the junk, and have been using the worthless shaft for a beating stick