Well, this project has phases. How many? I don't know...
First, we bought the little truck for my son and this is how it came.
1990 Regular cab regular bed 2.3 5speed 4x4. 4.10 gears, D35 and rear 7.5. Only thing fancy about this truck was the pushbutton shift for the tcase. Already had a Skyjacker 6" lift, 31s on 15x10 wheels (?) and the fiberglass flares.
The boy drove it all over for a year and half and then we moved from California to Utah. When I bought it I knew it had some rust in the cab, but it wasn't until later in Utah we discovered how bad it was. We deemed the truck unsafe and took it off the streets. Literally, the A pillars were rusted through, firewall seams were rusted through and the door jambs where the hinges finally rusted through. We expected the doors to fall off. End phase one.
Phase 2 began with finding a 88 cab (We didn't realize what a mistake that was at the time, it was CHEAP!), and a Tuff Country 6" kit (minus springs) with extended radius arms. I swapped a dead 2.3 for the lift parts. We added a showbar/lightbar for the bed and we have a baja type lightbar for the bumper. Short story, this phase ended with this.
Doesn't look significantly different save for the paint, but believe me, nothing was left untouched.
We were pleased with all we did that the truck started practically the first try. This was the primary reason we didn't trash the thing in the first place it ran too good to junk it.
We still didn't have good flex though, as the Skyjacker coils are too stiff, and the current rear shocks limit travel (or I could have moved the stock shock mounts higher on the axle). However, some things we hadn't taken into account during the project kept the truck from passing safety, and again, the little truck awaits more parts. Lets call this the end of Phase 2.
So Phase 3 officially begins with me collecting parts again. It wouldn't pass safety due to bad balljoints and wheel bearings. We had replaced the axle seals and bearings in the diff though. Rather than throw more money at the TTB, we decided to do a SAS. And, due to availability of parts, and the same bolt pattern as the Ranger, we settled on the D30 from an XJ. Because of a different project (my daughter's XJ) I got an entire Cherokee parts car for, um, free. It needed to be moved, and I moved it. Sadly, it has 3.07s. On the upside, the brake pads and rotors were all but new when the XJ quit running, and the unit bearings were replaced a couple years ago. It will get 4.10s or 4.56 gears depending on a couple other factors. But essentially it doesn't need any major work to go under the Ranger. I just need to finish stripping the parts car for the axle and everything associated with it.
I also collected long arms from a Wrangler TJ that are 33.5" eye to eye. I need some adjustable upper links (short arms) to fab the y-link radius arms, and I will modify a stock XJ trans crossmember since the original crossmember is in the way.
I also have a Chrysler 8.25" 29 spline rear axle also with 4.10s from a later model cherokee that should prove stronger than the factory 7.5" under the truck. Odd combination I know, but solid stuff.
Today, I received some more odd parts. Toyota Tundra rear leaf springs. Right off a 2007 truck. They are 64" long, and have the pin irght in the center. I will remove a leaf since the Ranger is lighter than the Tundra... I will either reposition the stock hangers, or fab some new ones from plate. And of course, some longer shackles. I have a friend that recently made some killer spring hangers and shackles for his really big Suburban he is building. If I can make these springs work I will, if not, well, I'll do something else. I need to get the liftblock out of there.
And last for this evening, I am getting a 91 Mercury Cougar for free, so I can get the 3.8 V6 and automatic (and wiring and computer) for the Ranger. It has a leaking PS pump that is why it is off the road and hasn't been touched in a year, so it needs to be moved. I can move it...
I have managed to collect a bunch of tires. Some are good, some are spares only, and a few are just junk. But, I can make a couple of complete sets in a few sizes. If I stay with 31" tires, I will stay with 4.10 gears. If I decide to use 33" tires, its a tossup whether to stay with 4.10s or go 4.56s. However, if we decide to move to 35s (which I have two sets of), then 4.56s are a must (I'd prefer 5.13s but the Chrysler axle only gets to 4.56s...). Though the 3.8 should I swap it in, should be able to manage the 35s on 4.56s, just don't expect a speed demon.
I hope to move forward with this project very soon. It NEEDS to hit some trails...
First, we bought the little truck for my son and this is how it came.
1990 Regular cab regular bed 2.3 5speed 4x4. 4.10 gears, D35 and rear 7.5. Only thing fancy about this truck was the pushbutton shift for the tcase. Already had a Skyjacker 6" lift, 31s on 15x10 wheels (?) and the fiberglass flares.
The boy drove it all over for a year and half and then we moved from California to Utah. When I bought it I knew it had some rust in the cab, but it wasn't until later in Utah we discovered how bad it was. We deemed the truck unsafe and took it off the streets. Literally, the A pillars were rusted through, firewall seams were rusted through and the door jambs where the hinges finally rusted through. We expected the doors to fall off. End phase one.
Phase 2 began with finding a 88 cab (We didn't realize what a mistake that was at the time, it was CHEAP!), and a Tuff Country 6" kit (minus springs) with extended radius arms. I swapped a dead 2.3 for the lift parts. We added a showbar/lightbar for the bed and we have a baja type lightbar for the bumper. Short story, this phase ended with this.
Doesn't look significantly different save for the paint, but believe me, nothing was left untouched.
We were pleased with all we did that the truck started practically the first try. This was the primary reason we didn't trash the thing in the first place it ran too good to junk it.
We still didn't have good flex though, as the Skyjacker coils are too stiff, and the current rear shocks limit travel (or I could have moved the stock shock mounts higher on the axle). However, some things we hadn't taken into account during the project kept the truck from passing safety, and again, the little truck awaits more parts. Lets call this the end of Phase 2.
So Phase 3 officially begins with me collecting parts again. It wouldn't pass safety due to bad balljoints and wheel bearings. We had replaced the axle seals and bearings in the diff though. Rather than throw more money at the TTB, we decided to do a SAS. And, due to availability of parts, and the same bolt pattern as the Ranger, we settled on the D30 from an XJ. Because of a different project (my daughter's XJ) I got an entire Cherokee parts car for, um, free. It needed to be moved, and I moved it. Sadly, it has 3.07s. On the upside, the brake pads and rotors were all but new when the XJ quit running, and the unit bearings were replaced a couple years ago. It will get 4.10s or 4.56 gears depending on a couple other factors. But essentially it doesn't need any major work to go under the Ranger. I just need to finish stripping the parts car for the axle and everything associated with it.
I also collected long arms from a Wrangler TJ that are 33.5" eye to eye. I need some adjustable upper links (short arms) to fab the y-link radius arms, and I will modify a stock XJ trans crossmember since the original crossmember is in the way.
I also have a Chrysler 8.25" 29 spline rear axle also with 4.10s from a later model cherokee that should prove stronger than the factory 7.5" under the truck. Odd combination I know, but solid stuff.
Today, I received some more odd parts. Toyota Tundra rear leaf springs. Right off a 2007 truck. They are 64" long, and have the pin irght in the center. I will remove a leaf since the Ranger is lighter than the Tundra... I will either reposition the stock hangers, or fab some new ones from plate. And of course, some longer shackles. I have a friend that recently made some killer spring hangers and shackles for his really big Suburban he is building. If I can make these springs work I will, if not, well, I'll do something else. I need to get the liftblock out of there.
And last for this evening, I am getting a 91 Mercury Cougar for free, so I can get the 3.8 V6 and automatic (and wiring and computer) for the Ranger. It has a leaking PS pump that is why it is off the road and hasn't been touched in a year, so it needs to be moved. I can move it...
I have managed to collect a bunch of tires. Some are good, some are spares only, and a few are just junk. But, I can make a couple of complete sets in a few sizes. If I stay with 31" tires, I will stay with 4.10 gears. If I decide to use 33" tires, its a tossup whether to stay with 4.10s or go 4.56s. However, if we decide to move to 35s (which I have two sets of), then 4.56s are a must (I'd prefer 5.13s but the Chrysler axle only gets to 4.56s...). Though the 3.8 should I swap it in, should be able to manage the 35s on 4.56s, just don't expect a speed demon.
I hope to move forward with this project very soon. It NEEDS to hit some trails...
