I have got a couple ideas rolling around in the ole thinker... I'm just not sure how expensive/difficult it would be to pull it off. I want to turn my truck into a crawler. NOTE: THESE ARE VERY LONG TERM PLANS Let me start with the first stages:

STAGE 1: stage one is just to get the truck looking like I want it to, and is almost complete.

STAGE 2: Since I'm a total newb, this stage will help me learn how to handle the truck in crawling conditions with 2wd.
-RCD 6" EDGE LIFT KIT (WITH DEAVERS INSTEAD OF AAL)
-TRAIL READY 15X10 STEEL BEADLOCKS (FOR CRAWLING ONLY)
-PITBULL 35X14.50R15 TIRES (FOR CRAWLING ONLY)
-CUSTOM FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS
-REGEAR THE REAREND

STAGE 3: Stage 3 will be converting the truck to 4wd and using an 8.8" rear differential.
-4WD CONVERSION
-RCD 4WD LIFT KIT
-8.8" REAR DIFFERENTIAL SWAP
-ARB AIR LOCKERS (IF POSSIBLE) WITH FULL ON-BOARD AIR SYSTEM

STAGE 4: This will be the fun stage...
-SAS conversion
-FRONT STEERING UNIMOG AXLES
-REAR STEERING UNIMOG AXLES
-HYDRAULIC STEERING
-FULL EXO CAGE
-LOTS OF OTHER THINGS FOR CRAWLING

Since I'm still in college and I want to try to get a new vehicle when I get out of college, I'll get stages 1 and 2 done while I'm in college and save until I get out of college for stage 3. Then, when a 2009/10 Ranger FX4 becomes my daily driver, I'll start working on stages 3 and 4.

I believe these are pretty attainable goals for my truck, but what I need is experienced input. I'll admit, I don't know everything... but between all the very knowledgable people on this site and others, I may be able refine my choices in parts and whatnot.

Thanks Everyone!!

 

Why wouldn't you just skip making it 4WD in stage 2? The way you're doing this, you'll be throwing money (and big money) on a 4WD lift kit that'll be useless when you go SAS, and a front locker that'll also be wrong.

I say this because I considered it, then realized it wasn't THAT much more work when going 4x4 to put the SAS in then, and it saves a TON of money if that's where you're going.

Although I understand your stage 1, don't figure on doing any real crawling, lol, if you mean rock crawling. 2WD vehicles can't even get the front wheels over the first rock most of the time. You just push against it without a front wheel driving to lift you up it. And it don't take much of a rock at that. Trust me, I've been there!

 

Ya i'm with mrs. Griggs here. Skip stages 2-3 and just go straight to 4. You will save your self a LOT of money and a LOT of time, and a LOT of pain in the long run.

 

Well, not really crawling, just basically doing alot more wheeling with some better equipment and learning more and more. The 4wd conv will be done while I'm at UCF down in south FL getting my Mech Engineering degree. So I won't be driving it much then, but I also won't be getting much wheeling in since south FL is all beaches and streets mostly. Then, when I get out of college and start makin some big bucks (probly at Mickey D's...lol) I'll get me another truck, so i can use this one as my crawler. So the 4wd conversion will probably be on there for a while.

 

First off I want to say I wish you the best of luck! I just want to add I agree with these guys that the lift and the four-wheel drive conversion would be a Huge investment just to be thrown away on a SAS later. I mean go for it if it is what you really want, but just be aware of that. also, I graduated from Then U of MN with a Mechanical Engineering degree. It is a great field to get into. I wish you luck with this endeavor also. I just want ot add to keep focuses on your goals. Life tends to get in the way. I wanted my Charger finished the year I got out of college, but three years later it stil is in my folks barn. It will get done sooner or later, but I wanted a house, and a new truck, and so on, and so on. So just hang in there!


~HJ

 

I'm with John here. That's a HORRID waste of money the way you have it planned out. While you are working on amassing the parts for your SAS and getting your truck looking the way you want, you can still be driving it around. Throw a spindle lift on there if you gotta do SOMETHING, but the RCD 2wd kit, the IFS 4x4 stuff, and the RCD 4wd kit are all pointless if you end up with an SAS. You could do most of the work for an SAS in a few days, probably even a weekend, if you have all the parts ready to go. It'd be much better, cheaper, and easier. You could also get it done MUCH sooner because you wouldn't have to save all that money for all those parts in the middle. Normally I'd say it sounds like you've got money burning a hole in your pocket and no plan for how to spend it, but you don't even have the money right now! Haha. Take your time and do it right the first time man

 

Well, my dad just told me this morning that if he "caught" me spending any more money on my truck, he'd...... ANYways, that money will be in the mail tomorrow Kyle, lol... So I guess I could live a couple years without 4WD, since I did ask for criticism and got some better ideas, than what I had planned.

BTW, since I won't have to pay for tuition next year, I'm gonna go ahead and get the RCD lift, but I won't do the 4wd conversion. I'll throw on some Pitbull Rockers too, In the 35" or maybe even 37" size...

STAGE 1: stage one is just to get the truck looking like I want it to, and is almost complete.

STAGE 2:
-RCD 6" EDGE LIFT KIT (WITH DEAVERS INSTEAD OF AAL)
-TRAIL READY 15X10 STEEL BEADLOCKS (FOR CRAWLING ONLY)
-PITBULL 35X14.50R15 TIRES (FOR CRAWLING ONLY)
-CUSTOM FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS
-REGEAR THE REAREND

STAGE 3: This will be the fun stage...
-SAS conversion
-FRONT STEERING UNIMOG AXLES
-REAR STEERING UNIMOG AXLES
-HYDRAULIC STEERING
-FULL EXO CAGE
-LOTS OF OTHER THINGS FOR CRAWLING

 

still better than first one but.i had the superlift and now i wish i hadnt done a superlift.i wish i would have jumped into the sas.thats just my .02.if u do the rcd ur still wasting to much money just leAve it alone until u can do the sas!
ryan

 

YEah, but it'll be a couple years before I start even collecting parts for the sas unless I get a really awesome-paying job or win the lottery...

I just started college and the lift should be on the truck by spring 07 hopefully along with a 8.8" rear end and deavers instead of the AALs and the 35" tires and beadlocks.

 

Also, narrow tires are better than wide tires for crawling. I'd go with a 35-37x12.50 instead of the 14.5" tire.

 

But that's the only size they come in...

 

i like the way wider tires look!mine do fine offorading and mine are 15 wide.

 

I'm also gonna learn how to weld, hopefully so I can make my own bumper...

Check out the post I made about it in the "Metal Fabrication" section...

Nobody has yet...

 

The last I heard the 6" lift was for rangers with coils, non-edge.

Did this change?

 

No, the kit trades torsion bars (for the edge version) for coilovers