heres my idea that will take a while but thought id get some opinions on it first. I have a single cab short bed 4.0 automatic 4x4, what i want to do is make it a tow truck for hauling different things and putting a lot of torque in it and make it pull out stumps and **** like that. Ive got a parts list going now and this is what ive got so far...
-big brake kit front and rear to help stop some of the heavier load
-wheels and tires to fit over them
-box in the rear frame
-strong springs in rear
-deep tranny pan with second cooler
-spool in rear end with big cover
-engine mods and exhaust with the last cat gutted

so do you guys think that the 4.0 is up for it if i tune it and mabye put in a different cam and other stuff, or am i just wasting my time and money

 

I think its a Ranger and thats all that needs to be said

 

What you gonna tow? Imports? lol

 

With you being a single cab, you're too light to pull much (like other trucks out of the mud, etc)

Brenton

 

haha nah mostly just furniture and other **** through the mountains so i need something thatll tow heavy loads on inclines, but i dont want to give up my ranger...ill find a way though..im good at it

 

damn o well

 

You probably could extend your hauling capacity some but what would be the point? Unless your gonna start like a Ranger Moving Company, that would be cool. Its the little truck that could!

 

Are you talking about pulling a trailer or building a TOW TRUCK

 

I'm not so sure you would need to spool the rear end for towing? A good LS should be plenty.

Have you thought about gears at all?

 

no im talking about towing a trailor and other stuff...not a tow truck

 

idk yet i mean i have 4.10 gears and those are pretty strong as they are but idk im thinking

 

I smell a stroker motor....4.5L with some 4.56 gears that will get you moving.

 

Import a foreign ranger diesel engine?
Airbags on top of leafs?
underdrive pullies?

 

You will need to put in a tranny cooler, along with a heavier clutch.. somethign that wont give on the added stress.. alogn with soem good fluids to cope with that stress and extra pulling weight.

 

my ranger is stock and it did just fine with 1000+ of wood in the back and a 5000+ chiper but not all at once

 

imo if your gonna haul on a normal basis, trade it in for something that billows black stuff lol

 

Properly tuned diesels shouldnt blow black smoke....

 

yea but sometimes the black smoke is cooler

 

hell yea...i do work at an engine shop, it wouldnt be hard at all for me to do that

 

Well since the subject title is false.......you want to have a heavy hauler and not a "true tow truck", seems like you'll need a full size truck bud.

Hauling a couch and some chairs is one thing, but stump pulling and heavy trailer pulling.....don't fool yourself......full size is the only way.

Don't waste your hard earned money on the little Ranger.....unless you want to and that floats your boat.

 

you just contridicted yourself.....you can't add a transmission cooler to a manual transmission, nor can you "upgrade" your clutch in an automatic transmission (automatics don't have that type of clutches)....



As far as towing goes here is what you will want to do:
- largest aux. transmission cooler that will fit in behind the grill
- deeper transmission pan (keep trans fluid changed on a regular basis)
- shift kit
- limited slip out back will do more than a spool will (a spool is for going only in a straight line, ie: drag strips)
- MAC rear end cover w/ girdles



stroking your engine shouldn't even be an option. If you are towing, a stroker kit will do more harm than good......


I recommend getting a full size truck...

 

Do it! :) lol I know how ya feel about your truck you rather build it up than trade it in for something else. put a 302 in it out of an explorer those trannys from the exploder 302's are stronger than the 4.0's tranny's anyway but still add a nice size tranny cooler, maybe even add 2 coolers. Make sure ya add some weight in the rear. The negative thing about the 302 explorer's are they all came with AWD or 2wd since your 4wd I'm guessing you wanna keep it that way, you can do a t-case swap into that tranny from an F-150. or else just bolt an f-150 tranny up to that 302 so you could have a regular 4wheel system. You have options plus with the 302 there are so many mods you can do with a 302 for power you'd just be better off with one unless your hard headed on your good ole 4.0.

 

2 aux. transmission coolers would restrict the transmission fluid flow too much to be effective. They would create more heat than they would dispence...

 

Ohh ok...didn't know that, I thought of doing that to my 95, guess I won't now.

 

you just need to make sure that you add the aux cooler on the exit side of the stock radiator cooler (the lower line out of the radiator)......that way the radiator does its cooling first (usually down to 200* because of the antifreeze) and then the aux cooler can cool it down another 30*-40*.....