you are correct this is not your run of the mill build thread. when i started the build i wanted to keep the functional which turned into function over form.

the reason the front glass has been white for three years was that i wanted to wait until i picked up a set for the rear. i really did not think it would take this long. life and a wife took first priority. now that i have a f-150 rear axle that will be ready to swap in next week will allow me to start looking for a set of rear glass. for the time being i will rock the original bed side until i can find a set of rear glass. yes i could have pulled the bed sides of the fleet side bed. i elected not to because i love having the ability to remove the bed sides if i have to work with the spring pack or swap in a new axle.

my direction with this truck has changed a few time through out the build. which is the down side to having a log term build. i happy that it has taken me three year to get to this point. if i decided to stick with one direction i would have become board with the the truck and sell it off.

my current direction with the truck is to have it be utilitarian. i want my truck to be functional in every way possible and self reliant. i understand this is a lot to ask for in a little ranger that is 14 years old. i have plans for it which will be put in place when money and time allow for it. who know it may take me another three years to paint the front glass. you will just have to keep following this thread until i do.

shane

 

front end re build went smooth except the driver side ball joint. i was given the correct box but not the correct ball joint.
little vid VVV. was taken with my phone and i had Pandora playing from it.

 

pick up some beef cake axle perches for the 8.8. thank you ruffstuff always been a fan.


here is a funny from this morning. this will be the last time all three beds see each other. original step side tub in the middle and the blue and white bed in the left middle under the pile of junck and the new est up that is temporary on the truck.

 

ruffstuff never disappoints! ive got their spring plates, beefy!

 

at some point i will be going back for the rest of the axle swap kit.

sadly i have not made any progress with the axle. today i did go to the half off weekend at the local pick and pull. for 10 bucks i walked out with a switch panel with circuit breakers, cb antenna with two bases and a cable.

 

Pretty sweet build! I really like the current bed look. I plan to one day build a slammed ranger doing what you did with FAT dish wheels.

Look forward to the truck's progress!


Little concern area that may have been overlooked...

5x4.5 wheel center holes are considerably smaller than 5x5.5. The shaft "hat" or whatever it's called is likely not to fit in a 5x4.5 wheel. Unless those were machined to fit and I can't tell. lol. Just something I noticed.

 

i had the hub turned so i can run my wheels. thank you for looking out.

 

swapped out the ranger axle for the f-150 8.8 today. the swap went really smooth.

mock up.


installed

 

the axle came out of a 93 f-150 with a 5.0 motor with 4x4. the gear set that is in the axle is 3.55 l/s. the track width of this axle/wheel combo is 74" out side of tread to out side of tread.

 

Looks really cool with the camper. Id like to throw one on mine for camping

 

thank you. i was able to test it out a couple weeks back.


this was today's effort. find the difference in the pics. only look at the truck. hint i did not wash it.

 

Truck looks good. The bed is a good idea! The axle matches the width perfect.

 

The decal?

 

thank you for the complement. there are no complaints from the wife about the extra room in the stabin cabin.

thats one of the differences. look a little lower and closer to the lines.

 

i swapped out the deaver f-31 leaf packs for their g - 50 race packs. im really stoked about this mod. i now do not have to worry about the weight that is planed to be placed on to the truck.

f-31's top and g-50's bottom

 

Cool! What weight?

 

tire gates, low pro rack on the shell, 22 gal fuel cell behind the axle and a reverse cantilever shock set up.

messing around with a spare set of tires and also getting ideas of how i want my tire gates to look.

 

sellin those f31's?

 

I think the tires would look better in a roof basket. Not sure it would look all that good on the back like that.

 

sorry i sold them.

im not really fond of that set up. just because i will have to lift a one or two spares above my head weighting in at 70 - 90lbs each.

last summer i set out to build a rear bumper for the truck with intent to build a tire gate. at the same time somebody with tons of money had BMS Motorsports build a truck that fallowed the same direction of my build. this company built a tire gate that i intend to copy with some tweaks to the design.

this is what it looks like.

where the jerry cans are i would like to build a platform so i choose to carry a set of jerry cans or a tool box.

 

some people will think im nuts


so far i have cut down the header panel to just the buckets. i have all the supplies to glass them in to the clip. i just need to settle on how i will do that.

 

yea.. thats a mistake..

 

is that a 1 piece fort clip? i didnt see any gap front the hood to fenders.

 

when did you get falkens?

 

he got the falkens a few weeks ago, saw it on DR. swick if youre selling the 98 front end parts please let me know. a buddy needs them.