I wouldnt do t like jey though. Id get all the main parts gathered and ready to bolt up then cut the subframe and ****e off. Then the turnaround wouldnt be nearly as long. if you have the part resources for the real custom peices, IE. steering shaft, driveshaft, brake lines, etc. you could easily have it done in two-three weeks with some good dedicated friends to help...

 

Yeah but the truck's gotta be somewhere until I can get all that stuff done up and all the parts collected. There's gonna be a hell of a steep learning curve here too. I don't have any of those resources, though my grandpa and my uncle are really good with cars and such, and the truck will probably end up being stored at my uncle's, about an hour from where i'm at school.

 

Gil's pretty much covered it and I agree. You can simplify the coil suspension SLIGHTLY by using trailing arms and "panhard bar" or "track bar". Look at a Jeep's (TJ Wrangler or Grand Cherokee) front suspension and you'll see what I mean. 3 and 4 links are great, but they're not the only way to go with coils.

I may be getting the D35 and all the suspension parts off of a rear-wrecked Grand. Supposedly the guy who's got it only want's the drivetrain salvaged back to the transfer case and doesn't need the axles or suspension. I don't know if there's any practical way to adapt the coils and arms to the Ranger, but if not I can always use the axle for my initial leaf-sprung SAS conversion and worry about a much stronger axle later.

I'm thinking leaves, but I'll see what I could do with the coils. I should be able to get the steering box off it as well.

If I get it, I'll probably be posting asking for suggestions and what anyone knows about reusing those.

 

I think those links that got posted are going to be my late-night reading for the next few nights.

 

If you can get everything intact and in good shape, I would use it. Shouldn't be too hard to get everything to line up correctly.

The really key thing is placement of the steering box. I've seen a few people set them up initially, only to have a tire rub on it later, and have to move it.

 

What is the difference between low and high pinion?

 

Where the pinion gear come into the differential. Look at your rear for instance and you can see it comes in at the bottom -- low pinion.

High pinion is like that turned upside down. The advantage is a lesser driveshaft angle on lifted vehicles, and moving the driveshaft up and out of the way. It really helps the angle in the front of most trucks, where the short driveshaft results in more extreme angles.

High pinion diffs need special attention to pinion bearing lube and usually are designed with "slingers" and channels of some sort to ensure it gets lubed properly.

 

Thanks, Adam.

 

Cool, I thought it had something to that effect. Thanks!

 

I dont know about that. XJs wth their unibodies are kinda weird how the control arms are setup. you could just throw the arms on, but you wouldnt nearly be getting the possible droop out of the suspension.

 

you check the Ex forums john? A can't remember the guy's exact name right now, but it's something with lizard in it I think.......he's from the Hazleton area, and has a coil SAS on his Ex sport. I see him at Harry's and Paragon all the time, can't miss his truck.....

 

one stupid question.

how do you go about getting it to go into 4x4, when you go from a 2wd?

or even in jey's situation?

all electrical, since there is no manual tcase involved.

how does the electrical stuff work, when initiating the switch into 4x4?

just something that i never knew..

and since jey's used to be controlling an ifs 4x4 setup, adn now a s.a. setup, how does the same electronic stuff control the different deals..

 

going from 2wd to 4wd, really just needs a trsnfers case after the tranny. youde need a new driveshaft as the 2wd will be too long.

jey is gonna be pretty much stock after the transfer case. so after the front driveshaft, not much will change f any for now.

The tcase's electrical shift comes via a little motor that resembles a windshield wiper motor. its basically a little shaft with a bevel on it, actually kinda like a stove **** (you know, you pull off the **** and theres a flat side on the round pin?) all that electric t case is a manual with a little motor that turns the **** and shifts it into 4x4.really simple actually...

so not much jey has to worry about besides the front drivshaft and the actual swap itself...

 

The only thing about the electric t-case is you have to STOP the motor at the right point. The t-case has limit switches in it that go to a fancy controller that has time outs for the motor and what not to prevent damage, and interlocks to keep it from driving when you're moving at certain speeds and so forth.

If you eliminate all the safetys, you can just use the limit switches to stop the motor pretty easily. They you are the safety to turn it off if it seems to be taking too long to get into gear, and to not shift it at inappropriate speeds.

That's basically what I'm going to do.

Carl: cool on the coil SAS. I've been thinking about it, and doing it the way the jeeps are done and that may be the road I take after all.