it sucks that my last thread got closed because people are acting like little children. now i have to cut and past and all this junk !

I've beefed up the tires and will soon get rock sliders and traction bars.when my warranty is up i'm going to do an abs disable switch.kc lights also on the to do list. where do i go from here ? whats next ?

oh yeah and i have already extended diff vents front and rear . do you guys think the tranny and transfer case are worth extending ? I try to avoid water and mud but certainly alot of dust

I'm really on a tight budget and looking for mods which will run between 100 and 400.

I'm only intersted in increased off road capability and improving durability / reliabilty by upgrading parts which are likely to fail and leave me and my girl stranded in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to do any mods that may decrease the life of the vehicle. Even a k&n filter may eventualy lead to oil getting on your mass air flow sensor and damaging it. dont' think so ? this happened to my s-10 but that was 100,000 miles after it was installed.

I am not really interested in power since it seems i have plenty. I'm more intersted in better fuel economy than power.so romping and reliability without sacraficing any driveablity is what i'm after .

the only mods i can think of are expensive and not something i need to do anytime too soon ..i want to upgrade the limited slip in the rear end to a torsen or the detroit version. possibly limited slip in the the front but worried about handling problems in the rain etc and damage to front end parts.would also like custom front bumper / rear bumper that wraps around the side and provides protection just behind the wheel.all this stuff is too much money for anytime soon my girl will kill me but definently on the to do list

this is probably a stupid question. can a 4x4 have a spindle lift ? I can't find one and i figure even if it is possible you would have to change a bunch of drive components. I really want to add some more clearance but i'm out for performance not looks so i don't want a body lift can't afford suspension lift. don't want to do it half *** with something like a t bar crank etc that may end up causing more wear on other parts . I wish i could just get both axles up a few more inches. not sure what other mods can improve my trucks ability to romp without compromise performance or reliabilty

some parts i've considered upgrading are the front drive shaft , the hubs ,but man i like the auto locking hubs cuz i'm lazy lol, alternator, brake rotors, cooler running thermostat.

what else could i do ?

 

I'm not sure you can mod the hubs, go for the body lift though. Get some 33x12.5's on some new rims and you'll be set.

 

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...76&postcount=2

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...84&postcount=3

 

No spindle lift for a 4x4. Go body lift, I had one, loved it and yes you can beat on it.

You can't alter the hubs or get auto locking hubs. Your truck has PVH(pulse vaccuum hubs).

The only problem with oiled filters and the Maf is that you have to watch how much you oil the filter and take care not to oil it too much. You can also clean the MAF every once in a while with some electric contact cleaner.

An electric fan and Underdrive pulleys will give you a lil more power and will help with the gas mileage.

You don't need to upgrade the front drive shaft, alternator or rotors. The front shaft is fine and I doubt you will be putting any strain on it. The alternator needs to be upgraded if you plan on running quite a few lights or a sound system. The brake rotors will be fine for what you need. Now if you get bigger tires like 35's, then I would worry about getting new rotors.

 

i know locking the front will end up damaging parts but I was wondering if the gear type Limited slip would be better because it only transfers some of the power? I'd lock the rear but its alot more money then gear LS and i think LS would be good enough for me.

because i have the payload package i think i have the second best shocks . the ones just below fx4 2 . Will the bilsteins really help ? what will i notice as their benefit ... i already figured i'd step up to those shocks but want to get some more miles out of these .

it was suggested i get a body lift which would then allow 33x12.5 .......I do not want any mean posts or any stuff like that i just want to express my opinion why i still don't really think a body lift is right for me. Also while i agree with alon body lift is generaly not too good i have no fear i'm going to break something cuz of it. lets not get this thread locked too !thanks !

as far as i can tell the good things about a body lift are price , larger tires possible, better approach and departure angels. less likely to smash in rocker panels when coming down off large rocks(getting sliders so not worried about it too much).And it does look good with those big tires. Afew bad things are higher center of gravity but without the benefits of a suspension lift. Does not help breakover or get the axles up higher. frame still hangs down at same elevation under the rocker panels.

I definently like the idea of wider tires because when i stepped up to 10.5 from 9 the traction went up so much i can't even believe it . Way better on or off road. I'm already running a 32 inch tire so other than the width 1 inch taller is not going to raise me up more then .5 inches at the axles. also 33 inch tires are expensive and i plan to tear up tires and puncture them before the tread is gone lol my tires are brand new so i'm stuck with them till i end up killing these ones or probably about 50,000 miles whatevever is first. maybe some 35 inch tires would be worth it . that would give me nearly 2 inches of clearance and most boulders would be more scared of me then i am of them hahahah. but they again are alot of money and probably have to re gear and i imagine would need more then just a body lift. 33 will just have to wait .also 33 x 12.5 is going to mean worse gas mileage.

I don't want to raise my center of gravity unless its worth the added performance/clearance. I don't know what all of you do when u romp but i'm into shelf roads which are rocky with alot of very off camber sections that leave you leaning tward deadly drop offs. Roll over is a serious concern. I rarely go for desert drives and even when i do I try to head for the highest ranges i can get to that weekend . For example the white/inyo mountains with numerous roads to 9 and 10,000 feet . only reason i hit the desert is cuz the mountains are under snow. Most trails i'm on are very narrow no turn arounds and the edge is often unstable and could slide if the vehicle gets too close. many forest trails have so many over hanging branches that my camper shell already hits them! going more then 4 inches up will mean that i have to always have my sawzall on hand lol i'm totaly serious. I love when these full size trucks lifted 12 inches on some montster tires can't follow my stock ranger to the best spots!!!!! a suspension lift would get me up higher but if i have something with alot of articulation then when its really off camber (not always but usualy) the vehicle is fairly level and the suspension is doing its thing. this is worth it i think.

i'm going to hold off on any sort of lift until this truck is not a daily driver and i'm a journeyman plumber making plenty of cash .then if i do it i'm going for the rcd with 33x12.5... if i have that much cash i might aswell just leave the ranger alone and use it for when i want to be able to sleep in the bed . i hope to get a jeep rubicon and turn that into the ultimate offroad machine .

this is off topic but...

has anyone seen the specs on the new 07 wranglers ? they are really sweet and beefed up but i'm not happy that they are 6 inches longer and 4 inches wider. also wish they could step up to a 5 speed auto . 4 speed means going down hills when locked in first that gear is often too low and when in second there isn't enough engine breaking. This used to drive me nuts in my last truck.

Its a big debate on whats better off road and i've been pretty happy with my stick shift but learning to feather the brake when rock crawling was tough. I also HATE it in traffic and thats where i am most the time. I think auto has bad things but generaly its easier off road cuz its like sometimes u need 3 feet in a stick. I'd love to try someones 4x4 ranger with an auto at a meet some time.

 

Your truck doesn't have pulse vacuum hubs as said above. I saw your sig and it says its and 05 ranger and you have "always 4wd" front end. The hubs are always engaged if i remember correctly. Pulse vacuum hubs came on like 98-00(my truck) and mine recently go switched to the newer 06 hubs. So don't worry about that..

Aaron

 

i would look at getting a bamachip from doug. you've probably heard all about them, people love the power gains with them, etc.. you said you weren't neccessarilly looking for power gains, but improvement, so i think doug could probably tune a good improvement program for ya for gas mileage, etc... plus add a little power for the hell of it.

how are you with interior mods besides off roading mods? got any ideas for extra consoles or anything like that? if so, there's a few more suggestions people could make

 

I do plan to get 2 or 4 kc lights and i have a sound system the amp is 400 watt do you think that an alternator upgrade is a good idea for me or when this one dies then maybe go to something more powerful or should i just replace with factory one?

as for brake rotors i don't plan to upgrade till these ones are dead and i wasn't going to go larger just get some slotted ones and good pads. I think if i had an auto then some serious brakes would be a really good idea . I do a ton of driving on and off road in the mountains on steep roads . but with the stick i stay off the breaks . In my old auto even with shifting to lower gears i was always on the break.

i read with the underdrive pully you need to raise idle 800 rpm to avoid charging problems ? do i have to have a bama tuner to do that ? also can you have underdrive pully without doing the e fan ? I was reading about the e fan and i was skeptical about how it mounts because i am really rough on it.i only read alittle about this stuff....

do bama tuners work with 87 octane? I had the hypetech on my last truck thought it sucked . i'm not sure how it works this is probably a whole other thread but if it could be used for power on 92 when i want or extra fuel economy on 87 that would be totaly worth it .i'm not sure why you would want to change the timing and the spark and all that stuff maybe someone can just give me a brief little over view or post a link to a thread which covers it all. read some about the bama last night it seems cool but since i have a stick its not nearly as useful as if you have an auto so u can change the shift points. when programming my new tires size would that optimize the ABS which probably doesn't work the same with diffrent tire size but i don't know for sure.

 

i didn't think i had the pulse vacuum.

I am interested in only a few interior mods ..... I ordered my truck and got only performance upgrades like LS i got ZERO luxury items ..... OH how i wish i had bucket seats that go up and down with adjustable head rest! Also really want a visor that extends because without the sliding extension its worthless most of the time! also really need map lights to select cd's at night and be able to see the road ! my last truck was fully loaded so i had no idea how much i would miss those things . oh man power mirrors lol ! When you have to back down some bad road you have to turn the mirrors so you can see the rear tires and edge of road so its a pain in the butt i get lazy and i've almost hit some stuff cuz of it . i guess some more little storage things would be cool too. maybe something in the back to hold my maps and off road books cuz that net thing really is no good. I'm definently going to use eggcrate and or dynamat to stop rattles from my system and help road noise too. I want an abs disable switch and plan to do a simple on off toggle under the dash or something . I would rather have something tricked out like bobs traction control switch. after more research i think i could do the toggle myself but relays and bondo etc is wayyyyyy too advanced for me.

 

i think you're just confused and need to loook around here on posts to try and learn more about the stuff you are looking to eventually get.

 

Pulse vacuum hubs were discontinued on the Ranger in 2000 1/2. Since then, Rangers have had Explorer-style full time live axles. In their current form, there is no way to modify them to be selectable hubs.

Your Traction-Lok will serve you well on the street and for most offroad work. You only need a locker for more serious offroading.

Duff traction bars are a great addition to any Ranger with lift blocks like yours.

The idle speed is not adjustable except through changes to the PCM calibration. You won't have charging problems with an underdrive pulley unless you do extensive idling or lots of stop and go freeway commuting.

Bamachips does offer 87 octane programs.

 

Improving your truck is one thing, but it looks like you don't like anything on your Ranger.
Why exactly did you buy a Ranger, if you dislike everything about it?

 

you do like to write novels eh...

with 2 lights no with 4 yes. Junses modifided has upgrade alts. get theres and for KC lights here ya go...
https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ead.php?t=7604

 

Hmm a new alternator for 4 kc lights and a 400 watt amp. I don't see why. Its not like he is gonna be running the amp and the lights at the same time all the time.

A body lift will do just fine and will clear 33x12.50's easily. I had a BL on my 02 4x4 and I loved it. I beat the crap out of my truck and never once had a problem with the BL. I jumped things, ran through mud and sand and did lots of hill climbing and it never failed me. You will be fine with one since it seems you won't be doing anything relatively near what I did with my truck. This is one of the main predicaments when lifting Ranger 4x4's, BL's are $200 and a Superlift is $1800 w/ the front driveshaft and RCD is like $2300. The BL and Superlift you can install yourself, the RCD you may need professional installation.

You will be fine with the UD pulleys. I have them on my F-150 and I have a system and have no problem charging and the lil lower idle is not noticable anymore anyway. You bump the idle like a whopping 100-150 rpm and its back to normal so its not really that much of a difference.

 

why not start with the Rubi if that is what u really wanted? an man, please...use paragraphs, all ur posts just run together...its like a novel

 

Better with the paragraphs to break it up -- I see you edited, good job!

I often write very long posts -- ignore the boo-birds and just say what's on your mind. The heck with them if they can't take a joke. But, formatting your posts to make them more readable IS a good idea.

Welcome and good luck with building up your truck. Check out my CarDomain site for some ideas as I have a WHOLE lot of mods, lol.

 

Shocks really do make a difference. I bought Bilsteins and love them I noticed a huge difference.

 

The posts are extra long cuz i'm out of work with nothing to do all day !

sorry my posts run together and the gramar and spelling is really bad too. There is a reason i'm a plumber and not going to college! I didn't really attend high school i just have a ged so my ability to write is not very good. appreciate anyone who deals with it just to help me out . i'll try to break it up into paragraphs.

I don't like my ford ranger and just generaly don't like ford. The reason i got a ranger is the price. I also know the head of fleet sales at a dealer so i only paid 100 dollars over the dealer. If i could have gotten a tacoma or frontier i would have . Or if i could have afforded an fx4 level 2 that would of been cool.Got my girl a focus for the same reason when really we would have prefered a civic. I don't mean to offend anyone with this ...

The rubicon is going to be my girls daily driver. I must have a truck for work or i'd get a jeep right now. I like a truck to take alot of gear and have a place to sleep on the trail. I think I will hold off on major mods like a lift so later down the road i can build the jeep.

I am not confused on what i want out of my truck . I am confused about what can be done to my truck. I know i can use the search engine but many of these topics have soooo many threads its hard to find the info. I thought this was a good way to narrow it down and it has seemed to work great. I've learned new shocks really are worth it.A bama tuner is worth researching because its nothing like hypertech and can work with 87. I've learned that my hubs can't be upgraded. the front driveshaft and alternator are probably good enough . so i'm sorry if its annoying to those reading and answering but this sure was helpful!

thanks bob and n3elz ! the two of you are always super helpful and i generaly trust all your advice. i definently spend endless amounts of time idling in traffic but with my new job that should really improve now. 10 miles each way to my new job then i take a company truck. i was doin 30-50 miles each way depending on the job site before. I make more money too ! I just might be able to afford under drive pully, e fan , and bama tuner now !