your an f'in legend to all ford ranger owners, not to just people on this forum but everyone who drives one......

 

bob if you need to look at my truck just holler i will swing by...

 

Bob why would you go backwards and use a slip yoke at the tcase, because if you ever broke a rear drive shaft and didn't have a spare you would be leaking fluid everywhere. Why not try and adapt the flange off a ranger tcase or make your own slip yoke eliminator like they do on a NP231.

 

Thanks, Mark, that is helpful info. Not was I hoping for but good info nonetheless.

 

Mark I full understand that but to me it is a big step backwards. Have you ever been in the middle of no where and broke a drive shaft that has a slip yoke? it is not a great feeling.

Back on topic.

 

My first choice was a BW 4407 T/C which has a fixed yoke output to the rear driveshaft. Unfortunately, they are very hard to find and expensive. In the meantime, I got a good deal on a low miles manual BW 4406 and decided to use it instead.

 

The 5.0 now has modified engine mount plates that moved it 3/8" toward the passenger side. This will allow the larger F-series transfer case to fit between the Ranger frame rails. This is a test fit of the engine to the revised mounts.

 

That is understandable Bob. I was just wondering why you chose that t-case.

Very nice work Bob when do expect to have it done.

 

It will still take awhile. Besides basic assembly, it needs a custom length rear driveshaft, custom exhaust system, column and floor shifters installed and a bunch of wiring revisions.

 

yes they do, but if you break a drive shaft and you have a slip yoke you can not drive the vehicle until you get a new shaft. With a fixed yoke you can at least drive the vehicle off the trail and home if needed.

 

thats just way to clean of a install lol

 

it looks very VERY clen bro... get us some bigger pics when you get that sucker finished... job well done thusfar

 

Clean doesn't even begin to describe that.....

 

very nice Bob!

 

just beautiful man

 

Looks great Bob!

 

When I started this project, I was sure that I didn't want the single gear full time AWD transfer case that is used in the AWD version of the 5.0L Explorer. I wanted to have a manually shifted, 2-speed, part time 4WD transfer case.

An easy (but expensive) way would have been to get a $500+ adapter kit from Advance Adapters to mate the 4R70W Explorer transmission to the stock Ranger case. The kit consists of a new extension housing and a shaft adapter that steps down from the 4R70W's 31 spline output shaft to match the smaller Ranger T/C spline. That would have also allowed the use of the factory Ranger driveshafts and the factory manual Ranger T/C shift linkage.

It seemed like a better idea to use a larger transfer case designed for the torque a V8, so I got the manual Borg Warner 4406 case used in the F-series and rated at 300 lb-ft. The 4406 bolts directly to the stock 4R70W extension housing without modification but that's where the easy part ends.

First of all, the 4406 transfer case is huge compared to either the stock Ranger 2-speed case or the stock Explorer AWD case. It is nearly twice as long front to back and the main body sits about 4 inches rearward of where the main body of the Ranger case was. It is also much wider and would sit about 1/4" from the DS frame rail if the stock 5.0L Ex mounts were used. Even worse, the forward U-joint of the rear driveshaft would end up being about a foot farther rearward as compared to the stock Ranger, putting it adjacent and very close to the nose of the fuel tank.

The solution to both clearance problems was to move the entire engine/transmission/transfer case 3/8" toward the passenger side. This was accomplished by welding up the engine plate holes and trans crossmember holes and repositioning them.

These photos show the results of using the modified mounts. There is still not a lot of room there but imagine how it would be using the stock mounting position - 3/8" closer!


Transfer case to frame rail clearance:



Slip yoke to fuel tank clearance:



This is the 4406 shift linkage. It was moved almost 3/4" inward by reversing part of the linkage and by shortening the mounting bosses on the extension housing. Combined with the 3/8" powertrain offset, the mod moves the linkage and lever significantly inward on the transmission tunnel, keeping it from intruding any more than necessary into the driver's legroom.



Here is the F150 silicone inner boot that has been reshaped to fit the Ranger tunnel. The stock Level II shift arm was too short by itself, so I made up an intermediate extension shaft from a piece of 3/4" drill rod.



This is the interior trim boot.



The shifter moved all the way rearward to the 4x4 Low position.



Another clearance issue involved the electrical bulkhead connector under the driver seat. The rearward position and larger size of the 4406 put it too close for comfort. My first idea was to move the square hole forward by cutting and welding. However, it occurred to me that I could accomplish the same thing by angling the connector away from the transfer case. By sandwiching the sheet metal between two large round blocks of steel bolted together, it was easy to reshape the floor and push the connector body away from the t-case.

 

Bob, we are not worthy of your skills.

<-- kneels before Bob.

 

amazing bob, looks great, everything is custom this custom that. I know the feeling but you have taken it much further.

 

Good work Bob. That TC does look like a biggie.

 

It is enormous, awkward and weighs over 100 pounds - fun when you're on the garage floor trying to bench press it into position!

This picture is good for a size comparison to the transmission: