Started as my Daily Driver and first truck at the age of 16. Went through a few phases.

Stock


Got some 31's and thought it was awesome, drove through lots of little mud holes.


got tired of the ranger lean so I got 2" skyjacker coils



then started realizing I actually wanted to wheel. Sold the 31's and put stockers back on while I gathered parts for an SAS with the intent of building a truck for the rocks.

At the time I was going for a relatively straight forward swap so I began gathering EB parts. Got an EB44, then a member on here was selling all their 1/2ton stuff to go 1 ton so I bought everything off him.


Front Setup will be:

D44
wristed radius arms
5.13's
Detroit Truetrac
Clatyton Trac bar
Rockcrusher Diff cover
5.5" James Duff Early bronco progressive springs

Rear:

8.8
Welded
5.13's
63" Chevy Springs


Wristed Radius arms for now, will prob build some extended eventually


Kinda regret buying it all and wish I just went 1 ton from the start. Have learned 100x what I knew when I started through all the research, advice and trial and error and already have my mind on a linked 1 ton setup down the road but for now I will finish this and wheel it. Its my first big project so the straight forwardness is kinda nice while I really tear apart the truck for the first time.

Bought 36x12.5r15 Bias TSL's
Leaning on the truck


So I finally started after a couple years of saving and gathering parts.

Bed Off


Rear Out


Been rebuilding the 44 and cleaning up the axles. Gotta wire wheel the frame and put a fresh coat on also. Brake lines are completely rotted so I have to do all new lines. I'll keep throwing up updates. Want to finish before school starts in late august because then I'll be away from the truck, so I'm hustlin.

 

Good luck with the welded 8.8 and 36's get your self a 9 inch for the rear. Are you getting lift springs for the rear or just stock chevys, the drop shackle would help with some more lift for the rear i have 5.5" chevys and 2" shackle with 4" deaver super flex coils in the front and its pretty level.
What year truck is that? Is it a-arm or TTB?

 

Good work so far. Is that the 20 volt craftsman cordless impact in the last picture? How do you like it, I want to get one soon.

 

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

Its a TTB.
Looks good man, but I agree with that one^. Start looking for a 9 inch. Either than, or go buy a couple of 8.8's and just swap a new one in every time you break something lol.

 

I was pretty sure it was ttb it should pretty much bolt in for the most part. I know mine was pretty simple, What are you going to do steering wise?

 

96 ttb, f*ck 9"s when the 8.8 blows I'm goin 1 ton, stock 63's + belltech 6400's, trim if I have too, this b**ch is gonna sit low.

Indeed. Only had it for a few days but really like it so far, makes tear down much much easier.

 

Partsmike D44 tie rod and drag. Builds it to your measurement spec.

 

Man good on ya lol. I am sick of seeing all these truck that are too much of a ***** to trim. Sit low and hack it all off if you have to.

 

I couldnt clear 35's so i hacked my chit lol i will have to do my fronts when i get my extended arms done lol
how much is the parts mike stuff?

 

**** the 9"?

have you not noticed what almost all the comp buggies run? yea, they're 9" axles.

sure, aftermarket tubes, gears, 3rds, shafts ets.. Seriously consider a 9", great ground clearance, can be built up to be PLENTY strong with unlimited aftermarket for it.

look at ballistic fab's 9".. +/- 2 grand gets ya a spooled axle, 4340 35 spline shafts, w/e width you want, what ever gear ratio you want, strange S case, custom 1/4" thick housing.. an extra $300 gets you disc brakes if you dont want to buy the brackets and do it yourself. You can get 5 on 5.5, 6 on w/e and 8 on 6.5 bolt patterns for it.

Hell, I'm running a stock 31 spline 9" right now and have yet to be in a situation where i find my self worried about it, its that damn D44 that scares me.


do you have pics of the welded 8.8?

 

1PM-TRDA100 TIEROD/DRAGLINK ASSEMBLY .188" wall
$269

 

i think ballistic is cheaper. on the steering. and its .25 wall, screw .188

 

ha yea
.250 wall

the knuckles are gonna shatter first ha



Go to Autozone or Orilleys and give them the part numbers off Ballistics site, they cross over.. that way when they wear out you can just go swap them out under the lifetime warranty.

 

Is the 8.8 31-spline?

 

Honestly ya'll can go on and on about 9"'s and any other axle and its nothing I don't know. I'm running what I'm running cause I got a deal that I couldnt pass up and when it blows up I'm going 1ton nuff said. I'm not even worried about the 8.8, the D44 will grenade first I'm sure. Anyway I know the pros and cons of everything I'm choosing to run and don't really need anyone preaching to me about what the pros run. I'm well aware, and nothings changing.

 

28

 

what are the axles out of?

i drag my 9" all over the place, i honestly don't know how the hell i could stand a 14bff.

 

Thats what i was thinking

 

shave it for sure i drag mine quite a bit i can feel it catch rocks

 

When I go tons it will be on 42's and shaved. Rear is from another ranger and front is an EB axle. They were already run hard under another ranger on 36's and the 44 blew tons of ujoints and the 8.8 held up. Paid $400 for both axles already geared and with detroit along with all the other parts.

 

The 8.8 in my ranger had been ABUSED in the past and never broke (knock on wood) only thing that concerns me about it is the c-clips but that's neither here nor there!

 

I agree with stRanger, the 8.8 will be just fine with 36's. He'll break the D44 way more than the 8.8.

I would weld the tubes to the diff though, just as a precaution.

 

no doubt he'll break the D44 more.. are they stock shafts?








that was the end of my 8.8

 

The previous owner of mine had the 8.8 welded up (79 ford 8.8) and he railed on it a good bit and the only problem that has come up to date was the welds didn't hold and I had it rewelded...