So I was in Moab last week for the Jeep Safari with my Jeep-owning friends. I always get the major itch after that trip annually, but this trip was different. While at the tail end of a trail, we came upon a rock racing event and stayed to watch awhile. Love at first sight for me. I have two questions. One: has a "hybrid", if you will, slow crawler/racer been built? If so I'd like to see it. Two: if I wanted to make a racer out of my Ranger, would a beefy long travel IFS be suitable to use for slow crawling, such as that found in Moab? I am so jealous of all my friends and their built up rigs and want to make something out of my Ranger, just can't decide what to do.

 

SAS, with Coils.
IFS that came in rangers (TTB) were horrible, the system was known for blowing hubs and the bearings will fail inside of a year.

 

Im not too sure. I dont really see a desert racer being able to crawl.

I dont really see a rock crawler able to race. There might be a chance that you could build a "hybrid", but it might not work out too well.

 

That's bullshit actually; don't spread false info. Crap happens yes, but that is not the general case for TTB.

The Dana 35 TTB High Pinion axle uses axle shafts that are almost the same diameter as a D44, and they both use the same ujoint.

Only reason hubs and bearings fail is because of lack of maintenance.

I have had the same Timken wheel bearings and manual hubs for 5 years.

I wheel some pretty cool stuff too.

Now keeping TTB to use on rocks....that is a different story.

Hand's down if the OP wants to rock crawl, a SAS on coils and long-radius arms is plenty strong.

The TTB twin Ibeam is much better offroad than the crap SLA and torsions that the newer rangers have.

Ditch IFS and go SAS for rock is the bottom line.

 

Its not lack of maintenance. I'm a fully licensed Mechanic, I've gone through 3 sets of bearings in 3 years. ALL TTB rangers with oversized tires do it.
The hubs we're NEVER reliable I've seen many stories on other forums i belong to of guys out on the trail blowing a bearing/hub.
The TTB also has a limited range of motion, whereas coils and a solid axle are much more flexible.

You show up to any trail here with TTB and think your gonna run with the SAS guys, you'll get laughed at.

 

Who cares.

In your experience you've witnessed the worst of the TTB. I have heard the "stories" too. If you and others are going through bearings once a year something is not being done right, as that is not the case for everyone.

I have had much better experience than most, but at the same time maybe I have been exceptionally lucky. Like I said, Tiimken bearings, same set for 5 years, HD Jeep D35 hubs (much stronger than the stock manuals or autos), Spicer 5-760x ujoints, and 33" tires. Never broken anything. This is definitely not ALL Rangers dude. STOP GENERALIZING.

Back to the topic though, no where did I say that at TTB rig can hold its on on the rocks like you keep suggesting. Don't put words in my mouth. All I said was that they can take some abuse, but are definitely not for the guy who wants to rock crawl. It works best for general offroading and backwoods trail riding.

BTW, where is the OP? We need more info from him...I'm not even sure what he is trying to accomplish. What he is suggesting he wants to do isn't in the typical person's "budget".

 

I've been rethinking my future plans as well. Before, I wanted to go SAS, but I'm wondering if I would be just fine sticking with IFS and doing a 4" Coilover conversion. I don't plan on doing major rock crawling or mudding, just basically just a truck that can handle some light to medium trails but still be drivable on the street

What scares me about SAS is that I've never done it, or have any friends close by that have done it.

 

@01RangerEdge, that's how I am, I've read up a little on SAS but still not quite sure what all I would need and what all to do. It'd be nice if there was a detailed thread with a full list of materials and a step-by-step...

To who asked what I'm trying to accomplish, I want something that 1) would be street-driveable (just at first, I understand a hardcore rig won't be street legal) 2) I can do something a little more fast-paced with (no clue what this is, just wanna mash the gas pedal a little, any suggestions? and 3) something I could take on a trail the following weekend in Moab or Colorado without having to change much (I'm not looking to do the Rubicon or anything with it)

As for my budget, right now I'm a poor college student (yes I know, I'm not going to get jack done) but come October I'll be shipping to Marine boot camp, and will thus have little to no expenses as a Marine (yes, I also know I won't be making a fortune in the military but I will have the pleasure of being able to put a little away every month and build a decent budget that I can some day put all into my rig)

 

Oh and the type of "beefy IFS" I had in mind was something like one Dixon Bros. offers, found here http://www.dixonbrosracing.com/content/view/8/6/

 

one word. KOH
King of the Hammers
offroad race including highspeed offroad sections, mixed with slow technical rock crawling.
Huge event, tons of rigs that do both amazingly.

oh, and would ya look at that! a TTB setup!!

 

WOW!!! That looks sweet!!

What in the world kind of front suspension is that? Indie with a diff on one side??

 

ttb........

 

Call me a noob, I don't know what that is.

 

Wait, what?! Lmao! Really?!
Google it. Dang.

 

Go to total chaos fab's website, unfortunately they do not make a ranger kit but it will show you how capable long travel Ifs is. Also Ifs is getting more and more popular onthe rocks. Hybrid truck is what I went for and I am soooo glad I did not do a sas even though I still do not have cv's haha

BTF fabrication is working on 4wd LT for rangers, do not count on getting it from DBR

 

DBR not making the LT anymore?

 

The TTB on that crawler is a built to the hilt Dana50 TTB on a Jeep YJ chassis by the looks of it.

 

He can't get the axles anymore, and he is now impossible to get a hold of. Rcv can make the axles for about $1200. All you need is to get through to DBR once, make sure you give him all the info and he will make the kit and ship it out but you will have no communication on progress lol Everything all said and done was $3500 shipped to my door with radlfo 2.5 coilovers and this suspension is as strong as a suspension setup can get

 

well i know i want a long travel suspension, maybe ill see what BTF comes out with!

 

I googled right away, proceeded to spend hours researching. I had seen it before just didn't know the name.

BLK, your rig is sick! What kind of use do you put it to?

 

Thank god you put a sig to clarify you didn't have TTB....

BLK, any update on that BTF kit? It doesn't seem like info gets updated on DR or I missed something.

 

Yeah I apologize, you'll have to bear with my lack of experience. Having Jeep friends, all I really know is the solid axle.

 

No worries man! I just figured anyone that had or knew about ford trucks knew what a TTB was haha!
I wanna know more about the BTF long travel setup as well. Saving up for it now.

 

DR is a nice site but the majority is 2wd and I am not. It seems like those 4wd sections don't get a ton of attention.

 

Yeah I noticed that as well. I love the idea of long travel, would be epic for the back roads I got, but I need to keep my 4x4!!!