I've pulled my D44 and 9" for a 78 bronco.

I'm still researching coils. My only problem is that in the past I've only worked with leaf sprung jeeps and my ****-tacular IFS.

I'm considering the WildHorse4x4 3.5" prerunner coils. (part # 1011)
I'm playing around with hooks law trying to figure out what they're going to sit at compressed. Thing is tho, they have two different spring rates that give me a really different set of answers.


These coils are 20.5" free, with a spring rate of 236 and 375.

I'm also trying to figure the weight on my front axle so I can figure what my compressed height would be.

My front GAWR is 2710 LBS. Is that what is currently being put on the front or is that what it can handle max?


Some direction would be sweet. Thanks.

 

I'm using 4" F-150/Bronco coils for a 1978-1979 truck. I did my HP D44 from a 1978 or 79 F-150 with all the suspension components. There's some info on page 25 of my cardomain and I've posted some here as well if that helps.

Why two spring rates unless they are compound coils. If they are, the "true" rate is the produce of the two rates divided by the sum of the two rates.

You should get the front weighed if you want a true number to deal with.

I winged it on mine and got lucky, lol...

 

I've got everything from a 78 FS Bronco. I'm using buckets and everything from the donor. I sold the springs tho. They were for a 6" lift and that would be way too much on a Ranger.

I guess I'll stop by the weigh station and pull some numbers.

My coil buckets are damn tall compaired to a stock ranger's ttb buckets. This should be interesting.


Thanks man

 

I mounted my buckets down about 3/4" below the bottom of the frame rail. I welded them on so I didn't use the bottom piece that wraps around the frame.

If you can get to a truck from the same era, take pics of the suspension to know the spacing and relative heights of the brackets, shock mounts and track bar mounts. I used only the rear shock mounting positions. With the 4" single-rate lift springs, I have a little less up-travel than I like so I'll be making a steel spacer to drop the top buckets spring mounting surface down a bit, or building up the lower one -- haven't decided. Either way it's got to be a good design that retains the spring well.

But the height is about right. 1" more lift for additional up-travel will be at or near level with the rear, and I can do something with the rear to compensate.

It's a project for sure. But it'll feel good when you're done. It's a solid sense of accomplishment to get somewhere with a SAS I can tell you.

 

236/375

Combined spring rate for those should be 144 which should be good for a ranger. The rough measurement for the front end of a extended cab 4.0 ranger should be around 1200 pounds per corner, give or take some.

 

I'll work 144 into my equasion. I've got a 3.0 but a new bumper and winch should make up the weight.

Do you by chance go by TorreadoRanger on TRS?


As far as the rear goes, I'm keeping the 9" and moving the perches in. I'll use taller aftermarket perches, keep my stock 2.5" blocks, and i'll use some chevy drop shackles for another 2. In the long run I'll switch to a full aftermarket leaf pack, but thats down the road.

Scratch that... 63" Chevys


Thanks for the words, guys.

 

yea i do go by Toreadorranger on RPS

 

I'm 3.0 with a winch and a very heavy mount for it. It does help in terms of the front weight. My son-in-law has a full size Bronco with the same springs and a 351M V8 and says they're too soft for his application, but he's a lot heavier. The ones I'm running are just right for me. I dumped my fiberglass hood for an aluminum hood from a 2000 like yours.

 

Sounds like a BA rig, man.

Did you keep your axles full width?

 

Yes the front is full width. I put spacers on the back for now to make up for the FX4 Ranger axles shortness, but I'm looking for a full width 31 spline 8.8 to put back there that I can put my Auburn ECTED locker into. That'll get rid of the spacer/adaptors, which I don't like using all that well.

Here's a front and side view as it stands today. You can see the rear doesn't match the front yet. Truck is leaning because of a void near the end of my driveway -- it's normally pretty level.




It's not bad-*** yet, but I hope to have it there in the future, lol...thanks though.

 

It's a good lookin truck

Did you have to move the coil buckets in about 2" ?

 

The difference in spacing between my frame and the F-150/Bronco is only 1" -- or about 1/2 inch per side. What I did was rotate the lower buckets 180 degrees (in fact I did this only yesterday, lol -- prior they were 1/2" too far outboard causing the springs to bow) and this put the springs straight up and down. The mounting holes of the buckets are offset 1/4" to one side -- so when you turn them around the bucket moves 1/2" further inboard! How's that for a blessing, lol.

Don't confuse the track width with the axle width. Even though the axles are wider, the frame spacing is very close. I had no problems with the radius arms and all.

However, I did have to shorten the track bar 1" and I'll be making a shorter draglink as well. The tie rod obviously stays the same length.

I'm pretty sure your frame spacing is about the same as mine. You shouldn't have any problems to speak of in that area at least.

My Cardomain site has some narrative on what I did on page 25 if you're interested, and I did a post here as well.

 

It's soooo great to get this info. I've been researching my ***** off and comming up with very little answers. I usually hang around on TRS. Mostly Gen 1 and Gen 2 rangers who have made the swap from TTB to a SAS.

My D44 and 9" are from a '78 Bronco, so I'm really hopeing my widths are as close as yours. When I pulled the buckets i noticed they were offset, so I think this should work out.

I don't think Ford changed the chassis between the 98-00s and the 01+ All I know is they got a face lift and a few other goodies.


Now steering comes to mind. I have the box from my bronco. I need the pump, but thats cheaper then a box. What did you use?

I know a guy who used a susuki box, and I've read of a few using toyota IFS boxes because they supposedly bolt right on to the ranger steering shaft and bolt drop the pitman arm on the outside of the frame. Or something like that.

As far as track bar I'm going to fab one at my friend's dads shop. I'll use the same mount cause it shares the shock mounts, on this model at least.

 

I used my original pump -- strangely enough it uses the exact same fitting on the pump end as the Bronco setup. I bought a Bronco/F-150 hose from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard -- http://www.broncograveyard.com which is a very reliable source for axle and suspension parts -- and it mated right to my Ranger pump.

However, my pump was damaged/worn from a leaky steering rack a couple of years ago and it's not all it should be. It works, but it's not as strong as I'd like.

The Bronco/F-150 box is very heavy duty. But it's also in short supply (only made from year 77.5 to 79) and the existing cores have often be rebuilt more than once.

What this means is that a lot of them, even rebuilt, have slop. I don't like the Toyota boxes folks use because they're weaker. I'd like to find out where to get more of the internal parts to do the rebuild because the kits available to consumers don't include shafts, gears or the ***** that "recirculate" in the worm drive. I have way too much play for easy comfortable driving right now -- but it's useable. Maybe your box will be in better shape.

A company with three letters like AGS or something -- can't remember at the moment -- makes "really" rebuilt boxes and they are heavy duty and last forever. But they cost over $400 WITH a core exchange. Still, that may be where I go eventually if I don't get lucky and stumble onto a fairly tight one.

If you have both front and rear shock mounts, your donor truck had the "Quad Shock" option. Nice if you want to run double shocks on each side though because of the location you need longer shocks forward of the axle than aft due to the arc of the radius arm.

I got Superlift/Warn Black Diamond AT shocks scratch and dent from Superlift on eBay. I'll find the model number and put it here for you. I paid $13.50 each before shipping and they are great shocks mounted aft of the axle.

Okay, just looked. The Superlift Black Diamond AT shock is number 787025. I don't see any on eBay now, sorry.

I don't know if this link will work, but this is the auction I bought them from: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=7914372383

Yes, you need the box on the outside of the frame unless you have a small box and relocate the track bar mount. There's not a lot of room on the inside of my frame up there with my 3.0, even less with bigger engines. Also, if you don't keep the approximate length and angle of the track bar and draglink the same then you will have bump steer issues.

You will have to fabricate some kind of steering shaft -- there's nothing bolt on for this type of build.

 

A note for those looking for information on my SAS: I also discuss it here -- https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...t=55400&page=1

 

I'm thinking I can reuse the bronco gear box, use my pump, and use my shaft until the first yoke, and then adapt in the bronco steering shaft. I'm glad I kept that. I'm runnin over budget right now as it is, so I'm gonna try to keep it cheap. If it comes down to it, I could spend 200 on a box, or 29 on a gym membership and just work out! lol

Brakes are my next question. I need a set of extended lines, but I can never find a set for a ranger. What'd you do? I need everything. The lines and hoses got fubared when pulling the axle, so guide me, Yoda!

Thanks a ton, man

 

I fabricated a tie-together of the lines from my ABS controller which originally ran separate lines down to each caliper. I made a "Y" near the ABS box with a T-fitting like this:



That went down to a coupler that connects the short hard-line I made into an extended length BRONCO hose (with stainless braid) from JBG (Jeff's as listed above).

That hose went to standard Bronco left and right hoses from a different vendor (cheaper, I think it was from RockAuto.com). These "hoses" are actually pieces that make up the entire run down the left and right sides of the axle and are a preassembled combination of hardline and hose.

When you buy them and a "T" coupler, you have everything you need for the axle. I reused the Bronco/F-150 calipers and boy are my brakes better than the Ranger discs.

All fittings are 3/32 standard double flare hydraulic type except for the banjo ends at the caliper. I used the donor trucks banjo bolts, and the hose combo I bought had the new copper washers with them.

 

I just posted something about buying him a beer if he were ever in CO

And now I don't see it?

Is that against R-F rules?

 

Ha ha! I don't thing so, Adam -- but my friends are protecting me I think.

I'm a recovering alcoholic. Now, I've been recovering for about 15 years, lol -- it's been that long since I drank -- but still it's a well known part of my history. I still struggle with with who I am sometimes even without the alcohol, lol. Jimmy Breslin, a famous journalist, put it this way: "Once you stop drinking you have to deal with that marvelous personality that started you drinking in the first place."

So I appreciate the sentiment for sure. You can buy me a diet coke or a cup of coffee -- caffeine I've never given up!

 

My bad, John.

They're good friends for sure.

And in that case, a diet coke or a cup of coffee it is!

 

Hey it's my pleasure to help you and I'll tell you why: there was just not a lot of info on doing it this way in a late model Ranger. There were useful SAS posts on here for sure, but most were doing something slightly or completely different in ways that didn't fully explain what I needed to do. So it's nice to be able to share what I did do and it actually be useful to someone. I always enjoy that (hence all the how-to's on my cardomain site, lol...)

Probably though, it was a blessing to slog through it. I've begun to pick up a number of skills (like welding) and some "specialized" knowledge (like Dana axle construction and rebuilding) that will allow me to continue to maintain and build my truck for years to come. My plan is to keep this truck and just build it into what I want. To me, it just makes no sense to keep buying newer trucks and never get exactly what you want anyway, lol. But for some that's the formula that works.

Oh, and I got to buy a lot of cool new tools. Everything from the welder to the double flaring tool for brake lines, and so forth. I love tools.

I really hate not knowing, understanding or being able to cope directly with my trucks systems.