Ok i have a 1994 ranger that i want to make into a beast... that's another story. i noticed that it has a pretty unique suspension system compared to the double wishbone or solid axle systems that seem to populate the majority of systems. i looked into it through Wikipedia and found that i have a twin I-beam system, and that the 4WD version has a TTB suspension. googling that came up with... this web pageFord's (In)Famous TTB suspension - Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest i was wondering if the info on that is true.

i want a lift and the ability to do alot off road, but i am paranoid about racking the front axle on somthing, and did not like the travle limitations of doubble wishbone.

is this a good system with the right amount of tinkering? and why is it not used any more?

 

lots of guys ago big and use there TTBs as awesome trail rigs. They are about as close to SFA as you can get without the real thing. The thing to remember though is axle strength. Most likely you have a Dana 35 TTB. Depending on how much you lift and what size tires you run it might be too weak for what you want to. But that draws the question. What are really looking for as far as off roading in your truck? SFA isn't for everyone.

As far as lift Superlift makes a nice 4 inch system for TTB Rangers. You can get the kit really cheap used. Or just body lift like everybody else.

 

damn i just noticed you're 1wd. the link i posted was for 4x4 lol

 

You will need to regear your axles also since you have a tiny little engine. You will otherwise hate big tires

 

the ttb style has strong points and weak points. its capable of more travel then almost any other ifs design which is why rangers make popular desert rigs. you have to define beast if you want an answer. are 33' on a ranger beast or you want 42" boggers

 

There is a lot of great stuff out there for twin I beams and TTB, especially for running around out in the desert there. Camburg makes some great stuff.

You can put together a setup with a lot of suspension travel. The suspension design went to the wayside, probably because they tend to eat tires and don't handle as well on pavement. There is a huge camber change with suspension travel. But they are great for desert/dune stuff.

Having that little 4 banger though I really wouldn't spend much money on it. That thing has got to be miserable to drive in the high desert and surrounding mountains anyway.

 

well my ideas for it are mostly for the future, i like to dream... but i was thinking of a ford 351 boss, 4 wheel drive, about 18 inches of travel. kinda liking the idea of custom shock mounts so i don't lift the center of gravity too high. and either 31's or 33's on 18's. and as for terrain i like trails like Forrest service roads but with that rig i'd do mostly pre-runner stuff with mild rock climbing

 

bump?

 

Just buy a dead 4wd ranger around the same year as yours and swap all the 4wd **** on. If you want more detailed knowledge go to therangerstation also

 

yeah i thought he was 4x4.




never mind my original post. keep it TTB is you want a prerunner. SAS for 4x4.

 

Matt, You are all over the place. If you try and build a vehicle for everything it might be good at everythign, but not great. Are there any legal OHV trails in Bend, or do you drive to MT hood? HAve you set a budget?

 

i was meaning that i want to do trails at speed, crawling is not big for me. there are some ORV places over here ranging form dirt bikes to trucks. no 100 foot jumps, or anything like that for me, just want to not worry about getting stuck, anywhere. my speed limit is about 40 mph off road, but with more capability might come more speed.

i love to feel like i have been somewhere no one else has been to before, and the feeling of figuring out where something goes. and the engine is mainly for bragging rights. a '94 with the 4.0 and 4x4 with a lift that could manage 33x12.5 would do about what i want.

i am here to bounce ideas off people. and deliver input where i can.

i like to dream about my truck, i am kinda attached to it

 

ummm if you actually think you're gonna go down trails at 40 mph you dont need any type of lift. ****, just buy a nice set of shocks for the bouncing and wear your seatbelt for when you hit a tree.

 

yeah, as i said, with more speed would probably come more speed, i know i dont need anything else for 40 mph, i already do that. and a good deal of it is astetics.

 

check out solo motorsports's cut and turn bolt on kit...comes with everything u need including ext radius arms designed for the cut and turned beams, comes with 5100 bilsteins. just supply your own 4-5" lift coils of choice and u are ready to go. alot of guys are using bronco/f150 d44 ttbs's. extend the beams from the pivot points one inch to bolt up to the ranger brackets. move out the upper coil buckets a couple inches and use the fullsize steering and radius arms. the extra leverage helps the wheel travel

for more moderate try some v8 grand cherokee springs. i know alot of guys are using 3-4" springs with a rate of 220-260ppi. also eb springs have a rate of about 300ppi and would be a good choice for the heavier rangers

heres some pics of 4x4junkie on trs with 3.5" of suspension(xj coils) 2" body and 35's