2021 ranger wannabe prelander

[NODNARB]

Sold my old 4runner and 1st gen taco parts getter last year to get a new truck. 42 years old and it’s my first new thing ever. Haha

Base model 4x4.
Pretty much immediately ordered Radflo front and rear bolt in shocks for the front and back, along with methods and tried some Goodyear trail runner tires to try something different. Took it like that up outside of bishop for a little camping trip. Shocks were too high and way too much preload imo so swapped them out for some shorter but heavier coils and it’s way better now.

 

[NODNARB]

Made a front bumper, diff skid, and rock sliders next.
Soon I’ll be working on a Longtravel front.
Rear is now on atlas leafs, rides decent for bolt on stuff.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

Looks good. Going to add a winch to the truck?

 

[NODNARB]

Looks good. Going to add a winch to the truck?

No, I’m not a big 4x4 guy, and I’m also a cheapskate. Haha

Kinda wish I would’ve had one here just to make me feel more secure though… the slickest mud I’ve ever been in up in Wyoming.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

I do not evny the future you working on that truck...

 

[michael_gonzalez]

Just drive through some equally large pavement-water puddles. Problem solved. Lol

 

[NODNARB]

I do not evny the future you working on that truck...

Dude we went to the coin op car wash in town and spent $25 blasting it for a while to get the main stuff off. Then when we got home I spent about an hour laying on the driveway with the hose underneath it. I think I got most of it but it’s never gonna be the same.

 

[charlie brown]

gotta love mudden

 

[badlinesgoodtimes]

gotta love mudden

All fun and games until you are working on it down the road... everything in the eyes all the time haha

Looking good Brandon... these things have really grown on me. Freshening to see something different than a Tacoma out in the wild

 

[dwphoto]

wellll?

 

[NODNARB]

Front end is pretty much done. I may need to swap to a heavier coil to get the ride height just an inch or so higher and not have too much preload. Overall rides pretty good on the street. Haven’t taken it in the dirt since I’m actually still waiting on some machined taper adapters for the uniball to lower balljoint hole. Made a crappy taper on my lathe to center things up but I don’t really trust it for bombing around yet. Hopefully will have those by New Years. I still need to install the bedsides.

Front gets like 12.5” before the axles are t happy. With some shock tuning it should be plenty to goof around in. Truck is way too new to beat the piss out of.

 

[the bodj]

Looks cool, Brandon!

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

Looks like it's coming together!

Quick question on the bedsides... Do they rub as is right now? Or are you going to be running some wheel spacers to get the track width matched to the front and then it'll rub?

 

[NODNARB]

They don’t rub as is. Only time I’ve bottomed it out so far is loaded up on pallets from laser cutting, but the plan is one size up (35”) tires and probably like a 1.5” spacer on each side, I’m not a big fan of spacers but if I’m honest, this is more for the look than really being able to haul the mail.

 

[NODNARB]

Got the bedsides on a little bit after Christmas, then got some 35’s for it. Moved the little chain hoist for the spare so a 35 will fit under the bed still. Was going to make a cool broski in bed mount but remembered I need a truck with a usable bed still.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

These trucks are slowly growing on me...

I've always liked when people built a skid plate for their spares when they put them under the bed. Would suck to get a flat not evening driving on it during wheeling.

 

[NODNARB]

That’s actually a really good idea. I’ll have to see if there’s some existing holes to attach to (boxed frame makes just drilling a little tough)

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

You could have it attach to the lug holes too with some all thread or lug nuts. Just depends on how technical you want to build it out.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

This thing is overkill and probably 100lbs but you get the idea.