92 Ranger rebuild

[85Yota]

Will box boxes like this on top too.

She always needs new radius arms so if I do those they will be center mounted and diagonal off rear of them to the link pivot as well

 

[Chancegoodman]

Is this Baja marks truck on insta?

 

[85Yota]

It was Baja Mike I believe was the old Instagram. Now it's @ Baja_muerto

 

[Chancegoodman]

It was Baja Mike I believe was the old Instagram. Now it's @ Baja_muerto

That truck worked pretty well can’t wait to see how well it’ll work in the future

 

[85Yota]

Yeah it worked pretty good. An internship with sway a way in college helped learn about shock tuning. Before it had a 383 SBC and now this built 6.0l LS it's even faster.

Well finished up redoing the rear c pillar tubes. Now to get rearend under, set at ride height that build upper links so I can position it at full bump to start laying the back half tubes out.

 

[85Yota]

Links and rearend are in place. Gotta get tubing and mockup bedsides to figure out max bump travel and rear floor angle of storage box for the backhalf.

 

[RW81]

Looking good. What’s the fuel cell plan for it?

 

[85Yota]

Jaz Jeep speed cell. Going against the cab and the entire rear under the dual spares will be a big storage box for all tools and everything just like I had on my double cab Tacoma.

 

[the bodj]

I'm so torn with my rear end setup. I love how it handles with the tank behind the axle, but it limits space so much. I have my cooler at the front of the bed (a huge Rtic), which could easily be built into a larger storage area, but then I don't have a spot for my cooler lol. Cooler at the front of the bed is really useful for keeping the food alive lol

 

[85Yota]

My experience with trucks like we build for prelanding and caping NOT just to go full kill, is to put storage behind the axle. My Tacoma I had lots of weight that didn't change behind the axle, fluids, tools, jack, spare, spare parts etc was easily 400lbs. Cell behind axle changes weight as it is used. We aren't using the trucks to the extremes where shocks get so hot valving fades a noticable amount that the lighter rear weight benefits. Now I'm building my Ford with cell behind axle because it's just a go fast toy not my camping prelander rig.

 

[85Yota]

Put the shocks on the links today, mocked up some tires, only 37s but will build to fit 40s, mocked up bedsides and started getting a plan on tube layout and shock mounts, with being able to keep windows.

 

[85Yota]

Started laying out the backhalf but got busy working on my other trucks and in my junkyard helping a couple customers remove axles and bigger items.

Tacked the vertical on axle at desired degree angle to match the bump stops angle. Laid out the rear bottom bumper tube and got that bottom bumper tube squared and leveled up.

 

[85Yota]

Well removed the vertical tube and started laying out the mail frames. I am doing same style backhalf that my Tacoma had with cell against cab, and rear is a full storage box for everything with spare or spares on top and sway bar below it.

 

[Flapjack935]

Stupid question, but does the lower frame rail tube go below the upper link? Or is it the angle that makes it look that way.

 

[85Yota]

It's outside the upper link. Goes directly below the front upper link heim.

 

[85Yota]

Well to get the upper backhalf tube below window to hit the existing W in back of the cab the fuel cell is going to need a full cradle that bolts it in from the bottom. So next week I'll get some 3/4" tubing and some 12 ga plate to make that. Waiting on sway bar bushings to set that position and do the rear bottom of the trunk and backhalf. Fuel cell is also flush with back of the cab and on some 2x4s since I thought about having it slide in from the side but that isn't gonna work with proper tube layout and no dead tubes.

 

[85Yota]

Went to the cleanup yesterday all day. So got a couple tubes on today. Had to put a bend in them to clear fuel cell so it can be dropped out the bottom.

 

[85Yota]

Basically to do the backhalf how I would've liked to do would've required redoing the entire C pillar back diagonals etc and just isn't in the cards, or budget, to do all that so a few minor compromises are made to get this done. It won't affect how it works or strength in any significant way just aesthetically it's not perfect in my eyes. But done and in the desert is what matters not having a never ending projects because you want every square inch of the truck done perfectly.

 

[85Yota]

Forgot to take photos but got some tubes and flanges on the truck for the fuel cell cradle. Going to cut some plates to keep the cell from sliding at all and make it secure. Friend also provided me a sway a way sway bar with arms BUT didn't have bushings or retaining washers to keep the arms on. Ordered some bronze bushings off McMaster but needed the retaining washer. The sway bar arms are kicked out like 5 degrees so the retaining washer needed to be angled. Cut a piece of 3/16 plate and ran a weld on the inside edge on most of it. Than used a magnet to hold it and ameribrade disc sander to grind the appropriate angle into the back side of the washer keeping the outside face flat for the bolt and washer to hold it all tight. Then I needed to machine the inside of the washer so it would sit flat against end of the bar. Positioned the washer in my lathe and machined it down flat with a slight recess to finish them off. They will be painted upon final install with some 12 pt bolts for style points.

 

[Motiracer38]

Progress is looking good. I've built both ways with the cell dropping out the bottom and raising out the top and was confident with the bracing.