Hey! for starters, I'm a beginner to the offroad/truck building world but I've got a manual, 4wd, 1994 ranger extended cab. It's got the slowest 3.0 known to man becuase of a misfire that I don't know how to fix. its got minor body damage so its a good platform for a cheap prerunner build. I don't need to race or do anything crazy I just want to be able to hoon around with friends and do desert runs nearby so an overthetop build isn't needed. I would like to know though, what is the bare minimum I need to do to make my truck fun offroad?? I want to be able to take small jumps and basically get the best bang for buck out of it. Any ideas?? thanks in advance!
Ultra budget TTB suspension ideas??
- Thread starter Clycks
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Tree trunk
Well-known member
Hi there.
Best bang for your buck would probably be some good stock replacement shocks and poly bump stops. Maybe some 31” tires or what ever you can fit under there.
I stock mobbed a jeep Cherokee for years and had a blast.
Run it and upgraded here and there
Best bang for your buck would probably be some good stock replacement shocks and poly bump stops. Maybe some 31” tires or what ever you can fit under there.
I stock mobbed a jeep Cherokee for years and had a blast.
Run it and upgraded here and there
troysladeck
Well-known member
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- Jun 28, 2023
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Welcome to the ttb life. Do you have any fabrication experience? If so a lot of parts can be made by yourself. As for the front, an absolute must have is extended radius arms. Plenty of places sell them, but its also possible to extend the stock ones if you want to stay cheap. For a budget lift, you can run bronco/f150 coils and cut off coils until you reach your desired height. gen 1/2 raptor shocks are super common for use on explorers nowadays because you can get them cheap and they work awesome. I have a build thread on here of my explorer that is very budget oriented and still boogies. Most of it is applicable to rangers too. Good luck
I wish I did but no... I have friends who have a little bit of experience but I don't want to have to rely on them all the time. One question tho, wont cutting those springs make it stiffer? and is that what I want? Those are some great ideas btw!
Thanks man I already have 31 mud terrains that are near death so I might lift then get 33s. will the shocks help my truck take bumps and jumps a little better?Hi there.
Best bang for your buck would probably be some good stock replacement shocks and poly bump stops. Maybe some 31” tires or what ever you can fit under there.
I stock mobbed a jeep Cherokee for years and had a blast.
Run it and upgraded here and there
Tree trunk
Well-known member
Shocks will certainly help you out.
I would highly suggest cruising through some of these build threads.
Search- Pearl, the 93 explorer.
The first few post of that thread is exactly what you are looking for
Your ranger is a awesome platform,
it will preform well in its stockish form
I would highly suggest cruising through some of these build threads.
Search- Pearl, the 93 explorer.
The first few post of that thread is exactly what you are looking for
Your ranger is a awesome platform,
it will preform well in its stockish form
troysladeck
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2023
- Messages
- 63
Marketplace is going to be your best friend then. Just keep an eye out for some used parts off of a TTB explorer or ranger. I see budget radius arms pop up all the time. And yes f150 springs will be stiffer but thats a good thing. Cutting them wont change the spring rate though, just overall height. And bilsteins are great shocks and pretty cheap!
Thank you dude! I will start doing that, I’ve got access to a welder and I’m going to start learning all I can about fab and stuff.
Should I cut and turn my current beams or try to find some extended ones off and f-150 or f-250?
I’ve also heard that older ranger used forged beams and those are easier to cut and weld. Should I look into that?
Last question, as far as fenders and bedsides go, is there a cheaper alternative to fiberglass? I want the extra wheel travel without spending 1500, I found some 35in super light cheap tires that are good for Baja on fb (tensor dsr 35x10 r15 for 750) and idk how to make them fit…
Should I cut and turn my current beams or try to find some extended ones off and f-150 or f-250?
I’ve also heard that older ranger used forged beams and those are easier to cut and weld. Should I look into that?
Last question, as far as fenders and bedsides go, is there a cheaper alternative to fiberglass? I want the extra wheel travel without spending 1500, I found some 35in super light cheap tires that are good for Baja on fb (tensor dsr 35x10 r15 for 750) and idk how to make them fit…
troysladeck
Well-known member
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- Jun 28, 2023
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As far as TTB goes… Rangers came with either dana 28 or 35 beams… im not sure which once you have though. Explorers came with dana 35’s. Broncos and f150’s came with d44’s and f250 came with d50’s. If your truck has a d35 it could be worth it to keep them and modify them. A d44 swap is an option too depending on how crazy you want to get.
All twin traction beams are stamped steel. The forged beams you are talking about are only on i-beam 2wd trucks so no need to worry about that haha.
And as far as im aware fiberglass is the only option for fenders. BUT theres a couple guys that run 35x9.5 tires on stock fenders and it works. Make sure to check the load rating on skinny tires though because a lot of them are made for sxs use only.
Budget build - keep stock beams, put on extended radius arms, upgrade the coils, and find some decent shocks
Prefect! How could I check which beams it has?? Very nice to know that I can get away with welding on these!
I think the tires should be ok, a guy I saw in Terra crew with a similar build runs them and is perfect fine!
Are shocks universal mounting? Because I can’t figure out which length to use and all of the used ones are specified for certain truck or jeep…
And is an 8.8 axle swap and 63” Chevy leaf’s alright with the front setup you suggested? I could potentially fab up a bed cage to go long travel in the rear if that’s possible…
I think the tires should be ok, a guy I saw in Terra crew with a similar build runs them and is perfect fine!
Are shocks universal mounting? Because I can’t figure out which length to use and all of the used ones are specified for certain truck or jeep…
And is an 8.8 axle swap and 63” Chevy leaf’s alright with the front setup you suggested? I could potentially fab up a bed cage to go long travel in the rear if that’s possible…
Tree trunk
Well-known member
Pull your shocks off the truck and measure fully extended and compressed length. Then look for shocks that are the same length and mounting configuration.
If you don’t have any fabrication skills I would hold off on any suspension fab and build some low impact stuff first. Like a tool cart or a work bench. Then work your way up to some front and rear bumpers.
Another option is to look for a generic lift kit that will include shocks, springs and drop brackets.
Generic lift kits generally suck in the performance area.
I wouldn’t go with a 35 inch tire it sounds like you are already underpowered and your drivetrain won’t support that much tire.
If you don’t have any fabrication skills I would hold off on any suspension fab and build some low impact stuff first. Like a tool cart or a work bench. Then work your way up to some front and rear bumpers.
Another option is to look for a generic lift kit that will include shocks, springs and drop brackets.
Generic lift kits generally suck in the performance area.
I wouldn’t go with a 35 inch tire it sounds like you are already underpowered and your drivetrain won’t support that much tire.
