Thread: 97 DD/Weekend Runner Ranger

So figured i would make a thread. After having my fair share of chevys. I figured i would give it a go for a ford. I traded my 97 Silverado for this 97 Ranger. Got the truck with Camburg 4.5 over beams, radius arms and the trans X members, with 12" Saws up front. In the rear it has f23 pack with bms extended shackles and i believe kartek hangers. A bed cage built by Solo Motorsports with 14 in kings remotes. Interior was stock with a 12" sub in back with a big box. It has the 3.0 with 5 speed and a re geared 7.5 with 4:11's
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Previous trucks. The white one is the one i traded for ranger.

There she is. The driver front fender was broken.


So when i got the truck all 4 shocks where in need of a rebuild. With the help of Kevin (ooracing) i learned how to rebuild shocks. The rears where rebuilt fronts still needed to be done but wanting to go out and play. Went out with Kevin, Andrew, Matt, Bryan, Alon to 15 and the 138 spot. Needless to say a ditch grabbed my truck and turned a good night bad.


Aftermath was slightly Bent frame and Bent passenger tie rod. In turn driving back from there to home completely made my passenger front tire bald.

So i stripped the whole front end off and took it to camburg for them to look it over make sure it was ok. Found a bad heim so that was replaced. Since the truck was down took the time to rebuild the saws with new shafts and oil/seals. Got the truck back together aligned it and continued on.

Next project i tackled was the bed one of the previous owners had done a nasty job rhino lining the bed. So with the help of aircraft stripped the tubes where cleaned up.


Next was the job of trying to fix the front fender. Thankfully i had the piece that broke off.





It turned out better then it looked before so i was happy. then came around the Barstow poker run. Right before the poker run i found some Bucket on race-dezert. Went and bought those and got them installed before the run.

After the poker run i realized the big box moved around to much and put 2 little holes in the back of the seats so that had to go. replaced it with the smallest box possible and mounted to the back of cab


During the poker run i had a accident with my battery which is mounted in bed. it happen to move back in the holder a little bit and the side post grounded out in turn killing my battery. After using a battery to get my truck started got to autozone and bought a new battery that was sold to me at used cost because of the age to get me home.

btw its for sale for what i paid for it $40 normally $160 800 cca 1000 cranking amps.

So time went by havnt really did much other then move my Hangers back from stock location to front mounting holes to the back mounting holes which corrected my shackle angle

Attachment 130374
Before

After.

Then saw brodozer MS selling some fenders so i had to jump on them. Painted them to the factory color of my truck to match.



Here is a recent picture.
Future plans are to fix the frame, then front and rear bumpers. Paint bedsides to match rest of truck

O snap....check out devin, I still need to go to that spot.....wtf, I guess im not cool...

keep it up! your always doing something with that bad boy, maybe now you can keep up

pssshhhhh lol. With the new valving in rear and more psi it was so much better yesterday in barstow. maybe if your trucks ever hit dirt we can go play lol

/\/\Well if you go when I dont work it would be all good....My truck handles like shit anyway, it just looks cool kinda!

hey you didnt work yesterday man

Truck looks real good sucks to hear about the frame

truck looked really good devin at the race, i like the new front glass.

thanks guys. hey jake how did it go with ur radiator i couldnt find u after u went to del taco

Saw ur truck at the race, looked sweet keep up the work

Sent from my DROID X2

thanks, where you in your ranger? don't recall seeing it.

Originally Posted by Losi

thanks guys. hey jake how did it go with ur radiator i couldnt find u after u went to del taco

just ended up driving it home. and stopping every 20 or so miles to fill it up.

damn that sucks. i went back to play when i saw you go in del taco. then drove through pits trying to figure out where you went lol

Nice build man! Was it a big difference in the rear when u flipped and moved the shackles back?

dude the white silverado was so clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Losi

thanks, where you in your ranger? don't recall seeing it.

Yes, I was driving up and down main pit sat morning and I think I saw you at the top. And then drove by you a few more times..you know what I drive?

Yeaaahhh!!!!

mx33kalil when i got the truck the hangers were flipped. something you do on all rangers? after i moved the hangers back the rear felt alot of better and corrected my shackle angle.
pretty sure u drive a ranger looked through ur threads

Originally Posted by Losi

mx33kalil when i got the truck the hangers were flipped. something you do on all rangers? after i moved the hangers back the rear felt alot of better and corrected my shackle angle.
pretty sure u drive a ranger looked through ur threads

Yeah I'm getting Deavers soon and i just wanted to hear first hand about what difference it made. Thanks man

So i got tired of not being able to fill my gas tank up all the way. due to my filler neck not seating on the gas tank all the way so made it custom

Then traded cbrewer bedsides. Mine had the gas door hole and since i am not using it anymore didnt need them
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I then sanded and painted them to match the rest of the truck


I also bought from the dealer the plastic pieces for the tail lights that the screws go into and fiberglassed them in. NO more losing tail lights.


I also went to the Mdr Memorial run and tested out the new valving in rear and Jumped the truck for the first time. Didn't do any major huck but got all 4 tires off the ground.
All 'N One - YouTube a video of me and my buddies my truck had black bedsides at the time

Looks good man.

thanks man get yours painted!

Not yet I had the day off the other day and had to do the tie rods,plugs and oil change. This Saturday if I don't have work I'm going to do that and change the cats and balljoints. Good idea on glassing in the plastic things for the lights.

yea the right one fell off at the memorial run i got it back so fiber-glassed and epoxied the clips in from dealer

sooooo time to update this thread some more

So after alot of talk from someone i decided to give it a whirl of polishing up my wheels. then afterwards decided no more murdered out so. cleaned up the grill and De smoked my tail lights and 3rd brake light


Buddy was selling a 8.8 with 4.88 so got that and installed it. week later my coworker was selling a 8.8 with a ls so picked that up off him for 20 bucks and a tall can. possibly going to rebuild it and then throw it in my new axle.


got my shock rebuild set up going on my table



Couple months ago i bought saw 14" housings and i still need to get the shafts and then springs off my buddy to go with my camburg hoops i just bought. have to cut off my old stuff then install the hoops and shocks. then i should be strapped at 18" up front

I like the de smoked look

i was hesitant at first but im starting to like it.

Black wheels I dont mind but I'm so tired of tinted taillights and headlights.

headlights are just plain stupid

got that right!

looking killer devin. i ditched the murdered out look aswell. i think it looks cleaner and draws less attention. thats bryans engine cage huh?

yep bryans picked it up last night. been wanting to ditch the white paint and go with a flat Grey color. still up in the air though

That would look pretty good, here's my friend's old explorer for reference:

yea ive been wanting to do it for a long time. seeing a ranger on the freeway to work that has it done makes me want to more and more

Truck got a new heart and engine cage should be a lot better

Going through truck for a prep. Had my leaves rearched and added the triple wrap onto the pack. Revalved shocks. Front end is in progress of being gone through. Will post up some pics tommorow

Not to much progress today got more parts needed painted 1 side beam and radius arm

Originally Posted by Losi

Not to much progress today got more parts needed painted 1 side beam and radius arm

Can you say sketchy? Lol looks good man keep up the updates

like the dirtbike stands

Lol it is sketchy have done it a couple times like that though and no problems there is another jack stand further back on frame

Well I should say two more jack stands