Thread: Ext cab ranger build

Hey everyone been reading on alot of ranger builds and cages, 4 links, to spindles you name it and am in the process of building that all custom for my ranger. My biggest thing is metal (especially since its scrapping at such a price) but i was wondering if i could get your guys input on what size tubing and sheets of metal you used for your 4 link arms, radius arms and mounts to frame and axle to your roll cage All input helps, right now i got a hook up on chromoly but thats still expensive, thinking about running dom on cage and bed and chromoly on suspension parts. Next few paychecks are going towards the metal to start building this thing. so get back to me asap

Next input i want is its got a manual 2.9 v6, blown cracked head not sure got the truck for free from junkyard. What size motor can i put in there without doing a transmission swap and wiring and what not. Or better way to put it, which would make the best engine swap since the engine harness and all that has so much unneed stuff to make a race truck.

Cage i would go with 1 3/4's .120 wall, dom is fine if chromoly is too expensive. The structural design is way more important than the type of tubing used

ya im using 1 3/4 .120 DOM, id look for a used 4.0 or go with a 5.0 depends what your plan is with the truck, i think most people plate with 3/16

Hey guys thanks for the input so 1 3/4 .120 is what i need to look into then, and your correct, the design is what makes the difference.

AS far as the engine goes i found a conversion website so im thinking about telling my dad to go find a 5.0 with the tranny to drop in.

also, so they use 3/16 to plate in the frame and box in what needs to be done? i was thinking thicker but by the time you add that support it will be strong as hell. Thanks for the input guys cant wait to get a bigenough pay check to start atleast building the cage and figuring out the design.

well, my truck is 1/3/4 mild 0.120 and the beams and 4 link are dom. ive built a few cars with mild that have in some pretty nasty crashes and everything held up well. but bar placment is crucial.

Originally Posted by mxracer882

Hey guys thanks for the input so 1 3/4 .120 is what i need to look into then, and your correct, the design is what makes the difference.

AS far as the engine goes i found a conversion website so im thinking about telling my dad to go find a 5.0 with the tranny to drop in.

also, so they use 3/16 to plate in the frame and box in what needs to be done? i was thinking thicker but by the time you add that support it will be strong as hell. Thanks for the input guys cant wait to get a bigenough pay check to start atleast building the cage and figuring out the design.

A 4.0L V6 will bolt right up to your current transmission as they share the same bell housing. A SOHC 4.0L would be optimal, but they can be expensive. A OHV 4.0L would be plenty more power then the 2.9L obviously, but a 5.0L would be your best bet if your willing to make it fit.

Mike

so a 4.0 will bolt up to the transmission but what about wiring, my guess is the wiring harness is gonna be different, should i find a motor with the wiring harness and go from there.

4.0 SOHC has a similar horsepower/weight ratio to a 5.0 and bolts right in. Yeah find an engine with a complete harness, that'd be the simplest way

awesome man. thanks for the help. now the fun part of find a motor and harness within a reasonable price hah. Today i got the bumper off the truck and stripped down the inside of the cab, tomorrow is ripping the ac out, then eventually the motor. Few weeks of paychecks are going to a new motor and then its time to get serious on building, hopefully metal wont be so expensive that it cose more to build a cage then it does to make the suspension set up.

My dad works in a scrap yard and they got an 81 ford f150 ranger, odd no but it has a 302 with a c4, got the 302 for free from my dads company with 180000 there throwing in a built c6, holly doublepump and possibly a twin turbo for the motor, not to mention a built rear end with locker for the motor. Sounds like a smoking deal, almost overkill but thats as far as i got, now its tear down and time to start getting ready to put the motor in.

Is there anythiny i need to do to reinforce the frame i kinda read something about ranger frames being weak, should i box it in?

Box it. Better to be safe than sorry.

"There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to offroading."

Plain and simple.

yea thanks for the input, i was saying overkill on the motor and tranny, but then as i think about it i want that thing to be stronger then ever also so yea your right there is no such thing as overkill good opinion thanks for the help

No problem bro

Post up pics of progress when you get to the build.

I would come by but you're in AZ, haha.

Good luck

yea man i here ya with the way gas prices are theses days travelings a pain but that dont stop me from having fun. ill get pics up when i start building it, working 5 days a week, going to school and doing online school and racing motocross i only gota few hours on sundays to work on it but once summers here building will go by fast.

well ill be running a 5.0 and im deciding not to box it. ( if you box it use 1/8 cold rolled or chromoly) im just going to hard face it in a lot of places with 3/16(still having a bitch of a time of finding 3/16 cold rolled) ive talked to a few people that run 5.0s in late 80s rangers and they havent had a problem plus boxing the frame is a lot of work its your choice. I hardly have any experience im teaching myself everything so im trying to make it as simple as possible

yea. i got a bunch of 1/8 to 5/16 scrap pieces laying in my yard and more coming so i am going to solid my frame from the front to the end of the cab which from there its gonna be tubed. all i was gonna do is cuts the sheet to line the inner frame rail to box it in. nothing big just a lil more reinforcement making it a 4 x1 or 3x1 tubing frame basicly.