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Car seat can't go in the back of a ext cab ranger. Wife won't sit back there for long.I am still very early in the bench racing / dreaming stage, but I think I am leaning towards a 98+ 4.0/m50d to get the rear suicide doors. I'd like the option for this to be a family rig that I can fit a car seat in, and even with suicide doors that will be a hard enough task I'm sure. I can imagine it being annoying quickly, if not downright prohibitive trying to fit a child in the back without those suicide doors. I'm not quite ready to go all in on 4 doors yet if I don't know the family is bought in yet.
I love the look of the face lift 1st gens, and there's some good arguments for the powertrain of the first gens, but I've personally seen some of these 3rd gens take some real abuse and neglect and just keep going (other than the auto's taking a dump) and OBD2 does have it's pro's. For a full-bodied door slamming air conditioned trail rig, the 98+ I think has a good argument for the basic fact that it's 10+ years less age to start with.
I'm also debating if going straight to tons and 40's is the right move too. Maybe starting with someone's castaway built JK D30 and a D44 rear on 37s/38s would be cheaper and easier to package. But... the counter argument would be if I'm going through all that work, why not just go for it from the start. I think I'd potentially be looking at a box tube frame from firewall forward to get it right and low if starting from a 98+ a-arm IFS platform
The other alternative is just be like everybody else and get a 4 door JK cookie cutter bolt on rig
BroncoII or explorer for family shit
arse_sidewards
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98-0whatever body will bolt right onto a 93-97 frame/chassis...
You ain't fitting a "modern" car seat or an adult in the back row of either comfortably though.
You ain't fitting a "modern" car seat or an adult in the back row of either comfortably though.
ChrisRWG
Build & Film
LS is
What does your heater box look like? You usually have to hack them pretty good with a 5.0L, an extra 1.3" of deck height seems like you would have to completely butcher it. You can run EEC-V/OBDII, which is coil on plug, with factory parts off an Explorer, or run a Terminator setup that should be more or less plug and play for ~$1,000.
My truck never had AC so the heater box wasn't a huge issue to cut and modify it with a cover panel that cleared the head. Even still it doesn't make sense to me to spend all the time and money on a 302 with the better power potential of the 5.8. You literally have to do the same exact modifications for either platform.
I agree I am not a fan of LS swaps into fords, I just think they have a better platform for swapping into things for cheaper. I have a mustang MAF system with an SCT chip running my engine. Just finding someone that knows how or has the software to tune it now is a challenge. I got lucky that there was a tuner in ABQ that was good with the system. Terminator setup seems like the best option for sbf if you plan to make significant changes to the engine.
I will say, I get comments all the time about how my truck sounds so good, and it's because it's not an LS like everyone else lol.
ChrisRWG
Build & Film
I do not have a body lift. I used hedman 88400 headers and didn't have to cut or trim the frame rail. The passenger floor is clearenced slightly for the header flange. I am using a Ford lightning lower intake and an explorer gt40 upper intakeI 2nd the heater box question. What headers did you use? What intake did you use with the 5.8?
I have a 351 in my 91, with a 3" body lift, and I really want to ditch the body lift. I run a T19 because fuck overdriveThe floor isn't cut, I think I can get away with a 1" BL without cutting.
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
Disagree there. The 3.0 was slow AND unreliable. Everyone I knew with one blew it up. Most of them locked up solid.
The 4.0ohv usually chugged along clicking horribly (worn out rocker arms), but kept going. I've had 2 sohc's and never had a single issue with either.
Edit: hell, the doner for my build was a 3.0 that was locked up.
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Didn’t know the sport trac had v8 from the factory. Those are pretty rare as-is, I can’t imagine a v8 is easy to find? Not a bad idea though. I’ve thought about Nissan Frontiers since the crew cabs are readily available but don’t love the looks and assume there’s a reason more people don’t build them.
My current XJ is closer to a buggy than a daily driver in the amenities department, so it’s not going to be a family rig. Starting over with a cleaner XJ would probably be the easiest route but I don’t know if I want to just build another XJ right away, plus I want a pickup. MJ doesn’t do anything for car seat space. First gen 4Runner would be a good middle ground between suv and pickup but prices seem high for a decent daily driver starting point.
That’s why I was leaning towards Ranger, seems like for sub $5k I can pickup a clean starting point daily driver to build from and if the family isn’t into it, it’s still small and nimble enough to be a fun crawler.
If I was to go suv I think I would go with a 2nd or 3rd gen 4Runner
Are you guys referring to the factory flip down seats? I wouldn’t keep the funky half seat flip down thing. I was thinking a 3rd seat mounted in the middle, like one of those PRP kid seats or whatever company makes small ones.
rockota
white collar hillbilly
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Owned two rangers. I don’t see there being enough space for that.
'84 Bronco II
El Chingón
The second-gen ones had the 3 valve 4.6L, but they also have that IRS garbage.
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
I'm pretty sure that's only the 2nd gen sport trak. I want to say the 2nd gen was way more explorer than ranger at that point, I think they were ifs/irs. The v8 would be the 4.6l as well. I don't know about the sport trak but the explorer of that build would be an aluminum block 4.6l.
At that point I think just building an explorer would be better though
Damn, glad I'm doing the research now then. Thanks for shooting down my hopes and dreams
rockota
white collar hillbilly
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Have any other hopes or dreams that you'd like help with?Damn, glad I'm doing the research now then. Thanks for shooting down my hopes and dreams
Have any other hopes or dreams that you'd like help with?
I rode 3 deep in the back of a ext ranger for longer than I wanted to. I was the guy in the middle sitting on the floor, the guys in the jump seats were facing forward. It sucked.
Theres a 2-3" wide by 2-3" tall shelf at the back of the floorpan on the ext cab rangers. I would imagine that would make mounting a seat a bitch. Would work for a few years while the kiddo is small, but be worthless after that.
Actually looks bigger than that
Another stupid option, Mexican crew cab Rangers started in 98 I think. They're finally old enough to be imported.
I’ve road in the back of one before on the awkward fold down seat but it was long time ago. Maybe I just forget how small it actually is.
I might just go back to my original plan of going full size right off the bat with a 00-06 Tahoe. Probably a little more expensive to build, and might not be as fun for dedicated rock crawling but if budget allows me to keep my XJ as dedicated rock crawler then that would kinda solve that.
116” wheel base, same as JK/JL
LS swapped from the factory
Easy tcase options
Already linked in the rear, but I would likely go to leafs in the rear
Some off the shelf parts might fit from people like WFO
I’ve had 6-7 of that gen GM and know/like them
I know it’s the ford section so I’ll probably get some heat for that idea
I’m not ruling out an explorer yet either, I just need to go tire kick one to get a feel for size and space
I might just go back to my original plan of going full size right off the bat with a 00-06 Tahoe. Probably a little more expensive to build, and might not be as fun for dedicated rock crawling but if budget allows me to keep my XJ as dedicated rock crawler then that would kinda solve that.
116” wheel base, same as JK/JL
LS swapped from the factory
Easy tcase options
Already linked in the rear, but I would likely go to leafs in the rear
Some off the shelf parts might fit from people like WFO
I’ve had 6-7 of that gen GM and know/like them
I know it’s the ford section so I’ll probably get some heat for that idea
I’m not ruling out an explorer yet either, I just need to go tire kick one to get a feel for size and space
arse_sidewards
Red Skull Member
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The drive-train in the Ranger and pretty much all Ford trucks is offset to the passenger side. In the case of the Ranger you get an extra inch between the drive-train and frame on the driver vs the passenger (I just measured)
Driver because the transfer case options are better too.
2WD but you get the point.
Driver because the transfer case options are better too.
2WD but you get the point.
This still sitting in your yard? Mind pulling quick rough measurements of outside to outside and inside frame width roughly where you’d mount a link bracket for the front?
arse_sidewards
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I didn't have time to pull "real" measurements but it looks like it's a consistent taper from engine cross-member to the rear of cab cross-member.
It's about 25" inside at the radius arms/front body mounts, 26 to 26.5 at the trans crossmember and then 27ish about half way between the trans crossmember and the rear of cab cross-member.
Rail flanges are 2" wide, maybe a hair less through the entire area. So add +4 for overall width.
If you need super accurate measurements I can get them but not today.
No that’s perfect thanks. God damn that’s skinny.
If I used my 05 up front I’d probably want to just run radius arms off the stock brackets, and I was thinking maybe I could use WFO Tacoma radius arms since they’re pre bent for the narrower Tacoma frame, but the Tacoma looks like it’s ~10” wider Jesus.
If I used my 05 up front I’d probably want to just run radius arms off the stock brackets, and I was thinking maybe I could use WFO Tacoma radius arms since they’re pre bent for the narrower Tacoma frame, but the Tacoma looks like it’s ~10” wider Jesus.
Another Ranger question
For automatics, is there anything able/worth swapping in? I think the autos were talked down in this thread.
In my bench racing build I’m pretty settled on a 97 or 98, maybe newer if I give up my diesel swap dreams. Just wondering if I found one with a 3.0 or 4.0 auto is that liveable for a crawler with a doubler behind it?
Is a 5r plug and play swap for 4r?
There’s a 98 3.0 auto with blown trans that I’m trying to convince the guy to let go dirt cheap. I’d be swapping a trans anyway in that situation so want to ask.
For automatics, is there anything able/worth swapping in? I think the autos were talked down in this thread.
In my bench racing build I’m pretty settled on a 97 or 98, maybe newer if I give up my diesel swap dreams. Just wondering if I found one with a 3.0 or 4.0 auto is that liveable for a crawler with a doubler behind it?
Is a 5r plug and play swap for 4r?
There’s a 98 3.0 auto with blown trans that I’m trying to convince the guy to let go dirt cheap. I’d be swapping a trans anyway in that situation so want to ask.
Nothing swaps, as far as I know.
I ran a 4.0 auto with 4.56 and 35s, drove great on the road and had OK power off road. No doubler, I'm sure that would only help
Which auto?
Looks like the last version of the 5r had a 3.22 1st whereas the 4r had a 2.47 to 1.47 1st to 2nd which sounds like a lousy spread
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
I swear at one point in time there was a kit to swap in a GM 2.8l 700r4 with the 4.0ohv engine. Had to be the 2.8l version because it had a specific bell housing. It's been a long time since I've heard about it though.
The real answer though, is that the ranger platform is way better with a v8 swap.