Long Distance '85 Ranger Build

[85_Ranger4x4]

I mocked it up and I had lost about an inch and a half of ride height. A old Ranger trick for roughly 1.5" of lift is to use Belltech 6400 lowering shackles (for a fullsize GM of all things) They mount "upside down" in a Ranger compared to their original application which causes lift rather than lowering. So I went that route.

New parts!



1/3 of my spring bolts have seized over the years, I decided I wanted to be able to grease them so I upgraded bolts too.

Hangers and shackles are in:





No more "W" shaped springs! No more lift blocks! Somehow I gained half an inch of ride height in the shuffle. Better that way than the other way (especially with my bumper/tire carrier coming down the pipe at some point)



Back on all fours again!







During my tour in my field I goosed it a couple times... just kicked the rear out with no springwrap/wheelhop drama so that is looking good so far.

If everything works out it looks like this year's trip is the the Badlands near Attica Indiana, sounds like fun if things calm down by this fall.

 

[Cruisn]

Nice Build

 

[tennesseewj]

Solid work on the rear leaves!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[booger hooker]

Nice back story on your truck...it's good to see a fellow Iowegian's truck in a farm field since we have no mountains. Now just load up the bed with some firearms and post the pics over on the IA HTF on ARFCOM.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nice back story on your truck...it's good to see a fellow Iowegian's truck in a farm field since we have no mountains. Now just load up the bed with some firearms and post the pics over on the IA HTF on ARFCOM.

I poked around on there a little but there was never much moving in the Iowa hometown thing. I was more in the farm and garden area in my heyday. I got my AR's built and just kinda faded off the site.

 

[RVA Overland]

Love the truck, awesome that you have kept it alive and are improving it as you go.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Has been a lot of progress and a little side adventure.

For the side adventure I am an admin on a Ranger site, another admin contacted me he had a slide in camper made for a longbed Ranger. He had gone to a Supercab (only has a shortbed available) and was getting old enough he didn't think he would use it again anyway and asked if I might be interested in it since it would be an interesting and not really common period accessory for my truck.

So over the fourth of July I drove out to almost Chicago to pick up said camper. I took my F-150 for A/C and more seating:



In the correct truck:



It is a stupid cute little thing, it is amusing I have all this stuff... in the back of my little Ranger.



The roof needs a little TLC and it needs a little cleaning yet but otherwise it is in pretty good shape. I would like to get new decals made for it too. It was made the same month I was born, 7-84. As an awesome "thing" the brochure shows it in the back of a first gen Ranger.



It is just for local camping and maybe car shows. The truck toys with it but there is no way I would want to beat it and my truck up dragging it down a trail. It is kinda nice that it will also fit a 6.5' bed F-150 too which is probably where it will ride for long distance trips. We have three butts so far and counting but my Ranger only has two seats... so a longbed Supercrew F-150 I think would fit the bill nicely. Right now the infant carrier can fit in the middle and go between the front seats of my current '150.

While the Explorer springs carry it fine and the 302 really doesn't care it is back there, we kinda leaned in the turns. Not really surprising, I went thru my Ranger literature and the "camper package" included a rear sway bar... so I tracked one of those down. I had to modify F-150 axle brackets to fit my bigger rear axle. I also replaced the shocks (that was before the camper entered the picture)



When I did the V8 swap 9 years ago I installed a cheap Mr Gasket fuel pump on the frame rail. The truck ran fine but it had been losing pressure, I started out at 7psi and was down to 4psi. Also my fuel sender was wonky. It would go down "normal" for the first 9 gallons and after that it just read empty. Basically acted like a 9 gallon tank. You might have 8 gallons left or the choke might have came unplugged (has only happened once) and you might be out, you have no way of knowing. It got really old stopping to top off half a tank going to Ohio last year. So I went to just the low pressure in frame fuel pump (which also has a new built-in sender) for an '86. So far I am thrilled with both the pump and sender.



I also installed the auto dimming mirror and thermometer/compass, I really like that. I also managed to track down a 83-85 maplight/clock overhead console too (not very common) I need to replace the switch for the maplight but the clock/elapsed timer works perfect.







Not really truck related but I also upped my cooking game too. In addition to my trusty 425 I snagged a nice 413 stove.

425 (gets crowded fast):



413:



Didn't do a thing to it aside from top off the fuel, test ran it cleaning chickens and it didn't miss a beat:



Anyway, Indiana is still a go for two weeks after Labor Day, so work continues...

 

[Andrew_S]

Man this is an awesome build. Absolutely love these old rangers. That camper is perfect! Can't wait to see more.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Its been crazy getting ready so this is kind of a quickie update as I wait for my camera cards to transfer. My version of wimpy "overlanding" is getting wimpier this year... with lows in the 40's and a 10mo along my FIL is bringing his regular camper so lil guy doesn't get cold. I am a polar bear, I would enjoy it... but not this year.

Anyway for updates:

Bumper/tire carrier











The actual tire mount bracket is from the factory spare tire carrier on a Bronco II.





Ready to go:



And then today:





It rides so much better. It is silent going down the road and it feels like I actually have rubber tires which is pretty cool. The old FIrestones did really good though, I wish they had a more aggressive AT but they don't so I jumped ship. For 11 year old tires, they did great though. They were starting to get weather checked, for running around in the sticks I wouldn't have cared but going cross country it can get a little unnerving.

Anyway for tomorrow... wagons east.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

East bound and down with a weird smoke shaded sun at our back Thursday night



Grabbed supper on the road



This guy might be on here, but he about got ran over toddling along at 40mph in the dark. Had super bright headlights though.



We were running pretty light:




Stopped at a cool Route 66/military museum in Pontiac Illinois



We got there half an hour before they closed so I mainly hit the military section, it was awesome.I walk in and see this:





Two of my favorite planes:





Anyway they had lots of displays. If you are in the area and are interested in military history or Route 66 I highly recommend. Freewill donation.

Made it to Attica



Made it to the park (barely out of Attica)



Maplet app was AWESOME



Somebody has big dreams

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Getting ready Saturday morning, checking fluids and lowering tire pressures.



All dressed up and ready to go



My group getting ready



And we are off!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Then off to go play in the sand dunes, that was new to me.











What country are in again?



This was the group minus two other Rangers, they had to leave early. Not to brag but I had the oldest and drove it the farthest, about 1100 miles round trip counting the trail ride.



The whole time we were out there the sky was crazy bright blue, I hadn't seen it that way for awhile. Then on the way home I see a haze in the distance. I wonder... and sure enough that was the smoke from the fires out west. You can see the line in my mirror.



I have some neat video I am working on (nobody took pictures of me doing interesting stuff) We had a great time though and the truck did great though.

 

[Copperhead14]

I am 25 minutes from the Badlands. Outside Purdue University. I used to wheel a samurai, with a buddy in his bronco 2. We had a lot of fun in those rigs.
I had a two tone brown ranger like yours in High School. Got hit head on by a drunk driver and totaled it. That thing took me on a lot of hunting, fishing and camping trips.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I am 25 minutes from the Badlands. Outside Purdue University. I used to wheel a samurai, with a buddy in his bronco 2. We had a lot of fun in those rigs.
I had a two tone brown ranger like yours in High School. Got hit head on by a drunk driver and totaled it. That thing took me on a lot of hunting, fishing and camping trips.

They cut out shortly after the group picture was taken but the couple that had the brown BII, their son tagged along in his JK. He was going to school in the area, I didn't get a chance to ask but I wonder if it was Purdue. They hauled the BII up from Texas to hang out with us and their son.

It had a 347/C4, I didn't get to peek under the hood but it was CLEAN and seemed to run good.

I did get one video cut the other night:

 

[Starkman]

I love your truck. The first new vehicle I bought was one of those. Any updates?