kishy's Ranger Trailer

[DerekTheGreat]

My '94 had a 3.73 in it. My brother's '95 or '96 had a 4.11 in it. I'm not sure which rear gear you're looking to upgrade to but the 4.11 is the winner in my book. You won't notice anything if you move from a 3.45 to 3.73. I moved from a 2.73 open to a 3.23 limited slip in my Firebird and I barely notice the difference aside from no more peg legged burnouts.

[gadget73]

Press-on bearings with retainer plates is the better mousetrap. Explains why there is no cross-pin to remove though, no C clips so no need to pull the pin to access them.

[sly]

In Texas you can register a "home built trailer" without a VIN for anything less than 4000 pound gross vehicle weight. Over 4000 pounds requires vin and safety inspection (re: trailer brakes). My F150 bed trailer does not have a registered vin, just a license plate.

[kishy]

RE: the rear end, my initial goal was just to find out if it might have been better than what's in the truck. The truck has a 3.45:1 open 7.5". I am not sure if the 7.5 is actually better than the 6.75"...it seems like the 6.75" is a more robust design versus the cost-cheapened 7.5 and 8.8 (which are basically the same except for size). But the 6.75 is neither limited slip, nor a better ratio (it's either 3.08 or 3.45), so it will stay where it is. The bearings seem to be healthy so I'm going to run it until it fails somehow then put a lighter, non-diff-equipped trailer axle under it if/when that happens. I did just use RTV to make the cover gasket, if it leaks I will revisit it with the proper gasket.

RE: VIN, in Ontario it's much easier. Home-built utility trailers are the "exception" vehicle in Ontario which are significantly easier than anything else. No inspection of any kind, no verification that the trailer even exists at all. People register commercially built trailers with lost paperwork or damaged VIN plates (for whatever reason, certainly sometimes illegitimate) as home-built all the time (not that it's right). The new ownership (our equivalent to a title, but we don't call them that, it is a combined concept of registration and title together) has a newly generated VIN number given on it. I am supposed to then etch/engrave/stamp/paint/whatever the new VIN somewhere on the trailer, but everyone I've talked to with a home built trailer has never done it. I will, because I'm just that sort of person.

[Mainemantom]

Regarding the vin # You may have to have a new one issued for it. In the US people take their vehicle to either the DMV/state police or highway patrol. There is a vin officer who can issue a new vin and vin plate. There might be a basic inspection involved and bring any paperwork /bill of sale with you.
You will have to make an appointment.

[DerekTheGreat]

I saw a GMT400 trailer for sale... then realized I was searching in California.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...3991820672928/

Wow, that's a short box too. Based on what kishy said though, the long box variant is what you'd like. Although hell, I'd still buy that and swap the boxes- it's much cleaner than mine and a box like that would probably go for at least $400 around here. Sometimes Commiefornia has it's perks.

Got the plate and ownership, just need to find a way to put the government-assigned VIN onto it somewhere. Also overlooked a thing in the FMVSS/CMVSS...not only are front side reflectors required, but also front side marker lights. Easy to add, just annoying since I did a brand new harness for this and it would have been easier to integrate knowing I had to put wires there to begin with...

...From a drag reduction standpoint, seems the best option is to delete the ring gear but leave all else. However this would greatly reduce splash lubrication and might then cause the bearings at the ends (the most important ones) to be starved for oil. I may just leave it alone entirely until/unless it becomes problematic at which point I'd throw a trailer axle under it. Just thinking about fuel economy here, really. That being said, maybe an axle which, due to dragging the ring gear through oil, wants to slow down by itself might help with things like trailer sway by a tiny amount.

That does suck about the wiring.. Yeah, you don't want to delete the ring gear, that is everything gets lube. That thing even carries & flings lube to the pinion gear and sends it down the axle tubes. Also, those bro's who put those flat back aftermarket covers on their diffs are doing a disservice to themselves and the diff, they only increase shear and heat generation. Couldn't you just use "make-a-gasket-schmoo" in place of a traditional gasket? Or find a posi unit for your truck and then put that diff on the trailer? Seems like a lot of work for an obscure rear end.

[kishy]

Got the plate and ownership, just need to find a way to put the government-assigned VIN onto it somewhere. Also overlooked a thing in the FMVSS/CMVSS...not only are front side reflectors required, but also front side marker lights. Easy to add, just annoying since I did a brand new harness for this and it would have been easier to integrate knowing I had to put wires there to begin with.

About the diff...depending on where you look, there are references to a "6.7 inch", "6.75 inch", or "6-7/8 inch" Ford diff in a number of vehicles.
I asked a guy I know who's very knowledgeable on Rangers and he said that he knew someone who had the 6.7" diff under a Ranger-based postal truck, but it had been swapped out for one of the more normal axles.

I had assumed the trailer began as a 1988-1992 on the basis of the tailgate on it. Of course, the history of the thing overall is unknown.
My shop manual doesn't mention any rear diff other than the 7.5 and 8.8.
RockAuto doesn't give me any diff cover gaskets for anything except a 7.5 or 8.8 unless I go back to 1983 and 1984 - no newer than that. For 83 and 84 I do see bearings, gasket, etc for a 6.7" rear end.

Some historical stuff from a foreign, but US-centric perspective: https://fordsix.com/viewtopic.php?t=69291

Not that it matters, really, the diff is of no real importance. It just strikes me as odd that such a mass produced vehicle could have such a seemingly little known major component under it. Sort of like the Panthers with the weird 8.5" rear end.

I'd still like to figure out how to get the axle shafts out but am not planning on actually doing it now. Carrier is weird-looking, to me, coming from the perspective of only knowing the 7.5 and 8.8.


Edit several hours later:
Aha, knowledge is power!
It is a "6.75 inch" diff, and I found the following.





The bearing has an inner and outer race, the shaft doesn't ride on the rollers, so that's cool.

From a drag reduction standpoint, seems the best option is to delete the ring gear but leave all else. However this would greatly reduce splash lubrication and might then cause the bearings at the ends (the most important ones) to be starved for oil. I may just leave it alone entirely until/unless it becomes problematic at which point I'd throw a trailer axle under it. Just thinking about fuel economy here, really. That being said, maybe an axle which, due to dragging the ring gear through oil, wants to slow down by itself might help with things like trailer sway by a tiny amount.

[VicCrownVic]

Looks cool. I'd like to have you build one for my truck

I saw a GMT400 trailer for sale... then realized I was searching in California.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...3991820672928/

[DerekTheGreat]

Looks cool. I'd like to have you build one for my truck

[87gtVIC]

Looks killer!

[gadget73]

hm, not familiar with that diff or it's construction. Didn't know they ran anything smaller than a 7.5" honestly.

[kishy]

Thinking about it, it's probably somewhere in the area of 700ish. I am not considering the cap to be a part of it.

Today, put new safety chains on. Rather than using one and doubling it back, I wanted to use two long ones for a couple reasons:
1 - I wanted the safety chains to attach to the original Ranger frame, not the added tongue.
1.5 - This allowed me to use pre-existing holes which saved me some drill bit wear.
2 - Long chains are necessary for tow vehicles like the wagon, where the chain loops will be far under the bumper and a long drawbar will be used.

By doing it the way I did I also gained additional attachment points for...I dunno, stuff.

Changed the diff oil. Much easier to get the stuff in the bottom out when you can tilt the whole thing. The diff is a weird one...Ford 6-7/8" deal. Not sure on ratio but it doesn't matter. It's built quite differently inside than the 7.5 or 8.8, couldn't really figure out how to get it apart to pull the spider gears, so just left it alone. The axle bearings seem fine. Basically I've decided if anything goes wrong with this axle a traditional trailer axle will go under it and that'll be that.















Rethinking the 15" trailer wheels. Might look at 13s which are another common size, but I don't want the trailer lower in the rear than the front. For loading reasons it is better for it to sit slightly higher (tongue facing down).


Updated to-do list:

• Add functioning latch mechanism to cap
• Add tailgate check straps/cables
• Maybe add a sway bar
• Remove the one outstanding brake backing plate
• Get it plated

Of those, only the last is required. A brief test drive found it tows nicely, is well behaved over even significant bumps, doesn't put up a fight to roll (can still get going with just the clutch, no accelerator)...all good really.

[Tiggie]

My wife and I can lift a Ranger bed with the tailgate on. We aren’t that strong either lol. I’m gonna say 800lbs for the rig you got there.

[gadget73]

40% at most, probably less. My home-built trailer had to be weighed in order to be tagged. Ran it over the truck scale at the local truck stop and got a weight cert. I didn't build it, but the prior owner never made it legal so "I built it".

[kishy]

I found more photos from 2015:












Back to 2020:



Resumed work on it today. Replaced the coupler, added the spare tire mount, put the new trailer tires/wheels on, put the spare on the mount. Added the tongue box. This has helped with tongue weight.

Safety chains (likely using cables but same result) are next up, as is cracking open the diff.

Very close to being road-ready. After talking to the government people, guesstimating the weight is acceptable and common. Should be what, at most 40% of a Ranger?


















Updated to-do list as of 2020-07-26:
COMPLETE

• Rewire lighting from end to end, including a harness ground instead of going through the hitch ball.
• Replace shoddy trailer jack made of bed frame with a proper swing-away trailer jack.
• Correct fitment of cap on bed
• Add lift supports to rear hatch of cap
• Replace shocks
• Remove all dead weight and clutter such as brake lines, cables, brake parts, dead wiring, fuel tank straps and so on. (still have one backing plate installed, but otherwise done)
• LED lighting
• Add tongue box and spare tire storage
• Swap the stock Ranger steelies with P(assenger) tires out for proper trailer wheels+tires
• Replace 1-7/8" coupler with 2"

TO-DO:

• Replace welded-on safety chains (poor quality chain and welds)
• Add functioning latch mechanism to cap
• Add tailgate check straps/cables
• Maybe add a sway bar
• Change axle oil and check bearing play, replace if appropriate (in doing so, identify gear ratio and if it's limited slip in case it would be an upgrade for the truck)
• Get it weighed and plated