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kishy's Ranger Trailer

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    #31
    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.
    1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
    1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

    Comment


      #32
      I actually have no interest in changing the gearing, it's pretty well perfect. Truck is pretty quick. It's also just on the edge of tolerable for highway NVH, and I have no interest in making it rev higher. It also gets reasonable fuel economy even when going obscenely beyond the speed limit (hypothetically). However, if by chance the diff in the trailer were a limited slip 7.5, I would absolutely be putting it in the truck. But limited slip 7.5s aren't terribly common so here we are.

      Installed amber side markers with combined reflectors. If I get bored enough one day, I will graft in a section of front fender to accommodate the truck front side markers on the trailer...but I'll need to be quite bored for that.

      Also bought new tail lights, as they're 11 dollars Canadian each. New ones went onto the Ranger, the 5-year-old ones on the Ranger got bumped onto the Trailer. The lenses on the trailer were in poor shape and headlight restoration stuff didn't help.

      License plate is installed, and I also added a document holder (like on large commercial trailers) to stash a photocopy of the ownership in. Picked up a coupler lock as well.










      Current driver: Ranger
      Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
      | 88 TC | 91 GM
      Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
      Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
      | Junkyards

      Comment


        #33
        My brother's truck got better MPG than mine did. Oh wait, you don't have an M5ODR1 behind that engine, do you? If no OD, then yah, keep that axle. Just bought a '79 G10 Sport Van with a 3.08 in it, I have no intention of changing the rear gears.
        1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
        1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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          #34
          I hear you on the highway NVH. Little bangers will wind up but my ears don’t like it for four hours at 70MPH.
          1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
          1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

          GMN Box Panther History
          Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
          Box Panther Production Numbers

          Comment


            #35
            single biggest reason for not liking 4 cyl engines is the highway noise they all seem to make. Shame there aren't more I6 engines.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              #36
              I don't really remember mine making too much of racket and I was always doing 70-80mph. Don't remember much vibration either. Of course, I kept a full exhaust on it and in stock form. I miss that truck, was pretty cool. It was just terribly slow, especially with the A/C on and people in the cab. The 3.0 is where it was at, comparable MPG but a good amount of power and just as durable.
              1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
              1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

              Comment


                #37
                Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
                M5ODR1
                M5 trans appeared for 88...before that it was a choice of a couple Mitsubishi units and a 4 or 5 speed Toyo Kogyo (which is also Mazda...but is distinct from the M5 series). I have the TK5.

                https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...transmissions/

                TK5 is 3.96 / 2.07 / 1.39 / 1.00 / 0.84
                M5 is 3.72 / 2.20 / 1.50 / 1.00 / 0.79

                Current driver: Ranger
                Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                | 88 TC | 91 GM
                Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                | Junkyards

                Comment


                  #38
                  Moved cars around in the driveway, seemed like I should try this combo out:





                  There is some air in the bags within the coil springs, but I haven't added any in many months. It definitely has more tongue weight capacity before sag than the Ranger...or maybe it's more accurate to say it weighs enough that the front doesn't lift from the weight of the trailer alone.

                  Don't worry, all of the AOD vehicles will get big trans coolers before actually towing anything.

                  Current driver: Ranger
                  Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                  | 88 TC | 91 GM
                  Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                  Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                  | Junkyards

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Originally posted by kishy View Post
                    M5 trans appeared for 88...before that it was a choice of a couple Mitsubishi units and a 4 or 5 speed Toyo Kogyo (which is also Mazda...but is distinct from the M5 series). I have the TK5.

                    https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...transmissions/

                    TK5 is 3.96 / 2.07 / 1.39 / 1.00 / 0.84
                    M5 is 3.72 / 2.20 / 1.50 / 1.00 / 0.79
                    Hmm, I like the TK5's ratios better for 4 banger use, all aside from 3rd gear that is. But I'm willing to bet lots of food and beverage a 4.11 would net you better MPG in the city, (maaaybe highway too) and it would be easier for that Ranger to pull the battle axe (trailer) around.
                    1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                    1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Trailer has now put in some work hauling yard waste (tree clippings) a couple times. As I expected, it's well suited to things that are large/take up space, but aren't necessarily heavy. The wagon pulls it well.

                      I'm looking at options for installing anchor points in it (for straps/tie-downs). Don't want anything that will rattle when no straps are attached.

                      Had some concerns about the LED lighting performance, specifically in low-light-but-still-daytime conditions where I may have the headlights on (thus the change in intensity from parking lamp to brake lamp may be inadequate). Tonight, I added redundant brake light sockets to the reverse light sections of the tail lights. LED bulbs that light up red. Wired them so both intensities are fed by the stop/turn +12V for each respective side. This works quite well. I'll have to see if I can do red/white switchbacks on the actual Ranger to achieve the same result, while keeping the reverse lights actually able to operate as reverse lights.

                      A sway bar is needed, I think. It does tend to lean/roll a fair bit in corners. I have a rear bar that will fit it, I've just been hanging onto it for the Ranger itself, but don't want to put that on without a front one. The front ones are very hard to come by.

                      Current driver: Ranger
                      Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                      | 88 TC | 91 GM
                      Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                      Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                      | Junkyards

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Is there an aftermarket alternative available? Or would an explorer front bar swap in place?
                        ~David~

                        My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
                        My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

                        Originally posted by ootdega
                        My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

                        Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
                        But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

                        Originally posted by gadget73
                        my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




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                          #42
                          I did my first trailer using a '64 Ford F-100 short bed, flipped the 9" rear after gutting it of ring gear and pinion, bolted a plate in front of pinion hole, sealed it, removed all sign of brakes, added some old Dodge leaves cut to fit, used the short bed, very handy. My second trailer was made from a wrecked '79 F-140. Did same axle mods, added some coils that were on shocks, but I made cross members under a home made bed, I also made tongue drop for dumping. My current one is all home made. I always thought the Rangers would work well.
                          No ... I'm not arguing with you ... I'm just explaining why I'm right ...

                          Now go ... and whatever you do ... have a safe trip!

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Much want for one of these trailers made out of truck beds.
                            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                            Comment


                              #44
                              With respect to the (whole) Ranger:
                              The early trucks use a front bar which mounts directly to the radius arm. Some discussion and photos here: https://www.therangerstation.com/for...estion.167903/
                              It is quite similar to the Box rear bar arrangement in that it tries to equalize the axle by pushing on the arms instead of the axle itself.
                              Newer than mine, and that may be by about 1 year or so, they attach in an entirely different manner out front of the suspension, and retrofitting the hardware to do that is beyond anything I'm interested in doing with this truck. I don't even think it can be done without some substantial parts replacement, like the entire radius arms and axle halves.
                              There's a guy in MI who offered me one of the correct bars, but I slacked a bit on getting it and then the border closure thing happened, so it's anyone's guess at this point if he still has it.

                              As for the rear bar, I harvested it from a Bronco II, and I believe it will fit the Ranger (and accordingly also the Ranger trailer) with little or no difficulty. The end links just bolt directly to the frame rail so it's not like there's a crossmember that may or may not be present on certain years or models. I'll probably put it on the trailer because that's the more pressing need at this point.

                              Last night I revised the safety chain setup. Moved the attachment point closer to the coupler, deleted the second chain and just doubled the single chain back. Is in fact designed to be used this way, but my attachment points were so far away I used two chains instead.

                              As for diff-gutting, there are mixed opinions on doing that. The theory that the ring gear provides necessary splash lubrication throwing oil down the axle tubes was why I didn't take it out. Plus it's not a c-clip axle so removal was more complicated than I wanted to get into. Just filled it back up with oil, closed it up, and will probably leave it alone until/unless I decide to swap in a more purpose-made trailer axle.

                              Current driver: Ranger
                              Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                              | 88 TC | 91 GM
                              Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                              Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                              | Junkyards

                              Comment


                                #45
                                if its holding it's oil, leave it. No middle bits means there won't be any lube getting down the axle tubes so the outer bearings will fail. I suppose you could pack them with grease and hope for the best, but that requires work and may not actually work out. leaving it alone requires zero effort and will work as well as if it were still driving a truck around.
                                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                                Originally posted by phayzer5
                                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                                Comment

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