Well, if I do continue to mod the Ranger, then she's going to have to become more trail worthy. I'm not talking about trying to take it straight through mud or run it in the desert. I want to build it (money permit) for some lighter duty trails. Enough for some fun every now and then and to safety get me into hunting locations on larger (500+ acre) farms where there is no true roads and can be some reasonable rough terrain, which at times includes fairly steep up and down grades and can be troublesome for a 4x4 at times.

I know its never going to be a 4x4 and it currently has a small motor. Gonna get that outta the way.

I would love the input from anyone, from mudders and people who do major trails and terrain to prerunners because it all helps and can provide valuable insight.
Being a 2wd, it will bring in aspects of a lot of different vehicle set ups.

So far on my list of wants, I believe I will need...

-Mid-travel kit at least, throwing out the coil spacers for l
ift coils and adding on spindles. Extended arms later on to make a more complete kit to allow for travel (Will be hitting up some of the prerunner threads for this one) Keeping AAL, Shackle lift in the rear to level up.

-Shock upgrade, recently destroyed a Rancho, so probably upgrade them all to Blistens

-Rear Locker, would like to just move up to 31's and keep my 7.5 with 4.10s, but is a thinking process. Will need to figure out my gearing needs before purchasing a locker.

-Steel front bumper (prefer tube bumper) with a winch built onto it and tow hooks. Matching bumper in the rear with tow shackles built on

-4.0 or 5.0 swap later on




Seems like I had a larger list before, feel free to throw in some ideas because I seem to have forgotten a lot.

If I don't go on with Ranger modifications, I hope this thread can be used to help others stuck with the burden of a 2wd and some needs of a 4x4.

Thank you for any help that you can provide and for reading.

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

maybe make the winch on a hitch receiver mount, so if you're by yourself you can winch out backwards.

__________________
2004 Oxford White Ford Ranger XL 5spd 2.3l I4, 3.73 open diff, 06+ mirrors, throttle cable mod, harbor freight offroad lights, 5%rear and 35% side window tint, cb/antenna, aftermarket speakers/headunit, 30x9.5r15 falken rocky mount ats mounted on 15x7 MB TKO's

remove the swaybar lol

__________________
1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

Put a locker in the tear when you regear, might as well go up to at least 33's, Camburg 5.5 kit or similar would be a good start up front. Maybe hit up BTF-fab in Cali, he set me up with a great deal on my front end, and does good work. And obviously skid plates

__________________

2002 Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 4.0 V6, 4.10s, 5spd BTF 4x4 long travel, fox 2.0 coilover conversion, 265/70r16 bfg rugged trails, g2 aluminum diff cover, cowl hood, custom paint, cab lights, kc lights behind grill, sport trac 4x4 emblem, mbrp stainless exhaust dumped, procomp aal, expo roof rack, rci front skid, lvl 2 hooks, t-case and gas tank skids, trail gear rock sliders, and 06+ mirrors, tube bumper in progress with two kcs

Good idea!
Could just build in a hitch receiver to my bumpers for this

Isn't there quick disconnects? Lol

Yeah like the camburg kit, but just piecing together something similar over time. I know it won't have the se quality but easier for me. And when the time comes I'm contacting btf about their control arms and such.

Skid plate being built from the bumper hopefully. May make one and do a valence delete mod first and do suspension and drivetrain work first

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

That's what Nate, Tanner, and Morgan have done and they're pretty happy, def BTF just for the quality work and price. IM running my front bumper into my front skid eventually. The rci skid is pretty beef

__________________

2002 Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 4.0 V6, 4.10s, 5spd BTF 4x4 long travel, fox 2.0 coilover conversion, 265/70r16 bfg rugged trails, g2 aluminum diff cover, cowl hood, custom paint, cab lights, kc lights behind grill, sport trac 4x4 emblem, mbrp stainless exhaust dumped, procomp aal, expo roof rack, rci front skid, lvl 2 hooks, t-case and gas tank skids, trail gear rock sliders, and 06+ mirrors, tube bumper in progress with two kcs

that's what word on the street says.

__________________
1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

Gonna try to bump this back up for more ideas!

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

If you don't have a cut-down full-size shovel in your toolbox, you're wasting your time even thinking about going off-road in a 4x2, especially when it comes to sugar sand.

Lol what's sugar sand?!

And I can manage that lol probably a hi-jack too

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

Basically it's dry beach sand. Here in Florida, it's all over the national forests.

Here's my 4x2 barely getting through it.

Ahh I see lol around here it's mostly clay

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

Sugar sand can get you stuck as shit if you slow down in it. Luckily, you can usually dig yourself out of it, unless you were a dumb ass and dug yourself into a rut.

And that's why I have a full-size shovel with a cut down handle in my toolbox. lol.

Ever thought about a rear locker?

__________________

2006 Ford Ranger XL "Dirty Girl" (Build Thread) TRADED

No, but I have thought of an IFS front axle and a 1354 manual transfer case.