02BLUEdge's 02 Blue Edge

02BLUEdge · #1 09-24-2013, 03:24 PM

I have had a few members as "where is your build thread" so I figured it was about time. Over the past few nights I have been typing up this thread and think I have

included everything. It seemed like too large of a task to sit down and do all at once, especially since GTA V just came out. Anywho, here we go.

Brought this beauty home early January of 06 with 36k on the clock. 2002 Ford Ranger Edge with the 3.0, 3:73's and garbage Liberator All-Terrains. At least they were new.

After the thrill of a new vehicle wore off I need a change so I added a safari bar and billet grill

Things seemed a little too quiet so a new muffler was in order. Went with a Flowmaster 40 with dual 3" tips out the back. Awesome.

Performance was the next thing on my mind and since I did not have any stickers I did the next best thing. I remembered I had a spoiler left over from my ricer days so I knew what I had to do. Unfortunately this made my truck WAY too fast so I had to take it off. I was pulling on mustang GT's like crazy so it was fun while it
lasted.

Just kidding, that thing was never mounted on the truck, I swear.

Next up was what every single cab ranger needs, a tool box. It was also tire time so I upped sizes to 265/75/15 (Goodyear SL-A all seasons) and put on a set of light tabs with cheapo walmart lights. You can't really see the box but it looks like any other.

After a while I got tired of the safari bar and found a used brush guard for a decent price. I also picked up some aftermarket taillights about the same time but do not have any pics from around this timeframe.

At one point I put a cap on there, and that is all I will say about that. Since I took it off it has and will never go back on there.

There was a lot of talk as to whether the Baja Cab Top Light Mount would fit our trucks since we share the same 3rd brake light as some F250's so I picked one up. The verdict? Sort of. You get significant gap between the cab and the mount. No way this would have worked without a ton of silicone plus it flexed the roof more than I felt comfortable with (it also looked a little funny).

A few months after that I picked up a set of MB Wheels Chaos 5's and 235/75/15 Kuhmos since Discount Tire had one of their promotions going on....and I needed tires. It was at this point I had no intention of lifting the truck and took the brush guard off shortly after.

Later on down the road I bought a set of black headlights off fleaBay and spray bombed my grill black. Over time it has begun to chip and will need to be done again soon.

A few months later I ended up doing the 60/40 mod and added a full length explorer console. This has always been one of my favorite mods. The extra large armrest is a great upgrade from the folding console thing.

Some time passes and I could tell my ball joints were getting worse so it was time to do something about it. Since everything was being torn apart anyway why not add some lift spindles into the mix

About this time I learned that at the end of the month (Feb 2013) Discount Tire was ending another one of its promotions so my window of getting tires for a good price was fading fast. I picked up a set of 33x10.5x15 BFG's for about $690 before the tire warranty stuff but after the $100 prepaid visa gift card I got back. The folks at DT were not confident they would fit but I knew better. A slight torsion crank did the trick.

A week later the lift went on. I used shackles to get the rear up.

Eventually I got tired of not really having any power so I bought a set of Yukon 4:56 gears and had them installed locally by East Coast Gear Supply for about $420. No pictures because you can't really tell anyway. I stuck with my 7.5" since I do very little off roading and spend most of my time on pavement. Hopefully that decision will not comeback and bite me. It was about this time I used my superchips Flashpaq to re-calibrate for the larger tires and different gears.

After that I bought a set of factory step bars (thanks Scooter!) and added a grab handle to my passenger A pillar (no pillar pics).

A week before our first Uwharrie trip I put the brush guard back on. There is a crazy mount of prerunner lean in one of these picture. The antenna is a 3ft Firestik II mounted on one of the mounts Alon sells. I had an older Radioshack radio mounted between my visors but quickly found out it did not work while at a fellow members place the night before the meet. It was replaced with a Cobra 19 that evening (no pics of the cobra).

Tragedy had also stuck the week before. I had been working out of town and came home to discover that my Ranger had been attacked by a tree. Thankfully nothing was broken (except my stubby antenna which has never been found) and the only damage was some surface scratches.

The next day we drove around Uwharrie for a bit. Not many pictures here since we were, you know, driving.

After we got back I had this crazy idea of building a roof rack for my truck. The biggest catch was that it had to be removable. So I did, and it was. I got pretty lazy after I began so it took about a month to put together. Not bad for a bunch of electrical EMT.

Then before you knew it, it was time for our second Uwharrie trip. It had been raining all week and was super slippery.

Favorite pic. Hey look its Greg!

As we were riding Wolf Den Trail tragedity had stuck. My Ranger had made it up this little ledge on our first trip but I forgot what line I took.
Brandon was there too.

So I took the brush guard off and I eventually got the bug to put on my Gibson headers. They have been sitting for about a year so it was about time. This was a huge pain and I never want to do it again.

That is all for now until I get motivated to install some more stuff. Right now I have a set of factory fender flares, roller rockers,
underdog crank pulley, a set of fender light tabs that Devin made with 2x 18x LED lights, taurus fan, and probably one or two other things I am missing.

RescueRanger96 · #2 09-25-2013, 06:01 PM

Holy shit im in somebody else thread. Hurry up with the flares and aal and plastidip

Sent from my iPhone in NC

02BLUEdge · #3 09-25-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RescueRanger96

Holy shit im in somebody else thread. Hurry up with the flares and aal and plastidip

Sent from my iPhone in NC

I am hoping to get those flares on this weekend and maybe do a little bit of dipping. The AAL will wait until I can find some new U bolts for a good price. I believe you are right, I need motivation. I have too much stuff waiting to go on and need to do something about it.

chooperXmane · #4 09-25-2013, 07:32 PM

love the truck man. ours a really similar

02BLUEdge · #5 09-26-2013, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chooperXmane

love the truck man. ours a really similar

Heck yeah! Bright Island Blue standard cabs ftw!

I really like what you did with your front bumper!

02BLUEdge · #6 10-21-2013, 02:22 PM

Need your guy's opinion. I have been thinking about a cap again and stumbled upon this --> http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pts/4137879059.html

How do you think it would look? If I decided to go for it, I was thinking of offering either $250 or $200 and a $50 prepaid MasterCard I got at work today. This would solve the tent camping situation and from time to time I wish I had more dry storage. Plus I could stick a basket/lights up there, awesome. I would probably sell my tool box if I had this.

Of course this is still in the garage but wow it is ugly.

02BLUEdge · #7 10-22-2013, 09:24 AM

Any thoughts on the white cap guys?

chrisranger · #8 10-22-2013, 09:26 AM

Saw that, I'm also interested in a cap. Maybe offer 200 and work from there.

RescueRanger96 · #9 10-22-2013, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

Any thoughts on the white cap guys?

Buy it. Put flames and a turret on it and be done!

Sent from my iPhone in NC

02BLUEdge · #10 10-22-2013, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RescueRanger96

Buy it. Put flames and a turret on it and be done!

Sent from my iPhone in NC

That makes no sense....unless the turret was still able to fire in front of the truck for slow people in the fast lane.

02BLUEdge · #11 10-26-2013, 02:53 PM

So I decided the cap was not the way to go. I did however find a roll bar a little over an hour away for $80. It was homemade for a 94 Tacoma and is very well built. Of course it is a bit wide for the front of the bed but the kickers rest just inside my wheel wells so I do not want to cut it. I intend on trying to find additional material in the morning...I have a plan.

JLDANGER RANGER · #12 10-26-2013, 03:15 PM

I've always liked your truck man, great build thread. So...what's your idea on the roll bar...??

02BLUEdge · #13 10-27-2013, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLDANGER RANGER

I've always liked your truck man, great build thread. So...what's your idea on the roll bar...??

Instead of cutting a section out of the tube I think I am going to take a piece of 1/4" flat steel along the front of the bed. The bar will attach to the flat steel, which will attach to the truck. This will keep the kickers against the wheel wells and keep the front of the bar the width of the cab. In my mind it shouldn't look too bad but if I don't like it I can always change it later.

JLDANGER RANGER · #14 10-27-2013, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

Instead of cutting a section out of the tube I think I am going to take a piece of 1/4" flat steel along the front of the bed. The bar will attach to the flat steel, which will attach to the truck. This will keep the kickers against the wheel wells and keep the front of the bar the width of the cab. In my mind it shouldn't look too bad but if I don't like it I can always change it later.

Not a bad idea. It kinda remimds me of what GCExtreme did with his roll bar, I'm anxious to see it on a single cab though

Sent from my Android using FRF App

Devin-20 · #15 10-27-2013, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

Instead of cutting a section out of the tube I think I am going to take a piece of 1/4" flat steel along the front of the bed. The bar will attach to the flat steel, which will attach to the truck. This will keep the kickers against the wheel wells and keep the front of the bar the width of the cab. In my mind it shouldn't look too bad but if I don't like it I can always change it later.

Sounds like it could work good.