1997 Ford Ranger Axle - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

For those of you who don't know, I'm the new guy here at the 'zine. Actually, I've been here for a little over six months, but I have a feeling I'm going to be the FNG for a long time! With the feature editor position arrived the opportunity to build a truck for this year's Ultimate Adventure, a trip that I, like so many of you, always wanted to be a part of. But with only five weeks until the Adventure and my little ol' '97 Ford Ranger playing double duty as my wheeler/commuter truck, I decided what the heck, five weeks is plenty of time to build a truck, right?

My plan of action was simple. Slap a cheap solid axle under the front end, lower the transfer-case ratio, and use some suspension which could be conceived as the ultimate bare-minimum package that would haul me, art director Alan Huber, and all of our junk to Texas and back. Remember: trailers are for wussies.

When it comes to low budget and good availability it doesn't get any better than a Dana 30 axle. I grabbed mine for 70 bucks out of a '93 Wrangler sitting in a friend's backyard. Cheap, sure, but more importantly it was a driver-side high-pinion axle that was the exact width I needed. My Ranger came equipped with the tiny 7.5-inch rear axle, so I wanted something a little stronger since I knew I would have to run at least a 35-inch-tall tire. The solution came in the form of an $80 28-spline 8.8 from a '99 Ranger that would bolt in place of the factory axle.

Now that I had the axles, I needed to figure out a suspension package that was readily available and would require the least amount of fab work since time was of the essence. I knew the front end was going to require the most thought, so I did a little research to figure out what would make for the easiest quality setup. The answer came while looking at Rock Krawler's YJ coilover conversion for the '87-'95 Jeep Wrangler. Although it may not be the least expensive in terms of price, it had everything we needed and would require very little fabrication time. Though little fab work is required, it is important to note that this kit is a fully weld-on system that should be performed by a certified welder.

The crew at Diesel Tech lent their time and a bay to me for the five weeks I had to get this project completed, and then Poly Performance worked into the wee hours of the night putting all the finishing touches on the truck getting it ready for the 1,600-mile trip to Longview, Texas.

The first step was to remove the original twin-traction-beam axle and suspension from under the truck. Although TTB can provide ample amounts of suspension travel when set up properly, we decided for the terrain that we would be wheeling that the simplicity and reliability of a solid front axle would better suit our needs.
The first step was to remove the original twin-traction-beam axle and suspension from unde
Removal of the factory crossmember and TTB supports was relatively easy. We used a cutting torch to burn out the rivets, then simply pounded them out. This is necessary to clear the front driveline and new control arms.
Removal of the factory crossmember and TTB supports was relatively easy. We used a cutting
We slid the Dana 30 under the truck to get a few initial measurements and determine where to place the brackets on the axle. It is important to make sure that you have correct caster and pinion angle before you perform any welding on the axle. Although the Rock Krawler control arms give you the ability to fine-tune the axle position, it is best to double-check all your measurements and degree readings before making your first tack. This is also a good time to mock up steering linkage as well as getting an idea where the shock towers will need to be positioned.
We slid the Dana 30 under the truck to get a few initial measurements and determine where

The original coil buckets need to be removed to make room for the new coilover towers. Once you have successfully removed all the original conflicting crossmembers and bracketry, move on to the prep work. Quality prep work will make all the difference in the world when it's time to weld.
The original coil buckets need to be removed to make room for the new coilover towers. Onc
The only real fabrication you are responsible for will be the mounts that connect the control arms to the frame. There are infinite possibilities on how you can build your brackets (crossmember, subframe, weld on mounts, bolt on, and so on). We got our friend Kevin Howard to fab up a quick set that would weld on and could be easily braced for additional support.
The only real fabrication you are responsible for will be the mounts that connect the cont
Once you have the brackets completed and your control arms assembled, tack the brackets into place for a quick test fit. Look for the axle to be square and even on both sides and that your brackets are in the correct locations on either side. This is the best time to test-fit and look for any potential issues (shock bind, track-bar angle, steering, and so on).
Once you have the brackets completed and your control arms assembled, tack the brackets in

We knew that 35s and a full-time locker were going to be tough on our steering so we went with one of the easiest steering upgrades available for the Dana 30-the TeraFlex high-steer system complete with knuckle, drag link, and HD tie rod. The only modification we made was to drill out the pitman arm to fit the larger taper.
We knew that 35s and a full-time locker were going to be tough on our steering so we went
Considering the coilover towers were designed for a Wrangler, it was amazing how little we had to do to make them work for our '97 Ranger. About a half inch will need to be cut off the back of the tower brace to allow the tower to seat firmly against the frame.
Considering the coilover towers were designed for a Wrangler, it was amazing how little we
We ran into a little coilover bind due to how the original coilover tabs bolted the shock into the tower. To correct this we used a plasma cutter to remove the original tabs and replaced them with a set of weld-on mounts from Poly Performance. This keeps the ball inside of the coilover eyelet from becoming overstressed or damaged during extreme articulation.
We ran into a little coilover bind due to how the original coilover tabs bolted the shock

It's welding time! Since this kit is almost entirely weld-on, we must stress how important your welds are. We suggest going to a certified welder if you think your skills are not quite up to the task. Heat will be your friend here as the brackets are all relatively thick. Good penetration is not always something you can see, so double- and triple-check your welds to make certain you are burning in both metals.
It's welding time! Since this kit is almost entirely weld-on, we must stress how important
Rock Krawler will be happy to make you a track bar the length you need once you figure out all your measurements. Due to time constraints and knowing that they would have the parts on the shelf, we opted to let Poly Performance whip us up a track bar to get the Ranger moving in a timely fashion.
Rock Krawler will be happy to make you a track bar the length you need once you figure out
We swapped out our original 7.5-inch rear for the stronger 8.8-inch axle out of a '99 Ranger. A quick tip for removing the emergency-brake cable is to slide a box-end wrench over the retainer and then pull the cable out. At this point we opted to swap our original soft line with a steel braided one from Skyjacker. This will allow our axle plenty of droop without fear of overextending the line.
We swapped out our original 7.5-inch rear for the stronger 8.8-inch axle out of a '99 Rang

Staying with the simple theme, we bolted on a set of 6-inch Toyota mini-truck rear leaves from All Pro Off-Road. This netted the Ranger around 9 inches of lift in conjunction with the factory rear block and moved the wheelbase back around 2 inches. One thing to note is that the factory Ford springs are a little wider than the Toyota packs. To adjust for this we slid in a set of beefy industrial washers that allowed the springs to bolt properly in place.
Staying with the simple theme, we bolted on a set of 6-inch Toyota mini-truck rear leaves
For coils and shocks we chose a set of 10-inch Sway-A-Way race runner shocks with Eibach springs. Two of the main factors to look at when dialing in your coils is the vehicle weight and the type of wheeling that you intend to do. We went a little heavy with our rate, running a 300/350 with the addition of a tender coil. Due to the mounting position of the shock we were limited to around 4 inches of uptravel. Normally you want as even a balance as possible (i.e., 5 inches of up and 5 inches of down for a 10-inch travel shock).
For coils and shocks we chose a set of 10-inch Sway-A-Way race runner shocks with Eibach s
Here's a teaser shot of the finished front end. In next month's issue we tackle the drivetrain and finish up the last-minute details to make the Ultimate Danger Ranger adventure ready!
Here's a teaser shot of the finished front end. In next month's issue we tackle the drivet

SOURCES
All-Pro Off-Road 581 N. Palm Ave., Bldg. B-3 Hemet CA 92543 9-09/-658-7077 www.allprooffroad.com	Rock Krawler www.rockkrawler.com
Diesel Tech 951-766-5777 http://www.dieseltech1.com	Skyjacker P.O. Box 1678 West Monroe LA 71294 N/A 3-18/-388-0816 www.skyjacker.com
Eibach	Sway-A-Way
Poly Performance N/A www.polyperformance.com	Teraflex www.teraflex.biz