1997 Ford Ranger - Ultimate Danger Ranger

With a numerically higher gear ratio and drop-in lockers, we were in need of new set of open carriers that would complement the setup. A few good sources for used carriers are your local gear or transmission shop, maybe even junkyards, but don't fret if you can't find them used, since they'll usually cost you less than a tank of gas to buy new.

Langdon lays on the gear paint so we could check the contact pattern for our Dana 30's 4.88 Richmond Gears. When it came time for a front locker, we went with one of the most affordable and easy-to-install lockers on the market, the Lock-Right. This "lunchbox" locker's four-pin design is simple and effective, requiring minimal setup time and allowing for you to simply drop it into your existing open carrier (a 4.10-and-up open carrier in our case) without having to upgrade or change gear ratios.

The axleshafts are notoriously weak on the Dana 30, and with 35-inch tires at each end of the knuckle, we need something that would hold together under serious abuse. The answer came in the form of Superior Axle & Gear's replacement shafts that use a larger 760 U-joint for increased strength and reliability.

Our 28-spline 8.8 rear axle received the same 4.88 Richmond Gear treatment, but uses a Powertrax Locker for a traction aid...

...The additional pins and springs along with the factory C-clips make the install a bit more involved, but unlike the Lock-Right, the Powertrax won't give you the "clicking" sound around corners. Also note that the center pin will need to be filed down in order to clear the thicker ring gear on the carrier.

After all fluid levels and linkages were checked and everything tightened, we installed the beefy J.E. Reel driveshafts. The driveline angles were OK, but with the front shaft continuously rotating due to the unit-bearing style hubs, we went with C.V.s both front and rear to help deal with the angle and also to decrease any vibrations that we may have. Stay tuned next month for Part III of our Ultimate Ranger wrapup as we'll put on all the finishing touches that helped an old Ford survive the wrath of Texas.