Re: 1995 F150 pro Street project thread

[HorsinAround]

Your moving right along Alan!!
I'm going to hunt down a ranger steering box as one of my winter projects.

How's the c6 build going? If you can't find reasonable pricing for machining to rollerize, let me know. I'll talk to the boss and see if I can do some off the clock machining.

mike

Havent even started on the transmission yet. Have had several opportunities for parts come up that I couldn't pass up, so thats where my cash has gone. Once I get the rear end project done, The roll cage kit will most likely be next (February's project) then March will probably see me ordering everything for the transmission.
I called the yard where I found the ranger box and they are going to look around to see if they have another ranger manual gear box/pitman arm. If they do, I'll pick it tomorrow when I pick up the first one. FYI, I redesigned the brackets a little and sent the prints to the shop. Now I'm waiting on him to get them on the plas.

[f250mike]

Cool!
Do you have the c6 your going to build? I have one if you don't.
If your wanting to do the shorty c6 like mine, I can text you the casting # to look for.
It helps decrease the driveshaft angle which is good from what I have been told.
It's not a bolt on deal but I know how to make it work thanks to Frank Merkl.

[HorsinAround]

Cool!
Do you have the c6 your going to build? I have one if you don't.
If your wanting to do the shorty c6 like mine, I can text you the casting # to look for.
It helps decrease the driveshaft angle which is good from what I have been told.
It's not a bolt on deal but I know how to make it work thanks to Frank Merkl.

Sorry Mike, I got the only manual steer box this yard had. Plus they had a perfect door that I need, so hopefully they still have it next weekend. The price was good at $100. I was thinking of going with fiberglass doors, but I think I'll stick with the oem doors to help keep the project cost down.

I do have a C6 already, but I'm curious about what your calling a shorty. Must be a shorter output shaft/tail housing?

[f250mike]

Yes it is the shortest c6 tail housing made. It's intended for use with a bolt on yoke. With a few mods and a 4x4 tailshaft the c6 is about the same length as a powerglide.

[HorsinAround]

Under way on the 4 link. Hope to have it finished tonight.

[DILLIGASDAVE]

Even though your adjustable front coil over shock mount bracket/receiver bracket assemblies are made of fairly thick material, the receiver bracket's weld attachment point to the side of the chassis less than half the bracket's total length.

Because of this you might want to think about boxing the back sides (engine side) of the unsupported section of the receiver brackets with some plate. Then run at least one diagonal tubing brace from the top of each boxing plate down to some point on the top surface of the chassis (and/or the top surface of the front suspension x-member). The closer the tubing braces are installed to a 45* angle (if there's enough engine/header room of course), the better the tops of the receiver brackets will be diagonally braced & supported.

[HorsinAround]

Thanks for the observations. I have gussets made for the back side, just haven't got them welded in. The 45deg bracing I hadn't thought about so I'll get them fabricated. I believe I am going to install a 14 pt cage so I should be able to run diagonally from the mounts up to the bars right?

[DILLIGASDAVE]

......I am going to install a 14 pt cage so I should be able to run diagonally from the mounts up to the bars right?

The front shock receiver brackets can be braced in so many different ways it can sometimes be hard to decide which is best for any one given application.

You can use just the cap plate and 1 (or 2) small OD diagonal brace(s) by themselves with no added help/support from the cage's front down bars, (that run from the windshield bar through the firewall & down to the front frame rail) for applications where front down bars aren't going to be used. Or if front cage down bars are going to be used you could use them (or a runner off of them) to support the cap plate, and not use the smaller OD brace(s) at all. Or you could use the small OD brace(s) and the down bars both at the same time to support the cap plate.


Here are a few different ways of doing the small OD bracing and the cage down bars......



Depending on how low the truck will sit & how far the tires turn lock-to-lock, some of these down bar layouts might clear the turned front tires better than others.

[HorsinAround]

Thanks for the illustratons Dave. I appreciate it. The original design had a small gusset but, when I went to install them, things were not the way I wanted them so I cut the small gusset off and welded in what you see, with the plans to make new gussets (done, just haven't welded them in) Then since I had someone else wanting a set, I went back to the cad design and added the gussets (outlined in red below). Now, with this type of gusset in place, would I still need to add some kickers off at an angle? If I'm thinking correctly, the forces will be applied in a vertical line and shouldn't see any twisting or angular force right?

[HorsinAround]

Finally made some significant progress tonight. It's starting to resemble a 4 link lol. For now I decided to stay with the pan hard bar, since I already had everything. Later on I am going to remove it in favor of an x or y style locator.
I still have more to do back here, but had to get it out of the shop so I could get my daughters car in for a brake job.

[DILLIGASDAVE]

I guess an added gusset with that much angle might be OK. More/steeper angle (closer to 45*) would be better, but usually having any gusset is better than no gusset at all. But even though a pair of tall shock brackets with gussets added might be better able to handle the expected push/pull load forces, (if the gussets are installed in the same general direction as the expected force is applied) the brackets still might twist/fold/rotate a given amount under load if they aren't also boxed/capped as well.

Boxing/capping the backsides of the shock receiver brackets/gusset assemblys would make them even more rigid & strong. Same reason a lot of other "paired" tall/narrow suspension bracket assemblys are usually boxed/capped too, (like ladder bar brackets, 4-link brackets, panhard bar brackets, etc, etc). It helps to increase the strength & twisting/side loading resistance of each separate bracket by tying each pair of brackets together as a single assembly.

[bigblok2000ranger]

Alan it looks good but you are adding more weight than you need to with that shock crossmember. A 1 1/4" .120 tube is sufficient. I am guilty of over killing stuff to sometimes as well.

[schmitty]

Looking good Alan.

[HorsinAround]

I guess an added gusset with that much angle might be OK. More/steeper angle (closer to 45*) would be better, but usually having any gusset is better than no gusset at all. But even though a pair of tall shock brackets with gussets added might be better able to handle the expected push/pull load forces, (if the gussets are installed in the same general direction as the expected force is applied) the brackets still might twist/fold/rotate a given amount under load if they aren't also boxed/capped as well.

Boxing/capping the backsides of the shock receiver brackets/gusset assemblys would make them even more rigid & strong. Same reason a lot of other "paired" tall/narrow suspension bracket assemblys are usually boxed/capped too, (like ladder bar brackets, 4-link brackets, panhard bar brackets, etc, etc). It helps to increase the strength & twisting/side loading resistance of each separate bracket by tying each pair of brackets together as a single assembly.

It will have some braceing and boxing when I get it back in the shop. Certainly don't want a failure at the track under hard load.

Alan it looks good but you are adding more weight than you need to with that shock crossmember. A 1 1/4" .120 tube is sufficient. I am guilty of over killing stuff to sometimes as well.

In truck pulling we had to build strong which meant heavy and this is the opposite. I keep trying to think in terms of lightness but fail sometimes lol. I think I'll get the hole saw out and go to work on that shock cross member.

[bbf-falcon]

[quote="f250mike"]Your moving right along Alan!!
I'm going to hunt down a ranger steering box as one of my winter projects.

Hey guy's. I scrap alot of cars/trucks during the year so if any of you need anything from one just let me know what you need.Most of the small parts I leave on the truck so it wont cost me much to take it off for you.The price will make you happy and you can bet on that. Is there a certain year for the Ranger steering box?

[lghting94]

Rick the manual steering box needed is on early 80's rangers. Todd

[kjett]

[quote="bbf-falcon"]

Your moving right along Alan!!
I'm going to hunt down a ranger steering box as one of my winter projects.

Hey guy's. I scrap alot of cars/trucks during the year so if any of you need anything from one just let me know what you need.Most of the small parts I leave on the truck so it wont cost me much to take it off for you.The price will make you happy and you can bet on that. Is there a certain year for the Ranger steering box?

Rick, I need both fenders and a hood for a 89-92 ranger.

[HorsinAround]

[quote="kjett"]

Your moving right along Alan!!
I'm going to hunt down a ranger steering box as one of my winter projects.

Hey guy's. I scrap alot of cars/trucks during the year so if any of you need anything from one just let me know what you need.Most of the small parts I leave on the truck so it wont cost me much to take it off for you.The price will make you happy and you can bet on that. Is there a certain year for the Ranger steering box?

Rick, I need both fenders and a hood for a 89-92 ranger.

If you come across a ranger or F100 or F150 with manual steering, the most important thing to keep is the pitman arm as they are not available anymore. (not even through the aftermarket) The manual gearbox can still be had through the aftermarket, but you may as well grab them also. A couple other items I'm told is not available anymore is the fuel tank selector valve for pre 97 F series, and the 460 engine mount brackets (the ones bolted/riveted to the frame) If you come across these items, let me know and I'll either buy them from you or point people to you.

[bbf-falcon]

I will write all this down guy's and keep my eyes open and get the wrenches turning for you. I would rather see you guy's get these things than the crusher.

[HorsinAround]

Thanks Rick.

[f250mike]

[quote="bbf-falcon"]

Your moving right along Alan!!
I'm going to hunt down a ranger steering box as one of my winter projects.

Hey guy's. I scrap alot of cars/trucks during the year so if any of you need anything from one just let me know what you need.Most of the small parts I leave on the truck so it wont cost me much to take it off for you.The price will make you happy and you can bet on that. Is there a certain year for the Ranger steering box?

Rick, I'm needing a manual steering box and pitman from the 80's ranger or f100/150. Oh and I have a buddy with a mark 8 that is parked next to his shop. Haven't asked what's up with it but if it's for sale cheap I'll pass it along.
mike

[bbf-falcon]

I had 2 matching 8's last summer Mike. Seems nobody was interested so I scrapped them both.

[bigblok2000ranger]

Wasn't Damon looking for one awhile back?

[HorsinAround]

Ok, with the suggestions earlier, I decided to add some gussets and additional supports. We will be setting the bed and cab on tomorrow evening. Then just wait for the roll cage kit to show up.

[HorsinAround]

Set the body on last night. Just waiting on the roll cage to show up.

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