Frankinford

[DHYDR8D]

Here is a project I have been working on for about two weeks. It is a Bronco II with a Ranger bed and an Explorer drive train. It has been "rhino" lined by B&T linings and I have to say they did an unbelivable job, they even did the interior gray! All the tube is 1 3/4 .120 wall DOM when it is all said and done I will have about 220 feet of tubing, around 60 bends, and 14 frame mounts. It is gonna be SICK!!

[Funrover]

Sweet!

[Fordguy77]

This is probably the third one i have seen where they combined the 2 bodys like this, and this is probably the second nicest! Great work thats a lot of work!

[Red Rhino]

What are you using for axels?

[Fordguy77]

He said he was running a Exploder drive train so i am going to assume he is running a Dana 35 TTB in the front and a Ford 8.8 31 Spline in the rear would be my guess.

[DHYDR8D]

Yeah the owner has not made a decison on what he wants to do about that. I would like to see a cool spidertrax axle set under this beeotch. I sure would like to see some pictures of the other rigs like this.

[Mporter]

Sweet. It almost looks like an F150 of some sort.

[southpaws3]

WHAT's Up BUTTERCUP!?!?!? THANKS SKINNY FOR THE HELP W/ STEERING BRACES THEYH WORK AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS AGAIN!!!!
I GOT TO SEE THIS MACHINE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL-----(NAUGHTY AND NICE ):D:bowdown:

[upnover]

Nice! :thumb::thumb:

[Cr33p3r]

Nice, I am liking the idea of the combo body. Looks like it will be a fun ride when its done.

[Brody]

That is pretty sweet!

[AccordRanger]

Always love the look of a Ranger body on a BII frame! Great looking truck.

[Brody]

He said he was running a Exploder drive train so i am going to assume he is running a Dana 35 TTB in the front and a Ford 8.8 31 Spline in the rear would be my guess.

Mine, too. You can see the TTB in the first picture, though why anyone would want to stick with the TTB and do all of this other work first is beyond me. If it were mine, I would Dana 44 SAS the front way before I did any exo work. Cheaper than trying to beef up the TTBs, though that can also be done. Camberg Racing does it with great success, but it certainly isn't cheap and you would have to love the TTBs to justify the pricing. Guess it depends on what they really want to do with it, but it looks like they are designing it for some serious wheeling. Still, TTBs wouldn't be my first choice.

[KnuckleHead]

Looks sweet...

[Fordguy77]

If you are going to mess with the front end, have you guys put any thought into a cut and turned dana 35? I have heard and seem some massive flex achieved using that setup. and your still using existing parts which may be cheaper and less work.
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/zimmerman_ttb.htm
http://www.camburg.com/ford/89-97-ranger/cut-and-turned-4x4-i-beams/
http://www.camburg.com/ford/89-97-ranger/custom-wider-4x4-i-beams/

[DHYDR8D]

Those axles are sweet, I have never even seen or heard of that prosses. Honestly the owner of this truck has not made up his mind on the axle situation. He is actually building this rig for his wife as a daily driver/ support vehicle for the buggy that he wants me to build for him in the future. It will get him where she and he want to go right now and when stuff starts to brake then I would imagine that he will put an axle under it that will do the job.


So I also have a Question for anyone that wants to give their opinon. I have never liked the the look of a roller fairlead and the owner wants to stay with steel cable on his winches, what I would like to do is make the "wire guide" out of the DOM. It would have an opening about the same size as a roller fairlead just not any rollers. I have thought that over time the wire would "dig" into the steel tube. so I would make sleeves for it and harden them. What are your thoughts on this and would it work?

[Brody]

I have thought that over time the wire would "dig" into the steel tube. so I would make sleeves for it and harden them. What are your thoughts on this and would it work?

I don't think it would be worth the time, labor, effort, thinking or cost unless your customer has bottomless pockets and wants to pay for it. My guess is that it has already been tried more than once, by quote a few people and probably didn't work too damn well , which is why we have the roller fairleads for steel and the hawser fairleads for synthetic. Even nylon line will cut a groove through steel or aluminum. You see proof of that on every fixed rock climbing anchor in the world.

If you are going to try something like this, though, I would step out of the 4x4 ballpark and walk or swim over to the marine ballpark. They have been dealing with lines, both steel and synthetic, winches, cables, bollards, rollers, etc., a helluva lot longer than than anyone has wheeled.

[DHYDR8D]

Thanks for the thoughts. I think I am going to harden some sleeves and have holes for mounting the roller fairlead if the sleeves start wear.

[scout man]

You can also get Hawse style fairleads designed for use with steel line. Obviously you cant use an aluminum hawse, but the steel ones will work with steel line. I imagine it would probably wear just as fast as your homeade one, but be easier to replace when the time comes. They are pretty cheap too if I recall.

[DHYDR8D]

Hummmm. Very good thought. Thanks

[DHYDR8D]

Well...After almost four months of off and on work this thing is almost done!!!

[Rob]

That looks great. I'm diggin' the little stick figure. :thumb:

[Bernie]

What I wouldn't do to be able to build something that cool... great job!

[southpaws3]

AWESOME JOB

[tonkatoy]

That thing looks sick great job lot of work. have you figurd out how many hours you have in to it .:thumb:

[DHYDR8D]

Well... not counting the countless hours of stareing at the thing figuring out how to make things work. I probably have about 125 hours of actual work in it and 250 feet of D.O.M.!!

[Brody]

Looks sweet. I like the back tire carrier detail. Nice bit of work there!

Maybe you could comment the next time someone goes: "Oh...hey guys, I need some tube bent, notched, welded and installed on a totally one off piece of custom fabrication. Oh....by the way, can you throw in the priming and painting, too? Gee whiz, Mr Wizard, why does it cost money?"

[RockGrinder]

hey, when your done with it, I call dibs on the ride along!!!!

[DHYDR8D]

Sorry man, I think the only person riding in the other Corbeau seat will be the owners wife.

[DHYDR8D]

Looks sweet. I like the back tire carrier detail. Nice bit of work there!


Thanks Brody... I hope to get your rig and the owner of this rig togther on a trail sometime this summer, for an epic photo shoot.

Exo-Cages Unite!!!

[Brody]

Thanks Brody... I hope to get your rig and the owner of this rig togther on a trail sometime this summer, for an epic photo shoot.

Exo-Cages Unite!!!

Maybe we can stick the rigs in a dark garage overnight and in a few months have a generic exo for a pick up...

[Cr33p3r]

Got to love that one on one time to just ponder the not only next move but the right move! Val catches me doing that a lot during my builds just sitting there or walking around them staring in to deep thoughts. By the way that is looking good!:thumb:

[Robert B]

Maybe we can stick the rigs in a dark garage overnight and in a few months have a generic exo for a pick up...
my only question is which car is the girl and which is the guy ?????

[DHYDR8D]

my only question is which car is the girl and which is the guy ?????


Well The Bronco is not locked up yet...so I don't think it will be crawling on the back of any rigs anytime soon... if you know what I mean.

[Brody]

Well, I have always thought that my heap looked kinda "girlish". Almost painted it pink at one time....

[Mporter]

I think you should do it Pete. Maybe pink zebra stripes.

[DHYDR8D]

Well its DONE!

Into Adam's (sunk) hands now for a ton of wiring.

Stay tuned for front and rear four link, coilovers and four wheel steering!!

[tonkatoy]

great job go have a beer on me you deserve it with all that work:bowdown: