Guitarl's Rat Ranger Pickups

[pholTmonx]

Alot of oldschool flat beds used channel for the edges.. honestly they are cheap to put together...
Could totally get away with angle iron. beds typically have 4 cross braces w rails..

Look at how lil tex trailers are done.. just redid the wood in one. You end load the lumber under the edge of the flipped last brace and the front has a strap with bolts on top rear under.. those secure it and space the deck.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

today out cruising...

Carl.

sent from a crowded phonebooth...

 

[GuitarlCarl]

The bed is piece of cake. Beefy sq stock for the crossbars and sides with t rail down the middle to support the planking. Getting it level may take some creativity, but no problem.
When I say I'm not a mechanic, I mean internal combustion.

Carl .

sent from a crowded phonebooth...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

If you do a wood bed, you don't want to go to light. You'd lose traction easy.

What if that is the plan?

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

What if that is the plan?

Luke.

I was actually thinking light bed heavier payload but realized most of the time I'll be running empty so no cedar. Probably end up rough cut oak.

Carl.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I was actually thinking light bed heavier payload but realized most of the time I'll be running empty so no cedar. Probably end up rough cut oak.

Carl.

It can be quite an issue in the rain too, leaf springs with no weight, hit a bump half way round a corner, end up facing the other way head on to a Semi...

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

It can be quite an issue in the rain too, leaf springs with no weight, hit a bump half way round a corner, end up facing the other way head on to a Semi...

Luke.

If it ends up too light, I'll just u bolt some lead weight to the rear axle. Should increase weight and traction without changing the sprung weight.

Carl.

 

[Fv2]

427 cobra jet ranger.... more than it'll ever be worth, but...




YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

427 cobra jet ranger.... more than it'll ever be worth, but...




YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm very happy with the 4.0 six in it now.

Carl.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

If it ends up too light, I'll just u bolt some lead weight to the rear axle. Should increase weight and traction without changing the sprung weight.

Carl.

Sprung weight is less important than un-sprung for handling. If you added weight to your diff you would just wear out your shockers quicker and possibly be more likely to slide due to suspension inertia...

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I'll have to think about that. I'm guessing it'd still be less than original weight at the footprint. Less weight rebounding at the shocks...or more if the weight was actually hanging on the axle? Springs hold up, shocks damp rebound, but how?

Carl.

sent from a crowded phonebooth...

 

[Fv2]

If you could mount the weight as close to the springs as possible it might help, or buy into air shocks?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I'll have to think about that. I'm guessing it'd still be less than original weight at the footprint. Less weight rebounding at the shocks...or more if the weight was actually hanging on the axle? Springs hold up, shocks damp rebound, but how?

Carl.

sent from a crowded phonebooth...

More weight working against the shocks if you add weight to your diff.

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I've seen dually kits for the Ranger. I guess I'll see what they do because that would definitely add to the unsprung weight. Possibly dual shocks.

Carl.

sent from a crowded phonebooth...

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Swapped bed liners and ditched the tall rail protectors, looks way better.

Ha!

Carl.

sent from a banana phone...

 

[Duchess]

The Midwest salt is worse than New England sand, but I kept my old Subaru in great shape by touching up the rubberized undercoating every spring and weekly use of the self-cleaning car wash making sure to spend the most time inside the wheel wells and fenders and undercarriage during the winters. Didn't do all that with my Mazda 3 and that thing was starting to rot in under 5 years (though that might not mean much since Mazda seems to have never figured out galvanizing, I also neglected my 2012 Focus and that only had some minor surface rust on the undercarriage in the same length of time and with an extra 40k miles).

 

[LukeTheJoker]

What is next on the plans Carl?

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

What is next on the plans Carl?

Luke.

Well the front pair of the rear spring hangers still needs swapped out. But there's too much stuff in the way to make it easy...grr. Really, I've just been running it down the highway. I'll probably change the grill before I find a visor, but I want to do both. The shift arm on the steering column is jacked up. Knob's loose can't shut the overdrive off and there's a lot of slop in the shift so that needs addressed as well. But it's a roller. Lol.

Soapstone.

Carl.

sent from a banana phone...

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Merle.

sent from a banana phone...

 

[GuitarlCarl]

So I ran over my exhaust the second time today... I'm now at the LMS getting the chop shop special. Pretty nice piped all the way out the back. Looked at the front pair of rear spring hangers and whoa they ain't gonna last much longer. Muffler shop dude says they can do it for less than 300 since I already have the hangers. Hopefully they'll last till January... when I have the $$$.

Carl.

sent from a banana phone...