Ok as promised, now that I have had a chance to drive a couple of thousand miles with the 4.88's, get my CV axel angle issue taken care of I thought I would post an update.

First and foremost 4.88 gears were the perfect set-up for my truck, my RPM's are right back where they were as if I was running stock size tires...maybe just a couple of hundred RPM's above stock, but all in all perfect.

I have not gotten my programmer re-programmed for 4.88 gears, right now I have it set at 4.56, I just got back from a road trip last night, got 18.652 MPG, for a 4x on 33's, getting darn near window sticker gas milage numbers made me very happy. For the record it was all highway running between 65 and 75 mph. I think once I get my programmer set for the correct axel size it might help the milage, but won't know for sure until it's done.

Ok now if you kept up with my last update and what I did to lift my truck I had one issue I really needed to address - and that was the CV Axel angle. After blowing two of them from just road driving I new I had to address this issue. I basically ended up with what I felt were two options. Option 1, was to try and find some high angle CV axels. The only place I found that would build them was Dixon Brothers Racing. They already fab a set that are 4 inches longer than stock, but I wanted ones that were stock length. In any case I contacted them and they were willing to fabriacte a set for $1000 - OUCH! Ok I was willing to do this as a last result, but considering you can get stock ones for between $75 and $105 a piece I thought $500 a piece was pretty steep. Enter my good friends at Off Road Unlimited in Houston with option #2 - lowering my fron diff in order to improve the angle. They were able to do this for a little less than half of what Dixon Brothers Wanted. By lowering my front diff 1 1/2 inches it took out right about 14 degrees of angle(I think they actually had to adjust the angled the diff when they did this to make sure the drive shaft was at the proper angle as well), this greatly reduced my front CV axel angle, and everything finaly seems right now.

Ok I have some overall impressions about what I did to get to this point, let me list what all I did first:

Lifted truck about 4 1/2" with re-indexed torsion bar keys.
Added new upper shock mounts and longer sway bar end links.
Lowered Front diff to improve CV axel angle.
Purches new 8" wheels with difrent off-set from old 8" wheels due to tires rubbing on side of sway bar.
Re-geared from 4.10's to 4.88's and added locker in the rear.

I have to say I just don't know if I would do all of this again....or maybe if I did I would have just bought the kit from fab-tech...while I saved some money, not very much. I have a good, solid set-up, but it cost quite a bit to do it, and I guess more than anything once I got into it, I was he!! bent on making it as perfect as possible, and it costs to do things "right". The end result is a solid trail truck on 33's - can't complain about that at all, but the difrence from lifting an inch or two to get on 31's to lifting into the 4 and 5 inch range to get on 33's was more than I realized. Ohh one other thing, this is my second lock-right. Seems a little more user friendly on 33x12.50's than it was on 31x10.50's....I think the heavier wider tire seems to keep more hooked up..even while cornering in the rain...just seem a little harder to break loose...even with the 4.88's......and thats a good thing..anyway ok that's all I got, sorry for the long post -

 

Glad you're enjoying everything.

Do you have the total cost of everything combined if you don't mind me asking?

 

Dang John, you've been busy, I see I can't steer you away from those lunch box lockers ha ha, I had a loc-right in my truck for a week and then sold it to my buddy, it wouldn't let me excell in the curves as I love to do, it wheel hopped and sounded like it was comming apart, so went back to the good ole tru-trac. However, it was awesome offroad. Have you tried the 4:88's in the sand yet, if so, how did it do, inpressive I'm sure.

 

RP - no I don't mind. Total Cost into the lift was $1400 (this was everything, once the diff wa lowered, new upper shock mounts, longer sway bar endlinks, and the diff being lowered)

The gears front and rear with the lock-right were $2400

Please keep in mind - I ain't rich, I'm a regular guy lucky enough to be single right now and can get away with this...stayed home lots of nights and ate at home alot the last several months.

Thats why I said I could have just gottent the fab-tech kit I think it's right around $1500...at least I was able to do the lift a piece at a time and it didn't hit me all at once.

Wendell - I've been to the beach twice, it's total gravy. First trip I ripped one of the factory sway bar endlinks in half, second trip had that issue fixed and it was perfect. I have to say once I added the new shock mounts and legthened sway bar endlinks my suspension movement changed...big times. The endlinks were limiting my movement and my shocks just did not have enough up travel. At first I thought the add-a-leaf in the rear was just too much. After doing those mods I realized it was perfect...once I had full suspension movement back everything seemed to be working so much better. I can go through sooooo much in 2 wheel drive on the wider tores now Wendell...it's awsome. Planning a trip to Big Bend in September for the real test.....and for the record..I don't have any issues in the curves on the road...now sharp turns in the wet....I just love the way the locker handles - just point and shoot, don't over steer or over correct! Anyway thats the deal.

 

Must have pics... Useless without them...

 

The only issue with the tru-trac when powering in the curves is that once in a great while, I'll get a little bit of tire chirp, but no bangs or racheting like with the lunch box. Offroad they seem the same except when I get a wheel lifted, I have to apply a little brake presure with the tru-trac to get both wheels to pull, as with the lunch box just took a little more throttle. With all the wheels planted on good ole terra firma, the tru-trac pulls like a freighttrain with no banging or poping. If my truck wasn't 90% on the road, I would if kept the lunch box or even opted for a full detroit locker. I thought about the detroit electro-locker for the best of both worlds, but for the price, I couldn't justify it as I don't climb boulders or anything real extreme where I need a full locker. The tru-trac handles anything I throw at it and has great street manors. Enough about ranger rumps, what are your next plans or are you done for awhile? I just started a new job with better pay, so it's time to get going again. Next step is the keys from total performance and light tabs from Jusnes for my Hella 500's.

 

I saw his truck, it looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!! It's red with a matching cap and the 33's look tough.

 

Joelski you can check out pix of my truck on my profile.

 

That's a mighty fine hunk o' metal ya got yourself there! Love everything about it, 'cept ya need a 'stended cab for all your stuff.

That's quite an accomplishment considering the $$$ it takes to get a ranger to go up in the air!

 

Lookin' dang good.

 

Good luck with that wendell. I think bob has totally forgotten to make any more light tabs that he promised us months ago.

 

Thanks for the kind words guys....I don't think the full size guys and the jeep guys know how easy they have it - lol

 

Thanks for the update Waves. I need to go see your friends at Off Road Unlimitd and have them install my Truxxx torsion keys. I fugure about 1.5" will keep the ride about the same and level me off nicely.

CMOS

 

If all your looking for is an 1" or 1 1/2" they can probably just adjust your torsion bars without doing anything else, might want to check with them on that but I am about 99.9% sure if thats all you are looking for they can take care of you for about $30 -

 

Level2, I haven't talked to Bob, but on his site it no longer says the light tabs are sold out, so I thought from that he had made some more, "O GEEZ", maybe not, "RAT FARTS"!!!!!!!!!