Has anyone heard of Fabritech Motorsports (not Fabtech)? I looked at their website, and they have solid axle conversions for many IFS equipped trucks. Anyone know where I can get more info? It would be really cool to put a solid axle under the front of my 04 4x4. Apparently, their conversions allow you to adapt lifts for older trucks to newer trucks. Unfortunately, they say they have ranger swaps, but I don't know any details. Any of you know where to look?

 

I can't be any help there, but why do you need a solid axle? I wheel my 04 alot, and some times pretty hard, and if yet to break anything. People that push the solid axle swap do extreme wheeling, like rock crawling, and such. In the real world the ifs does fine, as a matter of fact, Dixon Brothers are doing things with ranger ifs that exceed soild axles, but it cost. When you make a monthly payment on your truck as I do, extreme wheeling isn't in the piture. Anything bigger than 33" tires on a ranger is just over kill, and calls for regearing. The taller the truck, the easier it is to tip over, and makes it more unstablo on the road. Get those t-bars cranked, put on 33's, and add a locker, and it will do all you need it to do, and do it well while your still making payments, and it will be safe. I understand the cool factor of a tall truck, but a practical usable truck is the way to go in real offroad situations. I'm not trying to bring you down, just want you to think about what it is you want, or need your truck to really do. Monster trucks are cool to look at, but there only good for climbing over cars, and they tip over alot doing that.

 

I was just pointing out the possibility of a sas. I have neither the time nor the budget to do something like that, but I would like to get some more information for maybe a long term project. Eventually, I would liek to do something like that.

 

Their web site appears to be broken. It has one page with no links...

Pat

 

I did notice that. I can't find any other links or dealers. I wonder what the problem is.

 

OK Dave, I understand what your looking to find out, I thought you might be fixen to go crazy on your truck, or something. Is this supost to be a complete kit, or is there some fab work involved?

 

Probably a lot. After doing more research, I found that Fabritech's SAS kits only work on 98 and older trucks. Plus I think that you need to supply your own axle, but I'm not sure. Some kind of conflict with the steering makes it not applicable to 99 and up Rangers.

One of these days, I will do a SAS, and have it running on coilovers at all four corners, and the axles will be a D44 and a 9inch. The tires will be 35" tall. ...yeah right

Also, Wendell, did you say that you have the skid plates from an FX4? How much did that run you?

 

I bought 2 of the factory skidplates, the transfercase plate was I believe 30-40 dollars, and the gas tank plate was a hundred. I didn't do the front one under the engine, I'm still undecided if I want ford, or rancho. The 2000 ranger front skid were stainless steel, and there supost to fit our's as well, but rancho has that nice tubular red one that would look nice on my white truck. The regular fx4 level2 front plate were black, and should cost about the same as the gas tank plate, but I haven't priced it.

 

It's not so much a steering incompatability, as much as the entire front suspension. The Fabritech kits use custom radius arms to connect to early Bronco ('1965-76) Dana 35 and 44 straight front axles. The earlier Rangers can clear this after removing the front twin I-Beams (TTB). The 98 and newer Rangers have a subframe assembly in the way and completely different coil spring mounts. In your case (4x4), you don't even have coil springs, but torsion bars. It is a swap best suited for tall lift, big tires, and high horsepower that would all work together to destroy a standard TTB front drivetrain.

 

The ford 9" rearend is a great unit, but I wouldn't sell the 8.8 with 31 spline axles short. It's very strong, espeacially in light duty applications like a ranger. The only advantage with the 9", is that removable 3rd member. The 8.8 is a awesome unit, the jeep crowd loves to swap them in to thier machines. If you did go with the 8.8, get one from an explorer, there 31 spline big bearing units, and you get rear dics as well.

 

Will an Explorer rearend be a direct bolt on? Or will it require fabrication? I have the same truck as you, Wendell, so you know what I'm looking for.

 

Don't quote me on this Dave, but I believe it is a bolt in, or at least very close. I'm pretty sure the 01, and down explorer used the ranger plateform, it's a bolt in for us, and it's the jeep guy's that have to narrow it a hair. I've thought about this swap myself just to get the rear disc brakes, the beefier rear would be a plus, not that I've had any trouble with the one I have, but I am mean to it sometimes.

 

I know what you mean. If it were a direct bolt in, what would be a fair price for a fairly low mileage used rearend? Did Ford ever put 4.10 gears in an Explorer? If they did, it would make the swap a heck of a lot easier.

 

My 98 explorer had 4:10 gears with the 4.0. I did a little research for you, the only changes you'ld have to make, is to use the ranger spring perches, and shock mounts, also upgrade brakelines because of going from drums to disc, thats it. The 4:10's were pretty comon from around 97 to the earlly 2000's. The 02 explorer came out with irs, but they were still making the the straight axle explorer sport as well for another year, or two, even the srort-trac should have the same rearend. I haven't priced one, but I'm thinking around 200.00$ should get you one, it pays to shop around. You could check the boneyards, and watch in the paper for folks that might be parting out an explorer, and what not. I hope this helps.

 

Hmm... That seems a lot easier than I thought. I might just do that. All the aftermarket differentials I have found for the 8.8 have only been for 31 spline axles, so it kinda opens the door a little. Thanks Wendell