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Custom Fabbing Lower/Upper Arms ?? #: 2028

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Posted: Fri Mar 6th, 2020 09:22 am

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Ranger_Danger_
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So, as some may know. There are limited amount of Long-Travel and suspension kits made for our minitrucks. As it appears no one is building Ford Rangers into prerunners or baby trophy trucks, the industry has decided full-size trucks are better fit.

I was curious, if anyone has seen or built their own upper and lower control arms? It can't really be that hard can it? Its a big piece of steel boxed and welded and supported into the shape of an A-Arm. Does anyone by chance have a lower control arm laying around to measure for me and give me some specs? 2005 Coil Spring with the double wishbone style a-arm.

Any input is appreciated!

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Posted: Fri Mar 6th, 2020 06:10 pm

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Eddie Money
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Have you checked these guys out? I think you'll find long travel kits for 2wd rangers 98 and up.
https://camburg.com/vehicles/98-12-ranger/
Most of the ranger builds I see online are prerunners. WingsWorld does awesome suspension.

Last edited on Fri Mar 6th, 2020 10:47 pm by Eddie Money

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Posted: Fri Mar 6th, 2020 08:22 pm

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Scrambler82
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There are a few companies out there that make really nice Front ends for the Ford Ranger, but as usual now-a-days, money, money, and money; they run around the $4k+ range.
There should be more for etc Twin Beam type of front ends, up to '97 after that is where things get dicey, when you add a long travel front end to a '98 + Ranger you add width, width equates to more travel.
Making frontend components, yes they can be made but there is a lot of knowledge to build them and you would need to be a machinist, a fabricator, and a good welder.
In the long run, IMHO..., I would think saving up the cash until you can buy a well engineered kit would be the way to go.

The above is just my opinion, it might be a lot easier than I think.

Good Luck which ever way you go.

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Posted: Sat Mar 7th, 2020 09:52 am

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410customs

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I have seen grassroots / garage fab control arms ALOT
Especially in the Polaris Rzr crowd.
You need to figure out the geometry
Your front end is a triangle and it travels in an arc
Camber and caster change as the suspension cycles.
You MUST understand these triangles and travel arcs before you go building anything.
Most people build jigs on a flat welding table and get to work!
A boxed lower arm with an extension built in for your 2wd coil sprung truck would be about the easiest one to build...no CV axles or U joints to worry about

I built the cut and turned beams that are in my BII many many years ago with the help of my friend Brett.....still going strong.
I like the idea :) From mild to wild
Mild would be based on extended a stock set of control arms, keeping rubber pivot bushings, stock style ball joints and stock spindle
Wild would be some sort of heavy duty long travel ball joint or uniball/spherical bearing, heim pivots, tube arms, etc

https://www.offroadxtreme.com/engine-tech/other-tech/fabrication-creating-a-custom-long-travel-suspension/

At the end of the day you may have more money in your trial and error parts then you would have dropped an existing aftermarket kit
For your truck, which is VERY popular in the desert, I would think there should be quite a few kits to choose from??

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Posted: Sat Mar 7th, 2020 11:27 am

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Ranger_Danger_
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Yes, there are quite a few kits. Camburg, BTF, and Fabtech all make a long travel kit. The BTF one is $2450, plus tax and shipping. But that does not include the shocks that I want (a set of remote reservoir set). Which are another 3-4K. I'll be close to 9-10K with just front end.

I happen to be lucky to know buddies whom all they do is build custom suspension. They are 15 minutes from my house and they love me and my truck. They said $1K for upper and lowers with uniballs and drilling my spindles to support a uniball. It'd be around $1500 in the long run. And I would basically just be building stock style, longer so it widens the stance and the travel a little.

I grew up researching and wanting to build. I prefer to build my own, I have both stick and a nice MIG welder at home. I learned to weld at a young age, and actually had a few scholarships for welding school, but ended up passing because I wanted to work in a bike shop. So I have full trust in my own skills..

I am a builder at heart. If I could have my truck on jackstands and fully torn apart to customize, I would. The interior would be ripped out and I would have a naked truck. But alas, it is my daily driver. I am in the market for a small car so I may start building the truck up more.

I want to build it myself. I am stubborn, but it cannot be THAT hard to do. It is welding and boxing basically what I have now.

I will keep y'all updated. :-)

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Posted: Sat Mar 7th, 2020 11:42 am

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410customs

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$3500 for two shocks!!! ouch

I like your post, I agree, build something!!

Just save the jigs in case something breaks.

good idea to get a backup beater car that does not drain your account

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Posted: Sat Mar 7th, 2020 01:56 pm

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I am gonna keep the stock ones all together and more so as a model and as a spare pair. I am getting a pair of Moog upper arms with balljoints for the time being(thank you RockAuto), as I am on my second set of upper arms in 9 months.

15x12 + 35s = crappy balljoints.

I will definitely post pics and plans. I want to build them. I believe I am buying my mom's POS Chevy Aveo, but it is $20 to fill the tank and the tank lasts 2 weeks. (I spend $150 in gas A WEEK now).

Last edited on Sat Mar 7th, 2020 01:57 pm by Ranger_Danger_

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Posted: Sun Mar 15th, 2020 04:48 pm

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Ranger_Danger_ wrote:
I am gonna keep the stock ones all together and more so as a model and as a spare pair. I am getting a pair of Moog upper arms with balljoints for the time being(thank you RockAuto), as I am on my second set of upper arms in 9 months.

15x12 + 35s = crappy balljoints.

I will definitely post pics and plans. I want to build them. I believe I am buying my mom's POS Chevy Aveo, but it is $20 to fill the tank and the tank lasts 2 weeks. (I spend $150 in gas A WEEK now).
BTF would be a way to go. You're not likey going to find a MOOG ball joint that has a] The articulation and size will be a limiting factor along with materials with consideration of building to abuse if you will.

As for shocks, what are you considering and for what use? I mean there is Radflo, KING, upper line Bilstiens, Fox, Filthy Motorsports, BOSS, ICON, and a host of other companies out there. some of and much of and most of those offerings have UCA's with far better ball joint configurations and all you would need is a LCA for your application for starters.

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Posted: Wed Mar 18th, 2020 03:23 pm

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Ranger_Danger_
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Undrstm8ed wrote:
Ranger_Danger_ wrote:

I am gonna keep the stock ones all together and more so as a model and as a spare pair. I am getting a pair of Moog upper arms with balljoints for the time being(thank you RockAuto), as I am on my second set of upper arms in 9 months.

15x12 + 35s = crappy balljoints.

I will definitely post pics and plans. I want to build them. I believe I am buying my mom's POS Chevy Aveo, but it is $20 to fill the tank and the tank lasts 2 weeks. (I spend $150 in gas A WEEK now).
BTF would be a way to go. You're not likey going to find a MOOG ball joint that has a] The articulation and size will be a limiting factor along with materials with consideration of building to abuse if you will.

As for shocks, what are you considering and for what use? I mean there is Radflo, KING, upper line Bilstiens, Fox, Filthy Motorsports, BOSS, ICON, and a host of other companies out there. some of and much of and most of those offerings have UCA's with far better ball joint configurations and all you would need is a LCA for your application for starters.
BTF is $600 and while I know you have to pay to play, I would rather build my own. Doing some RangerStation and RangerForum searching. Lots of research and measurements.
I want KINGs. They are honestly the best brand, and I would prefer those. Just something I dreamed about since I started building the truck. I am probably just going to buy a new upper arm stock style until I am building the new suspension. I bought a little car, that gets 35 mpg and is only $20 to fill up, swapped my insurance so it is now $278 for 2 vehicles (don't get tickets kids. Its a trap)
More time and money for truck parts. Along with. Time & money for that big beast of a 302 to swap in. :-P

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Posted: Wed Mar 18th, 2020 05:47 pm

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For any ticket, hire a lawyer. Most of the time the lawyer fee and modified ticket to a cheaper non-moving violation is less than what the original fee would have been. Also do the research to find out who the traffic court judge is. Hire his law firm to represent you in court.

I have a CDL and there is about 1 non-moving or mechanical failure ticket on my record going back 10 years. Every one of those was a speeding ticket that a lawyer got changed.

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