Ford Ranger Prerunner
 

I won't bore you guys with ALL the build photos as this is a work in progress but since it'll be brushless I might as well post it here.

The Goal - To replicate a Ford Ranger Prerunner someone might have built in their garage. Nothing crazy, full factory frame, basic long arm kit etc etc etc

These 1/6th Ford Ranger bodies are well known in the crawling community but hard to come by. Found one for a good price and have always wanted to do this project.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...9/IMG_0291.jpg

Stripped it down. Cut the bed off, and cut out the fake engine.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...IMG_0313sm.jpg

After some styrene work, shoe goo and some bondo I'm at this point with the cab wall. One more layer of bondo and some sanding should finish this up.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...IMG_0331sm.jpg

Here's where I'm at with the current front suspension layout and the motor mount and transmission. I don't have much time at home in the shop since I have a new born so most of the fab work I'm sourcing out on this project.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...or_mounted.jpg

I'm expecting next week to be filled with lots of goodies in the mail :smile:

Looks like a great project! You are always up to something original, it seems. Looking forward to seeing this in action, a friend of mine is really into pre-runners and has built a few Rangers.

Awesomeness! What's the wheelbase?

oh nice :D im actually in the process of a full size ranger prerunner. i like the i beams you drew out. a 3 link or 4 link in the back would be nice. some bed caging would be awesome!

awesome suspension, I certainly haven't seen that in an r/c vehicle.

you said you wouldn't bore us with the build process, is there a link to a site where the build is chronicled? I wanna see it, you build some cool shit.

can't wait for progress...

Thanks guys! I'm getting really anxious to see some more progress on this thing myself.

Wheelbase is setup to be around 16.875"

Planning 4-link rear end with a bed cage like the real deal. Going to have a cage inside the cab also to try and protect the body as much as possible. I plan on it being on it's lid at some point :lol: This thing is going to be a heavy pig to say the least. I'm shooting for 30mph. I think that'll get me in enough trouble.

Here's the complete build thread. It has a few more pictures of the steps that were done on the body and lots more CAD images as I progressed on designing the suspension.

Must be my turn to ask the dumb question, again. What's a pre-runner?


If you just focus on the body in those pics, it looks like it could be a 1:1

My definition of a pre runner, for what it's worth lol.

They were originaly built by baja-racers that wanted to pre-run the course so they could get a feel for the track. Then non-racers caught on and the sport kind of blew up. Take a look at: http://www.dezertrangers.com/home.htm

Nick, what are you going to use to power this thing?

No dumb questions! Here are some pics of the truck I've studied the most for the build. It's not the same body style but suspension and layout is what I'm after. The only main difference is he's running leafs for back suspension and I'll be going 4-link.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...ch/Ranger1.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...ch/Ranger2.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...ch/Ranger3.jpg

Here are my calculations

Differential Ratio: 2.923076923076923
Spur Tooth Count: 54
Pinion Tooth Count: 10
Total Voltage: 22.2
Motor KV: 1580 (any guesses)
Tire Diameter (inches): 4.5
Tire Ballooning (inches): .125
Spur/Pinion Ratio: 5.4 : 1
Total Ratio: 15.78462 : 1
Tire Circumference (inches): 14.92 inches (379.03 mm)
Total Motor Speed: 35076 RPM
Vehicle Speed: 31.4 mph (50.44 km/h)

Hmm, my prediction is a new Castle motor in there.... 1717 perhaps...

The motor under the front hood would have a cool factor of 100%. IMO

Maybe fashion a heatsink around the motor to look like a scale V-8?

I was planning possibly replicating a motor or looking for a 1/8th scale model engine but I don't think there is going to be much room with the motor under the hood and also not sure how it would restrict cooling. Hopefully before long I'll have enough parts that I can actually start mocking things up.

I love this idea! I saw the drawing too. Maybe with a castle blower. Maybe sticking out of the hood!

This has been the plan all along. That's why it's up front on the frame just like the real trucks. Should be able to pop the hood and see the big green power plant :mdr:

EDIT: I had these CAD images but didn't post them. This might clarify the front end setup a little more.

Driver side view

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...unted_side.jpg

Front view

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...nted_front.jpg

looks great

thanks for the link. I'm going reading........

This build is going waaaaaay to slow for my liking but it looks like things might finally be able to start picking up. This is my first time really working with steel like this so it's starting out pretty rough. Got in the material for the frame rails. 3/4" x 3/4" x 18ga tube.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/IMG_0687.jpg

Clamped the tube in a vice and started heating it up with a torch. I learned it had to be red hot in order to get a nice bend. First attempt I didn't get hot enough and it actually cracked the tube....... Here it is before making the last bend.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/IMG_0691.jpg

Then the idea was after they are bent to shape I would cut them in half and have two symmetrical C-channel frames. Great plan, poor execution :lol: It worked but I have a lot of clean up to do on them since the cuts weren't that straight.

These are the wheels I plan on using but these ones are obviously in rough shape. They'll work for place holders though.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0730.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0731.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0732.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0733.jpg

I put the bed on just to see how much extra the fenders will need. Looks about right.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0728.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0729.jpg

Next will be getting the frame rails smoothed out and brazing in the cross bars. Maybe getting the motor and trans mounted and making body mounts.

This... is... AWESOME!!!!!

Wow. I really like the channel frame idea. :great:

I like the tiny jack stand... What is it rated for?

Little more progress. Brazed the front and rear of the frame rails together.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0804.jpg

I think this is about where the front of the body would rest on the frame. Some is showing but there is normally a bumper there.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0810.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0808.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0809.jpg

Set the interior back in to see how that is going to work out. It's surprisingly close actually. I'm going to have to cheat the floor boards a little and make room for the frame rails.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0811.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0812.jpg

I was going to have the transmission mocked up in place with the motor mounted but found out that the 1717 uses 4mm hardware and not the normal 3mm. So it won't mount on the RCM motor mount without modification

Radius arms are ready

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...e/IMG_0815.jpg

First up was getting the Hyper 7 center diff locked. I only need one output so obviously if I left it the way it was all the power would be transferred to the output with the least load. Here's what I came up with. Tore it all apart and happened to have the output shaft from an E-maxx trans and the spool that's used for shifting.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0818.jpg

Then I just trimmed away at that spool with the dremel until it fit snuggly into the carrier.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0821.jpg

Assembled it back together and now it's completed locked and I have 6mm outputs ready for drive shafts.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0824.jpg

Had to trim more out of the interior than I thought but still not too bad. Won't be able to tell when it's all together. Bumper is a bit higher than previously mocked up but not still reasonable.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0816.jpg

Used the dremel to open up the bolt hole slots in the motor mount to 4mm and also trimmed off the side so that it would fit flush on the cross member. Got the cross member together and made some mounts for the motor plate. They're still rough and will get cleaned up and braced.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0826.jpg

Here's the transmission in place. Just need to make another cross member for the other trans mount.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0827.jpg

Interior in place

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0829.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0830.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0831.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/IMG_0832.jpg

Sweet truck! I'll be watching this build for sure.

Looking good! This totally adds a new level to a scale build with the motor and trans sitting where they belong, under the hood

Now for some real progress!

I messed up and flipped the C-hubs the wrong way so the caster angle is backwards. I'll have to switch them back around but you get the idea. Everything went together great. Arms are just made from plastic for testing at this point. Worked out well because there are a few changes I need to make just to make assembly cleaner.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0839.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0840.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0841.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...n/IMG_0842.jpg

Way past gungster Nick! I have always loves the TTB ford suspensions, my old f250 has it and they are uber strong (factory forged, must weigh at least 100lbs with the kingpins and completed hubs/brakes...)

I really want to see this truck done!

Trick! Not sure what ^'gungster'^ is, but yeah, pretty damn gungster!

Well this is just a teaser because I ran out of oxygen for the torch

Frame mount attached for the beam.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0846.jpg

Radius arm mount. Thinking about maybe attaching this on the side of the frame rail intsead so it's not hanging down to catch on things?

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0845.jpg

Definitely needs fender work now

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0848.jpg

Some drop out action

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0847.jpg

Going to have to tweak the radius arms some. They are causing the beam to have the wrong caster. If I just shorten the top rod end on the radius arm it should bring back the caster correctly.

Heh, Im having flashbacks to how the suspension on my old Madbull used to work kinda. Looking great so far, but do you know what occured to me- when you pop the hood and see the motor sitting where there should be an engine, you should fit the CCblower ( if it'll fit ) to the motor to give it that bigblock engine touch. :lol:

haha! I don't think it fits the larger can size though?

I've been searching and searching for a 1/8th size model engine so I could build that, hollow out the middle and put it over the 1717 like a cover. This would also mean the motor has to run cool. Another idea I had was to make a fake radiator out of styrene but to put an operational fan and shroud on the backside which would technically be functional :smile:

Ah yes, you're using the 1717, not a 15xx. Hmm, tricky one. Whenever I think of motor cooling I always keep looking at this. Completely daft and impractical, but big blowers just look epic. In your case, maybe a homebrew blower shroud is in order- all it is basically is a tube with the bottom 1/3 removed, and a square hole in the top for the fan to mount over/into. So long as its a tight fit around the motor ( pvc, or maybe even copper tube? ) the air has no choice but to be forced down around the motor through the fins, just like the normal blower, then add some details perhaps to make it look a bit nicer....

technically you could still call this a scale build even with the castle under the hood,just say its the prototype for a "green" prerunner LOL! great build,i've never seen a build built so to scale!--josh

Not the progress I was hoping to make but having a 3 month old at home will do that I suppose :lol:

Radius arm brackets and beam brackets are brazed on. Changed the caster on the beams so they're sitting correctly. Was hoping to get the shock mounts done but that's going to take some more work. I need to swap around the links that adjust the axle C's caster so that I have room for the shock to mount to the beam. The shocks can mount up now but I can't lean them back for the proper angle. Going to pack it all up tomorrow and take it into work to try and get the shock mounts bent up.

Here's the full stuff now. I could get more if I change around some clearance on the beams. The beam mount contacts it and keeps it from being able to go all the way up to the frame.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0878.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0879.jpg

Won't know how much actual drop out it has until the shocks are mounted up but it's capable of a lot!

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0880.jpg

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/IMG_0881.jpg

nice progress and very much to scale. i think you should bend the frame rails up further behind the cab or do a completely tubular cab cage because your axle seems like it will make contact with the frame rails before full compression. just my 2 cents

It would have bump stops on it to keep it from smacking the frame rails but I know what you mean. To get more up travel I'd need more clearance. When I get the chance to start messing around with the back end I'll see how it comes along. I want to keep it close to a garage built prerunner but it has often tempted me to cut the rails at the back and do a tube bed like a more purpose built prerunner.

Looking good Nick, I really dig the TTB setup you are making. Will the next one(?) have a diff in one of the TTBs and 4wd...that would be too cool!

Next one? Time and funding is being stretched for this one :lol:

where did you get the body ? and great job cant wait to see this thing run !