I finally installed my stock crank pulley and pulled the UD pulley. I'm running at about 6psi constantly and once in a while I hit 7 psi. Its definetly more fun to drive now and the blower has a different tone under boost. The best thing is I hear NO PING! I can go to the speed limiter (haven't hit it yet) and theres no ping. I'm planning on hitting the track soon and I'll post some times.

I do have problems with traction now. First gear is worthless. If I'm going 15 mph and kick her in the ass, it'll hit full boost RIGHT NOW and break em loose. Then I get to feel the wheel hop. I need to rig up some better traction bars before I break something. What do you all think of these?

http://www.timskelton.com/lightning/race_prep/suspension/traction_bars.htm

I also put a new radiator in there when I put the new pulley on. Its a 4.0 radiator from an explorer. I love it! Its 2" thick, twice the size of the old one. I just have a transmission cooler that I'm not using. Maybe I can plumb the engine oil to it and have an oil cooler. It just bolts in. The stock lower radiator hose will fit the lower outlet from the rad, it just needs to be bent a little. The upper hose I used was a 90* bend and part of a hose from an 88 crown vic (I was roaming the junk yard and I found a hose I figured I could use) Then I used a chuck of exhaust piping to splice the two together. I think the radiator works great and the engine never overheats up no matter how much I beat on it. But I just wrote a book so i think I'm done now.

Hey Sounds great, do you have an intercooler or something? For the bars I think they are way overpriced versions of the lakewoods. Get the lakewoods for the Ranger and be done with it for now, don't waste your money on James Duff shorties, they bend with any kinda good traction and power.

Later Doug904.

yeah, I have an volvo IC in front of the radiator. I'm gonna tap the IAT sensor wires and try to see what temp the intake charge gets up to. Doug do you know the web address of the lakewood bars for the ranger. Are they in Summit or Jegs? I have the cheap $35 bars lakewood. They suck and are too short. I don't really like slapper bars.

will traction bars do anything positive or negative to handeling not in a straight line?

Yeah me neither but unless you find a set of Southside Machine Bars, which they stopped making about 3 years ago, or buy a set of James Duff longs, which shipping alone is half the price, your pretty much stuck. How is your rear axle leaf spring arrangement? Something I did on my 88GT Ranger I had was I swapped to 4 door Explorer rear leaf springs and that stopped my wheel hop even with slicks. Made the ride in the rear a little tight and tall but it worked great and only cost $50 from a local salvage yard.

later Doug904

When you swapped the springs did you have to move the rear shackle back? I'm thinking about getting a rearend from an explorer soon and I might have to grab the leafs with it. I have the stock leafs in the back now. Its the one long spring that goes front to back and then one underneith it. I also have one of those leafs that lift the back end about an inch. One thing thats probably hurting me is that I have the axle relocate to lower my truck. I've heard that hurts traction.

Do the springs have to be from a 4 door explorer? Did they lift the back end of your truck?

Originally posted by 92sport
I can go to the speed limiter (haven't hit it yet) and theres no ping. I'm planning on hitting the track soon and I'll post some times...

PLEASE look in to getting a chip burned to remove that speed limiter/rev limiter. It cuts your FUEL back to limit speed/rev and with a supercharger (or turbo, or nitrous) you will run lean and put the engine in serious danger. I stay FAR away from the limiters and that is how I'm surviving until I get me a BamaChip.

Otherwise, Congrats! ...isn't boost wonderful???

Originally posted by 03RangerXLT
will traction bars do anything positive or negative to handeling not in a straight line?

Shouldn't if they are set up properly.

Sounds like a fun little truck to drive. Now you just need to get to a dyno and to the track so we can see some numbers out of this beast!

I'm hoping to run to the track VERY soon. But first I need to figure out solutions to my traction and wheel hop problems. I'm thinking about getting the 4 leaf springs and designing a set of traction bars.

I'm trying to set aside some money for either a chip or headers. I figure the chip will be more useful and I can get rid of the speed limiter. And didn't the whipple WITH headers LOSE power?

And boost is awesome.

Don't get headers yet, I just installed mine and lost my bottom end majorly. Yes the Whipple lost 2-3 rwhp from them too. I feel as if I can get my loss back in better tuning and more boost but for day to day driving its not that great.

Later Doug904

Yeah, but it will be worth it. I have the same issue with mine, just proves that the cast iron manifolds are very resrictive!

It's another project in itself, but you might want to think about saving up for a triangulated 4 link and put some real nice coilover on. That'll kill all your hopping problems and help your handling in corners as well.

~Russell