Blu Rhino (gf named her)

[H311RzR]

Well I got her up and runnin set the timing now I need to hone in the tunning. WOOT!!!!!!

 

[Beef52751]

Now that its up and running, what is next on your list of stuff to do???

 

[H311RzR]

Its Been a while sorry yall, been really busy with work and havin to rebuild the front end of the g/f's truck....she got jack knifed by a trailer.... As far as the current plans for the BII, first off I have to get it shipped back home, and then it will promplty go back in the garage so I can finally put the lift on it (its been sitting in the back of the truck for a few months now), that will prob include the 8.8 as long as I can find a good one local. I drove it around a while and whew either I did something totally wrong or that 2.8L is a dog :-( So this got me thinkin....Prob next summer ima swap to a 351W and start buildin a buggy/sandrail to put the 2.8 in, the lack of weight should liven her up, along with a bottom end rebuild. Ill put some pics up with the dash all back together, but thats prob all until I can get her back home.

 

[country0001]

How do you plan on doing the removable top?

 

[H311RzR]

Its still on the drawing board but the basic idea is to attach it to the roll bar through a series of clamps/slides.....im gonna use some ideas from a samuri I grew up with, the slide clips work pretty well.. Basically Im hoping with enough seals and clamps I will be able to use the original top and not have to cann. material from a donor.

 

[H311RzR]

Got bored while studying and drew this....

heres another run with a few 6k revs

 

[kris97ranger]

enough people chop b2s and mold ranger bed rail caps onto them i dont think itd be very hard to do the truck half. then just weld 90 degree angle iron to the bottom of the roof where you cut it off. then use the regular c clamps as if it was a pickup with a cap. run some 1/8" foam stripping between the bed rails and the new "cap" and it should seal up real good.

looking forwards to it! it'll be like the old full size broncos

 

[WTF]

Cool build man!! Check out rebelwire.com for your wiring kit too. Painless prices are pretty scary.

 

[H311RzR]

So im back in Wv and got the Blue Rhino in the garage and up on jack stands. Been workin on the lift kit, got the rear springs on and then got annoyed so I switched to the front. Ill prob finish it up this weekend. (well attempt to haha)
Heres some pix

Just the leaf springs on no shocks,]...well ths stock shock is still hangin gotta drop the gas tank again. . .

The back is sitting pretty much at ride height!

ride height with stock tires onle gives me about an inch or clearance in the garage, one the 35/12.5x15 TSL Boggers are on there it will have to stay outside!

The front is comin apart pretty nice so far.

Wanted to see what the B2 rims would look like/fit on the stang (not enough clearance for the disc brakes)....lol

 

[H311RzR]

Worked on her some yesterday, need some locktite, gotta get some today and then continue the work:
First I got the new Beltech 6400 shackles, though they will have to wait till the front end is back on

Shocks on the rearend:

Isnt there supposed to be something here???

Oh wait....I found it:

The new hardware is huge!

Anyone have any Ideas on how to get the stud outa the springs, its an 1, 1/8 size nut on both ends of the stud. I dont have a deepwell socked and the shorty wont go over the bolt, Ill prob end up takin it to the mechanic and haven him take it apart unless I get some other Ideas from yall.

 

[H311RzR]

Cool build man!! Check out rebelwire.com for your wiring kit too. Painless prices are pretty scary.

I got the 9+3 kit on order, apparently the lack of fuses makes for a truck that is very finicky....oops lol.

 

[kris97ranger]

as for that spring i used did it all in the truck. loosen with a wrench then got a deep socket and a long extension and go down inside the spring.

 

[H311RzR]

More work done on the front end. Got the rivets cut of on the stock mount and the new ones mounted up.

I had to drill a hole in the frame for this bolt ( drivers side traction beam mount)

New Radius arm mounts:

New transmission mount:

Here is where I have another issue. The transmission wont line up with the new mount, as you can see in the pic its offset (too much to push the transmission over) If I put the crossmember in the other way the mount holes line up side to side but then its way too far aft. Could the mount have been manufactured wrong or am I just missing something?

 

[dixie_boysles]

BII lewks gud man!!!!

 

[H311RzR]

OK so I finally had some time to work on her today, and well I got the front end mostly finished She is sittin on all four wheels now, Just need to put the new brake lines on, and finish up puttin the beltechs on the rear.
Currently she sits 37.5 floor to fender in the front and 35 in the back. Im think the belltechs will level her out pretty decently!
Heres some pix:

Clearances without doin an alignment and stock tires:

So after I throw everything back together I get ready to put the radius arms in and WTH...I have to take the old mount out...the instructions never said anything about that.,...or I was to drunk to read it right lol...

 

[H311RzR]

Tomorrow Im gonna work on the new rebel wire wiring harness, Hopefully I can get it installed in a day or two

 

[H311RzR]

Alrighty So I got all the interior out so I have room to place wires, I think ima rhino line the inside to while im at it...I mean why put everything back in just to take it right back out and line it! Wires are routed and just need to start makin connections...thats the hard part lol. I took a couple more pix minus the 200ish pounds of stuff I had in the rear for ballast.

 

[H311RzR]

Worked on her again today, got all the main wiring done. Blinkers arnt working, gonna call rebel wire on monday and talk to him. Broke on of the soldering tips, went out to get a new one at the local sears that is closing at the end of the month and went ahead and picked up a more powerful soldering iron, which worked awesome for the rest of the job! I got the last wire hooked up and threw in the battery and: "put put, cough cough...vaaAAROOOMM!! Woot she woke up from her couple month nap! I am so glad I replaced the wiring harness, now I wont have to worry about electrical gremlins plaguing the system! Heres a couple pix of the soldering I did:

 

[kris97ranger]

looks good except that id think its gonna be confusing changing wire colors halfway thought the wire...

(ask me how i know my wires change colors like 7 times haha)

 

[H311RzR]

Lol....well the rebel wire kit dosent include ground wires, so all the unmarked red wires are actually grounds HAHA...I didnt have enough black wire, it will confuse people...its fun lol