Ecowheeler: '94 Ranger 4x4
 

This will be the build thread for my Ranger. The title refers to my dual purpose build: 1/2 ecomodder transportation, 1/2 offroad exploration, 1/2 work truck. That's three halves. Oh well. And, ideally, all of the below would improve the resale value (though I expect no profit, I just hope somebody appreciates it).

As of this writing I've just finished testing my

Ecomodder mods:
Done -

• prototype fast back & rear wheel skirts; Photos coming soon!
• moderate tightening of "nut behind wheel"

To do -

• Quick release air dam, side skirts & full undertray (about 10" below current belly, even with bottom of diffs)
• Finish & improve aero cap & skirts
• Buy school parking permit, staple it to a raised veggie garden in the lot, ride bike to school

Offroad mods:
Truck testing
Done -

• 31" Mud tires (Destination MT)

To do -

• 2" lift (makes big improvement in ride quality for minor height change)
• Remove front valance
• Custom front & rear bumpers
• Rocker sliders (will support aero side skirts, too)
• Roll cage (bed only, probably)

Work truck mods:
Done -

• Tie down eyes (use w/ carabiners and clove hitches for best rope results)
• Drop in bedliner
• 2" receiver hitch

To do -

• Quick release lumber rack
• Storage system

General mods to do:

• Exhaust system (added 3+mpg to uncle's identical truck)
• Driving lights (important safety item in my opinion)

90 day average: 15.5ish mpg
Best (cap, skirts, moderate hypermiling, mostly hwy): 22 mpg
Previous tank (moderate hypermiling, half city): 17 mpg
EPA: 14/18. Combined 15.8 mpg. Damn, am I seriously above EPA? My mpg is terrible!
Goal: 25 mpg tanks (but I'd rather have 30 mpg)

This will be an interesting thread to watch. I am also trying to beef up my MPG without sacrificing some of my favorite truck qualities. Right now, I haven't had the time or money to do much in the way of ecomods, so it will be interesting to see what works for you. I can say that if you really get into the eco-driving, you will save quite a bit.

I did have a beautiful 2005 Ford Ranger for a while and without any carefully honed driving skills, I was able to get around 18 to 19 on a semi-regular basis. It was a 4.0 automatic, with the added weight of a Rhino Liner. What engine size / transmission do you have?

Awesome avatar! I also have a 4.0L and auto. I haven't figured out what it is, but it has tall enough gearing to cruise at 60 under 2k rpm. You may have more of a reputation to uphold, but I was able to actually come out ahead on my aero cap and wheel skirt prototypes. The plywood I scrounged will be worth more than I spent in duct tape.

My uncle did a full exhaust and chip to his, plus a standard canopy and 200lbs storage drawer, and he gets almost 25. So, I don't think that's an unreasonable goal. Suffice it to say he is not familiar with ecomodding. And, at 10 mpg over my current average, I'll be saving a lot!

http://ecomodder.com/forum/picture.p...5&pictureid=75
I was salvaging from the scrap bin at work and decided to aero it up while I was there. A small pallet is against the cab window, sawed on one end for the right height. Three sheets of ply form the base, one forms the angle. Attached flow all over the place! A final version would open like Bondo's, and hopefully weigh 100lbs less!

http://ecomodder.com/forum/picture.p...5&pictureid=77
Note clearance at front corner of tire is about .5", but no rubbing has been noticed. I had to wad up a cardboard shim for the fender flare to get the clearance right. I think this is the right shape for trucks. Sort of inspired by motorsport blister fenders. My bedliner had a little gap along the rails that I shoved the cardboard up into, then taped the seam.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/picture.p...5&pictureid=76
Hopefully I can get some photos of tuft testing in action. The ones on the wheel skirt line up starting at 15 mph. I taped out to the bumper to mitigate the parachute effect. The sides are mainly cardboard rectangles, scored and folded over the plywood. The air almost follows the red tape angle, but actually cuts a little sharper up onto the top. One tuft on the side did poke up above the fold, but we added some tufts just inboard from there and the flow seems to re-attach and turn to the rear. All tufts on the plywood point straight back. My WWU VRI buddy warned I might get a venturi curling off the trailing edge, but strings undearneath show calm air behind the tailgate.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/picture.p...5&pictureid=78
Just black duct tape. Still trying to figure out how to do an air dam. First step is to get rid of the stock one, which I highly doubt has any function other than to limit my approach angle. Highway testing after the cap and skirts showed lower than normal coolant temps, and the grill block maybe brought it back up to normal. Still, most small Fords (mine included) overheat, so I plan to switch to an electric fan (which will also help FE) and duct the air up through a hood vent. Any final grill block would be quick release, just like the rest of it. The tape is covered in bugs after one drive, so I think I'm getting some brick effect. Future plans, then, would be a more angled nose.

So, although there may be better angles, I did pretty well for my first try. I'm open to ideas!

I need the bed soon, so a-b testing will occur soon. Then I'll get to see how bad mpg is with a lumber rack. Yuck.

Awesome work so far! I hope to fashion an aero cap before too long. I think that will prolly be my biggest fuel saving mod, other than my Scan Gauge.

You said you were considering an air dam, but if you are planning to off road your vehicle, wouldn't skid plates work a little better for you. They may clean up the belly of your vehicle and have the added benefit of protecting your underside from those pesky rocks and stumps. Any gaps in the plates could possibly be bridged with coroplast or some kind of filler material. The plates would prolly be a lot more expensive than a home-made air dam, but it would be a justifiable cost if they protect your transfer case and stuff from being punctured. Just a thought...

Oh, and be sure to add your vehicle to the EM garage.

Welcome to EM. Not bad flex out of a Ranger ;)

OK, I added my truck. Since the photo above I taped shut the lower air dam hole, the light holes, and half the bumper hole. Only half that hole is shrouded into the radiator.

Did another big trip, 20.3 mpg, to visit my dad. More city than the 22 mpg trip, to visit my mom. He liked it a lot better than she did: "Cool! Scientific investigation!" vs. "Oh. We'll take my car to dinner." Can you guess who's the engineer?

That flex is with swaybars in place and overload springs, too. I figure it's ok. What I need is some more up travel; it bottoms out after maybe 3".

The next few days will show whether it was really worth a damn aerodynamically. Either way, tomorrow my aero cap is turning into a storage shed :)

Looks good!

How can you say that? Seriously......................

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-nw...-scrap-bin.jpg

I would say...................

"Looks like hell, but if it's just a prototype for something better, then yeah" :thumbup: