I've been going to do this for a while... since I'm off work today and it's raining so what better time than now?

Here's the start of what I've done with my truck so far... every once in a while people ask me about certain things I've done to it so it'd be nice to have a complete thread to direct them back to and see it!

The truck is a 2007 Ranger FX4 Level II w/ an automatic transmission. I'm the second owner and bought the truck March 4, 2009 with 54,500km (~34,000 miles). As most of you know the Level II comes pretty much loaded. I think the only option my truck doesn't have is leather seats - which I didn't want anyway! The options it came with were the auto trans, trailer hitch and 290W 6-disc Pioneer stereo with a sub inside the console. The previous owner Line-X'd the bed and put on an Extang Trifecta tonneau cover.

Here's a copy of the window sticker:



First pics of the truck while still at the dealership:

 

The first thing I did was install a power tailgate lock made by Pop n' Lock. I was living in the city at the time and wanted a little extra security. No pics but we all know what it looks like!

Next came a Lund Avenger hood deflector (and mud... lol). I HATE stone chips on the hoods of my vehicles.



Tint was next on the list... got a great cash deal after meeting up with a guy for some go kart parts who happened to work at the local tint shop. 20% on the front windows to match the factory rear windows.

Before:



After:

 

Sharp truck. Love that console set up.

 

I wanted a little more sound... but nothing loud or obnoxious so I went with the Dynomax cat-back. Even got in on the $75 rebate that was supposed to be for U.S. only on top of my employee discount at work. Paid next to nothing for it! I love the sound... not too much louder than stock but has a nice tone to it.

Stock exhaust compared to Dynomax:





A couple before and after vids... it got a fair bit louder once the muffler was broke in a few hundred miles after these videos:

 

Picked up a bed extender on Kijiji next... those things are too damn hard to find around here for a decent price! Picked this one up for $70.

Works great for a little extra security while the bikes are in the box. If one were to come off the rack it has a little better chance of staying off the road!

 

I picked up a set of spare '01+ headlights before I actually picked the truck up... stopped and got them on the way to the dealership! Took a few tries while baking them and only ****ed up one of the corners. Bought a cheapie aftermarket one and swapped it onto my work truck so I could get another OE one. lol

I took way to much time masking the headlights but it was worth it in the end.

 

No pics of this one either... but next was a K&N intake kit that I bought off a member here. Added the extra water-repellent mesh over the filter as well.

I met up with Shadowranger08 and we swapped my textured FX4 flares with his DSG flares after he posted up a WTT ad. Worked out for both of us... I think both trucks looked much better after the swap!

 

That's where things started to change... I was happy with the truck the way it was and wasn't planning on anything else. Thought about a BL but never really did anything about it. One night I was googling Superlifts just checking prices and up came a Craigslist ad where a guy was selling a brand new still in the box Superlift kit for a rediculously low price compared to what they go for up here in Canada - at the time nearly $3K.

I called the guy and asked him about it... he was 1/2 way across the country but turns out he was only 10 minutes for a guy I met through our local Mustang club. He had moved out there a short time before. To make a long story short - I sent him some cash and he picked up the lift from the seller for me. A short time later, one of his buddies who still lives near me is a trucker stopped at his house for a visit. He brought it back on his truck for me and it all worked out almost too good to be true!

Here's the lift as I got it... BRAND NEW! Only things the kit was missing was a few washers (no big deal as I used Grade 8 for everything anyways) and the limit straps which Superlift sent for free and haven't been installed yet either... lol.



I sold the rear blocks/u-bolts as I didn't want to stack blocks. Used the cash towards a Procomp 13120 AAL and Belltech 6400 shackles.

Picked up some 15x10" Ultra Wheels Nomads and a few weeks later once the weather started to warm up I began dismantling the truck to install the lift.

A little wider than stock... lol:

 

The lift was very straightforward to install... more time consuming than anything when you're working mostly by yourself evenings after you've been at work all day!





The only problem I ran into during the install was separating the lower control arms from the stock knuckles. I couldn't get them apart no matter what I did. Took them into a shop and with a ton of heat they finally came apart! I was to the point that I nearly bought new lowers just so I could get the thing back together.

 

While waiting for my tires to come in I had my stock tires pulled off the Alcoas so I could get my tire pressure sensors off of them. There was no way I was buying new bands from Ford for $100 for the set so I made my own out of hose clamps!

I started with these fully stainless clamps:



The width of them was too wide to go through the TPMS brackets so I used some keystock I had as a guide and took them to the grinder.





Two of these clamps are nearly the perfect length to go around a 15" wheel.

 

My tires came in next - Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs in 33x12.50R15LT. Not much else to say here...











The first driveway I pulled into broke my valence... I guess I should have trimmed first!

 

so many people viewing this thread... i sold my bed extender for $40!

 

You work at CarQuest? Me too Part time

 

I ran into some Superlift problems that same day after taking the truck for it's first run in the dirt in 4wd since the lift. One of the front diff brackets hadn't been fully welded by Superlift. They said they'd send me another one no questions asked but I couldn't wait for it. I was supposed to be going to Michigan the following day!

While it is tight to do, you can remove that bracket without taking anything else off the truck besides the front left tire.

Here's the bracket before and after getting it fixed up. I never even noticed while putting the lift in that it was only spot welded in place.









After the fix... this thing isn't going anywhere!





Everything worked fine the next day on my trip to Michigan. I put around 800km on it that day and picked up a Superlift stainless skid plate from a member over there.

 

Is there? It only was showing two when I was looking at it again! You would sell that extender in minutes up here!

 

Yep.. worked for both corporate and associate stores fulltime since '05 I think... may have been '04.

 

Back to it... still have lots to go!

Morris picked up some step bars for it from Kijiji in Windsor - thanks again!

I don't have any pics with them on and they're not on anymore either... they need to be cleaned up and bedlined or I may just use the brackets and build something different!

Explorer overhead console was next - painted with Krylon satin black.





I modified it a bit in order to fit my Sirius satellite radio inside:





I put a USB outlet in place of the 12V powerpoint that day as well:

 

I guess I got ahead of myself a bit... I forgot about the driveshaft I had made up for the Superlift...

I started with a used front driveshaft out of a Jeep XJ Cherokee ($40), had it shortened, balanced and new U-joints installed ($72). Then I used the N2-83-288X adapter to fit the 6-bolt pattern on the transfer case ($98). You will also need 6 shorter bolts to attach the adapter to the transfer case. I used M8-1.25X40.

Here are all the measurements anyone would need to build their own:



I just recently had the front section upgraded as it was worn out... you can see the Superlift stainless skid plate and there's also a Fumoto drain valve in there somewhere!

I highly recommend the Fumoto with a Superlift... even more so if you have a skid plate. I can finally change my oil again without a drop on the floor!

 

I bought a Westin safari bar from Shadowranger08...

It was in decent shape but needed to be cleaned up - so I stripped it then bedlined it and added some Hella Black Magic 500 lights. Looking back at these pics that must have been around Canada Day last year... lol. I also picked up a billet grille in an '05 shell from Kijiji and painted it up at the same time so I don't really have a simple before and after for each. The skidplate is visible in these pics as well!













Apparently I don't have a pic of the bar bedlined until later...

 

There were also some window ventshades installed somewhere in that time too...

I had originally bought a Superchips Flashpaq from work and tried it out but I couldn't justify the nearly $500 for it so I sent it back and bought a used Diablosport Predator from a member on here. Finally my speedometer was correct again and the truck now shifts great and is more powerful!

 

damn thats a good project log! I like what you did with your sat radio! I need to get one of those consoles

 

I don't think I ever posted any of these pics up on the site before... last summer I bought a pair of Freightliner air horns for $2 at a garage sale across the street for no real reason. So I decided to put them on my truck!

I mounted an MV50 air compressor where the emergency jack originally was along with a 2gal air compressor tank under where the spare tire was between the horns and behind an old ammo can that holds the regulator, solenoid, etc. On the plus side I now have on-board air! All that was bedlined and bolted to a piece of 3/16" diamond plate underneath the truck. That gauge isn't hanging off the tank anymore... it was just there because I ran out of 1/8" plugs!

 

Next came the marriage mod... lol. Used the truck for the wedding and decorated it up. Those air horns work great to blast when you get married!

 

Just a few smaller things left... put in an All Sales Mfg. 15" shorty antenna, dual horns off a Grand Marquis and a black/gray emblem overlay on the tailgate.

 

These are the latest batch pics I have and shows exactly what the truck looks like currently... only cleaner! The tailpipe is no longer there though as the back of the muffler rotted off so a new one is on with a turndown. Not sure what the next step will be if I keep the truck but time will tell!