So the last week me and my buddies were all drinking and hanging out watching some baja DVD when the question came up about building a good prerunner. Well I will just tell you that we are divided on Fords and chevy so that started an argument and that led to a good bet!!! Anyway me and two buddies are going to build a prerunner to enter into the nevada desert challenge which is in a year and 4 other guys are building one to. They are using a 1999 Chevy S10 with the 4.3 v6. I am debating a ranger or an F150. I have a 1988 F150 singlecab short box 4x4 with the 5.0 automatic trans but we were thinking about buying a 1994 ranger ex cab 4x4 with the 4.0 and a 5speed or getting a ranger and putting a V8 in it either a 5.0 or a 5.8 what do you guys think would be better?? Any suggestions about anything on the truck are welcome. We wanna kick the sh*t out of that s10. O ya and the bet is whoever wins gets the other persons truck and $2000 bucks!!! Let me know guys!!!!!!!! (Also do you think 4x4 or 4x2 would be best?)

 

I'd go the 150 b/c of the heavier duty frame. I had a '94 single cab Ranger and the frame was the most fragile looking thing about it. If you go with a 2WD it will be faster, just slightly harder to control. Also, the 2WD Rangers have twin IBS suspension, and I've heard a lot of good things about that from off roaders. I'd probably mod the 4.0. Putting a heavy V-8 in that truck would induce a lot of understeer on a loose surface.

I don't know much about pre-runners (I'm from the south, where we mud), but thats my .02...

 

ill just say this, a 4.0 ranger can be very very versatile. the frame tends to be a bit flexy depending on year choice, the TTB front end takes some time getting use to but can perform well. your better off runnin 2wheel since most OEM 4x4's cant handle much more than 55 lol.

 

Definatly 2wd !
less to break

 

What year ranger would have the better frame?? I also like the idea of modding the 4.0 V6 I have had good luck with that motor in a explorer and heard great things about them I just didn't know about the duribility of running full out for so long compared to a V8?

 

do you have a underside pic of how you
have your wench mounted? i'd like to
try to do it the same way.

 

Check out this thread

You may want to IM Kboozy, looks like he knows a thing or two about pre-runners.

 

the years im familiar with is 89-93 (not the 93 1/2 where the bodystyle changed) and that frame is pretty flexy on some trucks ive had but is rather strong still. they can take some pretty harsh abuse and hold the truck together still. now the later years i think 94-99 or so my friends 94 frame flex's a little less than the 91 or 89 i've played with. but thats hitting a RTI style hill lol.

 

I'd say the Ranger with the 4.0. If you could, put a 4.2L in it. Stick to 2WD and you'll have all the power with a light frame as possible. Dunno help about the frame, though.

 

A 4.2 would be a pretty tight squeeze in a Ranger - it's a 90 degree V6, the 4.0 is a 60 degree. If you are going to go to that kind of trouble, stuff a 302 in it.

 

I had a 1994 4X4 Ranger with the 4.0L engine. The '94 is quite a bit bigger than the current Ranger. I believe it's the same frame used on the pre-2006 Explorer and the 2004-2005 Sport Trac. I'd say it's off road performance was pretty darn good. It's a bit front end heavy. I don't remember the frame flexing as much as the newer Rangers do. And, the Ranger handled substantially better than the S10. The Ranger is built a heck of a lot tougher than the S10 too.

As for engines, the 4.0L is pretty fast on the flat but turns into a slow dog on hills. The S10 V6 had a lot more get-up-go. If it were me, I'd drop a 4.6L V8 into the Ranger.

 

LMAO at some of the suggestions...

Go to http://www.dezertrangers.com/ and do a lot of reading.

 

Thanks for that site it has a ton of good info on it.

 

Here's a site i go to
www.race-dezert.com/