Darek's Black Thunder Build

Darek661

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Hey guys! Just wanted to start up a build thread as I progress through modding and tweaking my truck.

Current specs are as follows:

2019 Ranger XLT 4x2 Shadow Black
301a equipment package
GFB DV+ VTA
Custom made exhaust, side exit muffler delete with Hi-Flow resonator and a DC Sports resonated exhaust tip

Parts ordered today and should be here in a week or so, I'll update as I start installing and take as many pictures as I can throughout the process.

Parts ordered:

aFe Twisted Steel Race Series Downpipe
aFe BladeRunner Intercooler Pipes
K&N Drop in Filter
BDX RevX programmer from Unleashed Tuning

Stay tuned for updates and wish me luck! Hoping to have this truck hitting just north of 320HP and 420TQ with these mods and tune, possibly more if tuning allows.

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Hi Darek,
I just got the exhaust tip like yours as I am going to re route after vehicle is lowered. Basically the same as yours but I will keep the stock resonator . Mine sounds like yours with just the muffler delete and stock resonator. All the people that have heard mine in person love the sound. It sounds exactly like my wife’s hpp Ecoboost mustang active exhaust. You will love the tune!
Regards
 
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Darek661

Darek661

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Hi Darek,
I just got the exhaust tip like yours as I am going to re route after vehicle is lowered. Basically the same as yours but I will keep the stock resonator . Mine sounds like yours with just the muffler delete and stock resonator. All the people that have heard mine in person love the sound. It sounds exactly like my wife’s hpp Ecoboost mustang active exhaust. You will love the tune!
Regards
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out! I went that route to start with just to see how it sounded and I loved it, just wanted to tidy it up so I ended up making my own resonator setup. I didn't want to cut the hanger off of the factory resonator and reposition it to tuck it up higher, but in hindsight, I wish I would have. It was a lot less complicated and fewer joints. I'll throw some pictures up of what it looked like before making my own to tuck it up under the frame, but honestly the sound of the factory resonator was fantastic by itself. My new setup sounds the exact same, just wish I was able to slightly angle the tip back towards the rear of the truck a little, maybe 20 degrees or so just for aesthetics. I'm not particularly fond of having it stick straight out at a 90 from under the truck so I'll eventually see if I can fix it more to my liking.

IMG_20191227_151400.jpg


IMG_20191227_151426.jpg
 
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Awesome! Let me know how it turns out! I went that route to start with just to see how it sounded and I loved it, just wanted to tidy it up so I ended up making my own resonator setup. I didn't want to cut the hanger off of the factory resonator and reposition it to tuck it up higher, but in hindsight, I wish I would have. It was a lot less complicated and fewer joints. I'll throw some pictures up of what it looked like before making my own to tuck it up under the frame, but honestly the sound of the factory resonator was fantastic by itself. My new setup sounds the exact same, just wish I was able to slightly angle the tip back towards the rear of the truck a little, maybe 20 degrees or so just for aesthetics. I'm not particularly fond of having it stick straight out at a 90 from under the truck so I'll eventually see if I can fix it more to my liking.

IMG_20191227_151400.jpg


IMG_20191227_151426.jpg
Yes there is a custom exhaust shop here in lake city, I’ll have them do the work...btw I went to Sarasota jr high school and my house was the last house on old Bradenton rd. before the airport. Who makes those lift pads under your rear wheels?
Regards

Edit: Test n Tune Feb 8th Gainesville, 10 am
 
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Darek661

Darek661

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Yes there is a custom exhaust shop here in lake city, I’ll have them do the work...btw I went to Sarasota jr high school and my house was the last house on old Bradenton rd. before the airport. Who makes those lift pads under your rear wheels?
Regards
No shit!? I used to live on Old Bradenton Rd!! Just across from the dog track! Small would bud, small world!

The ramps I bought at Harbor Freight lol, can't remember exactly what I paid for them but they are an absolute God send when working on something! Sure as hell beats pulling out my floor jack and having to get 4x4's to get enough height to use it.
 
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No shit!? I used to live on Old Bradenton Rd!! Just across from the dog track! Small would bud, small world!

The ramps I bought at Harbor Freight lol, can't remember exactly what I paid for them but they are an absolute God send when working on something! Sure as hell beats pulling out my floor jack and having to get 4x4's to get enough height to use it.
My God, I worked at the dog track as a walker..!
Small world..
 
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Darek661

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My God, I worked at the dog track as a walker..!
Small world..
Haha, go figure! We may have run into each other at some point in life. When I get all of these parts installed on my truck and get my tune dialed in, we should try to organize a Florida meet somewhere! I used to be in a Miata club in Sarasota that would meet at Buffalo Wild Wings on Clark road every Tuesday night I think it was, it was a great way to stay active in the car community and keep in touch with like minded people that are just as enthusiastic as we are about their cars. Hell, the leader of the club drives a Raptor now! I'll bet we could organize something one of these days.
 

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Haha, go figure! We may have run into each other at some point in life. When I get all of these parts installed on my truck and get my tune dialed in, we should try to organize a Florida meet somewhere! I used to be in a Miata club in Sarasota that would meet at Buffalo Wild Wings on Clark road every Tuesday night I think it was, it was a great way to stay active in the car community and keep in touch with like minded people that are just as enthusiastic as we are about their cars. Hell, the leader of the club drives a Raptor now! I'll bet we could organize something one of these days.
I just talked to Freakride and my suspension should be shipped out on the 30th. All the kits they have sold have gone to Australia . Mine is the first US kit and they are going to send a representative to my suspension shop to assist on the build. Cool Huh?
Regards
 
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Darek661

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I just talked to Freakride and my suspension should be shipped out on the 30th. All the kits they have sold have gone to Australia . Mine is the first US kit and they are going to send a representative to my suspension shop to assist on the build. Cool Huh?
Regards
Damn man, I'm jealous!! I want that kit so bad. I have that truck as my desktop background. Truck porn at its finest :LOL:

You're doing both front and rear suspension right? What was your total cost?
 

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Damn man, I'm jealous!! I want that kit so bad. I have that truck as my desktop background. Truck porn at its finest :LOL:

You're doing both front and rear suspension right? What was your total cost?
Well good question. I’ve spent $4000.00 plus on the kits. The install will be time and materials. And yes, front and rear.
:)
 
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Well good question. I’ve spent $4000.00 plus on the kits. The install will be time and materials. And yes, front and rear.
:)
Ouch! I know I'll eventually have to get something like this kit if I want to be able to control the power is like to put down, wheel hop and axel wrap are going to be a bitch when launching I'm assuming. I figured I'd build up the power first before tackling suspension. I may look into building my own custom setup with traction bars and front/rear sway bars.

I saw that the front kit is purely bolt on and their website says that the rear requires some welding. Does the kit supply all of the parts for the rear? Other than welding supply's obviously, but I mean, brackets and whatnot, or is there some fabricating needed as well as welding?
 

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Ouch! I know I'll eventually have to get something like this kit if I want to be able to control the power is like to put down, wheel hop and axel wrap are going to be a bitch when launching I'm assuming. I figured I'd build up the power first before tackling suspension. I may look into building my own custom setup with traction bars and front/rear sway bars.

I saw that the front kit is purely bolt on and their website says that the rear requires some welding. Does the kit supply all of the parts for the rear? Other than welding supply's obviously, but I mean, brackets and whatnot, or is there some fabricating needed as well as welding?
It’s got all the parts but there is still a lot of cutting and welding. I’ve done many 3000 rpm launches no problem with wheel hop. The problem is getting it to the ground..I assume you have 4wd ? That would solve the spinning in 1st, 2nd and 3rd..definitely need drag radials on my end...but one thing at a time. lm doing payments on my wife’s new mustang so that slows my progress. Mine is a 2wd locker..
Regards
 
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It’s got all the parts but there is still a lot of cutting and welding. I’ve done many 3000 rpm launches no problem with wheel hop. The problem is getting it to the ground..I assume you have 4wd ? That would solve the spinning in 1st, 2nd and 3rd..definitely need drag radials on my end...but one thing at a time. lm doing payments on my wife’s new mustang so that slows my progress. Mine is a 2wd locker..
Regards
Nope, mines 4x2, hence my apprehension of traction becoming an issue as I add power. Drag radials will help quite a bit, thinking of doing a staggered wheel setup with the stock size up front and 12 in wide in the rear. Unfortunately mine did not come with any kind of locker, at least not that I know of. All I have is a traction control button and I can hold it down to turn off Alltrac off, but nothing for a locker. I was hoping that Wavetrac would come out with an LSD for our truck but no dice as of yet. I need to do some more research into what diff this truck has and what diffs will fit inside our pumpkin without replacing the whole damn rear axel.
 

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Nope, mines 4x2, hence my apprehension of traction becoming an issue as I add power. Drag radials will help quite a bit, thinking of doing a staggered wheel setup with the stock size up front and 12 in wide in the rear. Unfortunately mine did not come with any kind of locker, at least not that I know of. All I have is a traction control button and I can hold it down to turn off Alltrac off, but nothing for a locker. I was hoping that Wavetrac would come out with an LSD for our truck but no dice as of yet. I need to do some more research into what diff this truck has and what diffs will fit inside our pumpkin without replacing the whole damn rear axel.
Do a brake boost burnout with traction control off...see if it breaks both rear tires loose...if you don’t have a locker icon on the control panel , you don’t have a locker..
 
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Darek661

Darek661

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Do a brake boost burnout with traction control off...see if it breaks both rear tires loose...if you don’t have a locker icon on the control panel , you don’t have a locker..
Where would the icon show up on my dash? I'm like 99% sure that I've got an open one wheel wonder back there
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