APG Prorunner Conversion Wide Body

HenryMac

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Honestly, it doesn't and I am still driving it and haven't even taken the time to slighly move it back with my hand. But it clearly bothers you, and thats fine with me.
Not you... Matt. You already stated you didn't even pay for it..

And if you think you can just "move it back with your hand"... either it's not a quality built piece, or you have zero mechanical aptitude.
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Not you... Matt. You already stated you didn't even pay for it..

And if you think you can just "move it back with your hand"... either it's not a quality built piece, or you have zero mechanical aptitude.
OKAY BOOMER you’ve made your point...

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StezenW

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yeahhh anyway back to the amazing builddddddd haha
You need the RK Sport hood now so I can continue living vicariously through you. AND so I can see how it looks in the magnetic color, and further start to justify it as one of my future modifications. ?
 
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dannewps

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You need the RK Sport hood now so I can continue living vicariously through you. AND so I can see how it looks in the magnetic color, and further start to justify it as one of my future modifications. ?
haha I am talking with them and seeing what they can do. I want to see if VIS Racing has something coming out, or Carbon Creations. The RK Sport does look incredible though!
 


APG

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And that's awesome. I love that it's a USA design and built product.

But looking at that photo.. Be Honest, I bet it bugs the hell out of you that you let it get out of the shop with the tailpipes crooked like that doesn't it?
The exhaust was installed before it came to us, but even besides that point, it’s clear that you’re the only person who it bugs so much lol.

Also, in a previous life, I was the lead tech at Magnaflow and that tailpipe just needs a clamp adjustment. Would take 30 seconds to resolve, but honestly, it probably wasn’t bad enough for any of us to really notice.
 
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dannewps

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The exhaust was installed before it came to us, but even besides that point, it’s clear that you’re the only person who it bugs so much lol.

Also, in a previous life, I was the lead tech at Magnaflow and that tailpipe just needs a clamp adjustment. Would take 30 seconds to resolve, but honestly, it probably wasn’t bad enough for any of us to really notice.
Exactly. Matt, you guys honestly did the most amazing job on my truck. If anything, it was done too perfectly haha! APG does not make exhausts, so any exhaust issue is not APG. Everyone should send their Ranger to APG.
 

Dbetterred

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That thing looks nasty! I'd love to see a video of it running at speed through some whoops.
Nothing better then a well set up suspension.
Well done.
Exhaust pipe isn't an issue, it should be a little banged up anyway, a rock will get it eventually.
 
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dannewps

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That thing looks nasty! I'd love to see a video of it running at speed through some whoops.
Nothing better then a well set up suspension.
Well done.
Exhaust pipe isn't an issue, it should be a little banged up anyway, a rock will get it eventually.
I will have some videos of whoops in a few weeks. Heading out to Barstow Wednesday. I agree with you on the exhaust!! Thanks!
 

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I will say the kit does look pretty good but I can say that it isn't for everyone(myself included).

The biggest issue I see is here in Colorado you can be on the trail and run into a spot where you almost wish the ranger wasn't quite as wide as it is stock(even though it isn't that wide to begin with). If you are in an open desert then you probably wont have to worry about it ever.

The funny thing i notice is how the WEAK tie rods are replaced........ If they are to weak for what you are doing then you might wabt to get a dedicated race truck or something is that line........ The only thing i see causing tie rods to bend or break is doind something you shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Now having a long travel suspension can be nice especially since the stock ranger is rough offroad and I was able mitigate that problem with the Old Man EMU lift(again not for everyone). Also having the ability to run 35 inch tires are nice.

I think the other issue I see is you probably loose towing capacity with this but then again if you are building a truck like this then towing probably isnt your biggest concern but something to think about before doing such if towing is something you do.
 
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dannewps

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I will say the kit does look pretty good but I can say that it isn't for everyone(myself included).

The biggest issue I see is here in Colorado you can be on the trail and run into a spot where you almost wish the ranger wasn't quite as wide as it is stock(even though it isn't that wide to begin with). If you are in an open desert then you probably wont have to worry about it ever.

The funny thing i notice is how the WEAK tie rods are replaced........ If they are to weak for what you are doing then you might wabt to get a dedicated race truck or something is that line........ The only thing i see causing tie rods to bend or break is doind something you shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Now having a long travel suspension can be nice especially since the stock ranger is rough offroad and I was able mitigate that problem with the Old Man EMU lift(again not for everyone). Also having the ability to run 35 inch tires are nice.

I think the other issue I see is you probably loose towing capacity with this but then again if you are building a truck like this then towing probably isnt your biggest concern but something to think about before doing such if towing is something you do.
Totally understand all of your concerns. Living out in SoCal, the conditions the truck sees is mainly desert and wide open high speed off road terrain. The truck was built with Baja and desert dunes in mind. Out here there are plenty of wide open OHV parks that allow for high speed whoops where long travel is 100% needed. I do not see many tight trails. In CO i can see the width being an issue on some tight off road mountain roads with one way passings. I have jumped the truck and the tie rods showed zero issues at all, but I will let @APG_RANGER speak to that. So far the truck has exceeded all expectations while still getting 16.5 MPG. I have not towed, and do not plan on towing, as I do not own a boat or any toys that require a trailer, so again, I will let @APG_RANGER speak to the towing aspect.
 
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APG

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I will say the kit does look pretty good but I can say that it isn't for everyone(myself included).

The biggest issue I see is here in Colorado you can be on the trail and run into a spot where you almost wish the ranger wasn't quite as wide as it is stock(even though it isn't that wide to begin with). If you are in an open desert then you probably wont have to worry about it ever.

The funny thing i notice is how the WEAK tie rods are replaced........ If they are to weak for what you are doing then you might wabt to get a dedicated race truck or something is that line........ The only thing i see causing tie rods to bend or break is doind something you shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Now having a long travel suspension can be nice especially since the stock ranger is rough offroad and I was able mitigate that problem with the Old Man EMU lift(again not for everyone). Also having the ability to run 35 inch tires are nice.

I think the other issue I see is you probably loose towing capacity with this but then again if you are building a truck like this then towing probably isnt your biggest concern but something to think about before doing such if towing is something you do.
Great points! I'd like to address a few though.

The stock tie rods are fine for stock tires and the capability/speeds of stock suspension. The moment you increase the tire mass to that of a 35" tire, and allow yourself to drive at much faster speeds through rough terrain with our long travel system, those tie rods now become the weak point in the system. And in my experience as a seasoned desert off-roader and somebody who spends a lot of time around race vehicles, if you're going to have a weak point, don't make it your steering.

And as far as towing capacity goes, you don't really lose it, or much of it. Your maximum tow capacity is calculated by subtracting the weight of the towing vehicle (loaded with cargo, passengers, etc) from the GCWR rating on your door jamb VIN sticker. Our ProRunner conversion system trims a lot of fat that comes on a stock Ranger, including the four steel body panels (replaced by aerospace-grade carbon fiber), and the very heavy stock front bumper (replaced by our lightweight aluminum plate bumper. Sure, the larger tires will weigh more, but overall, the net weight gain is very minimal with the installation of our parts alone. And asking anyone who has our conversion done to their Ranger, they'll tell you that the 10-speed transmission has such close gear ratios that the increase in tire size has little to no effect on drivability with 35's. It's not like the 4 and 5 speed trucks of the old days where a differential regear was nearly required when upsizing the tires.
 

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Great points! I'd like to address a few though.

The stock tie rods are fine for stock tires and the capability/speeds of stock suspension. The moment you increase the tire mass to that of a 35" tire, and allow yourself to drive at much faster speeds through rough terrain with our long travel system, those tie rods now become the weak point in the system. And in my experience as a seasoned desert off-roader and somebody who spends a lot of time around race vehicles, if you're going to have a weak point, don't make it your steering.

And as far as towing capacity goes, you don't really lose it, or much of it. Your maximum tow capacity is calculated by subtracting the weight of the towing vehicle (loaded with cargo, passengers, etc) from the GCWR rating on your door jamb VIN sticker. Our ProRunner conversion system trims a lot of fat that comes on a stock Ranger, including the four steel body panels (replaced by aerospace-grade carbon fiber), and the very heavy stock front bumper (replaced by our lightweight aluminum plate bumper. Sure, the larger tires will weigh more, but overall, the net weight gain is very minimal with the installation of our parts alone. And asking anyone who has our conversion done to their Ranger, they'll tell you that the 10-speed transmission has such close gear ratios that the increase in tire size has little to no effect on drivability with 35's. It's not like the 4 and 5 speed trucks of the old days where a differential regear was nearly required when upsizing the tires.
The deal with the tie rods make sense.

I do have a question about the towing capacity though. If you have a long travel suspension that is mean to flex much easier than factory how does the towing capacity become not affected? I ask this because unlike the Old Man EMU kit that I installed on my truck this would be set for high speed offroad driving like the trophy trucks we see on the TV. With a suspension that is near that I have a hard time believing that the towing capacity is barely touched at all.

Dont get me wrong here, if you do build your truck like such then you probably could care less about towing but I still would like to know.
 

NvrFinished

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I live in SoCal and grew up in our local deserts as well as doing a lot desert racing with SCORE in Baja on motorcycles. Tie rods on vehicles with larger than factory tires in desert conditions at slightly higher speeds take a pounding. I've witnessed my fair share of people trying to get home with the toe on their vehicle way out of wack due to bent tie rods. The very quick glancing blows of side impacts such as rocks and ruts are a large contributor.
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