1984 Ford Ranger - bed - Photo 9644568

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With the engine so far back the cooling system was sent to the back of the bus. The rear bed sides, front fender, and most of the cab are easily removed, and can be left home should the Arlaud family want to go rockcrawling in their mud monster.

The roof of Rob and Bambi Arlaud's '84 Ranger is a little wrinkled from a rollover the first trip out, but nothing they lose sleep over. This homebuilt mud machine is the perfect mix of rockcrawling suspension, desert racing ideas, and big-block fun. The body is attached over the cage and floorboards so removal is possible. Big 38.5 Boggers fulfill the prerequisite for mud.

Underhood remains one of the few pieces from Rob and Bambi's old mud truck-the big-block 460 Ford. Sucking in through a 750 Holley double pumper, this vigorous V-8 has no problem launching the little truck to big air. Pushing the engine rearward in the frame helps keep the weight balanced, thus preventing the front end from diving into deep holes on the muddy racetrack. Plastic panels protect the engine bay from the majority of mud infestation.

With the engine so far back the cooling system was sent to the back of the bus. The rear bed sides, front fender, and most of the cab are easily removed, and can be left home should the Arlaud family want to go rockcrawling in their mud monster.

A Dana 60 up front and Ford Sterling axle out back offer a strong base for this mad machine. Gear ratios of 4.10 with a rear welded spool and front Detroit keep all four Pro Comp wheels spinning, while the NP205 transfer case offers just enough low range for the mud. Hydraulic steering was a great upgrade as it helped with the four-link suspension by not having a drag link in the way. Each corner bounces on Fox 2 1/2-inch coilover shocks allowing this rowdy Ranger to lay down some serious lines over rough rutted mud courses.

A view inside shows the orbital valve for the hydro steering, the full DOM cage, the air cleaner plumbed inside for freshness, and shifters for the 205 transfer case and TCI-prepped C6 automatic. Also check out how far back the firewall goes in order to accommodate the rearward location of the massive 460.

So what makes this truck so cool? It's built for the mud, but rather than just jacking it up onto giant leaf springs, they built the suspension light and supple to skim over the muck without abusing the driver. In fact, Rob states that his wife would happily throttle the little Ranger back and forth through the mud hole all day, and probably wouldn't stop until she ran out of gas.