# Converting a Ford Ranger rear end to direct drive electric motors



## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

numerous thoughts: V-dub IRS kit custom fabbed from the off road people

Corvette suspension, Macpherson front end pieces from a front wheel drive mini van

I'd get in contact with the local off road people as Rangers are popular for all sorts of 4 WD long excursion suspension stuff


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## DavidDymaxion (Dec 1, 2008)

You could siamese 2 motors inline and spin the driveshaft.

If you have good fabbing skills, you could build something custom like "Gone Postal" did (google +"Gone Postal"). They kept shredding the drive belts.


Daanii said:


> I'm taking a Ford Ranger pickup and converting it to electric drive. I'll have four electric motors, one to drive each wheel. The rear has a solid axle suspension, so I cannot just take out the differential and hook a motor up to a wheel's half shaft like I could if it had an independent rear suspension.
> 
> Any ideas on how to do this? I know the Ford Ranger EVs that Ford made had a De Dion tube as the rear axle, but I don't want to try anything that fancy. I'm trying for something more quick and dirty.


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## PartsMan (Aug 20, 2009)

Daanii said:


> I'm trying for something more quick and dirty.


Bolt a sprocket to the yoke and mount motors on the axle shaft with extra spring perches.

If you are dead set on a motor on each wheel there are shafts gong to the middle of the axle. Hooking to them would be more dirty then quick.

You could buy a trailer axle and hubs to match your bolt pattern. Then you could mount whatever drive you wanted. Quality brakes would be tricky though.


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