Ranger FX4 2.7 Build thread : Nāhele Ranger

[Freedom Beast]

I'm diggin' it man! Lookin' good

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[HighDesertRanger]

they're These on ebay . They're solid arrived fast. Cosco damaged one putting a Tire on but otherwise they're great. The reason I went with these is I have OG TE37s coming in for my nd miata end of the year so I figured it would be sick to have my truck with reps and my Miata with authentic Te37s

It’s a good looking wheel ??

 

[steveconnery]

I plasti dipped it. Came out great. I really hate the grey bumper lol. Shoulda came factory color matched or black

Niceee I was considering the same thing! Wasn’t sure how it would
Hold up to rocks. But also nice to be able to peel it off if it looks meh!
Looks great man!

 

[IronJoe]

Looks good to me, even the green. I wouldn’t do it on my truck but I can for sure appreciate it.

question, why didn’t you start with a Raptor? Not trying to be a jerk, I’m curious to know if there are advantages I can’t think of

also, I don’t think the Ford Performance tune is even available for the 24+ Non Raptor Ranger, hence my question above

 

[ATXian]

question, why didn’t you start with a Raptor? Not trying to be a jerk, I’m curious to know if there are advantages I can’t think of

I don't want to speak for OP, but the 20̸0̸0̸lb lower tow rating on RRaptors was a dealbreaker for me personally.

(Oh and the tune came out a couple months ago.)

 

[Justdown808]

Niceee I was considering the same thing! Wasn’t sure how it would
Hold up to rocks. But also nice to be able to peel it off if it looks meh!
Looks great man!

Yeah honestly it’s going to get destroyed either way only way to really protect it is to rhino line it or linex it which is an option in the future

Looks good to me, even the green. I wouldn’t do it on my truck but I can for sure appreciate it.

question, why didn’t you start with a Raptor? Not trying to be a jerk, I’m curious to know if there are advantages I can’t think of

also, I don’t think the Ford Performance tune is even available for the 24+ Non Raptor Ranger, hence my question above

great questions. Raptor availability in the islands is actually insane. They maybe get 1 per island and mark ups are around 20k over msrp. I have a Miata and this ranger. If I had one car I’d maybe consider the raptor but I love manual so I always need at least one manual car.


And honestly it’s stressful off-roading and sending a 65k+ truck. In a perfect world if I woulda been able to snag one for 55k out the door maybe. But an island has a 2024 raptor for sale advertised for 70k out the door. There’s a lot more fun things I can do with the 20k+ saved

As far as I know the 2.7 tune got released it’s in the engine thread. Fair questions though! The raptor is amazing for sure

 

[Justdown808]

Did some adventuring today. Drives amazing really love the steering feel and handling of this beast.

 

[IronJoe]

Availability is a bitch on the RR is some region for sure. I often forget about this because they are easy to get around here. Even got 3k under MSRP

my second (or first, depending on how I feel) is a 2025 Miata Club manual that I just got also. That thing is just sweet!

Good stuff for the tune, wasn’t aware.
I’ll continue watching your build!

 

[IronJoe]

I don't want to speak for OP, but the 20̸0̸0̸lb lower tow rating on RRaptors was a dealbreaker for me personally.

(Oh and the tune came out a couple months ago.)

Towing capacity is a valid argument that I didn’t think about. That RR has a real soft suspension but still tows pretty well (at least good enough for me for now)

 

[Roverhound]

I don't know where Alpine Bike is but if he posts here, I'm gonna kind of agree with him.

 

[Donnie B]

I LOVE modifying new rides and just got my 2025 2.7L V6 Lariat. First, got the all the necessary paint protection film installed in all the right places. My next order of business was to ceramic coat everything possible. Living in the Rocky Mountains at 9,000 and only going up from here, I need all the protection I could get. Inside the wheels and wheel wells is a MUST in my humble opinion.

It was on to installing 2024 chrome running boars as 2025 only comes factory-built in black.....and I do so love chrome. My Leer 180 topper is a must and is on order so I can transport the e-bikes I build for the misses and me. To prepare for the topper, I installed a tailgate seal kit....living on a dirt road does have its challenges.

Last but not lease will be a dual exhaust as soon as it is released. It was due in March, but still under development for the 2.7L. I'll post it when I get it and installed. Oh yea......rumor has it that Ford Performance will have a special tune late this year, or early 2026. Being a Shelby kinda guy, I need extra horsepower just to get to the grocery store....but doesn't everybody.

 

[Justdown808]

I installed some off-road lights not too difficult. I do recommend clamping the hood down on the lever where the brackets go so your hood doesn't move while installing hood brackets, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE OCD i was there for an hour trying to line up the hood it like it was lol

Bracket:

I hooked the relay to an existing bolt near the firewall, Just to hold it.
Relay:

I cut a slit in the grommet into the cabin and ran the switch inside. I put something to protect from water after everything was done.

Grommet:

Here I have it installed. great location the panel pops up with just some clips holding it theres space behind just enough to fit the switch and the connectors that extend behind. Drilled a 3/4 hole and it slipped through and fit perfectly

Location and switch

here it is finished its great

 

[ChronciallyChronic]

I installed some off-road lights not too difficult. I do recommend clamping the hood down on the lever where the brackets go so your hood doesn't move while installing hood brackets, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE OCD i was there for an hour trying to line up the hood it like it was lol

Bracket:

I hooked the relay to an existing bolt near the firewall, Just to hold it.
Relay:

I cut a slit in the grommet into the cabin and ran the switch inside. I put something to protect from water after everything was done.

Grommet:

Here I have it installed. great location the panel pops up with just some clips holding it theres space behind just enough to fit the switch and the connectors that extend behind. Drilled a 3/4 hole and it slipped through and fit perfectly

Location and switch

here it is finished its great

I really like that color!

 

[ericsmr]

Howzit everyone! Named Nāhele Ranger


I’ve been lurking for a while, so I figured I might as well post up my progress and help anyone who has questions about mods or anything related.


Starting base:
2025 Ford Ranger XLT FX4

• 2.7L
• Tow/Tech Package

Coming from a 2019 Ranger, I actually did prefer the old design at first, but I wanted the 2.7. Over time, I’ve come to actually prefer the somewhat wider front face of the new one.

First mod: Front seat covers
I generally prefer cloth over leather since it’s more comfortable, but I wanted a little extra bolstering. I went with some Amazon ones called Coverado Front Seat Covers.
They’re okay — the lumbar support is wild. With the upgraded XLT that already has power lumbar support, it was too much, so I currently have the truck’s lumbar dialed all the way down, and it’s tolerable.
Unfortunately, I broke a clip during install, so the lower cushion slips, which is super annoying. I might toss these and get something different.

Second mod: Roof racks
I bought some racks off eBay. They didn’t fit properly (which, as I’ve come to learn, is a recurring issue with mods on this truck). I was able to trim them and eventually got decent fitment, but they’re just temporary — eventually, I’ll upgrade to full platform roof racks.

the wheels and tire setup is 295/70/18. 18x9 0 offset. also bought rough country fender flares.

Wrap and lift:
The wrap and lift pretty much happened around the same time. The lift is a Rough Country 3.5" kit. I plan to upgrade to a better setup eventually, but so far it’s been great.


Fitment challenges:
Making the rims and tires fit was a bit of a pain. I feel like I was a bit conservative with my size choices, but maybe not after reading other builds.
I trimmed the crash bars and the wheel well fabric and was able to tuck and cut enough to make everything fit — pretty much the same process I used when fitting 33s on my old Ranger.



Heres how it sits currently. Loving it.

Lots more to do, Just waiting on a front bumper to add a Winch but it's looking like that'll take a while. I'm in talks with hamer4x4 to maybe buy one and see if i can jerry rig it and make it work but we'll see..... I also want to color match my fender flares but I didn't have enough wrap. I actually managed to wrap the whole thing with 5x59 feet of wrap and that's with not messing up at all.


That's it so far. if you have any question wrapping or fitment let me know. Plan to have this for a long time. Super excited to be a part of the community!

Hi, super curious to see how the fitment is for the fender flares from RC as well as how the black matches up to the plastic on the bumpers (rear) etc. please let me know how you’d rate these as I’m in the market!

 

[Justdown808]

fitment is good. The issue is I have -10 offset and 34s so I had to trim a decent amount and make a new hole for the push clip. I will try to get a picture of the difference between the fender later.

if you have a setup not as aggressive me, you shouldn’t have any issues. Putting on the rubber trim is a lil tedious tho.

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