The Pedders Ford Ranger Is Beauty And Brawn

The all-new Ford Ranger was a prominent vehicle at the 2019 SEMA Show and one that stood out of the crowd was built by Pedders Suspension & Brakes. Pedders debuted their custom-built Ranger as a flagship for their new TrakRyder eXtreme Brake Kit and TrackRyder Leveling Kit.

Pedders has been a prominent part of the Australian automotive aftermarket since the ‘50s. Building premium components that balance between daily driver manners and true performance handling. In the mid-2000s, they brought their expertise to the U.S. market, quickly joining forces with GM (General Motors), Lingenfelter, Richard Petty and Saleen. Now, they are turning their attention to the trucks here State-side.

“Pedders is making a push into the American truck market starting with the new Ranger.” Said Daniel Tong, Product and Operations Manager for Pedders USA. “The Ranger was a natural choice for us as we’ve had extensive experience with Ranger platform over the years as it has been available in internationally without interruption over the years.”

As a rule, Pedders does not use a cookie-cutter outlook for each new vehicle they build parts for. Their goal is to pick out the weaknesses of the OEM suspension and braking and improve them. That focus was turned to the U.S. truck market, starting with the Ranger.

TrakRyder eXtreme Brake Kit

Every off-road vehicle could use bigger brakes, especially when bigger tires and extra weight from accessories is added. “In Australia, larger trucks such as the F-150, F-250, etc. are not available, so the Ranger would be the largest truck available.” Explained Daniel. “They are used extensively as work trucks and towing vehicles. With the increased load comes increased demand on the braking system.”

Pedders used a race-spec mindset when digging into the Ranger and designed a system that utilizes 6 piston calipers, high tech TrakRyder eXtreme kevlar ceramic pads that clamp on a 10 slot dimpled and geomet coated larger diameter rotor.

The rotor steps up to 14-inch diameter from the OEM 12.2-inch. The Kevlar ceramic brake pads produce a low amount of dust and the caliper is a 2-piece forged aluminum design. The sum total of the parts not only reduces the stopping distance by 14-percent, tested by an independent Australian engineering firm, it also reduces the brake fade through increased thermal capacity.

TrackRyder Leveling Kit

When targeting the OEM Ranger suspension, Pedders went for the double whammy. Level the truck and substantially improve the ride performance. Using a custom long travel foam cell shocks and matched performance springs, the Ranger is lifted 2.5-inches in front. The spring and shock combination is precisely tuned and ready for both on and off-road driving.

Included in the kit are matched long travel closed foam shocks for the rear. Installation is a breeze, too. The front shock and springs come fully assembled and ready to bolt into the truck. Pedders spent the time to dial in a perfect combination that is easy to install.

And There’s More

As amazing as the performance brakes and suspension are, Pedders didn’t stop there with their Ranger build. The first step was to help out the Ranger’s turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine with a Turbosmart Kompact Dual Port Blow Off Valve. An Airaid MXP Cold Air Intake brings the fresh air in while a Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust pipes out the gases.

Capping the front and back of the rig are Hennessey VelociRaptor front and rear bumpers loaded with Rigid Industries LED lights. To keep the rock panels from getting smashed, a set of Shrockworks Rock Sliders were bolted on.

Getting traction on the ground is a set of Falken Wildpeak A/T3W 285/70R17 tires wrapped around Machine Black finished 17×8 Titan 7 T-AK1 Wheels. Line-X coated Bushwacker Fender flares cover the tires and the factory Intrusion Beams in the front wheel wells have been replaced with Off Set units from Fabtech Motorsports.

Other goodies on the Ranger is a full Line-X bedliner, Hobbs Freedom Bed Rack, TJM Yulara Roof Top Tent, Exitrax Ultimate Series recovery boards, and a Pro Eagle 2-ton Big Wheel Off-Road Jack.

For Pedders, both in Australia and the USA, it is about making great products for enthusiasts. A mantra they live by is “We know we are not making bits for cars. We are making bits for people that are passionate about their car.” The focus is on making the driver happy with the performance.

The new Ranger parts will be available in Spring 2020. Head over to the Pedders website for more details on their products and company.

About the author

Jake Headlee

Jake's passion started at a young age wrenching on cars with his Dad. Obtaining that glorious driver's license sparked his obsession with grease and horsepower, and the rest is history. Soon, he was a general mechanic and suspension specialist, and currently designs and modifies products for the off-road industry. Jake enjoys rock crawling, desert racing and trail running, and writing in his spare time.
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