[BassnTruck]

My old ARO 244 thread is HERE if anyone wants to see it but the photo links might be bad.

So on to the 246.

So here is what she looks like.

She has never had a drive train in her. But must have been stored over some wet ground as she has a little rust under her. I will be using a number of parts off my 244 to get her going. As The 244 has a lot of cancer and broken front suspension and drive train. I will be stealing the front differential, transmission, and transfer case out of it.

244 Bay. The diff I took out.

Still need to grab the brackets.

The 246 had the differential prevision on the passenger side and I need a drivers drop. So off come the brackets that came with her.

 

[BassnTruck]

I swapped the CV shafts side to side already.

In there getting her done.

And they are off.

 

[BassnTruck]

Test fitting the diff.

And that is where I am right now with her.

 

[rustywagoneersdotcom]

How the hell did you wind up with TWO A.R.O.s in the states?

Rear seating pictures? Drivetrain plans?

 

[BassnTruck]

How the hell did you wind up with TWO A.R.O.s in the states?

Rear seating pictures? Drivetrain plans?

Well it is raining today so no work is going to get done. Actually I had 3 AROs. Had a 11.5 too.

The thing will seat 7. It has 2 side jump seats like the LR DIIs

Dash, will need to rob cluster out of the 244. It even has everything for AC minus the compressor.

Have to steal the front seats and seat belts out of the 244. The rear seats do not come with seat belts because in Soviet Romania seat belts own you. So I will have to go junkyard shopping and get some belts for the rear seats.

The drive train will be a 2.3 DP Ford out of a 1995 Ranger. The transmission is a 4 speed Ford out of an 80s Ranger along with the transfer case.

 

[BassnTruck]

OK for those of you following along and or the crickets in the background I worked on it a little more today.

Got the drivers seat installed and most of the seat belt out of the 244 and into the 246. Turns out the upper shoulder mount for the strap has the hole in the B pillar but not the captive nut behind it. Why it does not have them but has the rest I do not know. So I will have to cut a hole and weld in a plate and a nut on both sides on another day. Forgot to grab photos of the seat but it looks like a really used and abused seat.

I pulled all the foil off the firewall. It had a lining under it that just seamed like it would hold 400 pounds of water when it got wet and would cause all kind of issues. They glued it on so some of the fibers are still stuck onto the firewall but the pressure washer will take care of that later.

Got all the brackets cut out of the 244 for the front diff and motor mounts.
Pulled the transmission and transfer case out of the 244 also.

Started mocking up the differential mounts and getting an idea on the transmission and transfer case. Found I will need to cut off a 1.5" bracket on the transfer case that is hitting the frame and not allowing it to rotate where it needs to go. And I will need to re engineer the parking brake linkage as it hits the rear of the transfer case as it is just slightly off the center of the vehicle.

On to the few pics I took today.

Once I get that issues worked out I will attach the motor and get everything lined up the weld up the mounts.

 

[abrogate]

I've been watching this one wondering what the hell an ARO was:laughing:

Kinda cool to see something out of the ordinary.

 

[BassnTruck]

So after dodging getting hit by a truck this morning I went and worked on the ARO some more.

Ran into some problems.
Was test fitting the drive train and found the steering box was hitting the power steering pump not allowing the motor to sit where she needs to. I went and measured the other motor I had in there to see where the bracket put the pump on that one and it is the same distance. So I then took a closer look at each box and how it was mounted. The 244 is an '88 and the 246 is a '02. there have been little revisions I have found between them that have been making more work for me.

But the ARO box in the 246 is a good bit larger then the Ford box in the 244. Plus the ARO box puts a lot of its size in front of the spindle where the Ford's is behind it. I also noticed the Ford box is mounted into the frame with a notch. So I pulled off both boxes to look them over and see how they mount.

The problem.

Ford box VS ARO box. (Ford on right)

I removed the 3rd member from the rear end to find out what gears it had in it. The front diff has 4:12s. Turns out this one has 3:73s in the rear. So I will need to rob the spider gears out of this one and install them in the 244s third member. Pics of that to come.

 

[BassnTruck]

Now looking how the 2 boxes mount.

246

244

So that is where I am now.

I am debating on cutting the notch out of the 244 and welding it into the 246. Or just notching the frame on the 246 and plating it all up myself.

 

[BassnTruck]

Up for sale.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/vehi...-4x4-7-passanger-suv-2-3-ford-i4-4-speed.html

 

[BigRun]

HI,I have seen your ARO 246 I'd like to meet you to see the SUV and talk about.

 

[BassnTruck]

Just found out wife is with child again. The youngest one was just getting to the point I could have started working on this again. So I slashed the price. Someone pick it up and finish her.

 

[BassnTruck]

On EBAY $1, no reserve.

Other Makes ARO 246 | eBay