Ranger frames the same?

[dude772]

in the topic "Is the Ranger on its way out?" its mentioned that they havn't really changed the frame of the ranger over the years?

Am i wrong in interpreting this as, I could take any ranger cab and bolt it to my 1990 Frame, and it would all line up? If this is true thats awesome!

That would be like"i want a new truck, but instead I'll just make my old one look new."

[LittleBigFoot]

I couldn't tell you for sure, but if you can fab and weld, then moving the mounts ever so slightly wouldn't be too bad. Same concept as a body lift, but more like a relocater instead of lift.

[Sunk]

I once a mid 90's ranger on Craig's that someone had converted to look like an '07. I don't know if they swapped the cab and bed or modified just the panels...so that may be another option.

[RANGER00]

I Have A 2000 Two Wheel Ranger. From What "four Wheel Parts" Has Told Me, The Front End Of The Earlier Rangers (1997 Body Style) Are Not The Same As The 1998-2000, 2x4 Or 4x4 As Far As Mounting A Light Bar Or Something. But The Rear Section Is The Same On Both Body Styles.

[rickcdewitt]

all i know is that when you buy cab mounts its the same part # up to 97,and the suspension is interchangable in those years.you'd have to be careful about smog and engine controls unless you also used the donors drivetrain also.or a v8 and carberator would make it easy

[mjonesjr]

the only part of the Rangers frame that has changed since it inseption is the front......this has changed to allow for the different front suspension modifications......such as TTB to SLA.....the 2wd '98+ Rangers springs going inside the bottom of the frame where the '97 and older 2wd Rangers had coil buckets...the '98+ 4wd Rangers don't have coil springs in the front where as the '97 and older do......

[85_Ranger4x4]

They did change the length of the ext cab in the late 90's as well, I think they added about 3" of length. That would probably move the cab mounts around and possibly the stepdown in the frame for the cab to sit in.

[AgPete139]

I also believe that the width of the frame between the 2 rails was increased by about 3 total inches. I bought a '98 bumper guard for my '97 several years ago from a friend, and found out it didn't fit (still in the garage, don't wanna modify it). It was around that time that I read somewhere that it was moved outward those 3" to accommodate the new IFS suspension.

[Loanranger]

I also believe that the width of the frame between the 2 rails was increased by about 3 total inches. I bought a '98 bumper guard for my '97 several years ago from a friend, and found out it didn't fit (still in the garage, don't wanna modify it). It was around that time that I read somewhere that it was moved outward those 3" to accommodate the new IFS suspension.

The newer ones are wider (93+) than the older ones by about 3 inches, I brought a transmission crossmember home from work, which was from a '99 that I did a frame change on, and thought I could get away with swapping out my '89 crossmember, which has the outside the frame bushings on it. Well, I held it up there, and like you said, I had about 1.5 inch on either side. As for the body mounts though, I haven't a clue. I guess I'll have to measure next time I have a newer one at work.

[ZMan]

Wow....

I once a mid 90's ranger on Craig's that someone had converted to look like an '07. I don't know if they swapped the cab and bed or modified just the panels...so that may be another option.
Changing a 3rd (93-97) gen front end to a 98+ involves changing the core support, fenders, hood, etc. No need to swap beds or the cab because they are basically the same.

I Have A 2000 Two Wheel Ranger. From What "four Wheel Parts" Has Told Me, The Front End Of The Earlier Rangers (1997 Body Style) Are Not The Same As The 1998-2000, 2x4 Or 4x4 As Far As Mounting A Light Bar Or Something. But The Rear Section Is The Same On Both Body Styles.
the ENTIRE frame is different! It may be SIMILAR in the rear, it does share the same rear hangers/shackles. But the FRONT hangers are different, and the frame is also 2 peice, the split is right at the front hangers.

all i know is that when you buy cab mounts its the same part # up to 97,and the suspension is interchangable in those years.you'd have to be careful about smog and engine controls unless you also used the donors drivetrain also.or a v8 and carberator would make it easy
Right, the frames are basically the same 83-97 other than the addition of Crumple Zones in '91, different bumper mounts in '93, and the i-beams/knuckles are different 83-88

the only part of the Rangers frame that has changed since it inseption is the front......this has changed to allow for the different front suspension modifications......such as TTB to SLA.....the 2wd '98+ Rangers springs going inside the bottom of the frame where the '97 and older 2wd Rangers had coil buckets...the '98+ 4wd Rangers don't have coil springs in the front where as the '97 and older do......
Frames aren't the same (read above), you do describe the suspensions correctly however.

They did change the length of the ext cab in the late 90's as well, I think they added about 3" of length. That would probably move the cab mounts around and possibly the stepdown in the frame for the cab to sit in.
No, they changed the standard, cab, not the extended cab. They only thing that changed on the extended cab was the addition of doors.

I also believe that the width of the frame between the 2 rails was increased by about 3 total inches. I bought a '98 bumper guard for my '97 several years ago from a friend, and found out it didn't fit (still in the garage, don't wanna modify it). It was around that time that I read somewhere that it was moved outward those 3" to accommodate the new IFS suspension.
Its only wider ahead of the front suspension, not the entire thing.

The newer ones are wider (93+) than the older ones by about 3 inches, I brought a transmission crossmember home from work, which was from a '99 that I did a frame change on, and thought I could get away with swapping out my '89 crossmember, which has the outside the frame bushings on it. Well, I held it up there, and like you said, I had about 1.5 inch on either side. As for the body mounts though, I haven't a clue. I guess I'll have to measure next time I have a newer one at work.

Transmission crossmembers are completely different, its not the fact the frame is different widths.

[dude772]

Ok, so the frames are different. But now what i am confused about is the width. Did they change the width of the frame for 98? Or have they changed the width at all?
So far, as far as im concerned, this all sounds very do-able if the width is the same all the way threw, or if its close.

[LearjetMinako]

:pray:The all mighty Zman.

For all I know and seen underneth the Ranger. The chassis is the same, excpet with updated versions through out its life. The rear part remains almost the same. The front end between 1998+ has been boxed further back on the frame for support of the IFS and Torsen bars. But the frame is still the same width.

[Loanranger]

Transmission crossmembers are completely different, its not the fact the frame is different widths.

Ok, it IS the fact that the frame is different widths, otherwise the 99 crossmember would hug the outside of the framerails on my 89 JUST like it did on the 99. There IS a difference in width of the two frames at the trans crossmember location. This is the only point I was trying to make.