01 and up: Rear Frame Swap

[chucky2]

My '03 FX4 Level II (Supercab) has some pretty degraded crossmembers and the spare tire holder, which looks in a way to be engineered to hold the end of the truck together, are in the same shape. The frame itself, while rusted courtesy of living in the Peoples Republic of Illinoisistan doens't look TOO bad. I already have the bed off to replace it, that's how I found the frame crosssmembers and spare tire box degradation, along with the draining the gas tank as I'll be taking the opportunity to put new fuel pump and hoses in, along with new brake lines.

There are vendors here up north which sell 'rust free southern parts'...the more I look at this, the more to me it looks like just getting a rust free rear frame section will save me a lot of drilling and hamming out rivets - I plan to use Huck fasteners putting the two sections back together.

My question is: Does anyone know if any 01 and up Supercab rear frame section, maybe even including the B4000 Mazda's?, will work for this?

Thanks anyone for the help!

Chuck

 

[97RangerXLT]

Yep, all 98 to 11 supercab rear frames are the same. Also the single cab shorted rear frames are the same for that year range as well.

What part of IL are you from? I used to live in the Effingham Mattoon area

 

[pjtoledo]

before you get the rear frame find out how bad the rust is where the two halves overlap.
when I separated the sections the front section had a huge rust problem inside where the 2 overlap.
I could not see the damage until the frame was separated.

 

[bobbywalter]

before you get the rear frame find out how bad the rust is where the two halves overlap.
when I separated the sections the front section had a huge rust problem inside where the 2 overlap.
I could not see the damage until the frame was separated.

This.

You really need to get it apart.

 

[chucky2]

Yep, all 98 to 11 supercab rear frames are the same. Also the single cab shorted rear frames are the same for that year range as well.

Ok, after I posted this I've kept searching and it looks like the the '10-11 might have more than 6 bed bolts, I still need to run that down for sure but if true then perhaps the frame is slightly different for those years? Also, found out there was a recall for rear frame half in 2004 for 2004, not 100% sure how big in scope that was for but might be a year to avoid.

What part of IL are you from? I used to live in the Effingham Mattoon area

I'll PM you...

 

[chucky2]

before you get the rear frame find out how bad the rust is where the two halves overlap.
when I separated the sections the front section had a huge rust problem inside where the 2 overlap.
I could not see the damage until the frame was separated.

This.

You really need to get it apart.

Thanks both of you, I'll get working on that...

 

[don4331]

Ok, after I posted this I've kept searching and it looks like the the '10-11 might have more than 6 bed bolts, I still need to run that down for sure but if true then perhaps the frame is slightly different for those years? Also, found out there was a recall for rear frame half in 2004 for 2004, not 100% sure how big in scope that was for but might be a year to avoid.

Yes, the '10-11 have 10 bed bolts....are they all required; not really. If you absolutely want them, you may drill holes in an older frame to add them to an older frame. The frame, other than the 4 extra bolt holes, is identical. Hadn't heard about the '04 recall before...

Yes, '98-08 B-series (B2300/B3000/B4000) short bed frames (either Regular or Super Cabs) work just as good.

As noted, you need to get it apart to know how much of a problem you have.

Good luck getting the spring bolts out - they're usually rusted badly in place. Air hammer is handy for removing them.​

 

[chucky2]

Yes, the '10-11 have 10 bed bolts....are they all required; not really. If you absolutely want them, you may drill holes in an older frame to add them to an older frame. The frame, other than the 4 extra bolt holes, is identical. Hadn't heard about the '04 recall before...

Well, I need a new bed too (that's what started this adventure), maybe I could just get a 10-11 red bed as well and just use the holes if I end up getting 10-11 frame. I was thinking more if I got a 10-11 frame but a 01-09 bed, do the 6 holes in the bed line up with 6 of the holes in the 10-11 I might end up with. What is really odd is, given that Ford knew that the Ranger was about to stop being produced, why even go to 10 bolts instead of the 6 since....89?

Yes, '98-08 B-series (B2300/B3000/B4000) short bed frames (either Regular or Super Cabs) work just as good.

Thanks!

As noted, you need to get it apart to know how much of a problem you have.

Good luck getting the spring bolts out - they're usually rusted badly in place. Air hammer is handy for removing them.​

At 242k mi, I'm wondering on that if I shouldn't just get new shackles and hangers, along with springs - I already need new shocks for sure - and just unbolt the axle from the springs, leave it all attached to the existing frame and just not deal with it.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Ok, after I posted this I've kept searching and it looks like the the '10-11 might have more than 6 bed bolts,

Yes, the last few years did add 2 more bed bolts. Not an issue though for what yo ate doing. Your existing bed will still bolt to the newer frame, it just won't need the extra bolts. Same also applies for the 2010 11 bed on an older frame, it will bolt up fine and eork fine, but it will have 2 unused bolt holes.

Not sure why Ford thought it needed 2 extra bolts.. the bed worked fine with 6 bolts from 83 to 2009 without issues. The only thing I can think of is more body and frame rigidity.

AJ

 

[don4331]

Yes, the last few years did add 2 more bed bolts. Not an issue though for what yo ate doing. Your existing bed will still bolt to the newer frame, it just won't need the extra bolts. Same also applies for the 2010 11 bed on an older frame, it will bolt up fine and eork fine, but it will have 2 unused bolt holes.

Not sure why Ford thought it needed 2 extra bolts.. the bed worked fine with 6 bolts from 83 to 2009 without issues. The only thing I can think of is more body and frame rigidity.

AJ

It's 4 more (10 total), and its to stiffen up the rear end - new legislation requiring stability control meant Ford had to make things more rigid = more consistent response and they needed the disc rear brakes to simplify the ABS control.

Ranger wasn't necessarily dead in '05-06, when the engineering for the legislation was being done (Economic crisis of '08 really was nail in coffin).

The original 6 line up exactly; you can decide if you want 4 empty holes or drill the frame and add the missing bolts. (Holes don't need to be very exact - the holes Ford punched are significantly oversize to allow adjustment in bed fitment. The capture nuts allowing for the tolerance. Once you have it lined up, bed is tightened down and is secure.

Going with new springs/shackles is certainly the easier way to do it. And it allows "adjustment" in ride (softer/stiffer springs and/or longer/shorter shackles).

 

[Blmpkn]

The 'extra bed bolt' trucks definitely have 2 more bolts for a total of 8.

With as many times as I had the bed off and on of my 2010 when I was making a flatbed for it... I'll never forget.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, I did a rear half frame on my green 2000. Mine was pretty good at the splice, just bad after, so it really wasn’t a huge problem joining the replacement section. I removed the rivets and used grade 8 bolts to put it back together. Did some light overhaul to the rear back then too, but money was tight and I really needed the truck so I didn’t do everything I should have. It was an unexpected repair at the time. Rear is pretty much entirely overhauled now and as it is, I also just replaced a section of the front rail on the drivers side. Also plating the bottom of the front frame rails up to the torsion bar mounts to both get ahead of rust and stiffen the frame.

I haven’t checked, but I have a suspicion the two extra bed bolts have a hole in the frame rails already, I noticed when mine was apart there was an extra set of holes in the frame that lined up with a crossmember that could have bolts through it. So drilling holes for extra bed bolts may not be needed.