1997 ford ranger parts

[warren80]

Hello, I have a 1997 ranger splash reg cab I just purchased and was wondering what other years of rangers I can get parts off of

 

[97RangerXLT]

Hello, I have a 1997 ranger splash reg cab I just purchased and was wondering what other years of rangers I can get parts off of

Depends on what parts you need. body parts for the most part will interchange without issues from 1993 to 1997, with some parts like the bed, doors, tailgate etc interchanging from 1993 to 2012. Engine and transmission should be interchangeable from 1995 to 2000 or 2001 depending on engine size.

if you do go outside of the 1997 year, there might be a few parts that have different electrical connectors... case in point, my 1997 has different connectors for the 4wd shift motor than a 1994, but the motor itself is the same.

Check out the tech library(link to it is at the top of the page and it will have all sorts of info and what will and won't swap over. some stuff will swap but you will need to do some modifications.

Welcome to TRS

AJ

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^^

1983 to 1992 is Generation 1 Rangers
(1989 to 1992 had a make over and are often referred to as Gen 1.5)

1993 to 1997 are Gen 2, larger body and axle width

1998 to 2012 are Gen 3, suspension and fuel system changes

Gen 2 and 3 are virtually the same size


In 1995 all Rangers changed to the EEC-V computers which used OBD2 diagnostics
They also changed to electronic speedometer/odometers, no speedo cable
And they got "Body Computers", from 1995 to 2003 this was called the GEM, Generic electronic module.
It controls interior lights, wipers, door locks, and most cab electrics

Rangers also got a full computer controlled Automatic transmission in 1995

You would think with theses changes 1995 would be a Generation change, lol, but it isn't.

So heads up on that, 1993/1994 Ranger computer, electrics and automatic trans are quite different from 1995-1997 Rangers, even though they are the same generation

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

+1 ^^^^

1983 to 1992 is Generation 1 Rangers
(1989 to 1992 had a make over and are often referred to as Gen 1.5)

1993 to 1997 are Gen 2, larger body and axle width

1998 to 2012 are Gen 3, suspension and fuel system changes

For Ford yes.

On here generally:

83-88 are Gen 1
89-92 are Gen 2
93-97 are Gen 3
98-12 are Gen 4

Cut along those lines it is pretty clean what interchanges with what although they did change minor things year to year. Not that it matters for the OP but really very little interchanges on a 83-88 vs a 89-92.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

For Ford yes.

On here generally:

83-88 are Gen 1
89-92 are Gen 2
93-97 are Gen 3
98-12 are Gen 4

Cut along those lines it is pretty clean what interchanges with what although they did change minor things year to year. Not that it matters for the OP but really very little interchanges on a 83-88 vs a 89-92.

Are you sure about that?

1) From the A pillar back, the trucks are identical
2) I could put an 83 front end on my 1990, but I have to change the grill, fenders *and* hood (and maybe the rad support)
3) Both trucks use the twin I-Beam front suspension
4) Engines and transmissions are different, yes, although there is overlap (2.3 and 2.9 were available in both)
5) While the dash and door panels are different, I have seen my seat in a Gen1
6) My rims were available on a gen1, and I think the standard steel wheels with center cap and ring on the gen1 were also standard on gen2 with my rims being optional
7) Ok, I do know that the gen2 is wider, but since I've been told that the hood and grill (and bumpers) will interchange, I'm not sure where the extra width is
8) "big" mirrors (the fold away ones that stick out from the body) are the same mirror on both trucks, are they not?
9) I can't speak to brake parts, rear suspension, etc.
10) Aren't the driveshafts the same?

I could go on, but from here I'll just say that they're virtually the same truck, with some minor changes. But, I won't guarantee that any of what I've said would hold up in a court of law.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

1) From the A pillar back, the trucks are identical

89-92 have bigger wheel arches. 93-12 trucks are even more similar, the beds are a direct interchange.

2) I could put an 83 front end on my 1990, but I have to change the grill, fenders *and* hood (and maybe the rad support)

Yup. Could put a 2012 front end on a 1993 too.

3) Both trucks use the twin I-Beam front suspension

So do the 93-97's.

4) Engines and transmissions are different, yes, although there is overlap (2.3 and 2.9 were available in both)

Yup.

5) While the dash and door panels are different, I have seen my seat in a Gen1

Most smaller Ford vehicle seats fit too. I have had BII and Explorer seats in mine. Mustang seats are also a popular swap.

I doubt they changed the base bench seat any more than they had to.

6) My rims were available on a gen1, and I think the standard steel wheels with center cap and ring on the gen1 were also standard on gen2 with my rims being optional

They were, the second gen had alloys that were also available on the 93-97's.

7) Ok, I do know that the gen2 is wider, but since I've been told that the hood and grill (and bumpers) will interchange, I'm not sure where the extra width is

93-97 has more flair in the body for wider axles. Nothing sheetmetalwise interchanges or fits on a older truck. Beds do bolt on but look very out of place. Bumpers might too but they would look weird.

8) "big" mirrors (the fold away ones that stick out from the body) are the same mirror on both trucks, are they not?

Fullsize trucks had them too.

9) I can't speak to brake parts, rear suspension, etc.

My '85 has rear springs from a low mile '08 Supercab. They played with rear brakes but I opted for an Explorer axle so I bypassed all that stuff and never dealt with it.

IIRC the front calipers stayed the same until 1995 when they went to the bolt on two piston calipers.

10) Aren't the driveshafts the same?

83-88 had a myriad of transmission options and they were just about all different lengths. They were starting to get more standardized by the time the 89-92's came out and narrowed down to just the A4LD and M5ODR1 which are both the same length. About the time the 4.0 came out they also started going with much bigger u-joints too.

I am restoring my '85. When I see a 89-92 in the JY there is usually little reason to rejoice because they have about as much in common with mine as a Toyota. None of the sheetmetal does me any good. Don't care about the powertrain (4.0 trucks did have better axles than 83-88 but I have better axles than a 90-92 4.0 Ranger), interior is totally different, electrical is totally different.

Tail lights, tail gate (although they usually have the big aluminum plate that is a DQ for me) seat, and if I go on a wild goose chase sometimes I might be able to find an electrical connector I need. It might be somewhere on the truck but it typically won't be doing the same thing it is doing on my '85. That's about it for interchangeability in my world.

I am converting my truck to the 91-92 4.0 style A/C because the hose routing will fit my 5.0 better though.