'97 Ranger I beam replacement

[scotts90ranger]

Might be picking up a '97 4x2 Ranger for a daily driver tomorrow, they somehow bent the drivers side I beam I'm guessing from yanking it out of a ditch from the looks of it.

Haven't paid much attention to I beam trucks over the years but I know '97's sometimes got some different things than other years brake wise (4 wheel ABS I think?). Are there going to be any surprises when I go junkyarding looking for a beam year wise? Should be simple compared to working on TTB's so that part doesn't worry me... just didn't know if ball joints and spindles changed over the years where it matters.

Didn't see any better areas to put this question... not offroad, not brake related and not technically steering so general axle area it was . Heck, I even looked in the tech area to see if there was anything...

Thanks for any tips.

 

[Josh B]

The I beams have probably changed since the one I had. They were on a 73 Econoline E300 1 ton van. I pulled those down in around mid 80s, but they were solid I beams then(I doubt you'd have bent one pulling it out of a ditch without the use of a sherman tank) Even with that in mind it wasn't too difficult to release the springs with a jack and take it all apart. I took the spindles to a shop who installed new kingpin bushings, and put it all back together myself. With the I beams free it was also easy enough to put both radius arm bushings in which I did then too.
There's been a lot of time and possible changes elapsed since then so it's just my "for what it's worth"

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The F/E series switched from forged to stamped sometime in the 80s (82 IIRC) and around that time also switched to ball joints from king pins.

Scott, i believe with rangers a beam is a beam but id stay up around 94+ to be sure. 97 was the last year for I beams but hell you may be able to go back clear to 83, but im not sure.

If it were me id strip the old one down to the bare spindle, save the stuff, then slide it on the replacement beam.

 

[scotts90ranger]

For the record I was right... he got stuck in a ditch and his dad hooked a chain to the middle of the drivers side beam and just went for it... it's like 1/4" shorter on the drivers side beam... rides odd since the beam is hitting the engine crossmember...

It's still on the trailer, I drug it home, it is in too good of shape to have passed on, ran like a top and has almost 100k less than anything else I have...

 

[Snoranger]

Scott, i believe with rangers a beam is a beam but id stay up around 94+ to be sure. 97 was the last year for I beams but hell you may be able to go back clear to 83, but im not sure.

83-88 the ball joints were in the beam.

89-97, the ball joints were in the knuckle.

There may be more changes as the years went on

 

[tinman_72]

There is a brake upgrade for pre-95 models that require changing to 95-97 I-beams. So unless you want to downgrade your brakes stick with 95-97 I-beams.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I believe the I-beams are the same, it is the spindles that are different.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, that's exactly why I asked, I thought there was something different but couldn't remember if it was beams or spindles... my guess is spindles just like the Dana 35 brake upgrades (well, same difference really, that one is full outer replacement...)

Maybe I'll get it off the trailer this week, will probably take a couple 15mm wrenches/sockets and toe it in by eyeball so it drives somewhat reasonable first though...

 

[scotts90ranger]

I haven't touched the thing in a while, but it was decent weather tonight so I toed it in... I had to go until the tie rod end bottomed out to get it there, now it's just cambered way out of spec...

It does have two piston calipers, I think it tore the drivers side brake line in the event...