Bed interchange

[vbrad511]

Hey all, I've got a '97 Ranger with the 7' bed. She's getting a bit rusty around the rear wheel wells and I'm looking to replace the bed. I found a guy with a bed from a '99 in decent shape. Will it fit on my truck? Will I need to modify anything to make it work, or is it a bolt-on swap?
Thanks..

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Tail lights would be wired differently but would interchange.

Make sure it is a 7’ box though, I am not sure they made them that late.

 

[97RangerXLT]

What ^^ he said.

for that matter, any bed made that is newer than 1993 will bolt up and all body lines will match as long as it is a true 7 foot bed. Taillights changed but if your tail lights and harness is still good on the 1997, just transfer them all over and you should be good.

If you don't care what the truck looks like, a 1983 to 1992 long bed will bolt up but the body lines will not match and you will likely have to play with the taillight wiring...

AJ

 

[vbrad511]

Good to hear all of this. I may pull the trigger on it. Thanks.

 

[don4331]

Wiring might actually be the same; it think it was '01 that the lights changed from amber - turn/red - brake & running/white - reverse to just red and white.

I have 2 7' boxes, one red ('99) and one white ('01). Wiring changed between them, but it was a 5 minute swap.

I'm pretty sure 7' boxes were available to the bitter end, just not very popular.

 

[vbrad511]

So let me ask this....what's the best way to haul this if I go after it. It's about 90 minutes away. I have a small 4x8 trailer that does have leaf springs, but I'm not sure of the weight rating on it. I Thought about turning it upside down and clamping it to my bed, but I'm not sure there'll be enough people at pickup to be able to flip it.
Thoughts?

 

[fastpakr]

Why not take your bed off before you go?

 

[saskbill]

Agreed that manpower to load/unload it may be a challenge.

When I went to haul a 6-ft bed out to the farm (about 4 h) years ago, I whittled some 2x2s to fit in the bed pockets and flipped the 2nd bed up on top, pegged together by the 2x2s and held down by a couple of loadstraps. (and I think some belting to keep the painted surfaces from rubbing on each other)

When I originally picked it up, it was a 1 h jaunt, carried it upside down on a couple of 2x4s across the bed and strapped down, and it rode fine.

When you go to pick it up, take extra wood to keep metal away from metal when you are loading it, maybe a couple of traps or blankets.

If you don't have enough people to flip it over and carry it on, lay a tarp/blanket on the ground (to protect the bed end, and put it on end, up in the air and steady it while backing the truck in, then put a 2x4 across the carrying truck bed (tailgate shut) and then lay the bed over upside down with 1 end in the 2x4, and then lift and slide the bed forward until it is on and another 2x4 under it at the back.

 

[Ranger850]

Why not take your bed off before you go?

This seems to be the most logical of the answers

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Put boards in stake pockets and install new bed upside down on old bed. Ratchet strap it down and away you go.

 

[Denisefwd93]

That's brilliant!! that's freaking brilliant!

Put boards in stake pockets and install new bed upside down on old bed. Ratchet strap it down and away you go.

 

[don4331]

Inverted on top of existing box works much better than 4x8 trailer; there is a lot of sheetmetal below frame line and I couldn't get it to sit nice on the trailer deck..

My son and I have loaded/unloaded 3 or 4 boxes so you don't need that much manpower; we do have advantage of both being over 6' tall. SuperDuty short box (the older steel one) was 320lbs; Ranger one will be about 7/8ths of that*. And you can always remove the tailgate to gain another 40lbs.

I like the idea of stakes to laterally hold it in place, never though of that, but will use it going forward. We used 2x4s cut to width of box to keep the painted surfaces from rubbing and load straps to hold it down.

*If box is lined, it could be significantly heavier...