Coil Bucket replacement 1997 Ranger 4x4

[97RangerXLT]

looks like I broke a coil bucket on the passenger side. are the 4x4 buckets different than the 4x2 buckets? I seem to remember that they are, but I found an online supplier that says they are the same.

BT-RLR Ford Ranger Front Coil Spring/Shock Tower Bracket Kit – Left & Right Single Shock (1988–1997)

Front coil spring/shock tower bracket kit (BT-RLR) for Ford Ranger (1988–1997) single shock suspension. Includes both left (driver) and right (passenger) side brackets with Grade 8 mounting bolts, lock nuts, and washers. Exact fit for 2WD; minor adjustments may be needed for some 4WD models.

www.autoandtrucksprings.com

That is what I found... any other sites suggestions?

Also for those that have done this job... what am I getting into here? anything I need to know? do I need a spring compressor? any other things that will need to be removed to get these changed? obviously the shocks... I guess it would be a good time to change them out...And if there are any walk throughs for this job out there, they would be greatly appreciated.


Regards,

AJ

 

[Curious Hound]

If TTB, it doesn't seem like it should be too bad of a job. Get frame up on jack stands. Remove wheel. Support axle beam. Disconnect shock. Disconnect brake line. Remove nut holding bottom of spring. Then lower axle beam down until you can get the spring out. Then grind the heads off the rivets and drive them out with hammer and punch or pneumatic hammer. Install new bucket with bolts and re-asssemble in reverse order.

SLA might be a little more complicated.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Thank you Eric! it is indeed the TTB. I was hoping that your answer was the way it is supposed to go. Now for the million dollar question... do 2wd and 4wd buckets interchange?

AJ

 

[4x4junkie]

2WD Bronco II or 2WD Explorer buckets will interchange with a 4WD Ranger, but 2WD Ranger buckets I recall do not.

 

[adsm08]

I got mine from them. They worked out well enough. My front end sits a little low since the job was done, but I think my springs are pooched.

The way Eric described it is pretty much how it goes.

 

[97RangerXLT]

I got mine from them. They worked out well enough. My front end sits a little low since the job was done, but I think my springs are pooched.

The way Eric described it is pretty much how it goes.

Adsm,

your truck that you changed these out on... is it 4wd? did you need to modify the bracket any?


AJ

 

[adsm08]

Adsm,

your truck that you changed these out on... is it 4wd? did you need to modify the bracket any?


AJ

Well it is now. This is the one I kit bashed out of a 2wd and a 4x4. The only thing I had to modify was the holes for the brake lines weren't shaped quite right. A minute or two with a Dremel and a rasping bit fixed that well enough.

 

[97RangerXLT]

so the truck did have a 4x4 frame then... I may go ahead and drop the 160 bucks on them. I don't have welding or deep fabrication skills or the shop to do it, but a little bit of fine grinding is not an issue. I just want the main mounting holes to line up with minimal cussing and rework

Also the goal is to at least get the passenger side done and buttoned up in a day. and now shocks.... I do not have the window sticker, but the original owner of the truck was my Dad, he said that it came with 2" lift but I do not know if that is rear only (confirmed, it does have the two inch lift blocks) but I am not sure about the front. the truck did come with 31" tires from the factory. I also believe that it came with bilstiens originally, and they are on the truck right now with 189k miles and 22 years of rust to go with it. Any recommendations as to whether or not to determine front end lift, and what kind of shocks to put on it for replacements? I would love to do bilsteins again, but they are a tad pricey.

AJ

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Your truck is pretty clean, the worst part of getting the springs out of mine was the nut that held them on. Mine were stuck pretty bad. It took lots of extensions to get out the top of the spring bucket to get a breaker bar on it and mine were pretty crusty.

Every 4x4 has a 2" lift block in the back.

 

[adsm08]

I'm not sure what to tell you about lift in the front. I doubt it actually is since a 97 can clear 31s at stock height. My truck has basically the same front end as yours, with smaller wheel wells, and I mostly clear 31s without issue. Looking for spring spacers and drop brackets is going to be the best bet. Both axle beam pivot brackets should be bolted right to the engine crossmember, springs should sit right on the beam.

I put a set of Monroe OESpectrums on mine and they are nice.