Crossmember removal

[Fairlaniac]

So when will Ford get it right? The transmission cross member bolts are rusted fast to the steel sleeve inside of the bushing. The sleeve broke from the rubber and just spins. I've already gone through this twice this summer. On my '66 Fairlane the sleeve in the leaf spring bushing was rusted fast so I had to cut the bolts on either side of the mount and drop the spring, then to replace the bushing and use new bolts. Same thing last month trying to help a buddy do his leaf springs on his '67 Mustang. Now the damned Ranger. How can Ford not figure out a better way in over 50 years use of the same design.

Well so much for my rant. Any better idea on the Ranger? There seems to be a layer of rubber against the inside flange that the cross member mounts to and I cannot get my sawzall blade in between to cut it. Short of a torch or grinding off the entire bolt head, is there anything else I can do? I'm tired of this crap!

Thanks!

 

[metalmacguyver]

Grind or cut off the bolt head and go with a crossmember from a later model ranger. I forget what year they changed to the newer style in but it can be made to work with out much effort.

 

[kunar]

early 90's explorer is the one to get. i dont know if theres any rangers that have the same setup but thats the one im using. it doesnt hang under the frame but it still covers up the exhaust. you'll have to grind out the rivets for the brackets that are there, and drill one hole in the frame rail.

 

[Fairlaniac]

x-member

Do you have any pictures showing the installation of the Explorer x-member? I'm not sure what you mean about a rivet? Are all Explorer x-members the same or do the differ with engine and tranny? I've got a 2.3/5 spd.

Thanks,

 

[kunar]

Do you have any pictures showing the installation of the Explorer x-member? I'm not sure what you mean about a rivet? Are all Explorer x-members the same or do the differ with engine and tranny? I've got a 2.3/5 spd.

Thanks,

i dont have any pics, i can try to get some tomorrow though. the rivets hold the brackets to the frame, theres 6 in total. youll have to cut the bolts that hold the cross member to the brackets, then grind off the rivets that hold the brackets to the frame. i dont know if they were all the same or not, but if you go to a yard and look, it should be pretty easy to tell what you need. i dont think engine and transmission combo make any difference

 

[Mudhound]

IF you can find it, the Xmember from a 84-85 BII mounts inside the frame, using one bolt on the drivers' side and 2 on the other. The only bushing that you have to deal with is the transmission mount. I am using one in my 87 Ranger that I swiped from a 85 BII. Works quite well.

 

[metalmacguyver]

^^^ Thats what we are talking about.

 

[cocoasranger]

I think your main problem is that you have the 5 speed trans. If you had the A4LD like I had you would have already pulled the cross member three times to replace crapped out transmissions and the bolts would pull out by hand like when I finally swapped in the Mazda trans.

 

[Fairlaniac]

Ok, so you need to remove the original frame bracket from the current Ranger and if I understand the Explorer x-member bolts to those holes and I add a hole? I'll look into the mid '80's x-member as mentioned as well. This Ranger is a budget beater truck.

I just stuck in a rebuilt 2.3. I pulled the blown engine and 5 speed as one but they are going in separately. Too much of a pain getting it all out through the engine bay. My lift was about 10 inches too short. So to put the trans through the bottom I need to remove the x-member. Of the whole deal, rust is my main enemy. I have the x-member bolts rusted and I had to cut the exhaust manifold studs as the head of the bolt was rusted to a round shape and the threads are just rusted to the manifold. Otherwise it wouls have been an easy task.

Thanks,

 

[AllanD]

Looked at from the front or rear the Explorer crossmember is "L" shaped

The "tip" of the "L" rests on top of the lower flange of the driver side frame rail

The "base" of the "L" bolts to the outboard side of the passengerside frame rail

There is ONE bolt on the left and typically two on the right, early installations
used a three bolt plate, (because some engineer thought if you had three holes you used them.)

BOTH frame brackets for the early crossmember get removed.

There is no rubber bushing and the crossmember increases ground clearnace.

Lastly the "L" crossmember goes UNDER everything.

The early bronco2 crossmember requires taking the catalytic converter down to get it out because it runs OVER the cat.

AD

 

[HareRazor]

My '91 Ranger 3.0 came stock with the A4LD and the L shaped crossmember with 3 bolts on one side. I wouldn't even bother with putting the one that has the rubber bushings back in it, get the L shaped one. I have done transmission swaps in 2 trucks with these and both of them we had to cut the end of the bolts off and pull it out.

 

[Fairlaniac]

I just ground off the bolt heads and removed the x-member. Now to find a replacement x-member.

Thanks!

 

[kunar]

this is what you need. like allan said, the short leg is bolted to one side of the frame rail, where the rivets originally held one of the brackets for the old cross member. the long end sits on top of the bottom flange of the frame rail. you will need to drill one hole for a bolt to hold that end in place. this cross member came off of a 91 explorer.

 

[Mudhound]

Here is the Xmember that I am using. I am using it because it fits completely inside the frame, and if you flip it so that the big "hump" is on the drivers' side, you get monster front driveshaft clearance, unlike the Xplorer one, which is pretty close in clearance to a stock Xmember. To remove mine from the donor, I simply unbolted it and knocked it back to clear the cat, then simply twisted it out of the frame.

Now, I did weld a plate onto mine to hold the tranny mount, but that is because I am NOT using a stock tranny. I am using a T-18, and it is a heck of alot taller than a stock one. BTW, THIS particular Xmember came from an A4LD BII, and it is identical to the one in my TK-5 BII.

 

[Fairlaniac]

this is what you need. like allan said, the short leg is bolted to one side of the frame rail, where the rivets originally held one of the brackets for the old cross member. the long end sits on top of the bottom flange of the frame rail. you will need to drill one hole for a bolt to hold that end in place. this cross member came off of a 91 explorer.

any idea which years this cross member was used? A local guy is parting a '95 Explorer which would make it convienent.

Thanks,