Frame Compatibility

[Ranger Kip]

Alright guys, I am checking some junkyards for ranger frames, and thinking about just going to pickapart and removing a portion of frame from another ranger.

I am looking for basically the frame starting from the back of the cab (single cab).

What generations wont flawlessly fit onto my first gen?

Or do all the generations have the same shaped (thickness, material, etc) frame?

 

[cammeddrz]

first let me ask why you are back-halfing the frame instead of replacing it?

 

[cody93]

thats just the way he is, ive known him for years, id strongly recomend u replace the whole thing, choping it up reduce strengh

 

[jhammel85]

first let me ask why you are back-halfing the frame instead of replacing it?

Agreed. You're much better off with a strong, whole, 1 piece frame......

 

[cammeddrz]

choping it up reduce strengh

Agreed. You're much better off with a strong, whole, 1 piece frame......

i disagree, properly sectioned frames will be stronger than a continuous frame. a good weld is stronger than the surrounding metal. so if he adds material in the appropriate places, and welds properly it will be considerably stronger than a 1-piece frame

for example i used 1/4" thick channel iron that i overlapped about 3" into my frame and then centered 6" long 3/16" thick plates over the joints to box it in and add strenght, that frame is 6" tall and it has more than 24" of weld bead per joint........it is much stronger that way than it ever was stock

 

[Ranger Kip]

I still need an answer

 

[cammeddrz]

I still need an answer

i don't have one for you, but i am still curious as to why you are back-halfing the frame

 

[Ranger Kip]

The back half of my frame is the only issue with my truck that is keeping it from being safe and road legal, other than that, (along with the brakes needing fixed) the truck would pass inspection no issue.

The front half was somehow preserved versus the rest of the frame, while the back half was left to rot, it is so bad that it needs replaced in the back. I found out that the frame itself from any local junkyard would cost me the price of a good parts truck. (nearly $700 due to the fact they want to do all the labor and get the money from that, each piece they remove is counted as a price), so the logical answer is going to a pickapart, removing the back end of a different ranger, and putting it on mine.

Plus, it saves a few weeks work which I do not have time to do anymore. So instead of being a 2 or 3 week project, its a 3 day project with a welder

 

[cammeddrz]

makes sense, i'm sorry that frames are that expensive where you are, i got my rolling chassis with seering gear, tranny, and t-case delivered to my house for $150.
but good luck with your quest for knowledge. all i know is that a 1st gen bed, mounts the same place as a 2nd gen bed if that helps

 

[Ranger Kip]

definately, thanks!

 

[gwaii]

as long as it's a standard cab,and box length is the same any ttb frame(up to 96)will work....the back half on later ones may be ok too,but i can't confirm this.

 

[Ranger Kip]

$160 for the back end from a junkyard 2 hours away, this is if I do all the work too.

Does anybody in PA have a ranger that they do not mind removing some frame!?

This one part of the project is the determine of whether or not I will keep or sell the entire truck.

 

[AllanD]

Frankly I'd regard this as... well if not "Wrong", then considerably less than optimum.

Vertical welds AND welds ACROSS the flange are both No-no's

Welds to the radius are also to be avoided whenever possible.

When done "right" there should be NO welds perpendicular to the pieces being welded

Meaning if you MUST weld up the web of the frame the weld should be at a 30degree angle.

Ditto for a weld across the top or bottom flange..

the reinforcement piece to go on the flanges needs to be cut at a 45deg angle so that the welds to the flange can be angled.

And even done the way I'm describing if a Pennsylvania state inspector EVER
sees it you'll either have a "condemned" vehicle on your hands
or you'll be forced to REPLACe the frame.

they don't want you welding the RAILS at all...

But if you want strong the proper format is to make a double "Reverse fishmouth" Or a "tongue" on either section of the frame to be joined,
these overlap, one inside the frame one outside the frame.

the strongest place to join the frame is where the factory did it
on the 1998-up supercabs, where the overlap is reinforced by riveted in place brackets inside and outside the frame.

the issue is NOT the "skill" of the welder laying the bead.

the issue here is understanding that welds are in essence cast metal
and that cast metal is by nature more brittle, so you must whenever
possible make sure your welds are not loaded "in tension"

it's an engineering issue.


You want a frame? the U-pull-it's here will sell you one.

AD

 

[cammeddrz]

i should have mentioned that the specific way that i did it was not the best way to do it. i repeat not the best way. i needed to cut right along the front of where my leaf -shackles were and in the pic you can see i had no room. not to mention there was an existing riveted in cross-brace that interfered with access to welds or cuts on the inside of the frame shown in the other picture that i wanted to leave unmolested to ensure that the rear section of frame retained its shape during the entire process, and this section of channel is replacing a sloped section that i needed to be straight. i did it out of necessity, not because it was the best way to do it. i was still a little aprehensive so i sent pics to a friend at wyotech who was studying chassis fabrication, he showed his teacher and got "it should be fine" as a response. so i moved forward with the project, maybe if i was doing a pre-runner or something else i'd be concerned but i'm not

just eliminate my pics and read the post by itself:

properly sectioned frames will be stronger than a continuous frame. a good weld is stronger than the surrounding metal. so if he adds material in the appropriate places, and welds properly it will be considerably stronger than a 1-piece frame

what i said still stands true unless what you are saying is that welds weaken the existing metal

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

the 83 ranger we had broke in half the frame once. they did a welding job with some patches on it. it broke where the bed starts.(i dont know how)
that frame never gave any issues after the welding. so a welded frame can be as good as a 1 piece one if done correctly imo.

good luck on your search Jean,u really desrve having your truck on the road.