Grab handle confusion

[Nhaz]

My 92 xlt has no handles at all.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

My (base?) '97 has none, so I added the one on the passenger's side roof. The mounts were in there, so I just added the handle and it was done. While doing that I noticed that the pillars had the provisions for those handles.

My gf has nice grab handles though! (and yes we actually have a hot tub, too)

ohh then i might add the A-pillar handle to mine
and.....

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

My (base?) '97 has none, so I added the one on the passenger's side roof. The mounts were in there, so I just added the handle and it was done. While doing that I noticed that the pillars had the provisions for those handles.

My gf has nice grab handles though! (and yes we actually have a hot tub, too)

You don't happen to have pictures do you? (of the A-pillars and mounting holes, not the gf's grab-handles. I mean, unless it's okay... )

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

You don't happen to have pictures do you? (of the A-pillars and mounting holes, not the gf's grab-handles. I mean, unless it's okay... )

 

[MountainMike]

I want one for the driver-side A-pillar. Has anyone added this handy little mod to a '99?

My 98 has it so the spots are probably there.

Here is what I have. Driver's side A-pillar and both on the passenger's side.

 

[triumphrider-1]

My '99 XLT Subercab 4x4 only has 1 handle above the passenger door.

 

[bcost882]

i swear i've seen it before too but duno where. but just go with it haha. besides it is an oh sh** handle cause your passengers with crap their pants and hang on for dear life wink wink

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

i swear i've seen it before too but duno where. but just go with it haha. besides it is an oh sh** handle cause your passengers with crap their pants and hang on for dear life wink wink

yeah ive done some stuff so my passenger needs to grab it, and ive been a passenger when someone does stuff enough to make me grab it

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Oh boy....my kind of thread! damnit.



Ok....please bear with me....


As far as I know, ALL 98+ Xcabs have a grab handle on the roof. Could entirely be possible it's JUST 4x4's, but I am unsure. I'm not around X-cab 2wds too much.

A-pillar grabs......98-02 is iffy. Some got 'em....some didn't. I have absolutely no clue what models/packages got them......and I've searched hardcore to dial it down too. My friends tan '98 XLT 4x4 2dr xcab has them on the a-pillar. Me and my buddy's dark grey '01 XLT 4x4 4dr xcabs do not. I've never personally seen a dark gray interior 00-02 with a-pillar grab handles. But I know they made them because I bought a-pillar plastics from ford for an 01(more on that later). 02 Fx4 came with them in black. and ALL 03+ trucks have them regardless of cab, drivetrain, trim package, etc. ALL have them. Here's where I get pissed......I traded my 01 no grab pillars for 03 grab pillars. Turns out, they are not interchangeable. On the roof where they snap in, they're different. 02 and 03 mount differently from eachother. Holes in the roof are different. I found this out via the local ford dealership and confirming myself at junkyards comparing A-pillar plastics. This was also the time I ordered myself 00-02 Dark Gray grab a-pillar plastics and brackets.

Not to sound prick and full of myself, but I believe I've got the only dark grey 00-02 a-pillar plastics? idk.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

And I really don't care to type this out....so bam! here's a quote from me on another ranger site that just about covers it as well as install/conversion....



ya'll feelin' overload yet? hahahahaha.

Alrighty.

In '03, Ford made some interior changes to the trucks. Making the A-pillar grab handles standard on all models, among other upgrades over the '02 model year. They also changed how those A pillars mounted to the mody at the roof. '03+ a-pillar plastic doesn't fit an 02 and older truck. I found that out the hard way. BUT...some '02 and olders did come with a-pillar grabs. I believe they must've been part of an upgrade package or something. I'm unsure on which got it and which didn't. My 01 xlt 4x4 didn't have 'em, but my buddy's 98 xlt 4x4 did.

To put in a-pillar grabs, you'll need the a-pillar plastics for grab handles, the grab handles themselves(as well as the screw hole covers), and the bracket that bolts/rivets to the cab and the handles mount to those.

The 00.5-02 dark gray grab pillars are VERY rare. I searched for over a year for those pillar plastics in dark gray....gave up and went to Ford. Mine came from Wisconson from my buddy's dad that is my local Ford Parts Dept manager. Brand spankin' new from a NOS warehouse full of discontinued replacement parts. Not cheap either mind you. The brackets are actually pretty reasonable priced at about $25 per side. The grab handles themselves are the same grabs you've got on the passenger side roof, so I just grabbed those and the screw hole covers as well as the screws from a local junkyard out of like...3 different rangers. Gotta have extras right? lol.

All the other colors of these interiors are available as a rattle can...so changing color is so big deal. But nobody made this Dark Grey Ford color in a rattle can up until just a few months ago. Spray wasn't an option and IMO, it still isn't an option. I like everything to look totally OEM looking.

As Brian mentioned earlier, I like to use nutserts. Sometimes called threaded rivets. Basically...you use it like a rivet but it's got threads so you can thread a bolt into it. I used 1/4-20 or 24 nutserts and obviously 1/4" bolts and washers to secure the brackets to the truck since you can't get a nut back there. Stock, they use HUGE rivets and I was never successfull at drilling those out so I could reuse used brackets. I opted for the nutsert route because I always have the option of totally removing the a-pillar grabs if I wanted down the road, and all parts would be reusable afterwards. After this mod, I've fallen in love with nutserts and actually have a couple on my roof. And I use them to secure my CB antenna bracket. ALOT more reliable and longer lasting compared to self taping screws.

Here's some pics of my install...

Before:

After:

 

[solraven]

You got any part numbers for those brackets?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You got any part numbers for those brackets?

15 year old thread...