I bought a High Rider...

[Snoranger]

I sold an STX rollbar from my 89 Sport Rider last year for $400. I may still have the tube bumper and grille guard behind the shed. I know I have 2 or 3 High/Sport Rider transfer cases. Ive owned 2 of them and stripped some parts off a 3rd I found in a local scrap yard.


Here's a pic of the STX bar in the bed of my 01:

 

[Jim Oaks]

Is there really a frame difference besides the front frame horns? Could you cut them off and weld them to the donar frame?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The irony in that is that I DO have a 1st gen 4x4 SWB frame... it's just under my daily driver... lol. I do have a 4x4 engine crossmember too, I could convert a 2wd frame. But even those are hard to find.

As far as I can tell this truck DID come with the roll bar, bumpers, etc...it's got holes in the bed, my buddy said it had a roll bar at some point, and he may still have one of the tube bumpers but the rear was destroyed in the wreck IIRC.

If you are really serious about restoring the thing you can get a Marti report which will tell you what options it had.

Kinda agree with Jim though, I don't know how much of a premium a highrider commands over a generic 4x4 Ranger.

But if you want it, nothing wrong with it. I am trying to restore a base model 4x4 myself.

Is there really a frame difference besides the front frame horns? Could you cut them off and weld them to the donar frame?

I don't know, for a "restoration" the correct frame would look better though.

 

[Shran]

I think the frames are almost identical except for the front and a few holes drilled here and there. Trans crossmember maybe? '88 would have the round bushing ends, '92 would have had the L shaped crossmember with no bushings.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think the frames are almost identical except for the front and a few holes drilled here and there. Trans crossmember maybe? '88 would have the round bushing ends, '92 would have had the L shaped crossmember with no bushings.

Was it just the 2wd's that had that big steering skidplate/crossmember thing?

Not sure what you are talking about with the L shaped crossmember, my '85 has one that could be described like that though.

Could change the nose and make it a second gen STX too since you would have the interior and frame...

 

[BlackBII]

Here's the two crossmembers. Older trucks(through '89) have the one with the bushings. The L shaped one will bolt into place once you remove the brackets that the bushing one used.

Could change the nose and make it a second gen STX too since you would have the interior and frame...

I like this idea! You could even get some factory STX decals from rearcounter.com

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Here's the two crossmembers. Older trucks(through '89) have the one with the bushings. The L shaped one will bolt into place once you remove the brackets that the bushing one used.

I like this idea! You could even get some factory STX decals from rearcounter.com

Up to '85 they looked a lot like the later one but bolted on the inside of the frame rail with two bolts stacked vertically.

I moved mine back from the C5 holes (factory) to the A4LD holes (where it was with the 2.8/A4LD)








My '86 parts truck had the rubber bushing style, I am not really well versed in the newer trucks.

 

[BlackBII]

Interesting. So there are 3 versions of the transmission crossmember. I haven't seen that one you have.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Interesting. So there are 3 versions of the transmission crossmember. I haven't seen that one you have.

I think 83-85 had my style. I have seen them in JY's too.

 

[Jim Oaks]

My 83 (TRS-1) had the transmission crossmember that 85_Ranger4x4 described. When I added Skyjacker radius arms, I kept the factory transmission crossmember, cut off the transmission mount on the Skyjacker crossmember, and stuck it in under the factory one.

I believe a had to drill a couple of holes when I added the extended radius arms. My frame did not have all the holes for the brackets to bolt up to.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I'd like to see a pic of a 83-85 transmission crossmember for comparison.

 

[Shran]

I believe I have one of the earlier crossmembers (83-85) somewhere in my parts stash. I will take it out and take a picture.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'd like to see a pic of a 83-85 transmission crossmember for comparison.

I don't have a pic of mine loose, I added a few more pics to my previous post that show it better without derailing Shran's thread too much more. It comes down from above on the PS which is different than the newer style.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I don't have a pic of mine loose, I added a few more pics to my previous post that show it better without derailing Shran's thread too much more. It comes down from above on the PS which is different than the newer style.

That's a pretty transfer case you have there....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That's a pretty transfer case you have there....

No idea if it works but it does look nice.