I discovered something.... interesting about Ranger frames....

[ChrisR1S]

AllanD, are all '98+ frames modular...? (not just the supercab version?)

 

[Casper98]

A guy on RPS is doing it, but it's a custom frame

 

[AllanD]

Uhhhh... That isn't a "Custom frame", THAT is a modified Corvette frame.

And No, I'm not sure they are ALL "modular" frames, I still need to examine a longbox std cab.

But it wouldn't make sens that they wouldn't be...

That way they'd only need to make two front frames, Std cab and supercab
and two rear frames, short box and long box.

they just never assemble the one combination I want to assemble myself...

I really doubt that the turn radius will be all that bad... it's ONLY six inches
longer on the wheelbase.

But Remember I'm building it as a long distance runner...

I'll let you know afer my next junkyard trip.

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[chvlfrk]

Fyi:

ALL 98up frames are like this, here's a pic of my 99 std. cab, I have also looked at a friends 03 Supercab 4X4 chassis, and it is the same:

I can get more pics if ya like..........that is just one I took for the guy that made my custom spring mounts.

 

[Will]

It would be an unique ride, but the turn radius would suck. Every tried turning around in a crew cab long bed truck?

You mean my daily driver for the last 6 years? I've tried it a couple of million times. I have 5 kids and need a pickup so a smaller vehicle is out of the question. in fact, I have a 4 passenger rear seat from a 15-pax van so my truck seats 7, all with shoulder belts.

131" is standard full-size, regular cab, longbed. It's not bad. A fullsize crewcab longbed is much, much longer--mine is 165" and some are up to 172". I moved my girls to a different ballet school because my truck would not parallel park in the little old street downtown without 2 end-to-end spots available. Impossible to find at 4pm on a weekday. A 34" shorter wheelbase would have been nice--and narrowing it 14" would have made it easy.

DaveR made a longbed ext cab and it looked fine.

 

[ZMan]

To be honest I'm surprised this is new to you Allen, all '98+ frames are like this, like chvlfrk pointed out.

 

[Will]

I'll tell you what this proves too: I've said many times that a truck is meant to carry the load centered over the rear axle. That riveted joint is weak, but it doesn't matter because the cargo half of the truck is like a wagon riveted to the cab half. The front axle capacity of any truck is not much over the curb weight of the front axle--with exceptions. All of the load carrying capacity is designed into the rear axle. This modular frame image makes it scarily obvious. Don't carry your depleted uranium collection in the front of the pickup bed.

GM has been doing this for years (so, I imagine have others) but they weld the sections together. I don't think any truck larger than a Ranger would have the joint that small and held by rivets. I've seen rivets that were worked loose with continous frame rails on two plow trucks.

 

[Casper98]

Uhhhh... That isn't a "Custom frame", THAT is a modified Corvette frame.

LOL Ok but it's not.......it's Ranger with IRS

 

[Original_Ranger84]

LOL Ok but it's not.......it's Ranger with IRS

Lol actually... its a corvette with a ranger body...


But the longbed extended cab idea would be awesome, especially for a 2wd long hauler. You could make the cab super comfortable and also be able to utilize all of the space in the bed as well. Even a topper if you wanted.

Althoug a mild 2" lift would probably do it good. so its not so low and stuff, because with a longer wheelbase your gonna high center on hill easier... nothing extreme, just enough...

 

[AllanD]

I'll tell you what this proves too: I've said many times that a truck is meant to carry the load centered over the rear axle. That riveted joint is weak, but it doesn't matter because the cargo half of the truck is like a wagon riveted to the cab half. The front axle capacity of any truck is not much over the curb weight of the front axle--with exceptions. All of the load carrying capacity is designed into the rear axle. This modular frame image makes it scarily obvious. Don't carry your depleted uranium collection in the front of the pickup bed.

GM has been doing this for years (so, I imagine have others) but they weld the sections together. I don't think any truck larger than a Ranger would have the joint that small and held by rivets. I've seen rivets that were worked loose with continous frame rails on two plow trucks.

Will, I believe that lapjoint is actually stronger than a single
continuous piece of metal and that lap joint has already been placed at what I believed was one of the strongest parts of the frame.
(only the Gen1 engine crossmember is stronger)

It MAY be welded on the inside, frankly I didn't even look
Welds aren't "permanant" to anyone with an angle grinder

But I'll make it even stronger. by replacing soft small headed rivets
with hard, wide headed bolts with washers.

As for your thought on cargo placement?
frankly if you are in a collision and your payload is anywhere
else it ends up against the headgate (and in one case where a guy was hauling an engine INSIDE the cab) SUDDENLY and it's far better/safer
for it to already BE there WHEN you have an accident.

Call it "slide hammer effect"

Lol actually... its a corvette with a ranger body...


But the longbed extended cab idea would be awesome, especially for a 2wd long hauler. You could make the cab super comfortable and also be able to utilize all of the space in the bed as well. Even a topper if you wanted.

Althoug a mild 2" lift would probably do it good. so its not so low and stuff, because with a longer wheelbase your gonna high center on hill easier... nothing extreme, just enough...

Actually I'll never own another 2wd ranger except to either part it out or convert it.

4x4 doesn't mean you MUST go off road, it's sometimes nice for it to be there

HEy, a friend sent me a PIC of a Ranger Based RV for sale out in Colorado, they extended the back overhang by 4FEET and put dualie wheels under it

I commented that having the camper body on it would make it a PITA to convert it
to TTB 4x4, he commented "You aren't planning on offroading it are you?"

No actually, but getting stuck in a mud puddle or a patch of wet grass
getting in and out of the RV park is no fun either.

But the 2.8 carb engine and C3 trans would just hafta go... MINIMUM on a ranger
based motor home would be a 4.0.

a 5.0? HELL NO! But I'd think seriously about a 5.8....
and likely 3.27 or 3.55 gears (big engine turning as slowly as possible)

Again, just because you have 4x4 doesn't mean you need to use it...
But in point of fact a significant portion of why I converted my truck to 4x4
was for the bigger front brakes. and saving myself the aggrevation of putting
chains on my truck just to drive to the post office.

The truck I'm building will have a front axle, 1998-up type with explorer outer parts
Lack of lockin hubs won't be a concern, the truck will be FULL TIME 4x4
or more precisely "AWD"



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[MountainMike]

Lack of locking hubs won't be a concern, the truck will be FULL TIME 4x4, or more precisely "AWD"

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Thinking about using Explorer naughty bits?

This will be the Ranger Ford should have built, if you actually end up following through with this keep me posted. I am extremely interested in 'factory parts customization' like this

 

[chvlfrk]

The truck I'm building will have a front axle, 1998-up type with explorer outer parts
Lack of lockin hubs won't be a concern, the truck will be FULL TIME 4x4
or more precisely "AWD"
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=====================================
If you use an Edge as a base, the Explorer 5.0 AWD is a DIRECT SWAP!

I have a customer at work that just finished that swap using an Edge and 2000 Explorer drivetrain.................it's SWEET!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Actually I'll never own another 2wd ranger except to either part it out or convert it.

4x4 doesn't mean you MUST go off road, it's sometimes nice for it to be there

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This I know, I would never get a 2wd truck, I am always putting it in 4x4 or getting calls from my 2wd friends to get pulled out or something...

But down south in like Arizona or something.... a long 2wd like that would make an excellent travel truck for the smootherish roads...

 

[AllanD]

Yes, I'll be using an Explorer 5.0AWD T-case, but this t-case WILL NOT bolt to the
Ranger transmission I'll be using.

the 44-04 AWD T-case uses the larger spline and SIX bolt mounting pattern of the
Full size ford trucks, so I'm making an adapter, the part I'm most troubled by is the splined piece (splined inside and out) I'll need to have made to get the small Mazda output spline to turn the 44-04 input

I DO NOT want a V8, V8 is "too thirsty".

a 4.0 or a 2.3turbo OTOH....

BTW, a 1993 Cab is going on this frame.

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[MountainMike]

BTW, a 1993 Cab is going on this frame.

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I'm not going to make another photoshop

Haha, keep us posted Allan