Is there a long and short side on a crossmember?

[Dredwolf]

Thanks to these forums, I rebuilt a $500 truck into a functional mode of transportation for my daughter to her job and college. I can say I am impressed with the little 1993 Ranger XL with a 2.3 and MD05 transmission.

Now that the "panic" repair mode has calmed down, I am making the 2nd pass over the truck, trying to make sure things are fixed right, large or small, and check details. When I did the clutch job, it looked like someone had done a previous clutch job, and for whatever reason, beat "notches" in the access plate on the transmission tunnel. When I pulled the crossmember, I marked orientation with a grease crayon, and re-installed based on the marks, with a new mount.
I was looking at the front shocks and springs tonight, planning to replace them this coming weekend, when I noticed the engine was slightly twisted on the motor mounts. Shining a light down the transmission tunnel, one side of the MD05 was VERY close to the tunnel, with a much larger gap on the opposite side.

I was working alone with a tranny jack when I re-installed the crossmember, and it was not a major struggle to line things up and run in the bolts. Even the removal was not terrible (Kroil is awesome). So my Ranger newbie question is, can these crossmembers be installed where the transmission is shoved to one side too much and still fit?

This is where working in the driveway at night with a headlamp does not always let you spot things that are off.

 

[4x4junkie]

I went out and looked at my '94... It does appear the crossmember could infact be installable backwards (I see holes on the driverside frame that could accept the bolts for where it mounts up on the side anyway).

The turned-up side of the crossmember should go on the passengerside (the driver side of the member mounts with a single bolt on top of the lower framerail lip). This positions the transmission about 1" toward the passengerside of center.

Hope that helps

P.S., just FYI, the trans is a M5OD (Manual 5 (speed) Over Drive).

 

[Dredwolf]

I went out and looked at my '94... It does appear the crossmember could infact be installable backwards (I see holes on the driverside frame that could accept the bolts for where it mounts up on the side anyway).

The turned-up side of the crossmember should go on the passengerside (the driver side of the member mounts with a single bolt on top of the lower framerail lip). This positions the transmission about 1" toward the passengerside of center.

Hope that helps

P.S., just FYI, the trans is a M5OD (Manual 5 (speed) Over Drive).

Thanks, that does help. Work is being heck on wrenching time, but I will crawl under it with the tranny jack again and daylight and figure out what is wrong. Driveshaft barely clears the tank, and the M5OD sits right against the driver side of the transmission tunnel. The PO of the little truck had less than a quart of transmission fluid in the transmission, and a bunch of other mechanical details missed (two broke spark plugs , its why I grew fond of the little truck, it still drove 25+ miles to my home that way), so its time to go over the little truck again. Might try to find a rear axle from an automatic, with 15" tires, the little 2.3 needs lower gears.

 

[4x4junkie]

Ouch! That's sad that people can't be bothered to take proper care of their vehicles.

Yeah if you do find the member on backwards (sounds like that is the case), you might also loosen the motor mounts too just to ensure they won't be bound up when you finally put the trans where it belongs.

Good luck.
Those little 2.3s may not be power houses, but they'll just keep on running into oblivion, especially if cared for.

 

[Dredwolf]

Follow up.........

Got time to turn wrenches today....sure enough, the crossmember was originally installed backards , and I put it back that same way. Again, this explains the bends in the tunnel access panel to reduce metal on metal contact. PO must have installed it wrong, and did not care to solve it.

Little more trouble this time to line things up, but the tranny is centered in the tunnel now, less noise, no knocks over bumps.