Please Ranger FANS Help a rookie parts interchange on 1992

[matt889]

Ok, I have a unique situation. I currently own a 1992 Ford Ranger 4x4 Reg Cab Longbox with the 4.0 and 5 speed manual and has the 8.8 rear with d35 front, I LOVE IT!!!!!

I also have a 1993 Ranger 4x4 Reg Cab Longbox with the 4.0 5 speed manual and has the 8.8 and d35 front, I like this truck also but prefer my square body MUCH MUCH more. I am only keeping one of them. My questions are to follow:

1. This truck will be my wheeler truck, I don't intend on denting it much but will get plenty scratched up, my MAIN and mostly ONLY concern is if I break drivetrain parts what can I get that will interchange with my 1992? I went to the wrecker and they said I can't use basically anything from the 1993-1997 trucks. Are they right or wrong?

2. I am mostly worried about C-hubs and axles and driveshafts breaking, shock mounts and other wheeling related parts. What is the newest year I can get these drivetrain parts out of in wrecked vehicles and more importantly what types? I think exploders have much of the same running gear? But I am not sure


If I cannot get these breakable parts easily the wrecker told me the 1993 round body trucks all share parts with the 1993-1997 ones and are much easier to find parts for. I am not worried about finding replacement body panels, just all the gear to keep my little rig rollin .

3. I read online that since my truck has the electric push button transfer case I can get an adapter kit to run the 5 speed HD transmissions from anything from a 2001-2008 ranger with the 4.0?

4. One thing to note is that my 8.8 is the 28 spline not the better 31, but if you tell me to get front and rear axle out of a exploder to get the 31 splines and then its alot easier to get the driveline parts I am so worried about then that would be awesome!

If its hard to find this gear then I guess I should keep my 1993 round one and sell my beloved square body


PS. I live on Vancouver Island, there are some wreckers here but there are hardly any square body rangers OR explorers in the wreckers, but alot of 1993-1997 round exploders and rangers


Last question:

5. I want to take the rims off of the 1993 black truck and swap them with the ones on the red 1992, will the automatic locking hub thing in my picture somehow work with the aluminum rims pictured in the other pic?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Front axles will be the same, rear the '93 will have longer axleshafts. Carrier would interchange though.

I wouldn't use the automatic hubs off the '93 though...

90-94 Ranger's have the same exact front axle as yours, 95-97 have knuckles that support bolt on calipers.

'92 is the last year for the right length of axle shafts for your '90. You can swap the whole axle though. Swapping in an Explorer rear isn't too bad, there is a write up in the tech section.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, almost everything will interchange if you take the whole assembly instead of just one part here or there.

Also, 95-97 have knuckles that support bolt on calipers, spindles don't have much to do with calipers.

 

[matt889]

ok great thanks for that info. so yes I don't mind swapping whole axles if need be. If I get 31 spline front and rear axles from a exploder then can I interchange my axle shafts and carrier etc from 1990-1997 trucks? I don't mind doing full swaps my main goal is to make this truck as "newish" of running gear as possible so that I can replace broken parts easily.

the rear axle info worries me about 1992 being the last year of the "right length", so like I said if I get a exploder one does that open up my options?

And I don't want to use the automatic hubs, I want to put the aluminum rims off the red truck and put them on the black one, black one has near new BFG All Terrains I am going to take off of it

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

ok great thanks for that info. so yes I don't mind swapping whole axles if need be. If I get 31 spline front and rear axles from a exploder then can I interchange my axle shafts and carrier etc from 1990-1997 trucks? I don't mind doing full swaps my main goal is to make this truck as "newish" of running gear as possible so that I can replace broken parts easily.

the rear axle info worries me about 1992 being the last year of the "right length", so like I said if I get a exploder one does that open up my options?

And I don't want to use the automatic hubs, I want to put the aluminum rims off the red truck and put them on the black one, black one has near new BFG All Terrains I am going to take off of it

The front axle you have now is the same as an Explorer.

If you get an Explorer rear axle then you can use parts from any Explorer for shafts and any Explorer and many F-150's for the differential itself. I am not sure how interchangeable Explorer stuff is between 91-94 and 95-01. They went to disk brakes in '95 and I don't remember what all changed there.

 

[trail B2]

To put any year Explorer rear axle in you need to weld on the spring pads.Explorers are under sprung and Rangers are over sprung.The rear axle you have is a good axle probably won't give you any trouble but don't put money into it.The Explorer axles have more splines 28 to 31 have bigger axle bearings and available with disc brakes.If you modify ten minutes on E-Bay will show you parts are more available and cheaper for the 31 spline.

 

[turbo91xlt]

Pretty much covered but basically the whole '93 chassis/drivetrain (minus the rear axle being a hair wider) is identical to to the '92. They just changed the sheet metal & interior up a bit.

As much as I love the 2nd gens (I own 3 haha), that '93 looks pretty nice and would be a shame to part it out.