Stretch Frame for7' bed?

[Aoresteen]

My Ranger is a 1990 XLT Super cab 125" wheelbase with the 6' bed. I'd like to have a 7' bed.

Has anyone stretched the 125" frame 12" to allow for the use of the 7' bed? Any issue going to 137" wheel base?

If I do this I would have a frame shop do it and ensure that the frame is properly aligned.

Thanks!

 

[hank857]

actually dont know of a 7 ft bed. Where will you get this? Have you ever driven a long wb truck, they are not particularly fun particularly when parking. You will also need to find fabricate new drive shaft.

 

[scotts90ranger]

It's actually split around the axle length wise, so 6" in front, 6" behind, and like said you will need a drive shaft and E brake cable modified but shouldn't be too big of a deal. There used to be a few trucks like that floating around here with that done to them, DaveR was one.

I agree about long wheelbases being harder to park (I have a crew cab long bed F350 4x4, can't get much worse than that ), but I don't think this will be that bad.

 

[Mark_88]

Sounds like plenty much work for a foot...Why not use one of those tailgate extender things? Unless you plan to haul 8' sheets of plywood or drywall...and in that case I'd get a trailer that can be covered...

Just my 2¢ worth...with inflation 1.5¢...with reality...0¢ (no sense)...

 

[Aoresteen]

actually don't know of a 7 ft bed. Where will you get this? Have you ever driven a long wb truck, they are not particularly fun particularly when parking. You will also need to find fabricate new drive shaft.

My understanding is that the 1989-1992 regular cab Ranger was available with the 7' bed; Super Cabs came only with the 6' bed.

Regular cab with the 6' bed had a 107.6" wheelbase

Regular cab with the 7' bed had a 113.9" wheelbase.

Super Cab with the 6' bed had a 125" wheelbase.

http://www.rangerpowersports.com/ford-ranger-specs/

Yes I know I will need a new drive shaft, brake lines, wiring harness extension and maybe longer fuel lines. The gas tank might have to re-located as well.

 

[Aoresteen]

Sounds like plenty much work for a foot...Why not use one of those tailgate extender things? Unless you plan to haul 8' sheets of plywood or drywall...and in that case I'd get a trailer that can be covered...

Just my 2¢ worth...with inflation 1.5¢...with reality...0¢ (no sense)...

I'm making the bed a sleeper. With two of us in the back we will need the extra foot. I'm just under 6 feet tall.

 

[saskbill]

OK I have ZERO experience or first hand experience of this, so this is just a direction you might want to look into.

My understanding is that post-98 ranger side frames had a sectional (riveted) construction rather than single-piece sideframes like the earlier models.
http://www.ranger-forums.com/general-technical-electrical-18/98-ranger-frames-49860/

You might want to spend some time a wrecking yard with a tape measure and a notepad/camera to see if it would be feasible to grab the back portion of a 98andup single-cable longbed (frame, box, running gear maybe?) and marry it to your extended cab front half (yes this would require professional-grade frame welding, but would hopefully reduce the rest of the mod to bolting/unbolting)

I dunno, sure I have seen references to the factory-spliced frames elsewhere on here but too lazy to go looking for links. Hopefully someone with more relevant experience will come on and either encourage or veto this line of thinking!

Good luck!

PS: post-93, the rear axle and bedsides puffed out 1 1/2" (on either side?) but the bed inner stamping was identical (well, 3 patterns for 6', 7' and flareside) for a LOT of years so I'm pretty sure your frame width didn't change til up into the 2000's. I have a 94ish shortbox mounted on my 91 extended cab no problem (be sure to grab the filler hozse w/box cause its a little longer than the pre-93s). Bodylines are a bit different - I'm thinking one day w/creative two-tone paint and some old-school running boards, I can pretend its a flareside!

 

[Lee in Texas]

I did it. My recommendation: don't do it unless you are prepared to cough up some serious cash for a top-notch shop to do it right.

There are lots of shops and individuals who will cut and weld on frames. Many of them are clueless, and can screw up your truck. The work on mine was done by a guy who is a GURU at welding/modding chassis. Unfortunately, he is not so good at running a business. I gave him my '86 Supercab ranger and a longbed donor, so both frames could be cut and grafted together. He said it would take a couple of weeks. It took 11 months. When I got it back, it was undriveable. It shook like crazy above 10mph. The brakes needed to be bled, and the exhaust repair I paid for was not done. I yanked the V-6 and trans, and bought a donor Mountaineer for a drivetrain swap, but the whole experience was a bit of a bummer. Both vehicles are sitting in my driveway, waiting for me to get back to it.

I read that you want to make it a sleeper. I have had no luck finding a camper shell for a 7' pickup bed that went out of production 23 years ago. Not saying you won't find one, but I haven't found one in Central Texas.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1418084#post1418084

 

[Aoresteen]

.......

I read that you want to make it a sleeper. I have had no luck finding a camper shell for a 7' pickup bed that went out of production 23 years ago. Not saying you won't find one, but I haven't found one in Central Texas.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1418084#post1418084

Sorry that you got burnt having your frame extended. I will try to avoid that!


Thanks for the tip on 7' shells. I assumed that there would be some floating around. I'll make sure I have a top BEFORE the frame is cut.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I did it. My recommendation: don't do it unless you are prepared to cough up some serious cash for a top-notch shop to do it right.

There are lots of shops and individuals who will cut and weld on frames. Many of them are clueless, and can screw up your truck. The work on mine was done by a guy who is a GURU at welding/modding chassis. Unfortunately, he is not so good at running a business. I gave him my '86 Supercab ranger and a longbed donor, so both frames could be cut and grafted together. He said it would take a couple of weeks. It took 11 months. When I got it back, it was undriveable. It shook like crazy above 10mph. The brakes needed to be bled, and the exhaust repair I paid for was not done. I yanked the V-6 and trans, and bought a donor Mountaineer for a drivetrain swap, but the whole experience was a bit of a bummer. Both vehicles are sitting in my driveway, waiting for me to get back to it.

I read that you want to make it a sleeper. I have had no luck finding a camper shell for a 7' pickup bed that went out of production 23 years ago. Not saying you won't find one, but I haven't found one in Central Texas.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1418084#post1418084

If I was to have something like this done I would fullly expect results like this. It is just how things usually go.

They made the 7' box off an on until pretty close to the end of the Ranger's production. Topper dimensions should have stayed similar.

 

[Aoresteen]

It's been a couple of years and the long & short of it I decided not to stretch the frame.

1. Very hard to find a COMPETENT shop that would do it (job was too small for them).

2. Finding a donor truck was also hard. Everyone I ran across was not for sale.

3. Never could find a camper top for a long bed.

Good news is that my 90 is running very well now. Short bed & all.

 

[Captain Ledd]

Oh wow an update!

Yeah, sometimes it sucks, but some projects just aren't worth doing.

I've been trying to 4x4 swap my Ranger for years now. Donor truck and all parts still sitting at my parents house behind the coop. But thankfully after a career change and finally getting some things paid off, I can feel it getting close to be able to do it again.

 

[Shran]

My '86 was(is) a long bed, single cab. They're not common, and most I have seen were early 2wd trucks. That said, if you ever change your mind and dive back into this project, I can't see it being difficult with some measuring and fabrication knowledge. I have cut and welded several frames successfully.

I helped a buddy of mine build a really unique truck years ago - it was based on a '79 F150 long box, single cab 4x4 frame and had an extended cab and a super short box (like 5'.) Really neat looking truck, it got painted bright red and supposedly ended up in CO somewhere. Kinda the opposite direction you wanted to go but it was a fun project.

 

[Aoresteen]

One thought I've had is to just do another long bed Ranger project. Biggest problem is my wife who would go nuclear with another truck in the way too small driveway !

 

[Mark_88]

Awesome update! Not that I like to see projects diverted or scraped but I think it just wasn't time for yours yet...

But now you know what you may need and can prepare if you decide to go ahead.

Good to hear your truck is running good and you are happy with that...

Maybe consider expanding your driveway...I had to do that once when I moved into a single driveway and the city i lived in gave me a ticket for parking my truck on the grass. I talked to the landlord and he agreed to help and even supply all the materials...worked out very well for everyone.