on the 2 wd ranger, just bought a parts 4wd ranger with a bad body and engine for 200, and was wondering if the stuff interchanges like it looks like it does. Chilton as usual doesn't say yes or no. looks like a couple of weekends swap for running gear.

 

Yeah, if you have a donor truck, just park them side by side and start swapping over parts. A donor truck is the only way to do it that makes sense. The 2wd truck will accept the 4wd parts as bolt on's.

 

just swap the body from the 2wd to the 4x4

 

sorry not trying to be a jerk....but thats bad info....

on the ranger, the eng x-crossmember is diffrent in width than the 2wd crossmember. and the pivot points dont work out.

bronco2's and explorer's can be switched over from 2wd to 4wd with the correct beam pivot brackets, but not the ranger.

to convert the ranger over to 4wd you will need to swap out the engine x-crossmember. its not a easy task,you have to spread the frame rails to get hte X-memebers in and out and can mess up the frame by doing so if your not carefull. Or build you own piviot points.not a simple task ethier, unless you understand the geometry.

why ford did this,with the ranger, I will never know. I would like to kick that guy in the butt for it. as the 80-96 f150 is a flat out bolt on,and the explorer and b 2 are just the corect piviot brackets, dang near bolt on again to convert to 4x4....BUT NOT WITH THE RANGER.


the only ranger that a bolt on deal to conver to a 4x4 is the ranger edge.

 

I can't say either way, I'm only going by what other members have posted on the subject over the years. They've said to get a donor truck and swap the parts over, rather than trying to run down all the parts, bolts and nuts, Having a donor truck makes it easy as you will have all the parts you need at hand. Thanks for the info so we can add it to our bank of knowledge.

 

to convert the ranger over to 4wd you will need to swap out the engine x-crossmember. its not a easy task,you have to spread the frame rails to get hte X-memebers in and out and can mess up the frame by doing so if your not carefull. Or build you own piviot points.not a simple task ethier, unless you understand the geometry.



OK if I understand this, I have to exchange the front suspension I beam pivots to get the front 4wd axle to fit, unless I mod the existing ones, probably wider.

 

well partly right, a donor truck would be the best way,but you can't just rip off the 2wd TIB/I-beams and replace them with the 4wd TTB/I-beam


You need to change out the crossmember, that supports the motor and that the "beam" pivot mounts are rivted / bolted to.As well as the beam piviot brackets.

the beam pivots are wider,and so is the crossmember, say if your looking from the front bumper to the rear diff, they are wider in that dirction

Or yes you could build your own piviot points,but if your going to go threw all that you might as well up it one, and go to the D44 TTB system out of a f150.
Here is the only person I know that has gone threw with it, and has lots of pics on the net of the truck.
4x4 v8 ranger - DezertRangers.com

Myself I would swap bodies, be a bit less work over all I think.Unless you looking to build the total off road machine like above

IF you want to meassure the crossmember diffrence between the 2wd and 4wd, meassure the rivit spacing that holds the coil bocket on, un the frame rail., These rivits also hold the crossmember in palce

the rivits that would mounts the coil bucket, lik in this pic that are circled in red.......These are aftermarket coil buckets, but the mounting holes line up with the factory rivit holes.

 

too hard to upload pictures, need teenaged son


looks like lifted black 87 ranger in photo gallery, but mine seems higher

OK everything on donor 4wd is bolt on replacement stuff. Pivot brackets are about 12" long stock is about 5". strange mickey mouse looking brackets bolted on everywhere, crossmembers are measured same size as 2 wd. springs are twice as long as stock.

Frame sets about 26 to 28 inches above ground now, 31" tires have about 14" before they hit wheel well. whole thing looks like an aftermarket kit. IMHO, really stupid since the diff bottom is still only about 9" off ground, but looks really cool.

Body of donor is supercab, 2wd is regular cab.