(applies to all projects)

I've been meaning to get out and actually measure the frame rail spacing, and center to center cab and bed mount spacing for the 1989 shorty Ranger frame I have out front. I'll post that info here once I get the pics or whatever

The usefulness of it is in knowing how far apart things have to be to swap different cabs around - sometimes cabs you wouldn't believe... to chassis that are just plain better in some way

* somewhere on here I remember reading that somebody had dropped a 40 or 50 F100 cab on a Courier chassis


Most cabs will have three pairs of mount bolts,
2 at the front near the radiator support
2 in the cab floor by the firewall
2 behind the seats at the cab floor rear

*Crew Cabs, Bronco's, Excursions - etc... will be unique

Beds may have as few as 6, but usually have 8,
equally spaced from front to back

**ON 1/4 Ton Ranger Frames, the firewall cab mount is LOWER than the rest of the mounts

For a normal truck though, I would short-hand label the bolts/mounts as:
CLF (cab left front)
CLC (cab left center)
...
CRR (cab right rear)

BL-1 (bed, left, ONE)

~ and so on, because we number stuff from front to back, right?

Could be 3 pairs, could be 4

BL3, BL4, maybe even BL5 for a long enough bed...

 

The 1989 Ranger frame does have a six bolt BED MOUNT set, but it is patterned as if it was an eight bolt with the row in front of the rear axle missing

2) The bed mount bolts go DIRECTLY THROUGH THE TOP OF THE FRAME RAILS.

3) The CAB MOUNTS are on saddles - OUTSIDE THE FRAMERAILS

Hmm...

It makes me wonder if the frame rails could be straight pieces of channel if it wasn't for the cab floor...

It also makes me wonder about 4 inch wider frames for strength, but well hidden.


Q: Does FORD own MAZDA?