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Seasoned...
Joined: Sat Oct 21st, 2017
Location: Near The Pointy End , USA
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Ranger frames flex like mad
Bed is hard mounted to frame, body is on rubber pucks
To reduce the cab/bed flex remove the rubber replace with urethane or solid.
You can fully box a ranger frame that will help a great deal as will additional crossmembers. I am not sure about hard coating or heat treating, all I have dealt with is boxing the C channels with new steel.
The 02+ Explorer sport had a fully boxed frame from the factory, nice eh? If I ever rebuild another truck (IE wreck my BII) I will start with one of these.
Already done the 2" BL so its technically all solid mount now.. Boxing in the frame is certainly an idea for sure. Hard-Facing is where they take a 3/16-1/4 plate steel and bolt then weld the seams to the face of the frame adding to the rigidity of the frame, obviously not nearly as much as a boxed in frame but 30-40% over nothing is better but i think for the work involved.. boxing would be the way to go and MAYBE in some areas hard facing too.
And sadly the explorer went the way of the Unibody in 2011... which makes me wonder why they went from C cheannel, to boxed, to Unibody?
Scrambler82 wrote:
As 410C has stated the bed is solid mounted to the frame and if there is contact between the Cab and the Bed Apperatice, it is because the frame has twisted.
And yes, do the Ranger Frame ever twist !
Remove the bed and take a look at the frame, thinking cracks here, but maybe just flexing.
If it is flexing then what about boxing just from the Cab Back, I think Ford skimped on the frame in the rear of the Rangers more than the front but I am guessing here.
AND although you may know this, keep the welding ground close to the area you are welding and disconnect the battery.
Ive been told with the bed removed and the two rear most cross members removed, you can literally see the twist in the frame by hand according to the guys over at Ruffstuff Fabrication. I want the suspension to flex not so much the body. But I certainly need to check for cracks.. so weird!
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