1984 Ford Ranger frame

[Ratrod94]

Would a ranger be a good frame to make a rat rod on? my situation is. My grandpa recently had a pretty severe heart attack and he is giving me his 1984 ford ranger cause he can not drive anymore. the body on it is really rough. and i know where i can get a 1936 ford 2 door sedan would it be an easy swap? il show you a picture? and my grandpa is doing good i cried like a baby when i heard the news about him hes one of them guys that has the biggest heart in the world. here is a picture of the body im looking at and il get a picture of the ranger tuesday when i go to see him. and help him out around his house. but luckily this 36 ford has a title has the hed lights fenders stuff like that and would it be a bad idea to use Automotive plexiglass for the windows? this will be a low budget rat as i will use the v6 transmission and everything else but the body off of the Ranger

 

[Ratrod94]

Can anyone give me some advice on this? this is the ranger i will be working with

 

[Dirtyrat]

I can't help you on the ranger frame, but I would not use plexiglass as it scratches very easily, and for safety reasons, you are better off making a template and having a local glass shop cut safety glass for the windshield, and the tempered glass for the side windows... its 10-12$ a sq foot to cut it...

 

[Ratrod94]

I can't help you on the ranger frame, but I would not use plexiglass as it scratches very easily, and for safety reasons, you are better off making a template and having a local glass shop cut safety glass for the windshield, and the tempered glass for the side windows... its 10-12$ a sq foot to cut it...

that should be flat glass on that 36 Ford right?

 

[Dirtyrat]

that should be flat glass on that 36 Ford right?

If I was a betting man , I would bet it is

 

[bruno]

Yes it is all flat glass.

 

[Ratrod94]

If I was a betting man , I would bet it is

i know. stupid question lol i was just making sure for my self

 

[tmoline]

I used one on this

 

[tmoline]

Here is the best pix I have of the frame

 

[Sam_Fear]

The Ranger frame should be useable, but they aren't easy to lower in the front. Still would work though. You'll probably have to do a lot a refab on the floor, etc.

 

[Bamamav]

That model Ranger has the twin I beam front end. I think you can get lowering beams for those, check out the mini truck magazines, there should be an ad for them.

To look in proportion, you might want to look into setting the engine back about a foot or so. That way you don't end up looking "nose heavy", with a lot of the nose sticking out in front of the tires.

 

[Shea Laking]

Hi! You will want to start out with the basic tape measure routine. Measure the wheelbase and both front and rear track width (across the wheel mounting surfaces) to find out if the Ranger suspension will sit nicely under those fat fenders. PLEASE don't try to build a fenderless rod on top of that Ranger chassis, they look like a$$ naked. You will also want to measure the center section of the chassis around the area of the radius arm crossmember to see if it will fit under the body width wise. You may also run in to clearance issues with the steering box and linkage.

As for ride height, you may find yourself surprised that the stock suspension will give you a decently low ride height, depending on how you set the body on the chassis. Tire wear will likely be a concern, as it is with all Ford trucks using the Twin-Barn-Beam suspension, front tires wear round like a wheelbarrow unless you can regularly rotate them.

Using the stock V-6? Be prepared for less-than-stellar acceleration. Underhood fit won't be a problem with that engine, TONS of room to work on it, though you will need to set the engine back in the chassis from it's stock location in order for the old Ford body, radiator, et cetera to fit on in correct relation to the front wheels.

In short, park the two side-by-side and measure, measure, measure.

Not every challenge you might encounter, but hopefully this will get you on your way. Best of luck!

Regards,
Shea

 

[Ratrod94]

Hi! You will want to start out with the basic tape measure routine. Measure the wheelbase and both front and rear track width (across the wheel mounting surfaces) to find out if the Ranger suspension will sit nicely under those fat fenders. PLEASE don't try to build a fenderless rod on top of that Ranger chassis, they look like a$$ naked. You will also want to measure the center section of the chassis around the area of the radius arm crossmember to see if it will fit under the body width wise. You may also run in to clearance issues with the steering box and linkage.

As for ride height, you may find yourself surprised that the stock suspension will give you a decently low ride height, depending on how you set the body on the chassis. Tire wear will likely be a concern, as it is with all Ford trucks using the Twin-Barn-Beam suspension, front tires wear round like a wheelbarrow unless you can regularly rotate them.

Using the stock V-6? Be prepared for less-than-stellar acceleration. Underhood fit won't be a problem with that engine, TONS of room to work on it, though you will need to set the engine back in the chassis from it's stock location in order for the old Ford body, radiator, et cetera to fit on in correct relation to the front wheels.

In short, park the two side-by-side and measure, measure, measure.

Not every challenge you might encounter, but hopefully this will get you on your way. Best of luck!

Regards,
Shea

what if i took like the front suspension off of a Fox body mustang or something like that would that work?