grills, fenders, hoods

[Tom Campbell]

is the ranger hood the same 1986 and 1990?
is the grill/headlights and bumper the same 1990 ranger and 1991-93 explorer?
i need to turn a 1986 ranger into a 1990 ranger and i have access to a 1993 exporer.
p.s. anyone ever take the front suspension cross-member out of an explorer and put into a early ranger?

i already have all the wheel openings opened and rolled, replacement floor pans and the rear frame sectioned and the bed bobbed - or i'd look for 1990 ranger.

[Wilber]

86 to 90 hoods are different

[Wanderer]

it may all swap over....cant remember who did it..but it has been done...somewhere...:dunno:

[Redriverranger]

The headlights are the same.
I believe the grille is the same as well.
To swap to the headlights, you have to replace the radiator core support with the later model one from BII/ranger. I believe the explorer is also the same. It's just a bunch of spot welds to drill out and not too difficult. The explorer hood is the same as the ranger. Explorer fenders are different.
The panel between the hood and windshield is slightly different with holes in the later model instead of slots for the cowl vent.

The cab I am running now was an 86 or so. I replaced the radiator support and had to weld some tabs in the dash below the windshield to swap the interior.

[bogger]

is the ranger hood the same 1986 and 1990?
is the grill/headlights and bumper the same 1990 ranger and 1991-93 explorer?
i need to turn a 1986 ranger into a 1990 ranger and i have access to a 1993 exporer.
p.s. anyone ever take the front suspension cross-member out of an explorer and put into a early ranger?

i already have all the wheel openings opened and rolled, replacement floor pans and the rear frame sectioned and the bed bobbed - or i'd look for 1990 ranger.

front frame horns are different, but you could make them work out I think. Radiator support is different too I beleive (possibly due to the different frame maybe more) so worst case, you prolly need to swap the inner fenders and rad support to and rework the body mounts for the newer rad support, built some differnt mounts for the newer style bumper. Will need to swap hood, fenders, lights etc. Will need to modify the light plugs too for different style bulbs. Prolly a few other little things too, but if you got a complete donor explorer, it shouldnt be to bad to do.

There was a fella on here a long while back that swapped the engine crossmembers too. Said it was a major pain in the ass if I remember correctly.

[offroadohio]

Is this 86 you speak of my old one tom?

[Orionn]

is the ranger hood the same 1986 and 1990?

NO...'89 was a change-over year

is the grill/headlights and bumper the same 1990 ranger and 1991-93 explorer?

Yes

i need to turn a 1986 ranger into a 1990 ranger and i have access to a 1993 exporer.

Use the Exploder fenders, hood, grill, lights and Rad support...... they will bollt up with a bit of work.

p.s. anyone ever take the front suspension cross-member out of an explorer and put into a early ranger?

You talking about the the one that carries the radius arms or the engine yoke?

i already have all the wheel openings opened and rolled, replacement floor pans and the rear frame sectioned and the bed bobbed - or i'd look for 1990 ranger.
thats alot of work

depending on how 'factory' you want it to look depends on how much you really need to swap.

the front frame horns on the ranger did not have a major change untill '95 when it went to torsion bar suspension. it was done to meet 95 crash requirements.

[Tom Campbell]

so, it looks like i can take the core support, hood, grill/head light assy. from the explorer and order 2 fenders ($37 each). the core support in the old ranger is pretty rusty at the bottom anyway. the engine cross-member will get robbed as well (along with the 8.8, dana 35, and t-case. might get a doubler too?).

donnie, it IS the old brown ranger you used to have. trying to keep it in the "stock" or "c" class for TREC racing. hs to have STOCK engine and axles. i cannot use a duratec 2.3l in that class - so it either gets a turbo 2.3 liter lima or a 4.0 liter ohv. i think i need at least 160 hp. i think it would be more fun to run stock - a little cheaper as well.
p.s. there is also a 10" max suspension travel measured at the frame in that class. but both classes can run 35" tires. i'll try to get some pics up tues. or weds.

[offroadohio]

I think the core support is mangled pretty good too so changing it def couldnt hurt it.

I thought the original plan was some drag truck or something?

I def want all the pics you can get of my little ole beater.
You should have seen its condition when it was blue, it had more rust and ALOT more dents.

Could you use a 2.3 turbo diesel? I know where there is one that needs put back togather.

[Tom Campbell]

i got the core support into pretty good shape when i straightened and shortened the frame (then hit a deer!!!)- typical rust near the frame mounting points. my dad and i were going to rat rod it with chop top and the 2.3 turbo but he got too sick and can't really do very much at all now. so, i turned into a short bed along with bobbing the rear about 14". and drove it daily - still mains are knocking like crazy, i baby it and it gets a solid 29.5 mpg around town - better than my little escort! i had a speedo gear (new are no longer available) made for it from a t5, when i changed the clutch slave cylinder and put new seals in the transmission. it is cold in the winter and terrible in snow - so now it goes on to something else.

[Orionn]

Are you sure the fenders are different? My '90 Ranger used the same fender as my '93 Exploder I thought......at least the the outside looked the same, I dont know about the mounting and such, its been too many years.

If I remember right, MOST of the apron was common on the ranger, The rad support, shotgun and catwalk areas were changed with the '89 model when it went to the aero-headlamps. The cowl area only had changes that were cosmetic.(slots to holes to slots over the years)
Explorer continued using the same sheet metal as the '89-92 ranger untill the '95 model, Ranger was changed in '93 (an exterior sheet metal freshning only).
"95 was the major redo of the Explorer/Ranger structure and frame begining the split in the two truck comonality.

I remember working on the Bronco II (Common to the ranger up to the B-pillar till the '90 model, then was droped for the Xploder), the ranger and the exploder over the years, most of the work I did was in the front end Re-Design for '95.

Hope that helps, feel free to ask questions, I'll help if I can, and we'll see what i can remember, plus alot of the guys I work with here (Ford) worked on the Ranger/BII design from its begining, so I can ask them as well

[Tom Campbell]

the ranger has a sharp crease where as the explorer is smooth.

[offroadohio]

Its had a little knocke since 93k when I got it, it used to only do it when it was due for an oil change. Though I ran the crap out of that truck. I drove it for maybe a year without the speedo working so ad 10k atleast to the odometer.

I thought you had already pulled the motor and all that, glad to hear its still a tickin time bomb. Not bad for a $100 truck from the police impound. And on its 3rd or 4th set of body panels since then.

I replaced the front fenders and grille when I bought it, then rear ended a car with it ( whyt he frame horns were bent) then I put the brown stuff on it, and now you are swapping parts again! I love that truck.

[Orionn]

the ranger has a sharp crease where as the explorer is smooth.


OH yea, forgot about the character line in them...Heck, use the Expoder doors to!

[Crazzyearl]

when i replaced the inner fenders on my 90 after tellico i used an explorer innerfender and put my ranger fenders back on the spot welds didnt exactly match up but i just welded it together anyway worked fine

[Tom Campbell]

doors and door opening definatley not the same - explorer has flush doors with no drip rail. and the bed has the same line. sholud have the fenders by friday (less than $70 for both delivered to my brothers shop). NOW NEED to get more snow moved so i can drag the explorer in the shop!!