rear frame rot, bumper hanging, shackles gone!
#1
rear frame rot, bumper hanging, shackles gone!
I jumped on my rear bumper to see if I could duplicate the noise I was hearing going over bumps. To my surprise, the entire rear bumper just sagged down when I jumped on it. Looking under the truck I found that both sides of my frame were rusted/rotted away and the rear bumper was just hanging by a thread (of frame left).
As it turns out, there are big oval holes at the rear on both sides of the frame....at the top of these holes the frame is broken, and just a thread of frame is now holding my drooping bumper on.
Is this a known/chronic problem w/ Rangers? Although 11yo. my Ranger only has 80K miles....I cant believe they made these frames of such CHEAP steel....and those big oval holes that do nothing.
BTW, the noise I was looking for was rotted off leaf spring shackles and bracket riveted to the frame right in front of where the bumper brackets are rotted.
As it turns out, there are big oval holes at the rear on both sides of the frame....at the top of these holes the frame is broken, and just a thread of frame is now holding my drooping bumper on.
Is this a known/chronic problem w/ Rangers? Although 11yo. my Ranger only has 80K miles....I cant believe they made these frames of such CHEAP steel....and those big oval holes that do nothing.
BTW, the noise I was looking for was rotted off leaf spring shackles and bracket riveted to the frame right in front of where the bumper brackets are rotted.
#5
the big oval holes that do nothing....do something. a: hitch bolts go through there. b: other holes in the frame are for securing the truck on a flatbed or during transport from the factory to wherever it goes.
Not to be harsh, but did you just get the truck? Rust things like this don't happen over night. Have you never looked under that truck in years?
Not to be harsh, but did you just get the truck? Rust things like this don't happen over night. Have you never looked under that truck in years?
#7
I haven’t seen too many ranger frames rusted til they broke, and I have been around some rusted beater rangers. The Spring Hanger is somewhat common though. I have fixed a few; they are really cheap to buy from a ford dealer. I know the late 90’s Crown vics had a bad rep for rusted out frames in the rust belt. Maybe they use the same supplier. Hope it all works out, I have seen some nice cars get scrapped cause of bad frames.
~HJ
~HJ
#8
#11
It's a northeast problem. My frame is cracked at the rear upper shock mount and my shackles were rotted away. I've gotten new shackles and I have to replace the rear frame section over Thanksgiving Break. My next truck I'll be sure to wash the undercarriage of the truck every few days in the winter. I failed to do so when I was younger and as a result I have major rust.
#14
~HJ
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#19
Did you use an air compressor, with an air chisel, and a impact? and a grinder and a saw zaw? I'm doing this on Sunday and I really don't see how it can take long.
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#22
used a grinder. you will find out, your truck will be really rusty, the rivits are in kind of hard spots to get to, and i was worried about grinder through frame.
#23