so im new here HELLO all!

im looking to buy a bed extender/ tailgate extender for my 98 ford ranger step side. i cant find one. does anyone know where i can find one for my year and bed?

 

they dont make em, probably have to make one or cut another one down to size

 

You could probably get someone to weld up one for your for 1/6th of the cost of buying one (if they did make them). The only hard part would be how the extender attaches.

 

Damn.... this was one of the things I'd be looking for eventually for my stepside.


Oh well.

 

i think they do...
check out, topline bed extender. its a small, light duty bed extender for light trucks. its a 'universal' type system which originally made me skeptical. I just bought one for my (non-stepped) truck. I'll have it installed this weekend.

After unboxing it yesterday, it looks well made, with clear instructions and good hardware.

its nice because it folds against the tailgate rather than swinging in and then you lose half your bed space. with this system it just folds up and takes up about 5"

http://www.toplinemfg.com/html/tsv-t...dexpander.html

i'll post a review once i install it on saturday

 

how much did it cost? lmk how the install goes!

 

i think it was around $200, i believe it will fit your step side because the cage can be expanded or in your case slid in very narrow. the instructions and the specs are probably contained in it, are on that web site.
I will def post back after i finish the install this weekend

 

Shawn, how much width are you limited by on your tailgate?
the TopLine 'shrinks' to 46 and a half inches wide.

i was impressed by the quality of the tailgate extender and the stainless steel mounting hardware.

i saw that the brackets actually lined up with our tailgate holes on our tailgate! trouble was i needed to drill out the supplied stainless bracket holes to about 25/64th... i burnt out several diamond tipped bits doing so and 4 14volt batteries... after all that. i get the sucker mounted into the factory holes with the factory tailgate screws, im really impressed with the quality and how well it works. i fold it up, go to close the tailgate and the *$&%()$ tailgate wont shut!!!

the brackets are sitting about an inch too LOW. so the bottom of the extender when its folded up hits the bed, pushing the tailgate up. so i have to remove everything tomorrow, take the brackets off, bring them to a drill press, and drill new holes into the bracket that will be about 3/4th of an inch 'lower' to move the the assembly up. that should raise it enough, to clear the bed floor while closing but low enough to not interfere with the tonneau cover.

when i get this addressed tomorrow i'll post up finished pictures. but if i do get this working, this system is really nice. If i had followed the directions, and just drilled new holes none of this would have happened. but i saw the spacing of the 1/4" holes on the brackets lined up with our tailgate holes, i jumped on it. shame on me :( i wasted a ton of time tonight....

 

That's pretty nice. so does it have the capability to flip 180 degrees into the bed to use as a cargo storage area?

Oh, and If I remember, last time I measured the stepside bed was about 48 1/2" wide. Don't quote me on that though, I may be wrong.

 

It looks sweet man! But like he says does it have the 180 capability? If so I think I'm going to invest in one this weekend!

Let us know!!!

 

the nice thing about this extender is that it does not fold INTO the bed. the arms fold in, then it lays flat onto the tailgate when stowed. the problem with the other kinds (for me) is they 'cut off' the full length of the bed when the tailgate isnt down so you cant haul long stuff with the tailgate shut.

 

success!!! :)
all we did was use a drill press and drill new 25/64 holes into the bracket about 3/4" below the ones it comes with. sharp drill bits made all the difference in the world, but theres no mistaking the hardware brackets included in this kit are serious business, it is very dense, strong, stainless steel.

once the bracket was redrilled it bolted right up the existing tailgate screws that are already in our tail gates. The tailgate closes up nice, it fits well with the tonneau cover, and works perfectly. I can get sails and masts into the truck that are a little over 7 and a half feet long now without sticking up over the tailgate like sanford and son.

im impressed with this kit. It was actually cheaper than some of the other bed extenders on the market, it comes with really nice hardware, lock-tight and gaskets too. (i didnt use the gaskets, water in water out :) )

heres how it looks folded up. id say it adds about 15 pounds to the tail gate, not bad...


if you guys need measurements feel free to post.

 

it looks very good!

 

Hate to bump and old thread but for some reason non of the pictures are working.

So this WILL work for a step side 01' Ranger?

I have been looking for one for a while and this would be perfect if this works for a steppy ranger...

Thanks,
-Nigel