I recently purchased a 1998 5.0AWD Explorer w/155k to use as a motor donor for my Fox Mustang (missed a shift on the stock 287k mile motor and bent a valve) and I want to use as much of it as I can on my Ranger before I start parting it out. Expo is complete and running/driving.

Is it possible to swap the tilt cruise column out of the Explorer into my 99' Ranger? The Explorer column is auto, my 99' is a 5-speed. Can all of the auto parts be removed and the 5-speed column covers installed onto the auto column?

The Ranger is pre-wired for cruise control, I assume I can use the servo out of the explorer and just get a servo cable.

Thanks for the replies,
Jeremiah

 

Yes, you can. My father swapped a column from a 97 Expo into his 03 Ranger for tilt and cruise.

The shifter mechanism I believe can simply be removed from the column and your other top shroud placed on. I believe the auto shifter lever connects to some sort of switch in the column, or a cable of sorts. Regardless, it should be fairly plug and play.

TL;DR: Can you? Yes.

 

I don't mean to hog in on youre thread. I was also wondering if it was basically plug and play. thanks for answering that. I was also wondering if I could hook up the stereo volume control. Do you think the ranger has the wiring already in for that?

 

Some trucks are pre-wire some are not. My truck is pre-wired, it was also pre-wired for fog lights.

Near the bottom of the steering column there is a brown connector, should be 5 or 6 wire coming out of it on the harness side. There is also a connector between the washer fluid resevoir and heater in the engine bay.

My concerns are/were the shifter and the PATS.

 

As far as PATS goes, just swap the module and the key cylinder from your original column to the new column. The cylinder needs the matching key to be removed (easily). You'll also see a small pin/button on the bottom side to push for it to release. It's a little tricky but it does come out. With that swapped over, the vehicle can't tell the difference and quite frankly doesn't care.

As far as the stereo volume control, I'd talk to 'rwenzing' about that. He managed to hook up an eddie b. steering wheel from an expo into his ranger and made the buttons work. How, i don't know. Either way, he's the guy to talk to.

 

Eddie Bauer or Limtied Explorer. You have to use the clockspring from the vehicle you pull the wheel from. That 6 way brown connector gets a little bigger. More wires for the radio and more wires for the EATC control switches.

I have the steering wheel and clockspring just haven't found a decent enough airbag yet.

Between auto and manual columns (transmission wise) is the shifter tube and handle (handle could probably just be knocked out) and there is a cable bracket on the back.

Column harnesses are interchangeable. Clock spring from explorer to ranger has different airbag connector (same two pins just the housing is indexed differently.)

Here is my old post I made years ago:

https://www.ranger-forums.com/engine...plorer-115872/

 

thanks. ill check out youre thread. I got a 2000 mountaineer fully loaded. its got just about everything. that's kind od why I was wondering what all I could put in my ranger from it