Hi guys, I'm doing a bed swap on my 1996 Ranger ext cab 2wd and while I was cleaning the frame getting it ready for paint I found one of my cross members has started to rot. It doesn't connect to anything besides the frame rails. Can I get this cross member new or is used my only option? I've googled it and can't find a place that's selling them. Any help or advise would be great. Thanks

 

Auto wrecker, but they would want to sell you the whole frame.
If that was my truck, I would just get a jobber to cut out the old piece and have him weld in some angle iron or two pieces of heavy channel iron.

 

yup - seems its always the first frame item to go. and yea only place for it is junkyard (maybe find a severely wrecked front or side damage truck they would sell the crossmember) or one of those pull a part places and drill the rivets out yourself.

but yea have a welder make one is easiest.

 

Thanks guys think I'm just going to fab one up myself. I don't have a welder but I can cut a new piece to length drill and bolt it in using grade 8 fasteners. I think any cross member I find in the salvage yards around me will most likely have the same rust as mine since I'm in the rust belt.

 

Made my own crossmember out of angle iron. Not sure if I should weld in some plate's to join them together or would it be ok as it is?

 

Probably a good idea.
I think that brace is in there to keep the frame rails from flexing like a trapezoid and with only the angle iron bolted in there with one bolt on their ends, I think it will start flexing as such.
Wouldn't take much to weld in a hunk of steel.

What did you use to prep and paint the frame ?
I have to do mine some day.

 

I wire brushed the frame then used Chassis Saver and brushed it on. I've used it on a few other projects and it's awesome. It isn't ever coming off and stops the rust. Just make sure you wear gloves and old clothing as it's never coming off if it's allowed to cure.

 

So I ended up finding a scrap piece of 1/8in plate, cut it to length and welded it in. Painted it up and now ready to put the new step side bed on. It's not pretty but it'll probably outlast the truck. LOL Also picked up a new filler neck since I'm converting to a step side plus the original was dry rotted and leaking.

 

looks great but u missed a spot by the rear leaf hanger :P

 

These stock cross members stiffen mostly in cross car. 2nd in torsional rigidity, and to lesser degrees for/aft shifting of the two main rails.
So basicly you can put anything in there to help. If you want to match or beat the stock performance you'll need a larger crossection and weld in at the same or greater points.

 

I'm having the same issue on a 2002 ranger I just bought. Cross member 4, that hold the gas tank is also rotted. any thoughts on that one?