difference in beams???

is there a difference between the older (83-8 and newer (89-97) ranger i beams? im bagging a 93 for a kid, and the i beams hit the engine cradle. is it possible he has the ones for an older truck? ive talked to several people and they have never heard of that being a problem. please help, im ready to get this outta my way!!!

the real difference between those years is that in the earlier models, the balljoints were pressed into the beam, and later, they were pressed into the spindle.

if they are a fabricated I beam or a box type beam, it is very common to have clearance issues with the beam and engine crossmember, DJM tubular beams will give more clearance.

i've seen crossmembers that have been cut for clearance, as well as oil pans that have been modified. i've also seen (scary) i-beams that have been notched.

these are the dream beams (round), they hit with the truck nowhere near layed out....like 1.5" from laying

there is two diffrent part numbers on the beams so i would say that their must be a diffrence in them. i used bell tech dropped beams in my Mazda and they worked great. i did notch the frame for the steering linkage to go through but you should be able to lay a 18 out.

k, so they are different. ive looked on djm's website and there is a visible difference. the older ones are straight, the newer ones have a bend in them, so the kid has the right beams. but has anyone had to notch out their engine crossmember?

i would contact james(bagged 85) here on ssm. he could give you all the details on getting an ibeam ranger to lay. im pretty sure he will tell you to forget about the ibeams and run a yota front clip and build a new frame from the firewall back while stockflooring it. he will point you in the right direction.

yeah....this kid is on a budget. im doing good to get my little bit of money out of it. i recommended a yota clip, but he said he couldnt afford it....i mean, he bought used beams that have been partially drug through....so....

I had to notch my engine crossmember on mine,but that was for the 20s.Layed all the way out my dream beams almost touched the oilpan.What size wheel is he running?

well, he is running 17s with 40 series. im setting it up with stock 14s 205 70s, in case he wants to run an 18....

I had to notch out my engine crossmember for dream beams (the round ones) to lay on a 27" tire.

Here are some pictures, if you are interested: http://bakyardhackz.com/images/tubularfront/tubularfront.htm