What did you do to your Ranger today?

[ScarzRanger21]

Not a great pic but this was when I first installed it.

It was actually pretty easy. I knew I wasn’t going to be reusing them so I took a grinder and cut them out. Took maybe 10-15 mins per side. The rear bars required some extra trimming of the felt liner and some of the plastic bracket thing above the crash bar to get the bolts out.

I think installing new high clearance bars will be a pain in the ass but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. In hindsight, I should’ve removed them when I had the bumper taken off to install the winch but I wasn’t even thinking about tires at the time so it didn’t cross my mind.

I probably could’ve taken the wheel liner out if I was more patient but most of those little plastic tab things wouldn’t come out. I decided to just cut the liner out of the way with a razor blade.
The front bars came out super easy. I didn’t have to trim or move anything, just took the grinder and cut straight through them.

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[ScarzRanger21]

It’s an ARE CX Classic - basic model without slider front window - was cheap back in 2019 but I’m not sure you’ll find anything cheap nowadays. For me, it was a necessity to keep my tools and other things safe and dry.

Fitment is good - latch still operates smoothly - no cracks - good paint - no complaints from me.

Luckily I’m not using the ranger for work or it would definitely be a necessity. I do like the security factor of having a hard shell though. My roll up cover hides things but could easily be cut open if someone wanted to get in there. I have to be conscious of where I’m going and what I keep in the bed now.

 

[Chris M]

Luckily I’m not using the ranger for work or it would definitely be a necessity. I do like the security factor of having a hard shell though. My roll up cover hides things but could easily be cut open if someone wanted to get in there. I have to be conscious of where I’m going and what I keep in the bed now.

A sad commentary on the times in which we live, is it not?

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Luckily I’m not using the ranger for work or it would definitely be a necessity. I do like the security factor of having a hard shell though. My roll up cover hides things but could easily be cut open if someone wanted to get in there. I have to be conscious of where I’m going and what I keep in the bed now.

Speaking of the bed, did you fabricate that bed rack? It really looks very strong and has all those anchor points for straps or bungee cords. Nice.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

It was actually pretty easy. I knew I wasn’t going to be reusing them so I took a grinder and cut them out. Took maybe 10-15 mins per side. The rear bars required some extra trimming of the felt liner and some of the plastic bracket thing above the crash bar to get the bolts out.

I think installing new high clearance bars will be a pain in the ass but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. In hindsight, I should’ve removed them when I had the bumper taken off to install the winch but I wasn’t even thinking about tires at the time so it didn’t cross my mind.

FYI….the BDS aftermarket crash bars are slightly smaller tubing than the OEM crash bars - the rear bars are also tapered on the end that is bolted in place. I think you can work them into place without removing anything.

The ReadyLIFT bars are a different story - PITA. ?

The Fabtech bars require cutting off the welded nuts and drilling out the bolt holes.

Other members who have installed any of these aftermarket bars may chime in and confirm….or they might call me out for misinformation.

 

[Racket]

Looks good. Got a Link?

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https://a.co/d/d4H11Yx

 

[ScarzRanger21]

FYI….the BDS aftermarket crash bars are slightly smaller tubing than the OEM crash bars - the rear bars are also tapered on the end that is bolted in place. I think you can work them into place without removing anything.

The ReadyLIFT bars are a different story - PITA. ?

The Fabtech bars require cutting off the welded nuts and drilling out the bolt holes.

Other members who have installed any of these aftermarket bars may chime in and confirm….or they might call me out for misinformation.

Sounds like I’m ordering BDS crash bars then! Thanks for the tip!

 

[ShapeShifter]

Luckily I’m not using the ranger for work or it would definitely be a necessity. I do like the security factor of having a hard shell though. My roll up cover hides things but could easily be cut open if someone wanted to get in there. I have to be conscious of where I’m going and what I keep in the bed now.

You could always booby-trap the cover....

 

[subquark]

Vacuumed the seats/carpets on my NiSsAn FrOnTiEr.
Though not sure why, it'll look like crap in a week again anyway.

Yes, my wife is destroying things with her boots and her f'ing purse full of buckles.

Fixed it for ya:

 

[Doc]

My Wife took it to Bingo ..

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

So long as you have the title, Doc, it's all fun and games.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I've got a sick obsession with wiring, so... I started again today.

Step one is undoing all the things you've done.

I made a lot of progress. Another couple hours and I should have it wrapped up. It looks a ton better than it did before and the wires are all the right length instead of 10 extra feet.

 

[ScarzRanger21]

Speaking of the bed, did you fabricate that bed rack? It really looks very strong and has all those anchor points for straps or bungee cords. Nice.

I did not, I bought it online from Allied Expedition. I think they were either bought out by another company or aren’t in business anymore. I’ve been trying to find the tool mounts that go with that rack but everywhere I’ve looked, they don’t have them. Kind of bummed about that.

Honestly, it’s not the highest quality and I paid way too much for what I got. Some of the angles are off and the cross bars aren’t level. At first glance you can’t tell but it’s definitely lacking quality control. I had to put ratchet straps on it and force it into submission to get it squared up before I mounted it on the bed rails. It works fine for what I use it for, the occasional ladder and my kayak, but it’s not the best by any means. I wouldn’t buy it again but it was non-returnable so I’m stuck with it ?‍

 

[ScarzRanger21]

A sad commentary on the times in which we live, is it not?

It really is. We can’t have nice things anymore! Luckily for us, we moved up to the foothills a couple years ago so it’s a lot less of a concern. We have a little house on a couple acres and nobody really comes up there, other than our friends and the occasional neighbor dropping by to have a beer. People up there are pretty respectful for the most part.

I still work in town so my truck is parked at the shop every day for 10 hours. That’s when I worry about it getting messed with or dinged from someone parking next to me.

 

[Burnt Money]

Installed the Fitz Stick!

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