My 1999 Ranger's frame rail started cracking around that rotted crossmember, so I scrapped it. I can't use my left hand much anymore because the location of the brain cancer affected my arm and hand. I can't even grasp a weed eater, and when I bend my left knee for too long, my calf becomes quite spastic.
Anyways, the truck is a 2014 Ford F-150 XLT extended cab with the same 3.7L Cyclone engine and 6R80 transmission that my Mustang has. It has 167k miles, and this truck's transmission was babied. CarFax indicated in transmission fluid has been changed 3 times, and I barely noticed it shifting when I took it on a test drive. It has no fancy stuff; no backup sensors or cameras. I'm also only the 2nd owner.
This truck came from Canada and northeastern Ohio. Knowing that, I made sure to check the frame for rust. Surprisingly, there is basically no rust on the frame itself! The rocker panels are starting to rust, though. Should I consider replacing the rocker panels at a body shop?
I want this truck to last until the wheels fall off.
If you want to keep the truck as long as possible you should have the rockers replaced if for no other reason that it's the only way to stop the rust from spreading. The problem is though that the rust you see usually is just the tip of the iceberg. You may find that more serious repair to the body is needed.
Another issue is that a lot of body shops these days don't want to do rust repairs or really anything other than insurance-paid collision repairs on late model vehicles.
@chucktobias my step dad had his hood scoop installed on his 2024 Ford Maverick through this shop a few months ago. I guess they're a small shop and they'll fix or replace just about anything. They don't prioritize insurance claim stuff.
Well if you have a place willing to do it I'd say go ahead. Hopefully there is not much hidden rust damage.
@chucktobias What really surprised me is how little rust on the frame that there is. The original owner must have taken this truck through the car wash religiously. My Ranger was from Tennessee up until the owners before me drove it to Burlington, Kentucky. It only lived there for a few years.
@chucktobias What also annoys the heck out of me is these "modern, overly complicated turn signals. My Mustang's turn signal starts off circular, then it bends 90⁰ twice and becomes more oblong. I have a turn signal adapter. The geometry of the turn signal makes it a pain in the rear end to attach. My Mustang keeps coming loose. Fortunately, the engineers used common sense with this truck and made the levers circular across the body of the lever.