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Blue Ox
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1993 - 1997 Ford Ranger
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Custom Design: Each BX2117 base plate is custom-designed for a specific towed vehicle, ensuring a perfect fit and optimal performance
Material: Steel
Color: Black
Finish: Powder Coat
Mounting Type: Bolt On
Mounting Hardware Included Yes/No: Yes
Experience smooth and secure towing with the Blue Ox BX2117 Tow Bar Bracket. Custom designed for each specific towed vehicle, the base plate ensures a perfect fit and easy installation. Made from robust steel and coated with a black powder finish, it offers durability and corrosion-resistance for long-term use. The bracket comes with all necessary mounting hardware and step-by-step instructions, making it a breeze to install on your own. This bracket is guaranteed to bring you peace of mind during your journeys with its strong, reliable towing capabilities.
Blue Ox is known internationally for recreational and commercial towing products, manufacturing in Pender, Nebraska since 1925. The line covers tow bars and vehicle-specific baseplates for flat towing behind a motorhome, sway control and weight distributing hitches, supplemental braking accessories and towing wiring, backed by patented designs and long-standing customer service.
Blue Ox has manufactured since 1925 and is recognised internationally for towing products and customer service. The company operates from Pender, Nebraska, where it grew out of Automatic Manufacturing Co., a business that started with cattle oilers and developed into agricultural equipment, tractor accessories and trailer towing hardware. That agricultural engineering heritage still shows in how the towing products are built, and the company holds patents across weight distribution, fifth wheel and tow bar designs.
Flat towing is the discipline Blue Ox is best known for. Towing a car with all four wheels on the ground behind a motorhome demands a system that stays rigid under braking, articulates properly over uneven ground, and connects to the towed vehicle at points strong enough to take the load. Blue Ox tow bars handle the first two, with self-aligning arms that latch under tension and release without a struggle when the load is off them. Vehicle-specific baseplates handle the third, engineered per make and model to tie into structural mounting points behind the fascia.
The wider flat towing range covers supplemental braking systems, safety cables and the accessories that make a complete legal setup, along with baseplate wiring and dinghy towing harnesses that pass lighting signals to the towed vehicle without back-feeding its electrical system.
For conventional trailer towing, Blue Ox weight distributing hitches with integrated sway control transfer tongue load onto the tow vehicle's front axle and resist the yaw that crosswinds and passing trucks induce.
The company describes its foundation as customer service, designing around what owners actually ask for, and it runs an RV park adjacent to the factory where customers can stay. Sister operations at the same Nebraska site include Automatic grain roller mills and MAD-RAMPS pivoting ramp systems.
Experts available to answer your questions
Call 888-634-94943 Years
1 compatible vehicles
| Year | Make & Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 - 1997 | Ford Ranger | 2WD/4WD No Fog Lights Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs Install Rating 2 Vehicle May Accumulate Miles When Flat Towing. Consult Your Vehicle's Owner's Manual |
No. The BX2117 is designed for 1993-97 Ford Ranger 2WD and 4WD models without fog lights. The manual does not cover installation on vehicles with fog lights, so compatibility cannot be confirmed.
No. The BX2117 must be used only with tow bars approved by Automatic Equipment Mfg. Company. Using the baseplate with any other tow bar invalidates the limited warranty.
Installation requires loosening or removing the bumper, removing the plastic air dam (nine bolts with 8mm socket), and removing the belly pan (two bolts with 7mm socket). The lower air dam must be notched to clear the mount tabs. The bumper is held by four bolts to the frame (21mm socket) that will be reused as part of the baseplate mounting.
Required tools are: 8mm socket, 7mm socket, 21mm socket, 19mm socket, 3/4" socket, 19mm wrench, utility knife, and Loctite Blue. An assistant is also required to hold the bumper and baseplate during installation.
The baseplate includes: one weldment baseplate (61-4539), four 12mm-1.25 x 40mm hex bolts grade 8.8, four 12mm hex nuts, four 12mm lock washers, eight 12mm flat washers, two 1/2-13 x 1 1/2 hex bolts grade 5, two 1/2 lock washers, two nut plate weldments (61-3950), two 36" class III baseplate safety cables (226-0046), and four 3/8 quicklinks zinc-plated (229-0359).
The baseplate uses six bolts total: four bolts that mount through the existing bumper-to-frame mounting points (sandwiched between the baseplate and frame brackets), and two bolts into nut plates welded into the frame rails at the rear mounts. The four bumper mount bolts are 12mm x 40mm hex bolts with flat washers. The two rear mount bolts are 1/2" x 1 1/2" hex bolts with lock washers, installed with Loctite.
Yes. The lower air dam must be notched to clear the baseplate mount tabs. The notches should be approximately 1 1/2" wide and 1 3/4" tall. Use a utility knife to cut the notches where the tow bar mount tabs interfere with the air dam.
1. Install the four 12mm x 40mm bolts with flat washers through the slots from inside out and start the nuts. 2. Install the two 1/2" x 1 1/2" bolts with lock washers into the nut plates (apply Loctite first) and start the nuts. 3. Remove the bumper mount nuts one at a time, apply Loctite to each bolt, reinstall the nut with flat and lock washers, and snug. 4. Check bumper alignment using measurements from step 3. 5. Tighten the four bumper mount bolts completely with a 19mm socket and wrench. 6. Tighten the two 1/2" rear mount bolts with a 3/4" socket.
Before loosening the bumper, measure the distance between the top of the bumper and the truck body. These measurements ensure the bumper can be repositioned to its original location after the baseplate is installed, maintaining proper alignment and appearance.
Yes. An assistant is required to hold the bumper up during removal of the bumper mount bolts (step 6) and to hold both the bumper and baseplate in position during bolt installation (step 8).
No drilling is required. The baseplate mounts using existing bumper-to-frame bolt holes and pre-welded nut plates in the frame. However, the manual notes that dimensional variations between vehicles may require filing a hole slightly to allow a bolt to clear.
The manual does not provide torque specifications. However, it requires applying Loctite Blue to the bolts before installation and specifies that bolts should be tightened completely with the appropriate sockets (19mm for the four bumper mount bolts, 3/4" for the two rear mount bolts). The General Instruction Sheet included with the baseplate may contain torque specifications.
No. The baseplate and safety cables must not be mounted against wires, hoses, or brake lines. If the baseplate is improperly installed against a wire or hose, it could cause fluid leaks or electrical shorts some time after installation. The installer is responsible for watching for oil cooler lines, air conditioner lines, electrical wires, and hoses during installation.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended. The BX2117 includes two 36" class III safety cables (part 226-0046) and four 3/8 quicklinks. These cables must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member and prevent the towed vehicle from breaking loose if the baseplate connection fails. The permanent baseplate safety cables are in addition to, not a replacement for, legally required safety cables attaching the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle.
Before each towing trip, inspect all towing equipment for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened to the recommended specifications using Loctite Red. The owner is responsible for this pre-tow inspection.
After installation, verify that the bumper is properly positioned using the measurements taken before installation (step 3). Check that all six bolts are tight: the four bumper mount bolts (tightened with 19mm socket and wrench) and the two rear mount bolts (tightened with 3/4" socket). Ensure the notched air dam is properly installed and clears the mount tabs.
Yes. Blue Ox strongly recommends registering your baseplate online at www.blueox.com. Registration ensures you are alerted of product offerings, updates, upgrades, maintenance and safety bulletins, and recalls.
Remove the attachment tabs when the baseplate is not in use.
Do not substitute other devices if the tow bar pin and clip are lost. Obtain replacement parts from the tow bar manufacturer or Blue Ox.
The BX2117 fits 1993-97 Ford Ranger 2WD and 4WD models without fog lights. It is not compatible with fog light versions.
You need 8mm, 7mm, 21mm, 19mm sockets, 3/4" socket, 19mm wrench, utility knife, Loctite Blue, and an assistant.
The bumper must be loosened and held or removed during installation. The plastic air dam and belly pan must also be removed.
No drilling is required. However, the plastic air dam must be notched approximately 1 1/2" wide and 1 3/4" tall to clear the mount tabs.
Torque specifications are not provided in the installation instructions. Refer to the General Instruction Sheet included with the baseplate. All bolts require Loctite Blue during installation.
Yes. Two 36" class III safety cables and four quicklinks are included. They are strongly recommended and must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member.
Inspect for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened and use Loctite Red on all bolts before each towing trip.
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