OPINIONS ON HOW TO GET THE FRONT LEVEL. also will the front and rear hold up to a small v8 with a mild cam.

[Bear in the woods]

Currently have 15 inch rims on the 90 ranger. But while the 99 ranger is down. Was wondering if the 16s on it would swap over? Also wondering if this would affect the TTB Front end negatively
How far can you crank a torsion bar

 

[97RangerXLT]

I believe those will bolt up just fine. Some of the later Ranger wheels had smaller center holes that would not fit over your front hubs. But the wheels in your picture should be good. Google tire size calculator to make sure your tires are the same diameter, otherwise if they are too large they will rub.

AJ

 

[franklin2]

The wheels will fit if you put a smaller tire on them. It's called "plus sizing" the tires. I guess you know the TTB didn't have torsion bars? Or was that question about the other truck?

You can't raise the ttb much over a 1 inch before the guy at the alignment shop can't get it back in. Any change in height will require an alignment or the front tires are going to wear unevenly.

 

[Bear in the woods]

The wheels will fit if you put a smaller tire on them. It's called "plus sizing" the tires. I guess you know the TTB didn't have torsion bars? Or was that question about the other truck?

You can't raise the ttb much over a 1 inch before the guy at the alignment shop can't get it back in. Any change in height will require an alignment or the front tires are going to wear unevenly.

 

[Bear in the woods]

Yes sir. The torsion question was a secondary thought pertaining to the 99. As for the 90 model. Looking at the shock In the picture, looks like it might be moving about 2 inches

 

[Bear in the woods]

Since the TTB Is so problemsome , woul I be better off putting a different front end under it? If so what is recommended for driving daily, short runs. And go off-road basically whenever I please. Mainly rutty roads,hills and we have lots of low wet lands

 

[Bear in the woods]

only time it ever got stuck was when I got drunk and slid down the pond levee. Actually drove 95 percent of the way out before I dug down in sand

 

[sgtsandman]

Since the TTB Is so problemsome , woul I be better off putting a different front end under it? If so what is recommended for driving daily, short runs. And go off-road basically whenever I please. Mainly rutty roads,hills and we have lots of low wet lands

The biggest problem with TTB is getting someone who knows how to align one and work on them. If you are going to go through the trouble of swapping the front suspension, a solid axle swap might worth considering. It would probably less work than trying to get a torsion bar system to work properly on a frame that wasn't designed for it.

 

[JoshT]

If considering a lift, it might be worth while to read through the tech library before jumping straight to a SAS. Wou wouldn't need very much to clear the tires from the newer truck and a 31 (I think that's what the larger tires size is) is a fairly large tire for a first gen Ranger.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Since the TTB Is so problemsome , woul I be better off putting a different front end under it? If so what is recommended for driving daily, short runs. And go off-road basically whenever I please. Mainly rutty roads,hills and we have lots of low wet lands

A solid axle is the only better option then then TTB....and honestly its not really a big enough advantange to swap....unless youre planning on a big lift.

Anything else is a step down in durabilty and general off road worthyness.

 

[JohnnyO]

2" is the max I'd recommend for cranking up the torsion bars. More than that and it puts too much strain on the CV joints and upper ball joints. What you are really doing is adjusting the suspension downward.

 

[Bear in the woods]

Appreciate the information from all. And only wanting the front fairly close to rear in height. Rear has 4 inch lift if I’m not mistaken.. I’m thinking 2 maybe 3 inch up front.
I do however know a good alignment guy. Probably need to let him check to see if he understands how it operates before lifting.
Really would love to see her sitting on 32 inch buckshots and a small carbureted V8 And 5 speed manual. But I’m planning on trying a few things to increase the oil to the top end of the 2.9, it has plenty of power as long as you can keep the lifters in oil. Anything over 55 mph for very long and I loose lifters. After research I have learned that it’s going to be clogged push rods. So new lifters and going to drill the oil holes on push rods and rockers. And buff and hone the rocker assemblies. May even try the solid assembly instead of springs

 

[sgtsandman]

Appreciate the information from all. And only wanting the front fairly close to rear in height. Rear has 4 inch lift if I’m not mistaken.. I’m thinking 2 maybe 3 inch up front.
I do however know a good alignment guy. Probably need to let him check to see if he understands how it operates before lifting.
Really would love to see her sitting on 32 inch buckshots and a small carbureted V8 And 5 speed manual. But I’m planning on trying a few things to increase the oil to the top end of the 2.9, it has plenty of power as long as you can keep the lifters in oil. Anything over 55 mph for very long and I loose lifters. After research I have learned that it’s going to be clogged push rods. So new lifters and going to drill the oil holes on push rods and rockers. And buff and hone the rocker assemblies. May even try the solid assembly instead of springs

You might want to check to see if your engine is one of the ones that had a bunch of casting material left in the passages. I forget the whole story behind it but there was a strike at one point and some of the engine pieces weren't properly cleaned before they were moved to the next step in the manufacturing process.

 

[JoshT]

Appreciate the information from all. And only wanting the front fairly close to rear in height. Rear has 4 inch lift if I’m not mistaken.. I’m thinking 2 maybe 3 inch up front.

I highly, HIGHLY, doubt that rear has a 4" lift. Post up some pictures of the rear suspension and these guys can tell you a lot.

From the way that the truck sits in those pictures, I think you have stock suspension front and rear, but the front has sagged a bit more than the rear. To my knowledge all 4x4 Rangers came from the factory with around a 2" lift block on the rear axle. Like most trucks of the time they were built with the back end higher to level out when loaded.

I think a 2" leveling kit would put you close with a slight rake. A 2" leveling kit plus new coil springs would probably actually hit level once they settle.

 

[franklin2]

Your alignment guy is going to say "no way" if you are going to do a spring only lift on a ttb. 1.5 inches maybe, 2 inches will be borderline. If your rear is that high, you need to go ahead and get a lift kit with the brackets and the pitman arm. He could get it in then.