A way to keep my lift but gain a smoother ride?

[MaicoDoug]

Glad to assist.

My front height BTW is: 35" from the lower inside fender lip (just above the 31.6" tire) to the ground. The other side is 35-1/4" on uneven ground. This is with the plastic fender lips that come stock. So I'd add a quarter inch to my numbers if you don't have those. Again my front lift is about 1.5" higher than stock.

You've got some really dynamite responses, congrats on that man! Thought aside, if you're going into that front end, it's really not that hard to remove & replace (R&R) those upper & lower ball joints, lower A arm (new ball joint already installed) CV axle, steering arm, sway bar bushings, shocks. Something that can be done in a day. At least inspection time has already arrived, and should be considered.

I'll admit, when I removed my T bars, my 3 pound shorty hand sledge and a chunk of steel, think it was a 6" long half inch socket extension, only hit it 3-4 times and it came right out with the rear T bar mount assy loosened up only a few turns of the bolts with the front frame resting on some jack stands. The 1/2" extension did not suffer any damage at all, I believe I released all the tension before it slid out rearward. It was stuck at the back if I remember requiring some lube the night before & heat the next morning. Doing the wrong thing the right way??

 

[JoshT]

Wouldn't the pre keys be the same equivalent as 1.5” lift keys? Or do they offer less lift at no crank than 1.5” keys?

Not necessarily. Probably not even likely.

The 1.5" lift keys were developed for the 1998-2007 trucks, and they provide a lift over that stock height. When the 2008-2011 came out with a lower ride height the same lift keys still fit, so the application list was expanded to cover them. I don;t know if anyone makes a specific lift key just for the 2008+ Rangers.

I think I've heard that the height difference between a 2007 and a 2008 is approximately 2" in stock form. The 1.5" lift keys for a 1998-2007 would actually be about 3.5" lift on a 2008-2011.


I may be mis reading what you mean by "less lift at no crank", but... Lets say that you had your adjuster bolts set at 4 turns in for stock (2008+) keys, pre-keys, and 1.5" keys. The pre-keys would give a taller ride height that the stock keys, and the 1.5" keys would give a taller ride height than the pre-keys.

 

[JJMaine]

Ohhh okay, so maybe I do want the pre keys instead lol. I guess Ill have the tool from here on out at least. Thanks so much guys for sticking with me. I’m at work so Ill have to take time to read through you questions and answers when I get home but I do appreciate it.

I think thats where all my confusion was coming from Josh. Wondering why my truck seemingly sits so high with just 2” keys backed off nearly all the way. But if they are essentially 4” keys then it all makes sense to me. And wpuld confiem what you all have said, that I probably will prefer the prekeys.

I’ll try to get a better photo from the front of my truck but the bumper kind of gets in the way when trying to capture a good angle from farther away.

 

[MaicoDoug]

JoshT, so that means that the length of the lever arm would be less for the higher lift key? Knowing that the key would be installed loose with no torsion on the bar at all initially. Then with the same length adjuster bolt (perhaps) there would be more lift? I learning here. I should look at that T-Bar installation tool perhaps.

My only point of confusion is that the apparent amount of lift that is still left when there is no value (amount of positive rotations left on his key's adjuster bolt), with his adjuster bolt backed out completely or almost backed out completely, his lift is still excessive it seems. Which means that there is still torsion on the T-Bar? Just looking at the drive shaft & lower A arm for reference.

 

[Uncle Gump]

The "lever length" is exactly the samefor all the keys. The difference is the hex hole for the torsion bar is indexed differently.

 

[JJMaine]

I think I have formulated a plan, in my head at least. Install the prekeys to get around 1.5-2” in the front and drop the rear an inch with the adjustable shackles (and flip them as Eric suggested earlier) as well as new shocks front and rear. If Im thinking correct I should end up with a little lift and a bit of rake

And, I will most likely start replacing the less expensive front end parts like ball joints etc. because lord knows how long this guy ran the truck cranked up like that (remember, the front was more than an inch higher than it is now when I got it and with stock length shocks!).

Shocks and the Otc tool will be here by Friday but the ‘07 keys wont until next week. I’ll probably get a head start this weekend by putting the new shocks in and I’ll also back off the torsion keys as much as possible to get me by until I swap to the prekeys. Ill return the Roughy Country keys.

I think my local autozone has a haynes manual for the Ranger too so I might as well snag one of those.

 

[JJMaine]

Ill have a much better grasp on this once I actually dig in and do the work. I seem to learn best that way.

 

[Curious Hound]

Ill have a much better grasp on this once I actually dig in and do the work. I seem to learn best that way.

Once you loosen some fasteners and see how all the parts move and wiggle in relation to each other, that's when the light bulb in your head turns on and you say "aha! I get it now."