RoamingCanuck
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2016
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- 25
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- Vehicle Year
- 1997
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 5L
- Transmission
- Manual
I posted this same question over on Ranger forums but I had only one person really respond to me so I was looking for alternate opinions. I figure you guys tend to be more modified so possibly more knowledgeable on options for me.
I have a 1997 Ford Ranger ext cab that I'm looking to take over duties as my Overlanding rig from my Current 2006 Tacoma DCLB. Basically the Tacoma is too long, too wide and I have an odd love for this Ranger that I'm sure only other Ranger owners will understand.
Anyway my predicament is between spare tires, fridge, spare parts, recovery gear, tools, water and fuel I carry roughly 600lbs in the bed of my Tacoma on trips. This seems like it'll be too much for the leafs in the Ranger since I've put a mere 400lbs back there and it was riding dirty.
So, I don't really want more than 2" of lift and it needs to be an OEM spring. As an overlander if that spring breaks and I can't go to a dealer or part store and simply buy that spring I'm royally ****ed. My short trips are about 1000km and my longer trips are 5000+km and I'm often 400+km from the nearest town.
The gentleman that helped me over there suggested ford explorer leafs for the extra weight capacity but when I googled I found HERE that the ford explorer leafs have a 1250lbs capacity and the Ranger ones HERE can have up to 1750lbs rating.
So its a matter of figuring out what springs are on my ranger currently because if its the 1100lbs ones then the 1750lbs ones may work.
The other thing I was considering and you guys may know more about this was possibly going to an F150 spring and then simply moving the hangers as required to fit them. It looks like they come in 1700, 1900 and 2200lbs so if I already have the 1250lbs spring for example on my ranger then the 1900lbs from the F150 would make sense would it not?
What say you oh lords of fabrication?
I have a 1997 Ford Ranger ext cab that I'm looking to take over duties as my Overlanding rig from my Current 2006 Tacoma DCLB. Basically the Tacoma is too long, too wide and I have an odd love for this Ranger that I'm sure only other Ranger owners will understand.
Anyway my predicament is between spare tires, fridge, spare parts, recovery gear, tools, water and fuel I carry roughly 600lbs in the bed of my Tacoma on trips. This seems like it'll be too much for the leafs in the Ranger since I've put a mere 400lbs back there and it was riding dirty.
So, I don't really want more than 2" of lift and it needs to be an OEM spring. As an overlander if that spring breaks and I can't go to a dealer or part store and simply buy that spring I'm royally ****ed. My short trips are about 1000km and my longer trips are 5000+km and I'm often 400+km from the nearest town.
The gentleman that helped me over there suggested ford explorer leafs for the extra weight capacity but when I googled I found HERE that the ford explorer leafs have a 1250lbs capacity and the Ranger ones HERE can have up to 1750lbs rating.
So its a matter of figuring out what springs are on my ranger currently because if its the 1100lbs ones then the 1750lbs ones may work.
The other thing I was considering and you guys may know more about this was possibly going to an F150 spring and then simply moving the hangers as required to fit them. It looks like they come in 1700, 1900 and 2200lbs so if I already have the 1250lbs spring for example on my ranger then the 1900lbs from the F150 would make sense would it not?
What say you oh lords of fabrication?
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