School me on shocks and valving!

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

I took it on a test drive this afternoon. It’s a little smoother than my F350, but not much lol.
I’ve been planning on swapping 63” chevy leafs under it. But I also read that a rear hanger flip gives a better ride. So I’ll be doin that too. Along with the F-150 hanger so I gain a smidge more height back.
I hope that all of that with good shocks will be sufficient for the back.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

4x4Junkie: If I end up having to buy new springs and shocks, I might as well buy coil overs.... lol

 

[4x4junkie]

If you got the $$$, coilovers are certainly the better way to go (the height adjustment also is nice with the TTB axle, no need to pull springs out and mess with spacers and/or washers under the bottom seat).

64" Chevy leafs should do you real well (after all, they were made for a full-size truck). I have Pro-Comp lifted 64s on mine (3.5").
I kept tweaking springs made for RBVs (Explorer leafs, Ranger leafs, Skyjacker... probably partly due to how short the leaf is forward of the axle, partly the weight I carry, partly the contorting them climbing over rocks combined with 117:1 gearing). The 64s have held up well. The shackles on mine are normal style (not inverted). I also took out the exceptionally thick Pro-comp overload leaves and replaced them with flatter and thinner OE Ranger overload leaves.

 

[JOLENE_THE_RANGER]

as indeed it is pretty hard to do actual "prerunner" style driving while carrying around all that weight (not to mention is hard on equipment (and dogs) too). Like an "overland" style rig.

youd be surprised how much rangers start weighing when caged with 2" chromoly bumper to bumper, 90 gal fuel cells for the big v8s, 37-40" tires and big ole suspension parts. mine is petit, around 4500lbs because im still running relatively small parts and tires. but a friend of mine has a ranger race truck well over 6000 pounds.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

With all of my gear and my dogs in the bed, it’s squatting pretty good. By the fender wells, I’d say somewhere around 2”.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

I made a deal for some 2”x14” king coil overs. I will be installing them on the front of course. I’ll have to order some new springs. They come with 150/150 springs. I figure they’ll be too soft. He described the valving as being set for rock crawling. I’ll have to revalve them too, I assume. He’ll be shipping them out tomorrow or the next.