1998+ Ranger Suspension Lifts

[ozziemo27]

What the hell is with the prices of 4 or 5 inch suspension lifts for 1998-whatever Rangers? What did they change to make the price literally triple? I want to get something like 4 or 5 inches of lift for my 1999 Ranger XLT 4WD, preferably at least half of it in suspension but I can't be blowing 1500 bucks on it. I see 5 inch suspension lifts for about $600 on eBay for 2wd Rangers but not 4WD. Can you guys give me suggestions on how to get about 4 or 5 inches of lift for a bit cheaper than 1500 bucks? Appreciate any feedback! Heres a pic of my stock ranger, playing around on the trails a bit.

 

[Sunk]

Rangers switched from TTB to IFS in 98. You can crank the torsion bars and get a bodylift for about about 4-5" of lift. Throw on some extended shackles if you want to go a little further and the rear a bit higher. That could be done for less than $200.

Other than that, you might find a used lift. Most guys don't buy suspension lifts for IFS Rangers.

 

[4x4junkie]

Yep. It's due to the complexity of the IFS front suspension '98up, sorry to say.

 

[ozziemo27]

I like what this guy did to his 99 Ranger XLT
http://www.therangerstation.com/galleries/IFS4x4/BDorris.html
Cranking the torsion bar..... and adding the lift blocks in the rear to even her out, and adding a 3 inch body lift, bam, theres 5 inches of lift, may not be suspension, but its still a good cost efficient way to lift her up! thanks for the input, I am going to talk to my buddy and see what he thinks.

 

[Sunk]

I'd get Belltech 6400 shackles instead of blocks. They're probably quicker to install and only about $40-60 depending where you find em.

Stacked blocks=bad.

 

[ozziemo27]

According to my buddy, cranking the torsion bar reduces the life of the steering column so I would rather avoid that. I will definately get a 3 inch body lift though, that will provide me some more clearance for some 31's!

 

[4x4junkie]

Cranking the bars has absolutely nothing to do with the column.
Where you could run into issues is at the CV joints and balljoints. Moderation is key here, don't crank them up for more than 1.5-2" lift over stock and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[ozziemo27]

hmmm, well, i'll keep that in mind if I end up doing that, I'll start her off with a 3 inch body lift, thanks

 

[rangerT]

Cranking the bars has absolutely nothing to do with the column.
Where you could run into issues is at the CV joints and balljoints. Moderation is key here, don't crank them up for more than 1.5-2" lift over stock and you shouldn't have any problems.

by doing that is the safer route but what about the aftermarket keys....is that too much lift for a daily driver on the cv's?

 

[Yellowsplash]

They're a waste of money....the factory keys offer plenty of adjustment with just a twist of a bolt. Adding the aftermarket keys only exacerbates the over crank problem.

 

[4x4junkie]

Yep, doesn't matter how you get there, anything higher than 2" over stock height is asking for problems.