2" lift blocks on 2004 Ranger

[Shag]

Hmmm... I see there's factory lift blocks on the rear of my '04 Ranger 4X4 and I've read it's not a good idea to stack blocks because they'll be unstable, but... I have a welder and I think I'm going to give this a try. I'll take pictures and report results. When I actually get the truck jacked up and get up under there, I may change my mind, but I'm generally stubborn about things like this and think I can make it work. I understand about the potential axle-wrap problem, but I'm not planning on doing any extreme offroading and have had really good luck with lift blocks in the past. To give you an idea of how I like to push the envelope, I ran 31" truck tires on my '63 VW baja with stock drivetrain and stock gearing for years and got into some pretty hairy stuff with it and the worst I ever did was burn up the clutch once which I replaced myself a couple of weeks later. I'm gonna give this lift block thing a go, probably this weekend coming up. I picked up a set of 2" blocks with U-bolts on the way home from work today. Stay tuned, true believers!

 

[tanbuddy]

Make sure the u bolts are gonna be long enough. I got the 2 inch blocks from adv auto and there was barely enough thread to tighten down the u bolts

 

[Shag]

Make sure the u bolts are gonna be long enough. I got the 2 inch blocks from adv auto and there was barely enough thread to tighten down the u bolts

So do you have stacked blocks in the rear now? I mean the factory blocks plus the 2" blocks? I also got my blocks from Advance Auto and was already wondering if the U-bolts would be long enough since there are already the factory blocks in place. If you have stacked blocks, did you do any kind of welding or fastening to help keep them more stable, and how does the lift perform? Are you happy with it? Thanks for advice.

 

[Sprag-O]

Instead of stacking blocks, I think you should keep the stock block, and use a 2" lift shackle (the Chevy drop shackle), that should yield you the extra 2" you're looking for, and not the rednecked stacked block effect. Even if you wanted to weld them, the cheap blocks are normally alum, good aftermarket are prolly cast, and I think the stockers are regular steel.

 

[tanbuddy]

yea...i have stacked blocks..but im puttin in some traction bars. I figured that should even out lol. I wanted to do the shackles..but i herd how much of a bitch it is to get out the shackle bolts i said screw that. I have the 7.5 rear u have the 8.8....so if your axle tube is bigger it might not work. My blocks are made of steel, not the cheap aluminum..but i did get them about 4 years ago.

 

[tanbuddy]

I didnt weld the blocks or anything...but never had any trouble wiht it. A little axle hop once in a while thats it. But i can pop the clutch and spin my 31s and never broke anything.

 

[Shag]

yea...i have stacked blocks..but im puttin in some traction bars. I figured that should even out lol. I wanted to do the shackles..but i herd how much of a bitch it is to get out the shackle bolts i said screw that. I have the 7.5 rear u have the 8.8....so if your axle tube is bigger it might not work. My blocks are made of steel, not the cheap aluminum..but i did get them about 4 years ago.

Mine are also steel. When I got home today I tossed the lift blocks box to my daughter and said "Welcome to your weekend!". (she's gonna help me install them) She about dropped them, they're so heavy. I'll let you know how they work out with the 8.8 rear. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Sprag-O]

I still recommend shackles for the $40 they are... I personally don't like that big of a lever going against 2 U-bolts on either side of a 3,200+lb truck