2008 ranger sport 4X4 body lift need some advice

[hudson966]

i just bought a 2008 ranger sport 4x4 and want to put a lif on it i was looking at a three inch body but was woundering how much fooling around it will be to install also would a two be better. and its a standard so would i have to extend the shifter.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

i just bought a 2008 ranger sport 4x4 and want to put a lif on it i was looking at a three inch body but was woundering how much fooling around it will be to install also would a two be better. and its a standard so would i have to extend the shifter.

We they only sell the 3" lift for the newer trucks. as for the fooling around... (this i did on my 84 so theres definately going to be more to mess up on yours) But I removed the seats and rubber floor mat (also undo the shifter and steering linkage), pulled the the rubber plugs. Loosed the bolts and the ones in the engine bay. completely took out the bolts on one side jacked it up and slide the mounts and new bolts in tighten them do a little bit. then do the same to the other side. and repeat for the bed. and then whatever the bumper bracket is supposed to do.... then attach the steering shaft and decided weather you need a shift extender or not.

Since your truck is new your also going to have to watch out for body ground lines and I think the A/C lines. and brake lines.

 

[Bogdon]

Body lifts are not safe, if you want lift save your pennies and buy a real suspension lift.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Body lifts are not safe, if you want lift save your pennies and buy a real suspension lift.

Why aren't body lifts safe? if you do it right there is no danger. I have been running a body lift for over 3 years and its probably one of the better modifications I have done.

A 200 dollar body lift sure beats 2000 bucks for a lift.

 

[adsm08]

Depends on what you are doing. If you just want it for cosmetic reasons or to fit bigger tires and don't plan on doing anything major off-road, a correctly installed body lift can be perfectly safe.

If you want the suspension travel, hit up the suspension lift. I'm going with the suspension lift myself because it comes with some parts that I already need to replace or will need/likely to need soon anyway (Radius arms, leaf springs, etc). I also think they look better.

 

[02RangerXLT]

Body lifts are not safe, if you want lift save your pennies and buy a real suspension lift.

Thats just like saying guns are not safe... with EVERYTHING, certain precautions have to be used after any modifications, no matter how small, or large.

 

[erocka1982]

i rock a body lift and i feel perfectly safe in mine. i even do mild offroading and feel safe. my windshield did crack when i was trying to flex the suspension, but it already had a stone chip in it. lol....

 

[strvger]

Body lifts are not safe, if you want lift save your pennies and buy a real suspension lift.

and you base this claim on what facts?
been running a body lift on off-road trails for over 4 years without any problems whatsoever. and nearly all the guys i run with have them as well, again, without any problems at all.

 

[hudson966]

I am planning to put thirty threes on it and am putting a leveling kit on it and do some mild off roading nothing to serious. but want it up in the air a bit you know of any sites were i can order body lifts

 

[bcost882]

it depends what you like too. i personally dont like the look of bodylifts cause of how far the frame sticks below the cab and bed cause it makes the truck look "fat" you can custom make a 1 or 2 in body lift even though they dont produce them. just take patience and forethought like most fabrication

 

[02RangerXLT]

I am planning to put thirty threes on it and am putting a leveling kit on it and do some mild off roading nothing to serious. but want it up in the air a bit you know of any sites were i can order body lifts

Google: "Performance Accessories Body Lifts"

 

[hudson966]

found a site in utah called fat bobs garage anyone ever here of this befor.

 

[bcost882]

i've heard of it and heard nothing bad about it

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

blahblahblahity blah. haters... Just so you guys know....bodylifts aren't what they were back in the 80's. EVERYTHING has been taken care of with these late model bodylifts. EVERYTHING. I think the thousands of us running BL's on late models for YEARS will strongly disagree with those that say they're unsafe.




BACK TO THE TASK AT HAND.


I bodylifted an '08 a little over a year ago. There are not kits for the 08, but the 01-05 PA (performance accessories) kit includes everything you need except for the following differences. The only difference between the 05 kit and the 08 truck, is the fuel filler vent tube size. It was different. I want to say it was 1/4" on the 08 and the kit came with a 5/16 and 3/8" extention. This was solved by a trip to a local hardware store for some hose, 2 hose barbs, and 4 hose clamps. Done.

Shift extention is required for a nice looking interior.

Install isn't very hard at all. I've done 4 now. With an air impact, floor jack and a block of wood, and a friend, it's fairly smooth sailing. The instructions included in the kit are top notch. They were very good instructions. Searching on here or on other forums will lead you to sticky articles dedicated to installing the lift. Shoot...I think in our tech section there's a walk through. Anything that covers a 98+, will relate directly to your '08. Install isn't hard...if you can tighten and loosen a bolt, you can install a bodylift. But...it is time consuming with alot of checks of wiring, hoses, cables, etc.(allcovered in the instructions). I've caught myself saying "installing a bodylift is stupid easy, just takes time".

BUT....if you are not the one doing the install and you're paying someone to do it, you're better off buying a suspension lift. The only one out there now is the 4" superlift. You can fit 33x12.50's very comfortably. The reason I suggest this is that awesome hourly rate of labor you'll be paying. 8-12 hr install of bodylift vs 3-4hr install of Superlift. In the end, you'll be within a few hundred bucks of eachother. I've read labor quotes and labor paid of upward of $1500 CDN, then the kit ontop of that.

Alot to read, I know, but I leave you with a 2008 XLT 4x4 w/ prekey mod with conservative torsion crank, 3" bodylift, 15x8's and 33x12.50's....

good luck with your decision.

 

[erocka1982]

mine was "stupid easy" too. but it was a "weekend project". i got my kit on ebay $200(performance accesories). and i had to go to autozone to get a hose for the filler neck cuz the one in the kit was the wrong size, but other than that, the kit went on nice, and the directions were dead on. i read thru the tech article on here too and it followed the directions to a T. it was nicer on here cuz they were color pics! i just wish i spent the money on rims and tires though. i just used the stock 5 spoke wheels and put on285/75/16's . now my truck looks "heavy duty" but not really like a lifted truck. i think once i get some wider wheels and wider tires it will look real good, like that yellow one. which is sweet by the way>