Anyone ever lower the Ranger Edge?

[Lefty]

I'm a Ranger noob with a 2003 Edge. As most of you know, way back then Ford raised the ride height on that model using a "lift block" or a spacer on either end of the rear axle. Maybe the designers thought this would make this particular model look rough and ready for off road wanderings. The trouble is that I have a 373 one wheel wonder, no limited slip. I've never taken it off road and probably never will. I do have somewhat larger tires, but nothing special.

Wouldn't this particular model handle better if it were lowered, say,1 inch? Or would there be no real gain? And if there is, can I just buy shorter lift blocks without spending a couple hundred on those kits which include, new shocks, etc? I would imagine I could just crank down the front end and reset the camber.

Anyone ever try this?

 

[Uncle Gump]

You certainly could use a shorter or no block in the rear to lower it. It's the front where things get tricky with these torsion bar suspensions.

4x4 guys tend to crank the torsion bars up for bigger tire clearance. They really just limited the down travel left in the suspension. You could certainly turn the bars down to lower the ride height... but you just limited the up travel. There really is no adjusting the amount of travel in these torsion bar trucks. The stops are what they are and travel is limited at best. You will probably end up with a pretty harsh ride quality. The suspension needs both compression and rebound to function properly.

 

[Lefty]

Thanks Uncle Gump. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go the other way: Pull a limited slip rear axle from the local boneyard and complete the job that Ford started.

 

[Ranger850]

Nice looking Ranger. It is doable, like Gump said, it may make the ride a little harsh, but I can't see it being a deal breaker. I plan on removing the blocks and lowering the front 1" after I v8 swap it. I have a 2001 2wd Ranger Edge single cab. the ride is already worse than a Extra cab so it wont bother me at all. I've been riding in lowered vehicles most of my life, so I'm used to the harsh bumps.

 

[Lefty]

Nice looking Ranger. It is doable, like Gump said, it may make the ride a little harsh, but I can't see it being a deal breaker. I plan on removing the blocks and lowering the front 1" after I v8 swap it. I have a 2001 2wd Ranger Edge single cab. the ride is already worse than a Extra cab so it wont bother me at all. I've been riding in lowered vehicles most of my life, so I'm used to the harsh bumps.

Would lower blocks be available? I noticed Beltech makes kits but these seem to be more for a radical change.
Perhaps a new set of shocks would help. Mine are 19 years old anyway.

I'm planning to do an entire rear axle swap when the weather warms. Also planning to remove the tub and repaint the frame. This will be a perfect time for suspension changes.

 

[Ranger850]

Would lower blocks be available? I noticed Beltech makes kits but these seem to be more for a radical change.
Perhaps a new set of shocks would help. Mine are 19 years old anyway.

I'm planning to do an entire rear axle swap when the weather warms. Also planning to remove the tub and repaint the frame. This will be a perfect time for suspension changes.

If you're swapping axles, AND want to go low, get an Explorer rear axle. The leaf springs are on the bottom, which lowers the rear about 3-4" with NO mods needed. Check out the TECH section, for a better explanation.

 

[superj]

you can lower the front about 2-3 inches by letting the torsion bars down but to low and it sits on the bump stops and you have no suspension travel in the front. my 04 edge was that way when i got it. i tightened the front end to bring it up but i have gone to far so i have to lower it a bit so its not so rough riding. it sits almost level with the rear right now though

 

[Lefty]

you can lower the front about 2-3 inches by letting the torsion bars down but to low and it sits on the bump stops and you have no suspension travel in the front. my 04 edge was that way when i got it. i tightened the front end to bring it up but i have gone to far so i have to lower it a bit so its not so rough riding. it sits almost level with the rear right now though

So, in other words, a modest drop of just one inch will not affect the front suspension/torsion bars all that much. It might require a change to the camber settings.

I am still wondering about those lift blocks in the rear.

 

[sgtsandman]

The 2008+ Rangers have smaller blocks than the earlier Rangers. About 1/2 the height between the two. You are about 2 years late. I had the shorter blocks and torsion keys from when I did a pre-2008 lift on my 2011. Due to a lack of space to keep stuff I don’t need, I scrapped them.

Cheapest, easiest option is to find a 2008 or newer Ranger in a junk yard and pull them or have them pulled. That will give you about 1.5”-2” of drop.

 

[Ranger850]

My $.02. Remove the factory blocks, get shorter U bolts, level the front with a torsion twist down. You should have a ride similar to a basic Ranger, since you will now have a basic Ranger Suspension.

 

[Lefty]

Perfect! I will put the lift blocks on my rapidly and exponentially expanding boneyard shopping list. I'm a Ranger noob so last year when I first got my Ranger, I spent my time replacing the lost, broken, or downright ugly. I had a lot of fun and learned about how the truck was made.

Part of that learning process is the great variety of possibilities for customizing, improving, and adapting to my own personal needs. The Ranger reminds me a little of the old Model As. There were many small changes in their assembly. The same basic model came in different body styles too. Then again so many were made that an aftermarket parts business followed in its wake. Of course we know what happened after that. People discovered the great potential for customizing them with newer model ford parts.

So now that I have learned a thing or two, I want to return to the boneyard, take on more projects, adapting and improving according to many of the good posts I've read here. So much to do! So little time!

 

[Lefty]

you can lower the front about 2-3 inches by letting the torsion bars down but to low and it sits on the bump stops and you have no suspension travel in the front. my 04 edge was that way when i got it. i tightened the front end to bring it up but i have gone to far so i have to lower it a bit so its not so rough riding. it sits almost level with the rear right now though

I've thought about that too, except now I've got larger tires. Somewhere in between seems right.

 

[Lefty]

I've thought about that too, except now I've got larger tires. Somewhere in between seems right.

I wouldn't be surprised if I tried several options along the way.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you drop the truck, the tire size maximum is going to go down. 31” rubbed quite a bit before I did the lift. 30” would probably fit better if you go with the post 2007 blocks and keys.

 

[Lefty]

If you drop the truck, the tire size maximum is going to go down. 31” rubbed quite a bit before I did the lift. 30” would probably fit better if you go with the post 2007 blocks and keys.

Thanks again. Good to know.