coil and leaf springs

[Twitch57]

I was considering a body lift to get more height to clear tires and you guys suggested replacing the coil and leaf springs and that sounds like a much better idea. ive got about 300 to 400 to spend

A few questions:

I am looking for around 3 or 4 inches of height to clear larger tires, what size coils and leafs should i get?

Where would be the best place to get them? ( the local junkyards dont have jack
i have found some on line but most sites are either expensive or dont look trustworthy)

other than the springs themselves is there anything else i will need to buy?

thanks

 

[kawasakiman27]

Suspension lifts for the 89' 4x4 ranger are gonna cost more than your spending limit. Which makes you limited. The body lift kit is gonna cost you about 200 itself.

 

[Sunk]

You can get about 2" of lift before you'd need to buy drop brackets for the front end. If you do that, it's probably gonna over your budget real quick since you start needing other stuff like a pitman arm, brakes lines, etc...

What size tires are you planning?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You can do a 2" suspension lift for about $100, although you may need to buy new alignment bushings as well... still you'd be prolly under $200 for the lift and alignment.

That will fit 31's with no trimming, or if you trim the fenders, you can go as big as you want depending on how much you trim (there's a picture floating around somewhere of a stock dodge ramcharger on 54" boggers, IIRC, pretty much no fender left).

4" lift is needed to clear 33's with only minor trimming, but the only way to get that in your budget is to do a 2" suspension and a 2-3" body lift.

 

[Parsonator73]

how do you get a 2" suspension lift for only $100?

 

[Sunk]

Coil spacers or longer coils and extended shackles or Explorer leafs.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Coil spacers or longer coils and extended shackles or Explorer leafs.

Pretty much... but it only works on pre-97 Rangers, anything newer than that they went to A-Arm suspension or torsion bars... you can crank the torsion bars an throw a shackle or somethin in the rear for a cheap lift, but if you got the A-Arms an coils.... no such thing as a really cheap lift.

 

[Twitch57]

31s are my goal so 2 inches sounds good then
ive got the lifetime alignment at firestone so i win

where would you guys suggest getting the coils, it seems the only ones i can find are 3+ inches ( i checked trs fab first)

would i have to replace my shocks or change anything else?

 

[Sunk]

Skyjacker sells 2" leveling coils, I think they're about $150 new. If you want to explore some cheaper options, look through the Tech Library. There are a lot of other options there, most of which could probably be found in a wrecking yard.

 

[Twitch57]

the junkyards nearby are worthless - they dont let you pick what you want yourself , they pull it and through ridiculus prices on em

found this but a bit outa the price range
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...1190596/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:10000026493511190596

ill see if jim can get em through trs fab

 

[88ranger2.95sp]

You DON'T want those coils. 10-20% stiffer than stock TTB coils is gonna ride like a brick. They're too stiff now; I don't see any benefit to buying them. I wouldn't waste my money.

Spend the money, get skyjacker coils from Ebay. And Explorer springs. Easy 2" lift as stated.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

For the front...

You can buy new coils...
Get coils from a 4-door Explorer (early 90's)
Get coils from a 2wd Bronco II (at least the stock coils in my 89 2wd BII were longer than 4x4 coils... that was my choptop FYI)
Spring perch from a 2wd F-150 (the tech pages have the part numbers, call around to different local dealers for the best price, should work out to about $40 for both sides)


For the rear...

Custom leaf pack
Leaf springs out of early 90's 4-door Explorer
Drop shackle for a chevy 1500 (I forget the Belltech part number...)


Pick one from each section an do it.

 

[Twitch57]

thanks for the help guys

im gonna look into it and do it the minute i get my paycheck weds

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

thanks for the help guys

im gonna look into it and do it the minute i get my paycheck weds

Sounds good! Cheapest method if the junkyard is unreasonable on prices would be the spring perches and drop shackles (chevy drop shackles lift our trucks). That's where I based my figures for being able to do it for about $100, about half of that for the spring perches and about half for the shackles. I got my shackles through Summit Racing.