Coils for 2011 Ext. Cab

[Danno1985]

I've been getting increasingly annoyed with the way my truck leans a little in the front left corner, and have also recently noticed my front shocks seem to be fading, so I'm planning on setting aside a Saturday in the near future to refresh the front suspension. I was leaning towards the Moog V6-spec springs in the hopes they'd give it a minor boost and level the truck, but after searching Tasca, I noticed the OEM coils when searching for the V6 model (K-code) were on sale for a whopping $15.75 a piece, and that seems hard to beat. Am I correct in assuming K-code springs would likely be the stiffest available (highest alphabetical order)? And can anyone confirm whether or not these would level a 4cyl extended cab?

 

[2011Supercab]

All Rangers lean to the left side.

40lbs Battery, 120lbs Gas, 160lbs driver, = 320lbs on just the driver side that's not on the passenger side.

Get a 350lb girlfriend to sit in the passenger seat and it will level itself

 

[superj]

i don't know the coding but i think there is info on it in the tech library section of the forum that will give that info

 

[Blmpkn]

It's 'the ranger lean'. Super original name yes.. no way really around it though.

I suppose some shims on the drivers side might fix things well enough.

 

[Danno1985]

All Rangers lean to the left side.

40lbs Battery, 120lbs Gas, 160lbs driver, = 320lbs on just the driver side that's not on the passenger side.

Get a 350lb girlfriend to sit in the passenger seat and it will level itself

Lol, thanks. Yeah, I’m well aware of the “Ranger lean”, I’m not asking for replies about that, more looking for specific info about the spring codes. The front left seems particularly sunken so I’m going to replace the worn out ones. I know it’ll bias towards being slightly lower on the drivers side no matter what but I’m also looking to get a little front to back leveling with the stiffer coils.

 

[sgtsandman]

Springs should always be replaced in pairs just like shocks. Springs sag over time as they wear. If you are looking for a temporary solution, maybe try swapping springs from side to side until you can scrape up the money for the coils you want.

 

[19Walt93]

It's not safe to assume that the highest letter identifies the stiffest spring, it may just mean the part number was added later. Stiffer springs are likely to raise the front end and make the truck look dopey like a squatted truck. Ford will usually have a dozen or so different springs for a vehicle and they aftermarket might have 2 or 3 choices so they may be somewhere near the right rating. Whatever you install, get a wheel alignment after the change. The first thing to check when doing an alignment is tire pressure, second is for loose/worn parts, and 3rd is ride height before adjusting anything.
Also, the truck is a Supercab, Ford has never built an extended cab, correctly describing the vehicle is key to getting the right parts.

 

[Danno1985]

Springs should always be replaced in pairs just like shocks. Springs sag over time as they wear. If you are looking for a temporary solution, maybe try swapping springs from side to side until you can scrape up the money for the coils you want.

Right, I ordered two coils and have a set of Motorcraft oem shocks on the way as well. When I entered the VIN for my truck on the ford parts site they came up as a match. Definitely not looking for any kind of dopey Carolina squat or faux-pre runner look - it's a 2wd truck and it's supposed to have a slight rake, but my driver's side front corner is a solid 1.75" lower than the passenger side, and that bugs me.

 

[pjtoledo]

did you compare the angle of the lower control arms? the factory ride height per side?
that will indicate if the frame is level, then you see if the body is level on the frame.

there is a diagram here somewhere showing the ride height measurements.

how to measure factory ride height, 1998+ | The Ranger Station

 

[Danno1985]

did you compare the angle of the lower control arms? the factory ride height per side?
that will indicate if the frame is level, then you see if the body is level on the frame.

there is a diagram here somewhere showing the ride height measurements.

how to measure factory ride height, 1998+ | The Ranger Station

Thanks for sharing. Body and frame are level, this is an Alabama truck with zero rust so it's not a collapsed cab mount if that's what you're thinking. 113K on the truck, front left coil just sags.

Previously, I owned a 2010 2wd regular cab, and replacing the springs with the Maxtrac leveling springs fixed the "Ranger lean", figured these OEM springs at a closeout price of $40 for the pair would do the same and hold up better than the $186 Maxtrac coils.

 

[Josh B]

I have to wonder about the "Alabama" truck thing. You know, Alabama has an awful lot of coastline, with lots of salty salt air, just about as good as those salt roads I suppose, but fact is, I have a "Minnesota" SUV that I have seen no rust on, and it's a 96. Fact is, it didn't spend its life up there, but really shouldn't be given a good or bad rap because of its label eh?

 

[sgtsandman]

I have to wonder about the "Alabama" truck thing. You know, Alabama has an awful lot of coastline, with lots of salty salt air, just about as good as those salt roads I suppose, but fact is, I have a "Minnesota" SUV that I have seen no rust on, and it's a 96. Fact is, it didn't spend its life up there, but really shouldn't be given a good or bad rap because of its label eh?

Vehicles that spend their life near salt water coasts can actually be worse since they rot from the inside out instead of from the outside in. A lot more damage can be hidden with rust like that and not rear it's ugly head until it's too late to do anything about it.

 

[Josh B]

Vehicles that spend their life near salt water coasts can actually be worse since they rot from the inside out instead of from the outside in. A lot more damage can be hidden with rust like that and not rear it's ugly head until it's too late to do anything about it.

I had an early look at that in 65, I was barely in Jr High and my father took us to Georgia in around a 56-7 Chevy Station wagon. We spent a week there on the coast, in a tent , with a hurricane bobbing around in south FL the whole time. It made for some interesting shores though, and some days it was still sunny, others the native fish were gone and we'd get to see sharks and some whales closer to shore avoiding the rougher seas farther out I suppose.
Coming back we followed the Gulf coast and basically made a state each day/night combo.
The cars there that showed rust Really showed it. I'm thinking this was either PRE undercoat or Early undercoat
In late 67 my Dad bought a 68 Plymouth Fury station wagon and I know he got the undercoat on his

 

[Blmpkn]

What's considered 'near' is actually kinda quite far too..

I'm 10-12 miles inland and if the wind is blowing the right direction you can pretty much smell the ocean just as well as if you were standing right next to it.. if the air has that much stench of ocean in it.. it's gotta be somewhat salty.

 

[Josh B]

I really don't think the Gulf is salty as the Atlantic. I worked out there in the late 70s and early 80s and spent a Lot of time along the coast. It hardly caught my attention those years. Sometimes I'd park right on the shore and take a boat and others would catch a helicopter from a yard or airport somewhere and don't really remember the smell of salt down there. Sometimes off I would mess around the beaches in Biloxi/ Gulport, maybe I just got used to it I don't really know. My van didn't get clobbered too bad with it either