Explorer Leaf spring questions

[Snal]

I've got a 2000 2wd ranger and I wanna lift the rear up a bit without using blocks. I'm piecing together the fabtech 5.5 front so I'm going for around 4 in the back and I would like to use leaf springs from an explorer but I dunno if they'll fit right. I couldnt find a FOR SURE answer so my question is: 1) are they the same length? 2) do they bolt right in? I read something about an alignment pin which I know nothing about and I also read about angles of the drive shaft and destroying gears which I dont want to do. 3) if I got a set of pro comp leaf springs or something like that for an explorer will it fit so I wont need shackles to make up the difference I need? I do plan on using shackles if I cant get it out of pure leaf spring

 

[Snal]

help?

 

[bcost882]

yes they will fit thats what i have on my truck. the center pin needs to be flipped. or i just dremeled it cause it wasnt budging. for a 5.5in front you will need extended shakles such as beltech 6400s, sploder leafs, and prolly a 1in or 2in block depending on what you are goin for. I have 3 in spindles front and 6400s, sploder leafs and my spring perches lifted it when i swapped in my rearend and the rear is around1.5in higher than the front now. when i put on my fabtech 2.5 i will still need a 1in maybe 2in block for the rear. just dont use a 5in block in the rear. here is the link to some stuff i did for my truck to get the rear lifted and such. be prepared for some bolts to be stuck haha. here is for sploder leafs------> http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79308 just be patient. feel free to message if you have other questions.

 

[Snal]

Thank you a lot for the help! that is my plan exactly, I'm gonna run the leafs with 6400's and possibly a block because I wanna get around 4 inches of rear lift without blocks if I can but I will if I have to and what exactly needs to be dremeled you said? the pin itself or the hole in the springs? are they all stuck or is it just the older and more rusted of the bunch cause I plan on taking some out of the junkyard. thanks, Alex

 

[Snal]

bcost882, I read in another forum you've posted in and you said you have doetsch spindles and I was going to do the same thing so my question is will they work with the fabtech springs and arm do you think?

 

[bcost882]

the doetsch spindle are set up the same as the stock spindles just with the spud 3in further down on it. so it takes the same balljoint as the stock a-arm. My wife just picked up the fabtech 2.5 and it takes the stock replacement balljoint so yes it will all work fine together. And as for the leafs i tried to swap the bolts but there is a round end on one side and the nut on the other. it was just spinning in the spring cause i couldnt get a grip on the round side. so i dremeld the bottom of the pin so it would fit in the hole on the spring perch on the axle since hexagon doesnt fit in circle hole. I got my springs from a truck in nevada so not alot of rust. though the metal bushing rust welded itself to the bolt on the front driverside leaf of my truck so in came the angle grinder. and you will have to use a small block(not a big deal at all). It is when you get into big blocks that you have axle wrap problems and such. But if you want, lift leafs will make it so you dont need blocks and yes lift explorer leafs will fit on a ranger.

 

[Snal]

I'm going that route then thank you. if you know of anyone selling fabtech upper control arms let me know I'll buy em. I lost the bid on ebay this morning so now I'm looking for a set

 

[bcost882]

lift control arms are some of the hardest things to get ahold of for a decent price good luck. you can look at doetsch. you need to call em though they never answer emails

 

[Snal]

there was a set of arms on ebay that ended at 280.71!!!! the internet at my school and my ipod ebay app let me down BIG TIME! but I didnt know doetsch made arms

 

[subydrift]

Look into the BTF upper control arms. They are 450 and are tubular steel with a 1" uni-ball joint so the crappy stock style ball-joint is gone. Contact NODNARB (Brandon) on DezertRangers.com. They work with stock style spindles also.

 

[Snal]

thanks guys for the arm help and I've got yet another question about leafs, what years are compatible? I know skyjacker and rough country have leaf kits that lift 4-6" but they say 83-97. what changed in 98-present? will they fit?

 

[Snal]

I cant find this answer anywhere else. I assume they do but I'd rather know before I spend any money on them

 

[Black_Splash]

If you find some factory lift blocks from a 4X4 ranger you won't have to flip the center bolt on the leafs.