Finally!

[rangerbum]

Parts! so its been bugging me that the previous owner put one inch sway bar bushings on the 7/8 bar that's on the truck, so new Moog poly ones are on the way. And I'm finally getting coils. They are Moog stock height, so ill be looking at an inch or more after installing them and ditching the saggy originals.

Excited to finally do this after ages of being annoyed with front end sag, and all my money goes strait to college. Finally new parts!

 

[rangerbum]

Hey, before they get here, anyone used these particular ones? got them through oreilleys, Moog, for 2wd. Anyone had any experience with them? excited for them to get here. Sick of waiting. Tuesdays the day

 

[upnsmoke]

I'm assuming these bushings are for the front bar. I didn't know moog made poly bushings. Are they universal or application specific? Is your truck strictly street driven, or does it see off road driving as well? If you want to make it more fun to drive, and don't do any off roading, a rear sway bar close in diameter to the front will make the truck tend to turn better. Putting urethane in the front sway bar where it was not before could give the truck a tendency to push.

 

[rangerbum]

It was already poly up front, but too big, tends to make it sloppy when entering turns. I grabbed a sway 5/8 bar for the rear from a 4*4 ex cab. My truck is both street driven and mild off road since its 2 wheel drive. But I rally it pretty hard when I off road. I've got the thing handling pretty close to how I want it, just fine tuning everything.

it does great on the street, but that little bit of give that the big front bushings have makes the front end walk over bumps.

 

[rangerbum]

You know, the old question "what do you use your truck for" is tough for me. Im nota huge fan of street trucks, but I do enjoy street driving, but driving on trails makes me smile any time.

Is it a dedicated street truck, no, off road truck, no, what it is is a nifty combo of both and more. Love my ranger. Its not the best at everything, but across the grid its the only thing that does a consistent job of everything.

 

[rangerbum]

Okay, so last night I pulled the truck into the shop, and pulled the stock coils off. It was tough, but since I bought a 1 and 1/8 deep socket, it busted the coil retaining nut off with just a slight amount of force..... Against 4 feet of cheater pipe, and a week of Pb.

So this morning when oreilleys called, I hopped my subaru gl wagon(carburated), and picked up my new parts and waited. I had a college class starting about 20 minutes after I grabbed the parts. The whole class I obviously couldn't pay attention.

I had a little under an hour and a half between classes so I got right to work. Got the new coils and sway bar bushings in, had a shower, made a ridiculous huge corned beef sandwich and raced to math.

Truck gained one and a quarter inch, which realigned my front end. Now it drives straitrt than ever. Handles insanely better with the bushings, and rides great. I couldn't be happier.

 

[upnsmoke]

You know, the old question "what do you use your truck for" is tough for me. Im nota huge fan of street trucks, but I do enjoy street driving, but driving on trails makes me smile any time.

Is it a dedicated street truck, no, off road truck, no, what it is is a nifty combo of both and more. Love my ranger. Its not the best at everything, but across the grid its the only thing that does a consistent job of everything.

Your truck is not too far from mine in the way you drive it and what it probably handles like. Do you have the 5/8 rear bar in right now? I bet it handles great with that and the front bar. You had a good bit of sag if you gained 1-1/4 inch ride height in the front from stock springs. What shocks are you running?

 

[marauderx]

I want mine for a truck, and for it to go where a 2wd truck will go...

 

[rangerbum]

Don't get me wrong, I use my truck for hauling, its taller than stock, has overload rear shocks in the rear. Its no street machine but it is enjoyable on and off road, fast or slow. Love technical trails.

and yes, the rear sway bar is in. I got it at my local junk yard and bartered down to ten bucks! had good bushings and all. It changed everything. Made more difference in ride quality than anything else has. Best ten bucks I've spent on the truck.

And as for shocks, I've got Monroe sensatracs up front, and am disappointed in how they maintained ride. They were great at first though, but wore out quick. In the back I have Monroe heavy duty coilover overload shocks and love them. I expected a rough, stiff ride but they are the best shocks I've had in the rear of a ranger. And they also help me alot when towing. I put 5000 miles on them in one week with a 2200 lb trailer. Then 2000 miles strait home in 3 days after six months.

 

[rangerbum]

Don't get me wrong, I use my truck for hauling, its taller than stock, has overload rear shocks in the rear. Its no street machine but it is enjoyable on and off road, fast or slow. Love technical trails.

and yes, the rear sway bar is in. I got it at my local junk yard and bartered down to ten bucks! had good bushings and all. It changed everything. Made more difference in ride quality than anything else has. Best ten bucks I've spent on the truck.

And as for shocks, I've got Monroe sensatracs up front, and am disappointed in how they maintained ride. They were great at first though, but wore out quick. In the back I have Monroe heavy duty coilover overload shocks and love them. I expected a rough, stiff ride but they are the best shocks I've had in the rear of a ranger. And they also help me alot when towing. I put 5000 miles on them in one week with a 2200 lb trailer. Then 2000 miles strait home in 3 days after six months. And they still ride great as dd shocks.

 

[upnsmoke]

I have never had a good opinion of Monroe, especially speaking of base model Sensatracs. Apparently there are some good ones available though. Any shock that handles the trailer pulling you have done, Rangerbum, is definitely of at least reasonable quality. I want to be able to pull a trailer as well. I have Rancho RS5000s right now, which have enough low speed damping to go autocrossing. I may get Bilstein HD shocks when I go to F-250 front shocks, as their ride is slightly softer. I will see first how the truck handles after switching to Jeep coils. My truck is just too light I think, for the spring rate of off the shelf Ranger coils. I actually catch air when hitting speed humps at excessive speeds, which I am sure is an activity many Ranger enthusiasts often engage in. This truck should easily absorb a speed bump without getting launched. It is equally too harsh in off road driving as well. With the right combination of springs and dampers I know this truck will soak up bumps very nicely while handling well enough to be entertaining on the pavement.

 

[marauderx]

All I know is the $35.00 f-150 Monroes are are awesome on the front of the widebed! Now that I have a swaybar on the front, it is beginning to get impressive...
P.S. I just dug a Bronco II sway bar out of pull a part, and I hope they clear my f-150 air shocks in the rear...