FX4 Level 2 lift questions

[thebasshopper]

Hello all,
I'm new to this site and the ranger world. I have recently purchased a 2003 FX4 level 2 ranger. It has the factory BFG tires on it, and they are in need of replacement. I am considering a lift for 33's and mild off-roading. What would you masters of the ranger domain suggest?
Thank you

 

[07rangersport]

Well suspension lifts are pricey, and there is only a couple available. A 3" body lift will get you on 33's. You could crank your torsion bars and do lift shackles in the rear, and that would get you enough lift to run 32's. Welcome to TRS and post some pics of your truck.

 

[Rifleman]

FX4 Level 2 came with 31s and 32s fit fine at stock height with only a slight rub in reverse and the wheels turned all the way, either way. A half inch of TB crank is all you need to have ample clearance with no rubbing on 32s. You do not want to do too much lift without making some changes to the driveshaft, as it is said too much lift causes stress on the stock shaft joints.

 

[c_note]

as already stated, just crank the torsion bars and you should be fine. i ran 33s on my ranger with no actual lift. everyone on here will tell you to do a body lift but i will say otherwise. id only put a body lift on a beater or if i was doin a chevy engine swap. it looks like crap and since i take pride in not only the performance of my ride but also the appearance, i can t make myselft waste the money and time on a body lift. if you want performance, get a dixonbros longtravel kit for some clearance.

 

[dch1992]

had ur problem now they work

ok so pretty much i have the exact same truck year model fx4 lvl2 aswell i can afor a suspension lift body lift are cheap bad looking and usless in my mind and i wanted 33 so what i did was i wen on ebay found some diffent torsion keys or a leveling lift for my truck cranked them about half way gave me 2 inches plus over stock cranked all the way didnt do anything to the rear i just my 33 put on monday and i love them the torsion keys are cheap on ebay i got my for around 60 buck they work great i am running mb razor 15x8 rims and bfg a/t kos 33x12.50R15 they work great so far i am in love rubing wise front driverside inside fenderwell mud flap had to be removed and the inside rubber splash gard had to be pull back at bottom for turning passenger side it was fine backing up i had to trim the front valance just about and inch or so to make the tire clear in reverse all the tires rub on the top of the fenders on 3/4 to full compresion so u cant flex tomuch unless u get some body work done personally me i would love to go with dixion bros long travel 4x4 kit but i dont have 5000+ laying around othe suspension lift will run about 2000 dont got that either rcd made a lift for rangers and superlifts makes one but it keep thetorsion bar i likes the rcd cause it was a coilover conversion kit in my opion do what i did get a bigger torsion key crank half way leave the rear a lone and get a pair of 33s and trim and zip tye a lil

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

I vote CLEAR the 33's IMO. Mild off road....mostly street use....Throw the bodylift on the sumbitch. They don't look that bad compared to toyotas or s10's or colorados where the frame hangs down in STOCK form as much as a Ranger does when bodylifted.

 

[c_note]

I vote CLEAR the 33's IMO. Mild off road....mostly street use....Throw the bodylift on the sumbitch. They don't look that bad compared to toyotas or s10's or colorados where the frame hangs down in STOCK form as much as a Ranger does when bodylifted.

you say that because you have one on.



dont waste money on torsion keys. you get the same results if you crank the torsion bars. like stated in the tech library, dont crank them too much since they cause excessive wear on your ball joints and cv shafts and wheel bearings. 1." to 2" should be the max and do get a alignment so you dont roast your tires.

 

[strvger]

re: DCH1992, if you have to do body work to be able to flex, it seems like a 2 or 3 inch body lift would spare your truck from the sawzall. might also make it more valuable when it comes time to sell or trade it. body lift can be removed, a hacked-up body is that way for life.
body lifts are cheap, get the job done, don't negatively effect handling, and as already stated, don't look that bad on the RBV's really. just my $.02

 

[james99]

+1 body lift r great for what they are desinged to do. fit bigger tires.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

I HAD 33x12.50's on my truck....maxed out bars and an AAL...ALWAYS would throw the flares and throw the valence....those were pulled off the truck then I did a 1" BL to better clear....then the 3"....then on went hte superlift and the 35's. Let's just say that I speak from experience.

 

[c_note]

i also speak from experience. i put a body lift on my 99 ranger when i was in high school. i kept telling myself how good it looked and what an improvement it was but i was actually very unhappy with it. my truck felt top heavy as hell and it looked ugly as hell with gaps everywhere and useless bumpers. thats when i decided to take metal shop class and make my own bumpers.

i wouldnt bash on them like i do, if had no experience with them.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

10-4 my friend...10-4.

 

[thebasshopper]

Thanks y'all, that's quite a bit to consider. I imagine that I will crank the t-bars to start. The body lift is not permanent, that's a great point Strvger. I need to purchase tires soon, and I like the BFG's. I haven't seen a 32x10.5x15 in the AT's. Is there a Mickey Thompson tire that y'all would recommend? If I start with the T-bars and 32's, I could add to it. I just don't want to drop $600+ on tires and not be happy with the size. Keeping the wheels and possible lift under $1,000, what would y'all do?

 

[Toms01PSD]

Keeping the wheels and possible lift under $1,000, what would y'all do?

Good luck!

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

BL and 33x10.50s or 32x11.50s can be done for $1000 easily. Both being brand new parts.



And....you can run both those sizes without a lift too. Very minimal trimming of the valence and a small torsion crank.

32x10.50 is a weird size....I think BFG used to make that size back in the day(like 15 years ago). I've heard good things about the Mickey MTZ and ATZ tires. For A/T, can never go wrong with a BFG A/T KO though.