Help with my Ranger Build shocks? tires? advice?

[nooch450]

I have a 1991 Ranger XLT Supercab 4x4 4.0 OHV 5 Speed Manual.

I am planing on buying a class 2 6" skyjacker lift with everything exept shocks.

I was looking at the Bilstein 5100 Series and 7100 Series shocks.

I want to run this truck at pretty fast paces on wide trails with rocks ect.

I Can find 5100 series shocks designed for my ranger with the 6 inch lift,

but i would like to invest in slightly better shocks like the 7100 series,

has anybody had experience with these.
i would really rather use these, but i must order specific shock rates, are they worth it over the 5100 series? will they bolt up or require fabrication?

I want to also run 35" tires. 12.5-13.5 wide if i can... ill cut the wheel wells if nessasary, i want to maxamise travel so 33" may need to be used. advice?

how much of an offset rims should i go with for the wide tires? also can anybody point me to some wide rims with offests without paying an arm and a leg?

what kind of wheel travel am i going to get out of the skyjacker lift?

Please let me know if you have any information on the above topics you can share with me.

Thanks Guys

 

[nooch450]

alsost 50 views and nobody has a word to say?

no help...

i dont buy it

 

[4x4junkie]

You might find some more information about the 7100 series shocks on a desert forum (we tend a little more toward trail running and rock crawling around here, which shocks like the 5100s and 5125s, etc. typically work great for us). A call into Bilstein's customer service center I think could net a valving recommendation based on the weight of your truck and your intended use.

As for wheel offset, ideally I wouldn't go more than about -.25 to -.5" offset or so (or 3.75" backspace on a 15x8 rim) due to the leverage it puts on the wheel bearings. A 12.50" wide tire should be fine on that however.

I get about 14-15" total travel out of the Skyjacker stuff I have on my Ranger (full bump to full droop). To get more than that I would need extended shock towers (which I have on my BII and can pull about 20" on that, though I do have it cable-limited to about 16". I also have different coils on my BII than my Ranger).

Anyway, hope that helps some.

 

[nooch450]

You might find some more information about the 7100 series shocks on a desert forum (we tend a little more toward trail running and rock crawling around here, which shocks like the 5100s and 5125s, etc. typically work great for us). A call into Bilstein's customer service center I think could net a valving recommendation based on the weight of your truck and your intended use.

As for wheel offset, ideally I wouldn't go more than about -.25 to -.5" offset or so (or 3.75" backspace on a 15x8 rim) due to the leverage it puts on the wheel bearings. A 12.50" wide tire should be fine on that however.

I get about 14-15" total travel out of the Skyjacker stuff I have on my Ranger (full bump to full droop). To get more than that I would need extended shock towers (which I have on my BII and can pull about 20" on that, though I do have it cable-limited to about 16". I also have different coils on my BII than my Ranger).

Anyway, hope that helps some.

thanks, would you recomend 10 inch wide rims with the 35x12.5x15 tires?

and do u think the 35" tires will fit with the 6 inch lift? im willing to cut the fenders but if im going to get other issues such as tires hitting the radial arm during a turn than ill run 33" tires

how are the 5100 series shocks compaired to the ones i can get from skyjacker?

 

[4x4junkie]

I ran Skyjacker Nitros for a little while on mine, they were good shocks, though it felt like they could've used a slight bit more rebound damping.
the Bilsteins seem smoother and more balanced though.

35s should fit very well if you're open to a little fender trim (would be minimal down at the lower parts of the openings). I wouldn't expect any significant rubbing (if at all) on the radius arms (certainly not enough to hinder your turning ability). Skyjacker's arms are swept back pretty good for clearance.

As for 10" rims, typically they have more negative offset (around -1.25" or so) which pushes the tire out further.
If you're meticulous about setting the proper preload on your wheel bearings (and use top-quality bearings and hi-temp grease), you should be OK. I usually suggest the 15x8 because it typically causes fewer issues with things like the locknuts loosening, etc. and they'll hold the tire bead better when you air down for the trail. Tighten the outer locknut on each side up real good like 225-250ft-lbs or so (this if you have manual hubs) and you'll most likely be able to skirt most issues.

Alternatively you could get 10" rims with deeper backspacing (4.5" BS is commonly available, and wouldn't stress the bearings hardly any more than the 15x8 w/3.75" BS would)