i-beams to a-arms ???

[Broncoman1532]

this ia a link to another thread of mine with pics of my truck

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1271249&posted=1

 

[kryptonitecb]

Lowered beams correct the bow you would get from dropping the truck.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[RangerSVT]

Lowered beams correct the bow you would get from dropping the truck.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

Drop beams do help, but when you go more than 7" drop up front like I did and presume the op did, even drop beams start to limit and still bow the tires out. Ever think of using an aerostar front suspension? They are very close to the mustang ii suspension, but are more easily obtainable in the junkyards...

SVT

 

[kryptonitecb]

Wouldn't you have off camber issues if you try to slam it regardless of the type of suspension?

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[RangerSVT]

With arms, you have an upper and lower arm that keep the spindle parallel. With beams, you only have one pivot point, making the spindle pivot like its on a hinge. It's one pivot point vs two pivot points...

SVT

 

[armadillon]

To voice my all important and all knowing opinion on this thread:


:vomit:

 

[kryptonitecb]

Ok, this is more of a passing curiosity to me. I've helped lower a ranger with I-beams but haven't done it myself.

Still as mentioned earlier would swapping a frame or doing a hugely over complicated conversion worth it? Sounds like a new truck to start with would be easier.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[Snoranger]

Ok, this is more of a passing curiosity to me. I've helped lower a ranger with I-beams but haven't done it myself.

Still as mentioned earlier would swapping a frame or doing a hugely over complicated conversion worth it? Sounds like a new truck to start with would be easier.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

Yeah, If you want to do it the easy way.

 

[kryptonitecb]

Cost/benefit analysis FTW

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[Broncoman1532]

Life ain't eat so way should anything I want done be easy. I will check the aerostar sus. Out. If I wanted to swap frames I would do a tube frame. Hell then I would have to body my truck. Ibeams are ok on lifted trucks but a-arms are a pigs mud on slammed trucks. I have done bagged s10s with no problems

 

[Broncoman1532]

I hate auto correct
I meant to say" life aint easy so why"

 

[JoshT]

I just love being ignored when I take the time to post a reply, so I'll try this one more time.

Previously when I said I don't know of anyone that has installed a-arms on an i-beam frame, I was referring to the 98+ Ranger A-arm suspension. The Crown Vic suspension is too wide for a Ranger, it's usually used on full size trucks as a semi-bolt in swap. I know people to have swapped in clips from other brands such as yota, and a few s-10 swaps IIRC. I know that Mustang II suspension has been installed more than a few times. I also know of one person who built his own custom A-arm set-up, his truck was set-up for road racing and used more than a few professional racing parts.

You seem interested in the later model Ranger suspension, or at least a set-up using factory for parts. The 98+ Ranger suspension could be swapped in, but will take more than just the a-arms. You will need at least the control arms, the spindles, the section of frame and cross member where they mount, and the steering rack. Then you'll have to do a lot of measuring, cutting, and welding to graft that section of the frame into your Ranger's frame. I'm pretty sure the same would hold true for any suspension you wanted to swap into the front. Easiest way to get an A-arm suspension in your truck would be to swap your body onto a 98+ extended cab 2wd frame, everything (except the front suspension) will pretty much bolt on to the new frame.

It's also pretty easy to understand a frame suspension swap. You have your truck and I assume it's paid for. The suspension swap will cost a couple hundred depending on what you can get the parts for or what you want. A frame swap, well you could probably pick up a dead/rolled/totaled Ranger with a perfectly good frame for less than a thousand, and make most of it back by parting out what you don't want. A fresh start on a new truck is going to cost at least a couple thousand for a nice starting point on a 98+ truck, then you have to invest all of the time and money you had in the old truck all over again.

If you are or know a really good welder have you considered pie cutting and modding your drop beams to correct the camber? I think a few people have done this in the past, if not here over on RPS. Can't recall the results they had from it, not something I see discussed too often in the static dropped forums where I usually hang out over there.

 

[Casper98]

What do you have against using a yota clip? there are reasons why people use them. They are damn near the same width, same bolt pattern, gets great lift and hardly no camber so you can ride low all the time. If you are thinking about doing a clip swap just SFBD while your at it.

 

[Broncoman1532]

Sorry josht, I have looked into the frame swap but I dOnt want to cut and notch the rear again/ buy all new 4 link mounts new rear bag mounts and so on. I have the crown Vic front setup and I think it would be an easier install or even a mustang 2 install.

Casper I will look at the yota stuff. I'm just a diehard ford fan I have a friend that built a yota and it was sick. Full tube chassis bodied, channeled, and chopped

I am trying to find out what I want to do to my truck this winter and the front seems like I want to Change it the most ( if my friend don't buy it)
If he does I am going to do a 98 up ranger or really want to bag an explorer

 

[Broncoman1532]

Does anyone know where I can get a 300,000 + miles award. Was looking at my dash today and saw 327,098 miles. I looked into the history of the truck and it was owned by a roofing company. Crazy I never once looked at the miles. I also checked the glove box the motor has 110,xxx miles and the trans has 90,xxx miles they put some money into the truck 4 months before they sold it to my friend