- Joined
- Feb 8, 2022
- Messages
- 2,174
- Points
- 101
- City
- Saint Paul, MN
- Vehicle Year
- 2003
- Transmission
- Automatic
I've been driving pickups all my life. I really love them. I guess. All except for one thing: I don't like the way they handle. They could be improved. I'm sure the manufacturers know this. To some degree, it has a lot to do with cost. Ford Rangers, especially, were made to compete favorably with a foreign market. They did a pretty good job on just about everything. Call me crazy, but I like the traction that comes with big tires and tighter handling too.
Like all pick ups, they suffer from poor weight distribution when there's no load in the back. Slam on the brakes at highway speed and you know exactly what I mean. The front end pitches down. The back lifts up. The front brakes take all the weight. Things get worse if you have to swerve,
A couple beefy sway bars most certainly help, but if your Ranger aready has a rear sway bar, it need not be replaced. It can be just helped a little. The cheaper fix is one or two pairs of leaf spring clamps for fifteen bucks. They make the leaves work together, help with load distribution and keep the leaves from separating, which boosts stability, minimimizes lateral movement, improves handling, and possibly cuts down on noise from the leaves rubbing. Clamps also help with rebound which is when the leafs violently snap back after having the load removed quickly like going over a pot hole.
They strengthen the springs and keep the back from lifting up on sudden stops, help keep the back a little closer to level when around going around the corners, a small but pleasant improvement.
One set of clamps can be mounted five or six inches ahead of the axle, A second set six inches just behind. The photo below shows just one on my O three Ranger.
Like all pick ups, they suffer from poor weight distribution when there's no load in the back. Slam on the brakes at highway speed and you know exactly what I mean. The front end pitches down. The back lifts up. The front brakes take all the weight. Things get worse if you have to swerve,
A couple beefy sway bars most certainly help, but if your Ranger aready has a rear sway bar, it need not be replaced. It can be just helped a little. The cheaper fix is one or two pairs of leaf spring clamps for fifteen bucks. They make the leaves work together, help with load distribution and keep the leaves from separating, which boosts stability, minimimizes lateral movement, improves handling, and possibly cuts down on noise from the leaves rubbing. Clamps also help with rebound which is when the leafs violently snap back after having the load removed quickly like going over a pot hole.
They strengthen the springs and keep the back from lifting up on sudden stops, help keep the back a little closer to level when around going around the corners, a small but pleasant improvement.
One set of clamps can be mounted five or six inches ahead of the axle, A second set six inches just behind. The photo below shows just one on my O three Ranger.
