Made up my mind to install a 3" BL

[Cubmaster]

I've never been a fan of BL's, but the suspension lift costs too damn much. Reason behind the BL is I keep hitting my head on the door catch ring that the rear door latches to. I was putting my mother in law's groceries in the back seat and when I leaned in, I earned myself a good lump. I'm still used to the Suburban. I think I nearly knocked myself out last night. I was in a hurry and smacked it good. So...a lift it is!!!
The only thing I'm not a fan of are those cheesy bumper brackets. I know the bumpers offer little protection as it is, but those bumper brackets are laughable at best. I think I'll fab up a set myself. My big question is about the tow hooks. Once the bumper is lifted, there will be no place to mount them. Any suggestions? I may end up building a bumper as well. Guess I better buy that welder.

 

[straycat]

What tires are you running (or are you going to run)? If you don't need much of a lift you can buy a small lift for as much as a BL, Bro. Check into that.

 

[509lifted]

your tow hooks mount to ur frame so in essence i would think ur bumper will be high enough so ur hooks will be under it

 

[Cubmaster]

What tires are you running (or are you going to run)? If you don't need much of a lift you can buy a small lift for as much as a BL, Bro. Check into that.

I'm probably not going any bigger than 31x10.5. It's a daily driver/commuter. I don't do any heavy wheeling, just some trail riding and camping in out of the way places. The only suspension lift I can find is $1600 :
http://fatbobsgarage.com/i-6453521-master-lift-kit-superlift-k358.html

Looks like the $159 body lift from Summit racing is my cheapest option. If you know of a suspension lift that is that cheap, let me know, please. (I don't want to max out my T-bars and wear out my front end faster.)
I was considering the possibility of maybe 1-1.5" t-bar crank with some new lift blocks as a cheap alternative, but cheap usually ends up costing more down the road.
I could really save money and learn to duck my head when entering the rear door area of the truck.

 

[straycat]

Go to Ebay and search on 99 Ford Ranger 4x4 lift kit. You don't need much of a lift to run 31's. I see a bunch out there for a good price. Check it out!!!

 

[Cubmaster]

All I find are torsion keys (can do the same thing with your stock keys)and lift shackles. Torsion keys are a waste of money they max out your front suspension and cause rapid, excessive wear on CV's and ball joints. One of the drawbacks to having t-bar suspension....no cheap, easy way to lift it right.

 

[94 lngbd]

what size tires are you running now? Remember that the 31s are going to be taller then stock ,so if you already have the tires on the truck & need more lift then Body lift is the cheapest way to go ,but I dont care for them cause they show more frame then necessary. Also I beleive the bolts are grade 5 & I woundnt do a BL with out having grade 8 bolts.

 

[Cubmaster]

The tires I have on it translate to around 30" tall. The frame showing a bit won't bother me as much as my need to make gap guards. I can't stand it when I can see through a truck. You're only supposed to be able to see through a bike. I'm not a big fan of the BL either, but I need that little bit to keep clear of my head. I think the older i get, the more things I forget...like ducking my head when gaining access to the rear seating area. I know it may seem dumb to go through all of that trouble for such a petty issue.

If anything, I may machine an inch off of the BL spacers. 3" may be a bit much. If I had the time, I would make the lift spacers and all of the brackets at the shop, but all of our machines are tied up and I just don't have the time. I can buy it cheaper than making them if I include my time spent vs. hourly wage. The main reason I don't want to go with larger tires, besides no real need for them, is that I don't want to re-gear the diffs to somewhat keep the same fuel mileage and speedo reading. If I had a commuter and more cash at my disposal, I would SAS it, 35" tires, ARB lockers, throw in a nice 5.0 and an Atlas transfer case and make a real truck out of it. Those are pipe dreams.

I really like the truck as it is. Just needs to be a tad taller. The truck serves my needs. I don't haul equipment any more. No more farm in Texas, etc. I'm a pitiful apartment dweller that gets to the woods every chance I get to keep in touch with my redneck roots and get in my dirt time.

 

[--weezl--]

your tow hooks mount to ur frame so in essence i would think ur bumper will be high enough so ur hooks will be under it

sure... if your bumper is only 1-3 inches tall... ???




you will either have to cut your valence, or modify your hooks to sit higher... i think you are ok with a 1" but 2 or 3" you will need to modify something

if dont' want a full 3" lift, don't buy a 3" lift... buy a 2" or a 1" yes, they make them... don't bother with the labor to put a body lift on, if you are only going to do an inch, imo... if you go with the 3", put the pa883 kit on... i've now installed 2 of those (one on my truck, and one on basshead's truck) i've also done the sport trac version on my roommate's truck...

i've gotten to the point with those 3, that i can more or less install one in a day, with the exception of the bumpers (the rear is kinda a pain in the ass)

as for the bumper brackets, the brackets that came with my kit were pretty decent... the rear ones actually seem stronger than the stock brackets, they are thicker metal, and the design of the bracket (because the bumper is higher) is more structurally sound due to triangulation...

the front are less than desireable, but i can stand on my front bumper without it bending, and i'm 225lbs...

 

[straycat]

I am happy with my 3 inch PA BL. The bumpers are mounted very rigid. They do not bounce or vibrate or rattle as some of my buddy's BL do using another brand. I see how their front bumpers shake when you tap on it or watch them drive down a bumpy road. I hate that...lol. I added the BL a year after I did the supension lift back in 2000. So it's been on since 2001 and I never had any issues with it. I have used PA BL kit since the 80's and will never go with another brand on any of my rides or new rides when I get another one. I have used a 2 inch lift before but did not know theere was a 1 inch lift until about 3years ago.

 

[pillen140]

What weezl and stray said about performance accessories body lifts. Plus it makes working on some things easier. The back is easy if you have an angle drill or a stepside bed (where you can take the side off easily)

 

[Cubmaster]

I wouldn't waste my time on a 1" BL either. I'll probably run with the 3". I may just see what I get out of the 31" tires and a slight t-bar crank. I really don't like BL's and like I said before, I can't spend $1600 on a suspension lift. Why on earth do they feel the need to charge so damn much for them anyway? Never mind. It's like camping and other outdoor gear. The reason they can ask $700 for a sleeping bag is because people are dumb enough to pay that much for one. I'm a tight wad..I can't help it.

 

[straycat]

I wouldn't waste my time on a 1" BL either. I'll probably run with the 3". I may just see what I get out of the 31" tires and a slight t-bar crank. I really don't like BL's and like I said before, I can't spend $1600 on a suspension lift. Why on earth do they feel the need to charge so damn much for them anyway? Never mind. It's like camping and other outdoor gear. The reason they can ask $700 for a sleeping bag is because people are dumb enough to pay that much for one. I'm a tight wad..I can't help it.

$700 for a sleeping bag....darn..I paid $1,000 for mine...where did you find one so cheap?....lol

 

[straycat]

Here's mine with the 3 inch PA BL.

 

[Cubmaster]

Here's mine with the 3 inch PA BL.

Looks sharp!