Questions about lowering a 2003 Ranger Edge

[Lefty]

Just for the record, the Edge can be lowered one inch in the back by replacing the 2 inch lift blocks with ones. The truck will be mostly level with a slight downward rake in the front. After all, the Ford designers planned for pickup trucks to be sprung higher in the back than the front. They did so in order to account for aerodynamics, handling, and heavy loads.

When we lower the back end, we should lower the front. The Edge can be lowered about 5/8 " by cranking down on the stock torsion bar keys. This will almost restore the rake to the original. I have no numbers to go by. I eyeballed mine with a spirit level. Perhaps a little steeper might be even more desirable. Those older Edges might achieve this by picking up a pair of stock keys found on 2008-2011 models.

@lil_Blue_Ford says those keys might max out the ball joints. I'm going to crawl under mine and check.

 

[superj]

Once i figure out the measurements to get shorter ubolts, i will remove those stock lift blocks you amd i have. Than i will lower the front to get it back to a normal truck looking rake

 

[Lefty]

Once i figure out the measurements to get shorter ubolts, i will remove those stock lift blocks you amd i have. Than i will lower the front to get it back to a normal truck looking rake

You're in the same boat I was in? You don't like the Edge suspension either? It's been more than a year since I lowered mine, but if I remember correctly, the shorter lift blocks came with shorter U bolrs.

 

[superj]

i don't like how tall it is and i have to slide off the seat to get out. it feels like its tearing the seat up

 

[Lefty]

i don't like how tall it is and i have to slide off the seat to get out. it feels like its tearing the seat up

Agreed! My wife hated to get into it for that very same reason. I installed nerfs in order to help her, but still she complained. That motivared me to lower it. It was better, but still a bit of a climb, Leather seats also helped. She prefers leather anyway. They also help with the "slide." I bought these on craigslist for $200. They are more comfortable too.

 

[superj]

I found a guy selling the coil conversion kit for the edges. He said he is willing to work on the price but said 100 is to low

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[Lefty]

It's probably a question of taste. The standard sway bar is a smoother ride, but I rather like the thicker torsion bar. It might seem a little harsh, but the truck handles better this way. Sway bars reduce body roll and keep the tire tread parallel to the pavement, providing maximum traction at all times, especially in dicey situations when the driver is forced to turn sharply and/or brake hard. I find this is especially important with the Edge.

The bigger sway bar may feel harsh on rougher surfaces. Perhaps this is why. When one wheel hits a bump or drops down in a chuck hole, the truck will move in two directions: vertically and laterally. OR BOTH up and down and from side to side. The suspension absorbs some of the shock, of course, but not all. That stiffer bar means less lateral movement. So the ride feels more harsh.

I dunno. I've always had a sports car and a truck. I've always felt the truck has a mushy feeling. The sports car is a bit rougher ride but the steering is more articulate. The front end doesn't plow. It goes where you point it. I prefer sports car handling and steering.

It is not always a question of taste. Torsion bars, any torsion bar, can be problematic for driving off road, especially in extreme cases where one has to pick their way across rocks and ditches.

Torsion bars of any kind are important on the highway, especially for a pickup truck. When they are empty, they are front end heavy. They will also need more stability when carrying loads.

 

[Ranger850]

It's been a long time since I did it, and I didn't get to drive it much before the motor blew up, but I removed the rear blocks completely with shorter U bolts, and cranked the bars down as much as I could to get the truck level, with NO RAKE. I loved how it rode and handled. Overall I think it was 2" drop in rear and 1" in front. It did rub the front fender liner a lil' bit after this mod.

 

[superj]

Thats my plan for now. And do the coil conversion on the front someday

 

[Lefty]

It's been a long time since I did it, and I didn't get to drive it much before the motor blew up, but I removed the rear blocks completely with shorter U bolts, and cranked the bars down as much as I could to get the truck level, with NO RAKE. I loved how it rode and handled. Overall I think it was 2" drop in rear and 1" in front. It did rub the front fender liner a lil' bit after this mod.

Yea, a big difference in handling. Funny, isn't it, that half of the members here want to lower while the other half wants to lift. That's the beauty of driving older pickups. You can make them over and have them youe way.

 

[Lefty]

Thats my plan for now. And do the coil conversion on the front someday

Suspension changes may be time consuming, but they are easy and relatively cheap.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Just for the record, the Edge can be lowered one inch in the back by replacing the 2 inch lift blocks with ones. The truck will be mostly level with a slight downward rake in the front. After all, the Ford designers planned for pickup trucks to be sprung higher in the back than the front. They did so in order to account for aerodynamics, handling, and heavy loads.

When we lower the back end, we should lower the front. The Edge can be lowered about 5/8 " by cranking down on the stock torsion bar keys. This will almost restore the rake to the original. I have no numbers to go by. I eyeballed mine with a spirit level. Perhaps a little steeper might be even more desirable. Those older Edges might achieve this by picking up a pair of stock keys found on 2008-2011 models.

@lil_Blue_Ford says those keys might max out the ball joints. I'm going to crawl under mine and check.

I got more than 5/8” drop in the front by backing off the adjusters. I backed the adjusters off until the last thread met the top of the plate, so the key is about touching the plate for the adjuster. My upper ball joint is maxed. I have not yet installed the 08-11 keys yet. I haven’t verified, but using the ol eyecrometer, the 08-11 keys look suspiciously close to exactly the same as a 98 Explorer key. Once I deal with the upper ball joint issue I want to tear mine apart and compare all three keys side by side. My 08-11 key set came out of a 10 or 11, so unquestionably close to end of production.

Yea, a big difference in handling. Funny, isn't it, that half of the members here want to lower while the other half wants to lift. That's the beauty of driving older pickups. You can make them over and have them youe way.

And then there’s me. My Choptop sits on 35’s with 5” of suspension and 2” of body lift. My green Ranger is lowered roughly 4”. I have both worlds. I love it. I love driving both. The Bronco II is stupid capable. It’s a sailboat on the road, but entirely drivable as long as you realize it’s a giant spring toy and don’t try to drive it like a Ferrari. My green Ranger on the other hand, handles more like a Ferrari, which is quite fun as well. I love both toys, it’s what I’ve always wanted.

 

[Lefty]

I got more than 5/8” drop in the front by backing off the adjusters. I backed the adjusters off until the last thread met the top of the plate, so the key is about touching the plate for the adjuster. My upper ball joint is maxed. I have not yet installed the 08-11 keys yet. I haven’t verified, but using the ol eyecrometer, the 08-11 keys look suspiciously close to exactly the same as a 98 Explorer key. Once I deal with the upper ball joint issue I want to tear mine apart and compare all three keys side by side. My 08-11 key set came out of a 10 or 11, so unquestionably close to end of production.


And then there’s me. My Choptop sits on 35’s with 5” of suspension and 2” of body lift. My green Ranger is lowered roughly 4”. I have both worlds. I love it. I love driving both. The Bronco II is stupid capable. It’s a sailboat on the road, but entirely drivable as long as you realize it’s a giant spring toy and don’t try to drive it like a Ferrari. My green Ranger on the other hand, handles more like a Ferrari, which is quite fun as well. I love both toys, it’s what I’ve always wanted.

YES! By the way, have you got anything stock?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

YES! By the way, have you got anything stock?

Uh… well… uhh…

I guess to be honest the only stock things I have are the ones that I haven’t dug into yet. To be precise, that would be my boat, my Explorer (not in my sig), and my 94 F-350 dump. The dump will not be stock any more sometime this year if I have my way. What can I say…

 

[superj]

I have had both, too. Sometimes at the same time. An e30 lowered 4 or 5 inches and a cherokee lifted 6". Both did what they set up for very well.