Shock Spacers for Torsion lift. **Pls Sticky!

[cstishenko]

Mods: Can you please sticky this, or add it to the 98+ lift FAQ's thread?


Did you notice that after doing your torsion bar lift in the front of your Ranger than the ride became uncomfortable or brutally rough? It could be that your shocks are simply not long enough for the lift you've added to your truck.

Your stock shocks were designed to operate within the trucks stock ride height. As you turn up your torsion bars you run the risk of over extending your shocks by pulling them fully extended against their stops! This WILL result in a poor ride, and poor offroad capability. This could also result in a failure while driving causing an accident.

Here are my homemade shock spacers. With the truck on the ground at a full torsion twist, you should gain another half an inch to an inch depending on your bars once you un-do your lower shock mounts! Try this and see what happens... Worst case, you wasted some valuable beer drinking time. Best case.. You truck rides smoother and is more capable off-road.

For the Bottom Mount:

Take off the nuts holding your lower shock mount to the trucks a-arm. I took 8-10mm nuts and wound them on tight to the lower shock studs. Two nuts per stud. I re installed them in the lower mount and tightened the lower nuts under the a-arm again.

For the top Mount:

Take the upper nut off. then take both washers and both rubber bushings off. You should be able to push the shock down now. I then put on a thick 5/8 nut that would butt up against the "flat" portion of the shock shaft that the washer sits on. Re-install the lower washer and bushing. Put the shock back into it's upper mount.. Re-install the upper bushing, washer and nut. DONE.

My ride IS the same as stock and i'm up 2-2.5" over stock just by turning up my tbars in my FX4 L2

 

[06RangerXLT]

Nice mod! but now your shafts and uppers are gonna wear very fast.

 

[cstishenko]

No matter what... you are going to wear out parts faster when differing from stock.

This however allows more suspension travel without beating up the passengers in the cabin.

My truck rides just like the day I bought it bone stock. No more choppy torsion bar bounce or clunk of the shocks being pulled hard against their stops.

 

[cdawall]

^ I doubt I wear parts any faster than a stock truck. In fact I would wager a bet that my balljoints last a lot longer than the stockers.


I still find it hard to believe you are back to stock ride since you adjusted the spring rate cranking the tbars. Shocks wont fix the fact that you have a stiffer front clip now.

 

[pearblossomal]

I wouldn't add spacers to the bottom mount.

Satisfy my curiosity. Jack your truck by the frame so that the right wheel is off the ground. Turn the wheel to the left to the limit. Take off the right wheel. Take and post a single photo showing the truck supported by the frame (full suspension extension) and an air gap between the axle boot and lower shock eye.

Thanks.

 

[dangerranger83]

Not bashing anybody but the CV joint looks like it is at an extreme anlge now and if it goes anymore it would want to give. ANd being that it is at stock ride height and that bad, I can only imagine what full droop would do to it.

Personally I would get extended shocks and be done, Im one of those people that kind figure why not.

 

[cstishenko]

Extreme angles for cvs and bjs are how all 99+ trucks roll. no way around it.

But there is however no rubbing shock mount on cv boot. Small spacers in the bottom. moderate in the top. stock ride quality. booyeah

 

[bobbywalter]

dude....whats wrong with shock extenders?

its as old as dirt...when running ttb 150 coils on the old trucks its the easy way out. works here too...

8-25 bux depending on where you get them....5 minute install.


just sayin

 

[pearblossomal]

Extreme angles for cvs and bjs are how all 99+ trucks roll. no way around it.

But there is however no rubbing shock mount on cv boot. Small spacers in the bottom. moderate in the top. stock ride quality. booyeah

You show two nuts on the studs & say no rubbing between lower shock eye & axle boot, fine. Maybe you have a different boot or the kinematics on your suspension is different than all other '98 - up Rangers. A photo is proof. Take one of your truck in the configuration I described & post it. Simple.

Add spacers / extenders on the upper mounts when using stock travel shocks. A better solution is to get longer shocks. The best solution is to get longer shocks with longer travel. But there's not much available in the way of alternate shocks.

 

[dangerranger83]

My dad has a stock 98 ranger and I see no extreme angles on any of his front end.

 

[bilzy7]

I mean... 2 inches of lift really matter that much...if I cared to put any more effort into a 2 inch lift on my explorer or ranger other then shackles and a crank... Id buy a whole kit for more lift.

 

[cstishenko]

Shock stud extenders are too long for lower mount

4" Superlift = $2000+
2.5" Crank and spacers = $free

with superlift you still have hard angles... you now have brackets hanging off your frame getting caught on everything on the trail.

Shocks =$300+ for longer ones and rancho 5000s arent much better than stock.
Spacers =$free to prove all the cock suckers wrong that your ride does get dramatically better.

No hard angles stock your right but we are not talking stock here.

At full lock there is no rubbing either way. i feel no need to post a pic so that you e buzzards have something to snack on.

 

[shane96ranger]

OK, complete village idiot here with torsion bars, so please forgive me if this is a dumb question.

So you've cranked the torsion bars to get an additional 2-2.5" in height. But the shock length is corrected by only adding a 5/8" nut? Is this smaller spacer correcting it because of the geometry of angles, etc.? Because in my mind, I would think you would need at least a 2" spacer.

 

[dangerranger83]

Dont forget about the 2 small nuts stacked on top of eachother on the bottom mount.

I do agree, to keep the shocks at there proper stock riding/operating range, you would need as stated above 2 inches total in spacers, buy extended shocks, or just keep the truck at standard ride height. What I see with the lower nuts being added is leverage added to the bolts for the miount and seeing they arent welded or anything, looks each can move if given the chance to

Personally I wouldnt take an IFS off road due to all the front carage hangs low on top of stuff is at extreme angles at ride height due to a torsion crank and I can only imagine the added stress of what is being put on the components.

Personally, if your going to trail drive a truck, get or build a rig that will be able to handle it and not having a chance of destroying something that you know is already being pushed to it limits just driving on a paved road.

As a temporary solution, do it, but leave it at just that, temporary.

 

[cstishenko]

No... just because you are gaining two inches of lift in the fenderwell or crossmember to ground does not mean you need two inches worth of shock spacers.

Determining the length and stroke of shock needed depends on where the shock is placed on the control arm.
How much spacer you need is like shock length determined by where the shock is placed on the lower A arm in relation to its pivot point versus the amount lifted.

If the shock was right out near the tire you would need close to 2" of spacer for just over 2" of ride height gained. Being that the shock is almost halfway between the pivot point and the wheel end... You should technically need half of the ride height gained in shock spacer thickness. Which is almost what i've just installed in spacers.

As for the IFS offroad comment? I am not a rock crawler. No ifs guy should be.
But for sheer ground to under truck clearance... A solid axle truck will not match an IFS truck. If you have 30" tires on your solid axle truck. You technically have 15" to your lowest point where a rock can hit. If you lift that truck by 12"... You still have 15" of clearance. If you have 40" tires on that solid axle truck, you've still only got 20" of clearance to the axle housing.. Maybe less depending on the size of the pumpkin. Whereas with an IFS truck; the larger the lift and the larger the tire the more clearance i gain to my lowest point. its not rocket science.

One downfall of a torsion bar ranger I will admit is suspension travel. Not much can be done about that. As for strength and reliability... If you need greater strength than what a torsion lifted ranger on 33"s can provide... You need to buy an all around burlier truck!

IFS rangers are not boggers and not crawlers. They are great outdoorsmen vehicles that can be daily driven comfortably without breaking the bank in any manner.

Now if you have a problem with my shock spacers.. Stay out of this thread.

I think Ive stated my claims fairly, and proven my theories with technical knowledge.