Skyjacker Lift questions.

[Awesom-O]

Hey all. I see Skyjacker lifts are recommended by TRS. I’m sure there are multiple members here that have gone this route personally. Can someone please explain the pros/cons of these two lifts or cost to benefit ratio? The Bronco will be used for mild off road activities like hunting and backroad adventures, not any serious wheeling/crawling. Just wanting to know if I cheap out for the lesser dollar kit I won’t be regretting it later is all. Thanks in advance.

 

[gaz]

@Awesom-O ,
I have a 4" lift with extended radius arms and a 2" with stock arms; both using spring packs I have assembled from the original vehicle pack and an Explorer pack. The 4" rides much better, both have Softride front coils.

The extended radius arms offer improved geometry over the stock arms. I would put money into that kit over the kit with the spring packs, it's simple to get more height and amend the ride with a custom home-built pack.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, years ago there was a whole big discussion about the suspension geometry and all. Can’t remember where it was, but the bottom line ended up being a strong argument that ride quality and suspension function could be improved on a stock truck by extending the radius arms and it is practically required for a lifted truck if you actually want the suspension to cycle as it should.

A lot of people cheap out on it. It’s understandable. Drop plates and stock arms will work. They just don’t work the greatest. For a mild wheeler they’re acceptable. But there’s a good argument that you’ll be happier with extended arms.

I never completed my experiment that I was working on yet. My choptop I built my own extended arms. Kinda overbuilt them a little and the mounts which tie in with a modified transmission crossmember. My only complaint is that I didn’t manage to get them completely out of the way of the tires, I get a little rub at full lock. May or may not be an issue with Skyjacker arms. But anyway, my 88 my intent was to only lift it slightly over stock (still want it to appear stockish but be able to clear 235/75-15 or possibly 31’s without trimming fenders). That’s achievable without drop plates and with stock arms (my choptop had this configuration very briefly before I found a 3” Duff lift). I started building a slightly less beefy version of my extended arms for the 88. I wanted to see how much of an improvement that really makes to a stockish vehicle.

 

[Bear in the woods]

On a 90 4+4 ranger front shocks. What is the max length shocks that can be used?

 

[Bear in the woods]

Currently running 235/15 on my tires. But the front shocks and springs are shot

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

On a 90 4+4 ranger front shocks. What is the max length shocks that can be used?

Whatever length you need? I don’t remember what the front shocks on my choptop are from, but they were stock for something. I had figured out what I needed for compressed and extended length and had the parts store pull the book out. Did the same thing with my F-150 when I went to 1-ton suspension. Don’t have the suspension finished in my 88 yet, but I’m gonna have to do it again. Ideally you want the shock to have slightly more travel than the suspension in both directions.

 

[Bear in the woods]

Yea, I need to get the front to raise back up. Time has made it loose all suspension travel. Bad part is I don’t know what has been done to the front end, as far as lift. But it does have 4 inch blocks on rear suspension. Right now the plan is to completely redo this 90 ranger into my everyday driver , but capable of off-road. Then probably make the 99 ranger into my play hard truck. I built the motor about 12 years ago. Then retired it back years ago. The front end was close to rear height years ago

 

[gaz]

@Bear in the woods ,
From the words you have chosen to use to describe the condition of your front suspension, I believe that you have sagging spring not shocks that do not retract.

To confirm my suspicion, remove the front shocks and measure the height; to be 100% clear, I'm not suggesting that you drive your vehicle with the shocks removed, just measure the difference between shocks installed and not installed.


PS, sorry OP, fir some reason I thought this was a thread by Bearinthewoods???

 

[buzz88]

Yeah, years ago there was a whole big discussion about the suspension geometry and all. Can’t remember where it was, but the bottom line ended up being a strong argument that ride quality and suspension function could be improved on a stock truck by extending the radius arms and it is practically required for a lifted truck if you actually want the suspension to cycle as it should.

A lot of people cheap out on it. It’s understandable. Drop plates and stock arms will work. They just don’t work the greatest. For a mild wheeler they’re acceptable. But there’s a good argument that you’ll be happier with extended arms.

I never completed my experiment that I was working on yet. My choptop I built my own extended arms. Kinda overbuilt them a little and the mounts which tie in with a modified transmission crossmember. My only complaint is that I didn’t manage to get them completely out of the way of the tires, I get a little rub at full lock. May or may not be an issue with Skyjacker arms. But anyway, my 88 my intent was to only lift it slightly over stock (still want it to appear stockish but be able to clear 235/75-15 or possibly 31’s without trimming fenders). That’s achievable without drop plates and with stock arms (my choptop had this configuration very briefly before I found a 3” Duff lift). I started building a slightly less beefy version of my extended arms for the 88. I wanted to see how much of an improvement that really makes to a stockish vehicle.

I’m looking to do the same thing with my stock 87 B2, keeping looking stock but upgrade the suspension, I had the skyjacker 1-5-2 lift on my old 88 b2 and ran 30s, it was great but I don’t think it came with radius arms just springs, shocks and adds leaf, do you recommend radius arms???? Thanks

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’m looking to do the same thing with my stock 87 B2, keeping looking stock but upgrade the suspension, I had the skyjacker 1-5-2 lift on my old 88 b2 and ran 30s, it was great but I don’t think it came with radius arms just springs, shocks and adds leaf, do you recommend radius arms???? Thanks

So, personally I would recommend extended radius arms with any lift. Compression on stock suspension is there, but droop/extension is about zero on a stock suspension. If you set the frame on jackstands and let the suspension sag, you get some, but even after pulling the shocks, you still have to force the beams down to get even a 1-2” lift coil in. When you push it down while it’s hanging free, it still pulls back up on its own. Also, the short factory arms means the suspension travels up and down in an arc. Longer arms don’t do any of that except the arc to the suspension travel and that arc becomes flatter because you’re scribing a larger circle with the longer arms.

Like I said, I haven’t been able to test out how it affects a stock or nearly stock vehicle yet, but the theory is pretty sound. It should help to some degree and it would help a lot off-road. Will the stock arms still work, yeah, but not as well.