STX and High Rider Info!

[gw33gp]

I had an 89 STX and it had the equivalent to the High Rider suspension but it was called something else. It was not easy finding the proper shock for it. I finally found a brand of shock that actually listed shocks for the High Rider suspension on a Ranger. They were made by Heckethorn. I found them at a Jeep parts supplier.

They were good shocks but I questioned the workmanship of the first set I bought just by the appearance. I never had a problem with them and put over 100,000 miles on the first set before needing to replace them.

 

[freeride]

does the high rider use longer springs or just use different spring perches?

 

[Mudhound]

So, a forward mounted swaybar is an indicator of the "Highrider" then? My 87 STX has yellow painted front coils, and sat as high on 235s' as my 84 BII on 31s'. The BII has the swaybar in the front BTW.

 

[AllanD]

Hi,
I own a fairly mint 87 super cab, STX 4X4, 2.9 6 cyl. I have always wondered if it was a High Rider, as it has every other option available on it - sway bars front and rear, locking diffs front and rear, etc. I have now figured out that it is not though, from the pictures at the start of the page.
The biggest clue would have to be the front mounted sway bar. Mine has the sway bar mounted behind the front suspension, not like the Silver truck in the picture looking under the front end. Seems to me that that would be the easiest and fastest way to tell the High Rider from standard suspension models.

There are NO Supercab Highriders.

Rangers never got locking diffs, it is possible that it does have limited slips front and rear.

No but Ford refers to their Limited slip as a "Locking diff"

We have a '92 Ranger STX, 4X4, 4.0, 5 spd.,E T/Case, and manual hubs. It seems to be all original and likely a Sport Rider as it has the leather wrapped steering wheel, power windows, A.C., cruise control,cloth striped seats like those pictured,with the power lumbar and under thigh extendables, 3.73 gears with Traction Lok rear, not sure of the front diff., and it has coil spring suspension as well as front and rear sway bars. We bought this truck for a toy and so far it's been a project, new u-joints, brakes, windshield leaks, broken/rusted rear spring mounts, etc, etc... and the beat goes on. If it wasn't such a good runner we would junk/part it.
Soon to get a fresh bed, driver side door and both rear quarters for the cab.
If it is a Sport Rider we might not modify it, at present we have a Garrett Turbo, steering wheel and both seats from a T-Bird Super Coupe that we are about to install mainly because the stock seat bottoms hammer our butts when off road and they are a bit uncomfortable compared to our other vehicles, Lincoln Mark VIII, Expedition, Mountaineer, and a Monterey Van. We don't mind the rough ride, we just don't enjoy the harsh seats.
In any case does this sound like a Sport Rider truck to you guys with knowledge?

The Last year for the "High Rider" or "Sport Rider" was 1989.

does the high rider use longer springs or just use different spring perches?

Longer Springs, longer shocks, a Radius arm drop brackets
and unique axle pivot brackets.

 

[freeride]

Longer Springs, longer shocks, a Radius arm drop brackets
and unique axle pivot brackets.

cool, thanks

 

[gw33gp]

There are NO Supercab Highriders.

My 89 STX Supercab had the factory lift. It was not called Highrider but was the Sport Rider suspension and that is essentially the same as Highrider. So, if you are saying there where NO Supercabs with the label 'Highrider' suspension; that may be true but I do know the Supercab STX had the Sport Rider suspension.

 

[ranger_mclaren]

I took some pics of the front mounted sway bar i'll get'em up as soon as i remember my memory card but here are some pics of the factory lift brackets from stock '86 4x4 and off my '87 highrider:

Regular 7 inches long:

Highrider 9 inches long:

 

[Diesel_brad]

Here is my old 89 STX . It had rancho 2 coils in the front to bring it back to stock height. I then added a 2" body lift to clear the 32"s http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/63/l_a3ba0fe2d6434dd7b5715a13fa1a885e.jpg
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_f66e9c14ecb241abba786f8171ec6189.jpg

 

[AllanD]

My 89 STX Supercab had the factory lift. It was not called Highrider but was the Sport Rider suspension and that is essentially the same as Highrider. So, if you are saying there where NO Supercabs with the label 'Highrider' suspension; that may be true but I do know the Supercab STX had the Sport Rider suspension.

Show me pictures of the riveted to the frame Radius arm bracket taken from the wheelwell looking at the interface between the bracket and the frame.

Ford played musical names but according to ford they never put the factory "highrider" or whatever they called it in some brochures on the supercab and in any event it was much less of a "lift" than a factory
"leveling kit"

My '87 has the kit on it, but it is not factory.

ranger_mclaren, the second picture in your post (post #52)
IS a "Highrider" passenger side axle pivot bracket.
Note the outboard T-shaped reinforcement (Viewed edge on in the PIC)

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[gw33gp]

I will try to get a picture. I don't own the truck anymore but a co-worker does and he usually drives to it work every day. We work at different locations but that should not be a problem and I don't think he will object to a photo.

Now, I just need to figure out what position I need to be in to take that picture and exactly where it is. I hope I can do it without disassembling anything.

 

[AllanD]

An STX highrider or sport rider or whatever anyone wants to call it will have radius arm drop brackets that are riveted to the frame and riveted AND welded to the radius arm brackets.

The two bolts that go vertically into the frame from below that hold the radius arm
brackets (in addition to the two rivets on the side) DIRECTLY above the radius arm
have to go through a welded to the radius arm spacer block

IF the upper pair of rivets that hold the drop brackets to the frame aren't there
(if the drop brackets are BOLTED on the side of the frame) you essentially can't
prove tjhat the lift was factory installed on the truck unless you can get it up on a lift and take a picture of the "center" bracket for the passenger side Beam showing that IT is riveted to the frame.

I've been shown three alledged "Factory" supercab highriders
ALL have had BOLTED ON Radius arm drops and passenger beam pivot brackets.
(the pivot bracket on the engine crossmember)

The OTHER pivot bracket (the one on the passenger frame rail) for the drivers side beam
is ALWAYS bolted.

BTW the "Front mount" sway bar is only an identifier on an '87-88 "Highrider"

ALL 1989-up Rangers IF equipped with a sway bar have a front mount bar.

I will comment that the front mount Sway bar on STX Highriders is the
stiffest bar ever fitted to the front axle of a Ranger based vehicle.

IT's the same thickness as the Stock behind-the-axle bar fitted to 1983-88 Rangers
but it has shorter lever arms.

Basic spring physics:
Shorter torsion section
shorter moment arms
thicker bar stock
all increase stiffness

So for all you corner carvers and drifters... the STX High Rider front bar is
the bar you want to find.

Stiffest REAR bar? found on 2wd Bronco2's


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[gw33gp]

I forgot my camera today but I will take a look at the truck to see if your description exists on it. I bought this 89 Supercab STX new and I never did anything to the front suspension other than shocks and alignment. I installed a set of AAL springs in the rear suspension because I had a fairly heavy shell on it.

So, either the factory or the dealer did it but I doubt the dealer would do something like that without adding it to the sticker price and there was no extra charges. I got it well below sticker price due end of year pricing and a lot of bargaining.

 

[gw33gp]

I got a chance to look at my old STX today and take some pictures. As far as I can tell the drop brackets are riveted to the frame. I will try to download some pictures later.

 

[gw33gp]

This is a view from the driver side, behind the axle showing what I think is the riveted drop bracket for the passenger side radius arm.

This is a view from the passenger side, in front of the axle showing what I think is the bolted on bracket for the driver side radius arm.

This is a view from the passenger side, behind the axle showing what I think is the riveted bracket for the passenger side radius arm.

And this is the 89 STX SuperCab these pictures came from.

There have been no changes to the front suspension and is shown as it came from the dealer when new. They actually had two of these that were exactly alike except the other one had a manual shift transfer case.

 

[AllanD]

The Cast pivot bracket looks like the standard bracket, but it's hard to tell.

THE positive way of proving it's a high rider is showing BOTH joints for the radius arm brackets the Block between the frame and the radius arm brackets
and the upper "Drop" bracket RIVETED to the frame.

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