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Suspension-max 98+ Coil spring spacers


NickRanger89

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
56
City
Tampa, FL
Vehicle Year
1993
Transmission
Automatic
Suspension-max 98+ Coil spring spacers (NEW PICS &WRITEUP)

After almost 3 weeks I finally recieved my coil spring spacers via USPS...I'm extremely disappointed...First off I ordered them through ebay, it clearly stated that they were aluminum, as well as the pictures. They also said through the free shipping it would arrive on the 27th the latest...Its now Jan. 6th, I opened up the box...There freakin plastic! So I got on the phone, turns out they left early for the day, so I had to call back the next day. He told me that the aluminum coil spring spacers are no longer in Production and that the hardned plastic spacers were much better quality...I'm looking at them now and I see air pockets from the mold. How can they hold up to the weight of the truck? Anybody else purchase these "aluminum" spacers just to be sent these cheap things?

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After many calls, I was able to get a refund on these spacers, and he told me just keep them! So if anybody wants these lmk. I'll sell them for half the price. Shipped. I ordered some aluminum spacers from topgun customs and they just came in. I'll be installing those over the weekend and I'll write a full write up on the install with meauserments and lots of pictures because nobody has really done that before. Stay tuned!
 
I finally finished up my lift on my 1999 ford ranger. Man was that a pain! Here is some info and pics!

Lift consists of:

Front: Topgun customs 2" aluminium Coil spacers/ Modified 4wd Monroe Sensa-trac shocks

Rear: 2" Rear Shackles/ Modified Chevy 2500 Monroe Air Load Leveling Shocks

I'm assuming you all know how to start, Jack up the truck, block rear wheels, Jack stands before the transmission crossmember, etc. I would be very wise of you to soak every bolt that needs to be removed with PB blaster/WD-40, etc. Makes things alot eaiser!
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You need to remove the brake caliper and caliper mounting bracket from the spindle and support it somehow. I used zip ties and tied it to the mud flap mounting bracket which was way out of the way. Next unbolt the sway bar endlink on both sides then you can get enough room to move it away from the lower control arm. Disconnect the tie rod end and move out of the way .Support the lower control arm with a jack, then remove the upper ball joint assembly from the spindle. I found out that you don't have to remove the spindle, there is plenty of room to take the coil in/out. Next unbolt the shock from the lower controll arm, then the lower controll arm should be able to freely move. Thus the coil spring should simply fall out.
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Next use the coil spring compressor that mounts inside of the coil spring. Its a real pain to use. I used 2 vice grips to hold the hooks into place. Because once you get it compressed, half way through the hooks will slip and just spin in place and you get no where.
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Next is to install the coil spacer on the bottom of the sping. I used a think bead of black silicone inbetween the spacer and the coil sping just for a little cushion and not metal on metal, also on the bottom of the spacer where it meets the lower control arm. Then wraped the spacer onto the coil spring with electrical tape so it wouldn't slip off the spring when installing.
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Next time to install the coil spring, this step takes some time to get the coil spring on the little lip on the lower control arm, and to seat the spring on top. You'll have to push the lower controll arm almost vertically to get the spring in, so make sure the truck is jacked high in the air. I used the jack and the lower balljoint to jack the lower controll arm up into place. (loosen the castle nut on the lower balljoint and draw it down so it covers the threads on the balljoint so you don't mushroom the head of the stud) then takes some finess to allign the spindle with the upper controll arm so it goes into its mounting location. This took a few trial and error runs. This alone took almost 45 min to get it inline...
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This pic is the driver side with shock mounted (forgot to take pic on the passanger side)
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Next is to modifiy the 4wd shocks to fit on the 2 bottom studs, its very easy. One stud fit the other was a little off so I just cut a notch out of the other side. Then took a washer and sandwiched it between the shock mount and nut.
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I found all the torque specs in my Hanes manual. Set it down, torque everything and take it for a test drive! I don't have any pics of the rear, I'll get some but shackes and rear shocks are pretty self explanatory...

Here are some before and after pics

Before
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After
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Over all, I'm pretty happy. Alot of work but it looks good! I parked next to a 4wd and I'm the same height. Even with my 235/70/16 tires. I guess after I upgrade to a bigger tire I'll be just a bit taller than a factory 4wd. The 2in lift was bassed on a v6 ranger, I have a 4cyl. I made a few measurments before and after the lift and figured out a got nearly 2 1/2 inches of lift from a 2in spacer. I'm sure my upper balljoints are not going to like me here pretty soon! So what do yall think?!
 
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it looks good and thanks for providing pics and explanations your probably gonna save me some time cause im gonna do the same thing to raise my truck a bit and get some bigger tires. i do have one question tho, i want to go with a 3 inch spacer but iv read online you cant do it without changing the upper control arm. im wondering if you or anyone knows anything about this. also just making sure the 4x4 shocks do work for the front and rear right.
 
Thanks buddy! Yea I figured I'd make some what of a wite-up to help some people out. Hope it helps. Yea if you go with the 3in spacer you'll have to get the lift upper controll arm because it will sit at such an extreme angle and tear that balljoint in half lol I'm at about 2 1/2in in the front and after nearly 2000miles (I drive alot) the balljoint boot has ripped. I can hardly get my index finger between the upper controll arm (where the balljoint is installed) and the frame. But it dosen't hit or anything. I still have to get the camber bushing for the front, it has a little bit of camber but not too much. And yes the stock 4wd shocks will work. On the first picture of the bottom mount of the shock, you can see where one of the holes lined up with the stud. The other I just cut a notch out and used a large enough washer to squish it down. Works perfectly fine. Just remember to go back and re-touque everything after a few hundred miles. I just installed some new tires. They're BF Goodrich 255/70/16 here is a pic. The other pics wouldn't upload, not sure why. I'll figure it out soon enough. What do yall think!?

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Thanks for doing this, because I have the aluminum spacers but could not figure out exactly how to compress the spring. Seeing what kind of spring compressor you used makes so much sense. Now I just have to find a spring compressor like that and find the time to install it. After installing this, I will have 5.5 to 6" of lift on my 4x2.
 
Those compressors are scary, don't stand in the way... On my SVO Mustang, I use 2 harbor freight ratchet straps, hook it on the 2nd coil, Take the strap and run around the other second coil, and get at least 2 whole wraps on it, and set it up to where you can ratchet each side of the spring down, compressing it. The sweat factor goes down considerably. I will dodge those spring compressors, as they are not real safe...
 
You can rent the coil spring compressors from advance auto parts, after you return them you get your money back. So its a free rental...Cant beat that! Post some pics up after you install them. I'd love to see how 5.5-6in looks on a 2wd. I may be going a few inches higher soon. Although I don't want to go the body lift route, because the truck looks goofy 3in off the frame. I've had them before and hated them. I may do a 1in body lift, its pretty cheap and you probably wont be able to tell it has a BL.

If your carefull you'll be alright with the compressors. Just get them on quick lol I'd rather use the compressor then ratchet straps...that just sounds idiotic and unsafe...
 
a few pics here, 4 in the front 6 n the rear, then new addition FX2 Monster Edition
 
Its sitting on 30s....I definitely need to get bigger tires, i think i will be gettin hub spacers and some different rims and painting them black, i like the ranger rims that are probably 17 or 18s that look similar to the ones on explorers and some of the f150s
 
I bet a 32" tire would look great in there. Other than that, I like the ride height. I love a good amount of wheel well gap. What lift are you running? And the is fx4 sticker, is the fx4 font the factory size? I've been trying to find the factory dimensions because I'm going to have a fx2 off road decal made up.
 
just for shits and giggles ill share some info. i got some polyurithane spacers from fatbobsgarage.com, great product! ive had them on for a year and they havent compressed at all. im very pleased with them.

your truck looks good! lifted 2wd FTW!
 
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I'm glad to hear that they have held up for that long...I had some fatbob poly spacers on my first 3rd gen when I was in high school, They held up for about 6 months or so. One day there, the next...gone lol
 
IMO i think 3rd gen spacers are always sketchy.. its just the way the spring sits at both ends, its not made for it. the 98+ trucks are better, how the frame and lower a-arm are set up
 
Yea I'd have to say this is my first and last 4gen...I loved all my TTB rangers!
 

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