torsion bar key swap

[thunderlumber]

ive seen discussions why the 08 ranger sit lower than previous years, and i finally found out why. i put these onhttp://store.fatbobsgarage.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=fatbobs&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=540645778&Count2=457786202&CategoryID=9169&Target=products.asp, but have read so much bad press on em im thinking bout going this route. has anyone done this, and does it really give you as much as 2 inches in front, cuz thats all i got with these.
http://www.rangerpowersports.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248534

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Your fat bob's link sucks....doesn't work. it's a link to a shopping cart.


The reason '08's are lowered compared to 07's, is because ford clocked the keyway that the tbar slides into. It's clocked to lower the height with the same amount of 'crank' on the adjustment bolt.

You put in a 07 and older key, and keep the same depth on the adjustment bolt, you will gain approx 1.75-2" of lift. Plus, you still have more max lift you can get out of them, without running into those horrible ball joint and CV shaft issues that those aftermarket keys have.

YES, doing the PreKey mod is compariable to doing an aftermarket 'lift' key swap, as it puts more preload on the bar just like the older keys do, but not to an extreme like the Truxx or i assume fat bob keys do.

You want more lift, put on heavier grade bars (#1's) or put on a lift kit. Unless....you really wanna be spending $500 in ball joints and alignments every year, and suffer a really rough ride, go ahead and do aftermarket keys.

 

[thunderlumber]

for some reason i had to click on the fat bob link twice to get it to work. ???
its the third product down on the list. so if i do the stock key swap, i can get almost 2 inches of height? will this return me to stock ride quaility? if i crank the bars slightly, will that affect the ride quality much? one reason im considering doing this is my dissappointment in the stiffness of the ride. and all the bad pub ive seen regarding aftermarket keys on a ranger.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

well...you dont like the ride now, you'll HATE the ride with the keys. Have you seen some of the LCA angles with the use of the 'lift' torsion keys??? They add more preload to the bar, more preload = rougher ride = accelerated wear of the bars and also having that much preload to the bars cause ball joint angle issues and CV angle issues, not to mention possible super wear to the outer tie rods.

Yes you'll get 2-3 extra inches ontop of the Prekey mod you read about in that thread you linked. No it won't return you to stock for the reason i listed above. Look at upgrading your shocks to something better than stock POS Ford shocks. Don't like the ride?? Shoulda bought a car.


YES, it's true, the aftermarket torsion key lifts work for many trucks....but Ranger isn't one of them. For all the bad press you've read about. On a chevy fullsize, they do very well. Not so much on a ranger....sure it works, if you wanna pay for the accelerated wear.

Put a bodylift on if you want clearence, or throw on a superlift. Stay away from torsion keys unless you love the money you must put out on your truck every year...

 

[sniper141]

What if you just torque the tbars 2" and throw a pair of rear blocks on? Will it still have the wear that you are talking about?

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Crank 'em if you want....you'll still lose down travel and the ride will be stiffended up, which I like...dont like the loss of down travel.

If using aftermarket keys, you'll have alot more issues than you would using stock keys....virtually no issues running stock keys. Whenever you crank, you lose downtravel, add stiffness in the ride, add wear to the bars themselves, risk bad CV angles, risk bad ball joint angles. If done in moderation, you'll be okay.

 

[Toms01PSD]

thunderlumber already has aftermarket keys, after all the threads that have come up about aftermarket keys he got them anyway, and then posted a thread about how much they sucked.

 

[sniper141]

You say moderation, what you consider moderation? I don't mind a stiffer susp, but would upgrading shocks help? I also plan on throwing blocks in the back, is that a safe option as well?

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Maybe moderation wasn't the right word I was looking for....'mildation'? is that a word? lol. Dont go out and max out your bars is what I'm trying to say. You'll max out the driverside before the passenger side all thanks to the ranger lean. From the factory, the driverside is cranked farther than the passenger side to get the truck level.

Yes...shocks are almost as important and good tires. Stock shocks suck balls. And forget about doing blocks...you've already got 2.5" blocks on your 2000. Don't go aluminum, only go cast. Don't stack, just replace with a taller one. Block stacking is sketchy. I still vote no on new blocks. For some added lift, get an AAL(Add-a-leaf) or a 2" Chevy drop shackle(like a belltech 6400). Both will get you approx 1.5" each. Plus, the shackles have been known to give a better ride. AAL will stiffen the ride up some.

 

[thunderlumber]

yeah, i understand everyone says they suck. what i failed to mention in my initial post was that i already had them installed before i joined any of the three ranger posts im now on. i trusted the opinion of the 4x4 shop that installed them. mistake? probably. im just tryin to make it right. i got another opinion today from another 4x4 shop , and shared with him the prekey concept. he wasnt sure exactly why the after market keys would cause such problems and the key swap wouldnt, but hes going to research it for me before i spend a bunch of money on the prekey. and dont come back saying he would know if he was worth his salt. hes a nice guy, and i believed he wouldnt do me wrong. im sure hes installed more suspension modifications than anyone on this forum. it would be nice if more people on here werent so quick to criticize. and wannabe should read the post a little more carefully before he (or she) spouts off. and why do i care? im typing on a keyboard!!

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

No...I understood you had them already before you knew about them...after all your posts, threads, pms, and profile comments here and on RPS. Ask me how I know the downfalls of aftermarket keys on rangers.............buddy of mine needed ball joints after a month of running them. I had replaced those joints only 6 months prior.

I was merely telling you the risks of the keys. That's all. If you choose to continue to run them, that's all on you. I'm sorry for even bringing light of the PreKey mod to RPS and TRS. I am the one who figured out why 08+ are so much lower than 07 and older.

 

[thunderlumber]

why be sorry. im gonna do it. everyone has convinced me my decision was a bad one. but i talked to another mechanic at a 4x4 shop today, and he coudnt understand what was different from the keys i put on and swapping out with 07 keys, and he does this kinda thing for a living. but he did admit he'd never put on the exact keys i purchased, and had limited experience with after market keys in general, expecially with rangers. is this a ranger specific thing, or do other makes have the same sorts of problems? if someone could provide me with some sort of diagram or schematic as to why they cause these sorts of problems so i could share it with him id appreciate it. he doesnt want to do the prekey mod for me until he understands it better, and i repect him for that. and man, are my fingers getting tired

 

[Toms01PSD]

I don't remember where the pictures are, but I THINK fx4wannabe posted the pictures of the different year model keys used in 08+ and 98-07. You can tell there is a few degrees difference in them, and the picture posted of a stock 02 next to a stock 09 I think it was.

Thunder, I made the comment I did because I see you've been a member on this site since Nov 2008, which made me think that you would have seen the numerous posts about how much aftermarket keys sucked. I don't recall reading that you had already had them BEFORE all those threads were posted, my apologies. Remember this, not all shops are trying to help you, they make money from doing you a service.