Twisted bed

[ford1386]

I bought a '94 Ford Ranger Ext. Cab 4x4 and put 6" skyjacker softride coils in front and 1.5'' factory coil spacers under them, and the 4.5" skyjacker block inthe rear with a 2" pro-comp add-a-leaf and the front end was aligned and sits straight but the bed looks twisted and is higher on the passenger side by .75-1". Is it the add-a-leafs or what?

 

[krugford]

How does the frame sit? Is the cab level with the box? The driver's side tends to have more weight on it because of the gas tank and driver are both on that side. Your box sits directly on the frame, so unless the frame itself is twisted, then your cab mounts are shot, or the leaf springs in back are sagging from old age. How do the body lines look? Could it have been something you just didn't notice until after the lift? An inch sounds like a lot though...

 

[Ranger44]

+1

I've actually heard the suspension can very from the factory causing an uneven look.

 

[Sunk]

Rangers are known for sagging on the driver's side.

 

[lawnmowerman65]

Check you cab mounts. I have had to replace a few cab mounts and found that the frame mount will rust out under the mount, I have just fabricated new ones, it's was easy, and I know the ones I made will outlast the frame.

 

[ford1386]

Its doesnt have anything to do with the cab though and it is definetely twisting the bed, it is a good .75" difference measuring from center of rear fenderwells to the ground, it was straight b4 the lift, but now if i stand at the back of the truck about 5' from the tailgate and look straight across the top of the tailgate to the front of the bed it loks twisted, but the front of the bed is evenn with the rear window.

 

[krugford]

Measure the frame from the ground and see how that compares. I'm thinking that those add-a-leafs you did are causing the problem. Although, I'm not sure why it would only surface afterwards and not before. Got pics? Could the add-a-leafs have different spring rates? Do you have the same number of leafs on both sides?

 

[ford1386]

Pro-comp just sent me a new set of add-a-leafs cuz they thought they might have been the problem so im gonna try that and see how that goes and there are 3 leafs on both sides plus the add-a-leaf.

 

[krugford]

Yeah, let us know how that turned out. If they think there might have been a problem, I bet the two leafs weren't the same.

 

[skippy]

I bought a '94 Ford Ranger Ext. Cab 4x4 and put 6" skyjacker softride coils in front and 1.5'' factory coil spacers under them, and the 4.5" skyjacker block inthe rear with a 2" pro-comp add-a-leaf and the front end was aligned and sits straight but the bed looks twisted and is higher on the passenger side by .75-1". Is it the add-a-leafs or what?

in the 84 shop manual they say if one side out 3/8" to use factory shim,if out 1/2" or more,switch leafs from one side to other.don't know if it applies here,just had 2 pennies laying around.

 

[ford1386]

I installed one of the new add-a-leafs on the drivers side and it didnt make a difference, but pro-comp said that the drivers side spring might b a little weak. So im gonna get a passenger side spring off a ranger at the junkyard and try that. If that doesnt work I mght need to just shim one side somehow....

 

[ford1386]

Rangers are known for sagging on the driver's side.

So is it the spring that causes them to sag on the drivers side?

 

[jrmustranger97]

So is it the spring that causes them to sag on the drivers side?

It makes sense. The gas tank and driver are both on the same side. My truck has the 20.5 gallon tank. One gallon of gas wheighs approx. 6.2 pounds so that is almost 130 pounds extra on the drivers side. Add in an average 180 pound driver and that side of your truck is seeing about 310 lbs more than the other. Obviously some of the weight is distributed to the other side and the front springs, but there is always more weight on the drivers side. I had my drivers side rear leaf replaced about 2 years ago and it sat perfect. Now it sits just a touch lower on the drivers side, especially with a full tank.