first off, truck is a 98 4.0 4x4 ext cab flair side with 65k miles

well when i first got this truck(from my dad) last summer, i planned on getting a body lift and 33"s...if i still did this id get gap gaurds and nerf bars(a kind that dont hang down, maybe westin or stockers) 15 x 8's and 33x12.50 either bfg at's or dunlop mud rovers...the idea has kind of rolled around in my head that maybe i should just leave it stock, and get 15 x 8's and 32x11.50's(once again either bfg at's or dunlop mud rovers).

really i just cant decide if i should spend the money and do the body lift and 33"s, or just keep it simple with the 32"s...the thing is itd really suck to lift it and all and end up selling the truck in a couple years, in my opinion at least. Realisticly though, a part time job(im still in college) isnt gonna cut it for car payments, and my parents recently got divorced so they wont be suprising me with a new truck.

should i lift it or leave it stock? i know a body lift doesnt cost much, but im not sure if its worth it anymore...what do yall think?

thanks for any input,
JIM

 

its really up to you on if you want to spend the money or not. none of us can decide whether its worth it or not for you to get the body lift, you have to decide if you hvae the money to spare to do it. 3 years is a long time to keep a vehicle, and i think you would get your moneys worth out of the lift if you keep it that long, ive have vehicles with much more money invested and traded it in within a year of buying it. all depends on whether or not YOU feel like spending the money

 

I propose another option, 33"s and no lift.

 

what he sayed^. 33x12.5x15 will fit stock. so will 33x10.5x15 will fit too. thats what dave has.

 

33x12.5 will NOT fit stock unless you pull your bedsides and get glass in front, or only drive on billiard tables in a straight line.

 

do the lift, and keep the tires as 32's....u'll save a little bit of money

plus, like zack's truck, i like the look of tuckin big *** off road tires...haha, its different but i like it

 

33s will not fit stock without some amount of rubbing, my 32s barely didnt rub with a torsion bar crank

 

ok i already know all about what fits and what rubs. ive been a lurker on a couple ranger sites since i was 15(19 now)...and this isnt my first ranger, had a 96 2wd with a leveling kit and 31x12.50 xterrains then 31x10.50 bfg at's. im not a big fan off the 33x10.50s, the tall and skinny just doesnt do it for me(for tires anyways). if i got a body lift id get 33"s, no point in lifting just to run tires i could run stock with minor rubbing.

i think i just need someone to be like get the lift and keep the truck for a long time...

i guess im pretty lucky if my hardest decision is to get a body lift or not lol

thanks
jim

 

if you lived on this side of hte continent i'd sell you you body lift. Too bad. I don;t know how much it costs to ship across the country..

Aaron

 

ok... DO IT

 

yeah do it! 33x12x15 with body lift

 

Anyone have a pic of what the body lift with 33x12x15 MT's? Kind of want to take a peek.

 

Since this is a tire topic now lol. Can i run 31's or 30's without any crank or lift on my truck, im buying Cooper S/T's because i got a nail in one of my tires.

And a body list is WAY cheaper than a lift kit and 32's would run well, and save you some mod money, or gas money. and if i were you i would go for it... it's a 4x4, give it the stance Ford didn't give it. But like everyone said this is YOUR choice don't let anyone make it for you. Im personally thinking of a bodylift + lift kit since i found out i got 5k coming my way soon.

 

rugger...go to www.therangerstation.com and browse through the gallery...there a quite a few rangers in there with a body lift and 33"s...

karrbass...31"s will fit with no rubbing...32"s would have some rubbing(turning)...but why buy new tires if your going to lift it before too long? why not just get the tire patched or one new tire just to get you buy until your ready to do a lift?

to all, thanks for the input, i know its ultimatly my decision, its just im at the point where i want to do the bl and 33"s...but i need a couple people to be like "do it, itll look sweet" so i can stop second guessing myself...body lift, 33x12.50's, 15x8's, gap gaurds, and nerf bars here i come...well as soon as i get the tax return check anyways.

ps - since my exhaust would be hanging 3"s lower, thats a good reason to get some nice shiny duals, right? lol thanks again

JIM

 

my tires are so bald their racing slicks... and that cash is like two years away... and knowing me those tires will be bald by then

and for that support you need i'd lift it so here you go. "lift it till your dodging planes"

 

karbass... 32x11.50x15" would look good.... even on your stock rims..

 

i hate body lifts, even with gap guards. you still see your frame under the truck and theyre pointless with no benefits that outweigh the bad stuff. go 32s mine are close enough to 32s (265/75R16 ends up being 31.6") and they dont rub at all. not even close. my truck can be seen on my page in my signature.

 

bad stuff?? not much bad stuff with the body lift, only thing people say is it cant stand up to a beating, but ryan (pinecone) beat his body lift pretty hard and it holds up just fine, so does joe (GI_JOE) both of their trucks look great with the body lift, and its WAY cheaper than anything else. plus they dont mess with any of the factory suspension or steering geometry, which is a GOOD thing.

 

But would it rub? I turn my wheels to their max every day, i have to. SO... i want something that wont end up eating my wheelwell up. and remember im gonna be using Cooper S/T's

 

brandon, if they rub, you can crank the tbars a little bit, and it should solve that. if youre already cranked then dont worry about it

 

ok lonefx4 ive gotta respond to that...im not the biggest fan of body lifts either, but to say there bad without any justifacation is slander. have you ever owned a truck with a bodylift? i havent, but ive sure drive a lot that have, and ive never seen a problem due to a bodylift. ive seen hockey pucks break when used as a body lift, but thats expected if you used hockey pucks. what are the downsides to a body lift -- the gap between the frame and body, solved with gap gaurds...excess frame hanging down(which isnt very bad at all on ford vehicles), solved by nerf bars...other than that, if you follow the directions from the manufacturer of the body lift, and correct install all pieces of the bodylift, there are no problems. what are the upsides to a body lift? more clearance for tires(which ultimatly provides more ground clearance), higher rocker panels, maintains all stock suspension and steering specifications.

now if i ever planned to jump my truck, race it, or go rockcrawling, a body lift probably wouldnt be the best route to go. seeing as how im your average driver, staying on road 99% of the time, and that 1% of the time im offroad, its through some mud, or along a trail, a body lift suits me just fine. unless you can show me a picture of your truck destroyed, and can prove to me the only reason a it was destroyed was because of a body lift, i see no point in you badmouthing a bodylift.

im not trying to be an jerk or anything, but think about this. The only suspension lift that provides any real gains for my truck would be the RCD kit, and since the costs in the low 2 grand price range those gains arent worth it for a 99% of the time on road vehicle.

ok im done...im sorry if ive offended you(seriously)...im just trying to make the point that a body lift isnt a bad thing.

JIM

 

I agree with you completely on that. I love my bodylift and have NEVER had second thoughts about it.

I say go for it man, you will like how it sits with the bodylift. Also, you won't have to worry about rubbing issues like you would just by cranking the t-bars with 33's.

 

Well everyone here knows my take on my bodylift. Thanks Bob.

He is right, I have beat the living $hit out of my truck and that thing is holding up really really well. The frame exposure is a whole lot less than the amount of frame that shows with like say a S-10.

If its installed right and you don't try and break it, it is a really great lift. If I had 1300 or 2300 to get an RCD I'd jump all over it, but for now, the B/L lets me fit 32's and soon 33's. If you hate seeing the frame, get some step bars or rock-sliders(like i'm getting).

Just don't b!tch about something that you seem to know nothing about. Everyone complains about B/L's, but everyone that seems to have them loves them, hmmm, go figure. The same complaints always come up, the frame, whoopty do.:)

I say get the 33's and B/L, you won't be disappointed at all, I can guarantee that.

 

here is mine 32's with only torsion bar crank

 

body lift with 33's

(i was going to say hockey puck lift but someone already said not to)

Here is a hockeypuck lift page if you want to check it out.

http://pringles.xfaktor.net:8082/x-f.../PuckLift.html

Im not going to recomend this type of lift because i have not personally done it or know someone who has done it, but when it comes time for me to lift mine, I will be thinking about this way.