Hey everybody,
well I just picked up a 1986 stx longbed 4x4 (truck in sig) its a 5spd with a blown 2.9L (hydrolocked via large puttle from prior owner) well the truck currently has some mods done to it so at stock height it clears 33x12.5 BFG MTR's on 15x10 rock crawlers. well what I currently plan to do with it is daily drive/ weekend wheeling. from what i have read on RPS i would need at least 6" of lift to properly clear these tires. So I was thinking do 8" in case i decide to grow a little bit in tire and make sure i have enough clearance so i dont stuff the tires too bad with how knobby they are. So far i've picked out these parts for the actuall lifting portion of it

8" skyjacker front coils
4" superlift rear leafs
helper springs (for towing)
anyone have any recomendations for shocks? a local shop has some pro comp es3000 shocks for $32ea are they a decent shock?

Here is the part where i'm stuck how should i get the rest of the 8" of lift in the rear?

As for the bracketry to for everything else: if anyone has any input in this area i could really use some help to make sure i have everything i will need to have a streetable truck and not go through tires like no tommorow.

camber bushings
TRS radius arm brackets
TRS extended radius arm mount
pro comp pitman arm drop brackets
stainless brake lines (how long should i go? i can get them custom made local for cheap.)

Engine
built 2.9L: world product heads, camcraft cam, possibly 2.8 pistons for higher compression (need to figure out how this will work first) chip, possibly a port and polish of the heads, headers and full exhaust.

steering
James duff steering stabilizer with brackets

Possibly when i put in the lift
James duff dual front shock hoops
James duff dual rear shock mount kit

down the road
James duff long arm traction bars
winch
Light bar
Lighting
bumpers


If anyone has any other recomendations please post up as i'm new to the 4x4 world (this will be my first but have enjoyed them for a while now with friends)

Thanks
Tom

 

Drop me a line on aim at SplitfireCB983, I'd write you on here but I'm going to bed and I'd rather talk to you there. I'll be on tomorrow.

 

aww welcome to the site...

 

Will that's 5 words. Go back to preschool, b d .

 

i get the mag Off Road Aventures in the mail, and they're doing a ranger build up...

they took a stock truck, and lifted/locked it and etc....

they said that anything above a 4 inch lift, that the suspension would start getting squirly on the road....

just my $.02....

 

skip the 2.9, drop a 5.0 in it.

swap a solid axle or hack the fenders.

dont piece ur own lift. they dont cost that much...

 

I would drop in a 5.0 but i would like to keep at least some of my gas mileage on I would like to keep this truck very simple as i already have a BMW that is quite complex and dont have a desire to do it again and would like to just get the truck up and running so i can start driving it.

has anyone else heard this or had this experience? if so just how squirly does it get?

Tom

 

a built 2.9 or a stock 5.0...id take the 5.0. especially with bigger tires but to each is his own.

how about a 4L swap instead?

 

nah, i dont have any actual stories of it happening...its just something with Rangers, and coils and TTB axles and etc...

rangers are top heavy by nature...we're overweight trucks, that people tend to try and lift the crap out of...now, even if u get some wider tires with more offset for a wider footprint, that still doesnt change the fact u just lifted 2 tons of machinery in the air about 6 more inches...

i'll try to find the article, and re-read it and post my findings up...

 

I've actually got that magazine. i'll have to read it and see. thanks for the info.

Tom

 

I read up on the the ohv 4.0 swap actually as well as the 5.0 swap and both appeared to have some healthy custom wiring that needed to be done. and with all the custom wiring i had to do in the bimmer i would like to stay away from that with my future DD.

Tom

 

no prob man...

i dont want ya to start to drift down the highway outta control...

now, if it was a trail rig that would never see 40 mph +, i wouldnt sweat it...but yah...other people would be nervous on the road