i have an 87 ranger 2wd. it's my baby. me and that truck has been to hell and back a few times.trying to do something like an old baja truck. but with my own twist. i like to put 37, 36, 35 or, 34 under it. right now i got 225/70-15 on the front and 31X11.5-15 on the rear. i already trimmed the bed-sides out about 3". I'm not warred about cutting the fenders. as long as i don't have to hack the hell out of them. i don't know if it even matters. because I'm going to try to put a wide-body kit on it. i show you some pic of what I'm talking about. so what lift kit do you think i need? i was looking at 5" or 6" Suspension lift. if i need more? dose some one sells a bigger one? if not what body lift would i need? how wide of a tire can i put on the front? i know with the rear petty much anything fits with the right rim. right now I'm looking at Super Swamper TSL, LT34.00 x 9.50-15 for the front and Super Swamper TSL, LT 36.00 x 12.50-15 for the rear. but i my go bigger but I'm not shore .

 

not sure much about baja running, but wouldn't a 2wd have trouble, sinking into sand?

 

IF your actually going to go after that look you need long travel kit not a lift kit. something like Camburg.


most Baja trucks are 2wd when outfitted with right diff's and tires, and knowing how to drive properly on sand never stopping uphill and keeping momentum your fine

 

Yeah most trucks for sand dunes are actually 2wd trucks. Alot of prerunners are 2wd trucks... they get lockers in the rear and the way the suspension is setup it actually helps the trucks float on sand because when accelerating the suspension takes most of the weight not the axle so the tires just stay ontop.

You are going to be looking for a Long arm suspension kit for your prerunner. Unlike regular suspension lifts the goal isn't more clearence (as the dunes are fairly flat) but more travel and softer springs for jumping, If you watch the Trophy trucks when they take jumps the tires fall like a foot an a half and they land so smoothly. A long arm suspension will also give you more width (which helps on sand too.) thus more room for wider tires... For the tires I think you would be better off with (and I'm just guesssing that you are going to be beach running and stuff here) Some all terrains or somthing less agressive because with the swampers you are just going to start digging holes. An all terrain tire gives grooves for grip but ALOT of surface area to keep you floating above. I would look into some BFG Baja T/A's or maybe some Mickey Thompson ATZ's and keep both front and rear similar sizes just so it won't look so goofy like 35x12.50s.

 

Long arm suspension kit? is that for the twin i-beams? i really don't want to go with a 4-link rear. i like to keep with the leaf spring. as far as sand running, well i wound love to try it one day, but there's not a lot of sand where i live. I'm mostly look at cornfields, wooded paths, dirt roads, snow, and ice. i love the prerunner looks. a lot of my friend say just get a 4X4. but i want to fix this truck up. if playing in the mud and dirt was my only goal. i would gotten a 4wd Ranger 10 years a go. see this truck was my grandfather's truck. and i want to do something with this truck that suits me. basically looking for the baja look but for the mid-atlantic terrain.

 

If you are set on putting some big tires under your truck (34+) you going to need quite the lift and some trimming. The 1st and 2nd gens don't stuff as much tire as the older ones. I have a 2wd with a 2" body and 4-6" suspension and i'm only running 31's. I can stuff a 33' in the back but not the front, just not enough room with the fenders intact.

 

i think with the wide fenders, i dont have to trim much. but i don't know about the frame. if the tire with rub the frame, suspension, and/or steering. (wide fenders \/ \/)

 

i did not know that... do the 2wd give benefits over 4wd? other than the fact that they are overall lighter?

 

More travel than 4wd's because the 4wd component's limit more travel. They are cheaper and easier to build.

 

yes glass fenders will allow more room for larger tires and imo a good way to go with gen 1 and gen 2 trucks

 

Thats pretty much it right there... My guess is that the 2wd is lighter from lack of 4x4 parts, the 2wd parts don't limit travel and add potential drag parts that can get stuck in the sand, and overall a 2wd system is way simpler to work on and faster too.

Yes they have long arm suspension for the TTB 2wd setup. Heres a link to TRS's tech page with all of the lifts you could imagine for your prerunner style truck. 2WD Ford Ranger Suspension Kits

Well if your not going to be doing alot of sand now I would think that you would be good with leaving the leaf springs in the rear and just jacking the front up a bit more for the prerunner look. Also glass fenders will give you bookoo amounts of space for bigger wheels and tires. The biggest tire width wise I would reccomend would be a 12.50 but you may be able to slide by with a 14.50 or 15.50 wide tire.

 

do you think, with the parts below i should be able to at lest fit 34s?
Skyjacker Suspensions 236R2KS-A - Skyjacker 2WD Suspension Lift Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Skyjacker Suspensions 7150 - Skyjacker Steering Stabilizer Cylinders - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Skyjacker Suspensions H7055 - Skyjacker Hydro Shocks - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Skyjacker Suspensions H7060 - Skyjacker Hydro Shocks - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Skyjacker Suspensions N8055 - Skyjacker Nitro Shocks - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Skyjacker Suspensions N8060 - Skyjacker Nitro Shocks - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Poly Performance Inc.*::*Body & Exterior*::*Glassworks Unlimited*::*Ford Body & Exterior*::*Fiberglass Bedsides*::*83-92 Ford Ranger Bedside - Jeep JK Synergy Suspension Systems, Fox Racing Shox, Beard, CTM, Johnny Joints®, Currie Enterprises, Edelbr
Poly Performance Inc.*::*Body & Exterior*::*Glassworks Unlimited*::*Ford Body & Exterior*::*Fiberglass Fenders*::*84-88 Ford Ranger Front Fenders - Jeep JK Synergy Suspension Systems, Fox Racing Shox, Beard, CTM, Johnny Joints®, Currie Enterprises, E