i just joined joined i have a 2004 ranger fx4 xlt 4.0 with a 2.5" leveling kit ( torsion keys ) that only made the front to high whats the best safest and possibly cheapest way to level the rear with the front and im trying to figure out how to convert my hubs to locking hubs?? sorry to start off with so many questions.

 

1. Get rid of the keys ASAP. They will tear apart your ball joints
2. To get manual locking hubs you would have to switch to the older style knuckles, cvs and bearing. The live axle your truck has works just fine.

Oh and welcome.

 

I wouldn't use aftermarket torsion keys to lift the front end. You can lift the rear by adding shackles or AAL. And, I don't understand your last question. Are you wanting a locker?

 

if you want to level your truck, there is a bolt, facing upwards, through a hole in the guards, covering your keys, under neath each seat, tighten that, it will level your truck out... on your 04, there is no need to put new keys in... if you really want to, you can buy longer bolts (bolt mentioned above) and tighten them up, but it will make your suspension up front (ball joints, tie rod ends, cv shafts, ect, wear out faster, as for the rear, there are 3 things you can do, shackles, everyone on here, use 2.5" lowering shackles from a chevy (a chevy's shackles are upside down compared to ours, so a longer shackle will lower theirs, and will raise ours... you can do an add a leaf, or a block under the spring... a lot of people will choose to do all 3 at some point or another... and do them in that order... i would say the shackle would be the easiest, and is going to be my first choice when i need to lift the back end

 

im talking about the old style manuel locking hubs that would be located in the center of your front wheels and what exactly is AAL

 

Again you would have to switch to the older style unit bearings, steering knuckles and CVs. Not worth it in my book just to have a weaker manual locking hub.

 

Okay, I see.

AAL stands for Add a Leaf. You add another leaf to the leaf spring pack, which gains height.

 

mr snapper there is the first person i have heard say that they think the warn hubs are weaker than stock, although it is a lot of work to change them... just wait till the stock hubs blow up, then put the locking ones on...

 

what i would like to do to the truck is lift it w/out a suspension kit i just dont have the money and it seems there are plenty of ways to raise the rear because i do want the truck higher than stock but without touching the torsion bars and if i were to put the stock torsion keys back how would i make the front level with the back after raising the rear any where from 1.5"- 2.5"?

 

What? He has a live axle, which means no hubs.

 

ok, like i said, there is a bolt under the seats, tighten it

body lifts come, readily available, in up to 3 inches, larger can be gotten i believe, but i haven't seen them... i have seen 3" for as cheap as 168$

 

get a 3in body lift

 

Short of a suspension lift, your only option is to mess with the torsion bar preload. Although aftermarket torsion keys isn't the way to do it. Just put the stock keys back in and crank the torsion bars.

 

i heard body lifts were not good for a vehicle and the bolts that you speak of would that not have anything to do with the torsion bars and in doing that if i were to get the shackles would my rear be higher lower or pref. level after tightening these bolts

 

ok cool thx for the info

 

oh one more thing the chevy shackles wnat type of vehicle are they for so ill know what to ask for

 

You can't get Warn hubs for the pulse vacuum hub setup which is what he would have to swap to. He would be stuck with AVM hubs which are weak. People brake them all the time and also the CV itself is held on by a plastic clip instead of a CV nut like the live axle trucks. Finally live axle trucks like yours don't have hubs at all. I know what I'm talking about dude. I don't just pull this out of my @ss.

 

Personally, I don't care for body lifts, but many like them. It's really a matter of personal preference.

Yes, tightening the adjustment bolts affect the torsion bars. You could set the shackles on the middle setting to net 1.5" of lift. You should be able to get 1" to 1.5" in the front. So it should be fairly level.

 

Search for Belltech 6400. I got mine from Amazon.com.

 

yeah i dont dont usually pull stuff out of my @ss either sorta painful

 

cool just looked em up and found them thanks how long yall reckon it would take for the torsion keys to wear out my ball joints i have had them in now nearly 6 months

 

LOL. Some of these guys think just cuz I dumped the Ranger for a Taco that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

It depends upon a lot of factors, but I have heard as little as one year.

 

seeing as he said locking hubs, the most logical choice would be warn... as you said your self, he would have to change the spindles...

 

trust me, it has nothing to do with you getting the taco that makes me think you have no idea what you are talking about