Heya Gang I need some advise.

Here is where I’m currently at. I’m broke but once my condo sells I should have some money to put into my truck so I want to start learning some of my options. I’ve welded for about 4 years (tig mig stick u name it) but i have very little auto knowledge. I have a 2004 Ford Ranger. Ext cab (126" WB) 4.0L with a bad tranny (auto) and needs new brakes (they are very very bad) with about 46k miles on it.

I have some bents and scratches from rocks and letting the misses try to park it (gerr) and my front end is messed up from a head on car crash with a uninsured small SUV (a rodeo)

What I’ve done so far is put 3" blocks in the back and tighten up the torsion bars and put 33" maxxis bighorn tired on my stock 16" wheels.

I’ve taken off the stock rear bumper and made this up in a afternoon (i still want to do some finishes to it)



and I’m working on making a box for the back seat area to hold tools empty gas can chains tire repair kits and so on.

I hope to do light wheeling with this truck and hunting and camping
I will be getting a commuter car soon likely so i could start big projects.

Should i do an SAS or is some kind of front suspension lift going to keep me happy? I am worried that an SAS is past my current auto skill level.

thanks for listening to my ramble,
James

 

do a bolt on pre-fabbed lift.......

and do NOT put a gas can in the cab, even if it is empty....

 

sick bumper, i need to make another one, mines huge and not very eye pleasing haha, only thing about yours is it doesn't really look like you can stand on it very well...


anyways you can weld which is a huge plus on doing a SFA, but if your worried about it being technical you can do a suspension lift, RCD or Super Lift, or some sort of long travel kit.

and welcome to the site

 

Option 5: Superlift 4in ($1600)
The basics: the superlift kit uses drop brakets to lower the suspension compnets giving you lift. this is a solid kit but has a few drawbacks; 1. Tbars remain at stock height and hang down. 2. it wears your front drive shaft, and the Superlift DS is $400 adding to the price of the kit. gives clearance for 33x12.5 inch tires.

Option 6: RCD 5.5in suspension lift ($2300)
The basics: this kit replaces the factory torsion bars with coil-over shocks, giving you clearance under the truck and clearance for 33x12.5 in tires with no rubbing but 35s will fit with slight rubbing i belive also this kit requires minor welding.

Option 7: Dixion brothers Racing LT 4x4 kit (3000+)
The basics: this is a long travel IFS kit that gives about 2.5 in of lift with 14 in of front travel (twice the stock travel) it is a dessert racing (prerunner) kit that retains the 4x4 and makes for an extremly capable truck. 33x12.5 tires work the best becuse of the extreme travel.

the above was from the great sticky that mike made....

i dont like the superlift becouse you really are not getting a lift. u just look higher.... the RCD looks very interesting.... but for that much money would i be better off trying to do a SAS?

 

get the rcd. i have it and it is very sturdy and strong. do not try a sas unless you really know what you are doing. get the rcd and 35s mam you will not regret it.

 

didn't do much research did you.....

the Superlift kit DOES lift the truck.....it does the SAME thing every other lift kit for every other truck does.....it drops suspension parts down hense lifting the truck......with the Superlift, you are lifting....there is visually NO way to make the truck "look" higher.....it will be lifted.....the Superlift kit is a good kit for the money....

the RCD kit is a GREAT kit for the money......can't beat that lift for a '98+ Ranger......

doing a SAS requires A LOT of mechanical skill and even more time/tools to do it.....a SAS requires a lot of custom parts and a lot of time setting it up so it functions properly......the average SAS will run you into the $5,000+ range by the time you are done...

 

you dont need to spend $400 on the Super lift Drive shaft, and he didn't mention that the RCD kit wears out the front drive shaft faster. my boot tore after 5 miles of being engaged.

im having an adapter made, and going to use a jeep drive shaft, so im getting out for under $100..

i can vouch for the RCD kit, i have bottomed out on the (support)bars that come with the kit, i dont even want to know how many times i would have hit the t-bars if i had the SL kit..

 

It seems that witht he superlift the Tbars are at the stock hieght. This is bad for offroading. So with what i know about a superlift i am really not getting good clearance.

as for the RCD i cant find a kit yet for a 04 ranger off there website....

and i agree SAS is out of my range both price and skill level....as much as i want one :(

 

the torsen bars are a bit higher than stock......but yes they are lower......even the RCD has bars in place of the torsen bars, it is just with the bars on the RCD mount directly to the frame, then angle down toward the lower a-arm were it mounts....

the RCD will fit on your '04, even if it doesn't list it on the website.....the suspension on Rangers hasn't changed since '00 or '01 when they went to the live axle.......Scott (big04ranger) had the RCD on his truck for a few years with no problems....

 

you just need to get smaller brake rotors and maybe some other stuff...

i dont have any pics of a Superlifted truck on my computer, someone will probably pop in and post one up.. but heres a side shot of mine with the 5" RCD, a 3" bl and 35s...dominating a little trike

 

for the rcd kit to work, the only hang up on 03+ is the front brakes.

they switched to a larger rotor.

put on new 2002 4wd ranger rotors and pads on your 04 when you install the kit and you will be fine.

 

I am very jealous of your truck now. why did you have to go and get that RCD done.

 

because a body lift and 285/75 nitto terra grapplers weren't cutting it

just wait until i start posting pics of me wheelin in the Rockies with 'thesoundmaster'
im jealous of your tires if that helps any i need a set as trail tires...
(for the record, i wanted that trike to like crackle and pop as i crushed it.. but noooooo, it was too hot b/c of the sun so it kinda popped back into shape when i got off of it )

 

and if you run glass fenders, 37's will fit......Scott (big04ranger) ran 37's on his with a RCD, RCD shackle, 3" body lift and glass front fenders...

 

i would be weary of that tho.. i stuff my 35s when i flex it out, maybe 37s up front and 35s out back haha...

 

i need new front breaks and likely rotors so this might be a good time to do both or at least get the smaller rotors first then do the RCD....

 

there ya go!

 

you dont think you could fit 37s on a stepside with RCD with no wheeling?!?!?

 

Here is a pic of a superlift. See how much further down the torsion bars are compared to the RCD. I think the superlift is a good lift if you just do light wheeling.

 

i agree. would be great for light light wheeling. .... its too rocky out here for me to go with a super lift.

 

yea, rocks = no bueno with those hanging down.. i came down on my bar things (whats the technical name?) a few times, once we were crossing a bunch of like 8" drill pipe, another time on some cement chunks.. they are stronger than they look, but if i break it ill have an excuse to upgrade to solid bar stock lol


get the RCD, you wont be disappointed, you get more front end articulation too..

 

yea rcd FTW! and you wont need new brake pads to run the 02 rotors. i am using the 03 pads on 02 rotors and they are working fine. and when i get a front DS i am gonna go up to azusa canyon and get my *** stuck. might get a front lunch box while i have the diff out and replacing the cvs.

 

lol!!!111 ru da l33t spek haxs0rs?

 

wait? what ? ^^ what are you saying?

 

haha PWN3DD!!


but thats all i really know.. and yea, for like $250 while the diffs out you cant really pass it up.. well you could, but why would u? lol