My first Ranger need help
 

I just purchased a 2009 base model ranger yesterday. I am looking to put some kind of lift on the truck. The truck won't see off-road so I don't need anything extreme. It's a 2wd 2.3l. Any suggestions would be great because I know nothing about lifts for these trucks..spindles or torsion ect. Thanks alot.

Body lift.

Thank you for the reply. When I look on eBay there are kits with spindles and shackles for rear then there are kits with torsion keys?.. What is the difference?

Do you have torsion bars or a coil spring front suspension? That'll determine your options. I'll assume you have torsion bars since you're looking at keys.

Torsion keys: Waste of money. Don't even bother with them. You can crank the torsion bars yourself to get the same end effect as using keys, and it won't cost you anything. If you want to crank your bars, there's a how-to on the site. Don't max them out because you'll most likely begin wearing other front end parts out prematurely and your ride quality will suffer. Just crank them enough to level the front end with the back and you'll be fine.

Lift spindles: They are exactly what their name implies... bigger front spindles that will raise the front end up about 3 inches. However, I personally wouldn't buy such a critical piece of my suspension on eBay unless a reputable company like Doetsch or Fabtech was selling it. You get what you pay for.

Shackles: A popular option that guys use to lift the rear when using spindles up front. You can buy Belltech 6400 series shackles (which are made to drop Chevys but they raise our trucks) for about $45 all day long. A reliable and cheap option. Others use Add-A-Leaf kits or a whole new set of leaf springs. If you want to use a new leaf pack, look at getting Chevy 64" leafs from a JY or you can buy Skyjacker leaf springs.

Body lift: Probably the best bang for the buck lift kit you can buy. You can raise the front and rear 3" for about $150 and not have to deal with any suspension components. Some guys don't like the way body lifts look, but tons of people have them. I've had one on my truck for a few years with no problems. Fairly straightforward install; just need a couple buddies, a pack of cold ones, a weekend, and a few tools. Performance Accessories is who you should buy the BL from. If you're a stick shift, make sure you get the kit with the shifter extension.

Like I said, I already have a body lift, and have never had any trouble with it. Next year, I'm putting on lift spindles and using Skyjacker 6" leaf springs in the rear so I can get rid of the stock block but still raise the rear end to match the front.

Thanks a lot for the info..very helpful.

No problem. Let us know what you decide on and how it goes!

My vote is a good brand of lift spindles like mentioned above^

How is the brand "crown"?

Never heard of them. I did some brief searching around though. Not much feedback on any of the Ranger forums or many other forums for that matter. That tells me to stay away. Maybe someone with some experience with Crown can chime in, but I don't see many reviews out there on the web. All the guys here get either Doestch or Fabtech.

This is not the time to pinch pennies; buy from a reputable company. Your truck may never see anything but pavement, but we're still talking about your suspension here, not a set of speakers. Spend the extra cash now, and have some peace of mind so you aren't worrying about your front end breaking at 60mph on the highway. As the saying goes, "buy once, cry once."