Suspension Tech General discussion of suspension for the Ford Ranger.

fabtech spindle kit

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  #1  
Old 09-04-2008
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fabtech spindle kit

for the 04 edge 2wd.

who has it and is it worth the money? or should i peice together a kit myself?

if so whats ur suggestions. i only want the look, height and 33's
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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I would just buy the spindles and the cam kit. You can get better shocks than what come with the kit. If you just want to fit 33s go with a body lift, you can get one for 200.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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but imo body lifts look like someone kinda tryed to lift the truck but didntquite succeed. lol

iit looks alot cleaner with the suspension lift.

thats my opinion though. so what about the rear, anyone make a good add a leaf?
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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Really now, I love doing this.

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How can you say that isn't clean? If a body lift is done right there is no way you can tell the difference unless you get under the truck and look for the blocks. Pure ignorance, but hey if you want to spend the extra money on a suspension lift more power to you.

Procomp makes a AAL for our trucks and then just get a Fullsize Chevy drop shackle, it actually lifts our trucks.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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i just dont like how you can see the frame lower than the body, which is what the body lift does. lifts the body off the frame. please correct me if im wrong. and yes that truck looks clean from that angle.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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Oh no your correct but thats nothing that a can of black spray paint doesn't fix. If you have stepbars they hide the frame anyway, at least mine do. I'm not trying to push it on you I'm just saying for the cost its a great alternative. Its just something to think about.

But yeah I would piece together the lift kit for yourself. Get the Fabtech spindles and cam bolts. Them get Procomp AAL and Chevy drop shackles. Then your gonna need longer shocks, I would go Bilstein or KYB myself.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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Actually, I just bought a Fabtech kit off eBay for $378 shipped. It is all new stuff (well has 9000 miles on it, but has all new grade 8 hardware), and comes with the spindles, add a leaf, and a set of bell tech drop shackles that will raise the truck 1.5 inches in the rear. I think I am going to try to get by without the add a leaf though because I don't want to make the rear any stiffer that what it already is. I have the C springs in the back, which are the stiffest ones you could get from the factory. Also, according to the guiy I got the lift from, he didn't need the cam bolts. He said that his truck was able to be aligned to specs without them, so it may not be a must for everyone.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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If you have a 2wd there is no reason to get a body lift if you just want the 3" lift with how cheap you can get spindles.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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thanks guys

whatr ya'll with the 3.0s gettin as far as mpgs with 33's
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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I don't have 33s but with my 32s I'm getting 17 city and 20 highway. With 33s that'll probably drop to 16 city and the same highway
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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Originally Posted by 05prerunner
Actually, I just bought a Fabtech kit off eBay for $378 shipped. It is all new stuff (well has 9000 miles on it, but has all new grade 8 hardware), and comes with the spindles, add a leaf, and a set of bell tech drop shackles that will raise the truck 1.5 inches in the rear. I think I am going to try to get by without the add a leaf though because I don't want to make the rear any stiffer that what it already is. I have the C springs in the back, which are the stiffest ones you could get from the factory. Also, according to the guiy I got the lift from, he didn't need the cam bolts. He said that his truck was able to be aligned to specs without them, so it may not be a must for everyone.
Damn you I was trying to buy that kit!
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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What do you mean? I was the only person that bid on it. Heck, I wasn't even going to bid on it at all since Im tight on money right now. I thew in a $325 bid a few minutes before and then uped it to like $326.75 at the last minute. Lol, you could've easily outbid me and got it.
 
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Old 09-04-2008
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Must have been another one, I was bidding on a full kit and it ended up going for like mid 300 something.
 
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Old 09-05-2008
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Was it a Fabtech kit? Or an off brand spindle lift?
 
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Old 09-05-2008
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i LOVED my fabtech spindles.

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the spindle shafts are not rated for anything bigger then 32's. so if you run 33's or 35's like me, be CAUTIOUS.
 
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Old 09-05-2008
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im very happy with mine... i would only buy the spindles and then get a new set of skyjacker leafs... its more $$$ but well worth it

im getting about 20 mpg now with the 33's


Originally Posted by t_schloesser
i LOVED my fabtech spindles.



the spindle shafts are not rated for anything bigger then 32's. so if you run 33's or 35's like me, be CAUTIOUS.


didnt you jump your truck with the fabtechs?
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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never jumped the fabtech. just alot of stress from the big tires i suppose, and i think the bearings got dirt/mud in them with a 4 hours drive home from inverness.
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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yea bro do the fabtech you wont be dissapointed. ive installed a bunch of them on frinds trucks and my own and its one easy kit. plus lets say something does happen, fabtech is one of the few companies that you can call up and order INDIVIDUAL pieces. U can easily run 33's but i suggest 32's lil cheaper and you wont have any rub issues.
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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true. thanks yall. im thinkin about stickin with pro comp all terrains, but how are the compared to the bfg's?
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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never ran them, but i did have a set of bfg mt's for 53k miles! so id recomend those in a second. Look into the nitto terra grappler too. amazing tire. toyos are good. but rumors have it they are heavy.
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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i bought this truck with these tire almost new so we'll see how they wear. and i do have to buy new wheels with more backspacing for the fabtech kit correct?
 
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Procomps suck compared to the BFGs
 
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Old 09-06-2008
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Only time I would ever run a bodylift is on top of my Fabtech lift. Everyone on here loves them, but IMO it's a halfass way to do it and usually looks like crap too.
 
  #24  
Old 09-07-2008
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I agree! Ranger body lifts don't look too bad because the frame and stuff isn't too visible, but generally body lifts look like crap. The Fabtech is the way to go. The parts are wayyyy strong looking. The weak link is the spindle shaft though. You should be able to run 33's with no rubbing issues. I have 32-11.50s on my stock rims with no lift yet, and I have no rubbing issues at all. I have to buy 2 more wheels, some new shocks (probably just going with Ranchos), and then the 4 tires. And speaking of tires, I have Pro Comp all terrains right now. They have been awesome tires, So far I have about 40,000 miles on them, and I should be able to get another 10,000 out of them. They also don't pick up rocks like the BFGs do. That being said, I don't really like how they look on my truck. They just aren't aggressive looking at all! They look like a big street tire. So... the 33's I'll be getting will probably be BFG All Terrains or Mud Terrains. I am leaning towards the muds because the truck will see off road some and they look better, but the price tag difference and the questionable mileage makes me want to go with the alls. Guess I'll just make the final decision when the time comes.
 
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Old 09-07-2008
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yea, i have 31x11.5's now. i like it, they dont look wimpy just not like a swamper lol
 


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