Hello everyone, I could use a bit of help.
I have a 2011 Ranger XLT. I got it from my grandpa after he wasn't able to drive it anymore. He put some Bilstein B6 4600s on it in the rear. The problem is that even with those nice pieces of equipment, my rear end is very stiff. The leaf springs on the back are also rather flat looking, though I don't know if that is normal or not. I'm not entirely certain what is in the front, it just looks stock to me. Recently I had an issue where the left control arm and tie rod were damaged and had to be replaced, which I am attributing to the suspension being stiff. I will also mention that, even though everything feels extremely stiff when driving (Basically just bounce off of manholes and such. I can't drive dirt roads at all because the back can't gain traction), it is still really easy to sway the truck by pressing on the bed or pushing it around a little bit from the outside.
I think ultimately that the leaf springs and stock shock absorbers in the front are the culprits for this. I just need a second or third or fourth opinion about it so I don't go off and buy something I don't need. Any replies are welcome and I'll try to answer follow-up questions as soon as I can if there are any!
Edit: Correction. The front is Bilstein as well

 

Take one end off each shock
Bounce each corner, thats your "ride"

Shocks can stiffen up the ride but can't make is softer, the springs set the ride, the shocks can fine tune it and prevent rebound effect, continued bouncing after hitting a bump

Pickup trucks are general "oversprug" in the rear because they have a 1/2 ton(1,000lbs) load rating, so with bed empty there is basically no springs, lol, you feel every bump
You can put 400lbs in the bed and that should smooth it out a little, but not a real solution
You can install lower weight rated leaf springs, and then add an "overload" spring/leaf on each side, so you get a good ride empty and can still handle the 1,000lbs loads as needed

Front coil springs should be OK as is you will find out when you unhook the shocks at that end

Contrary to what most people think, off-road vehicles have soft rides/suspension, as you mentioned with a stiff suspension and bumpy roads the weight of the vehicle comes off the wheels, so no steering, braking or acceleration, so not a great suspension to use
But it is a balancing act, which is why you might see 3 shocks/springs are each corner of an off-road vehicle, to fine tune it
You want the body to stay level and the wheels to go up and down easily over dips and bumps, so they always have the weight of the vehicle on them

With stiff suspension when you hit a bump the springs/shocks push the weight of the vehicle UP, so its no longer on the wheels, and you lose any traction on that wheel

 

Do you mean to just unbolt one end of the shocks and I can just leave it inside the coil to test? no damage will come of that? I figured it was the shocks anyway, since I knew they were the stiffening factor. They seems to be the stock ones, and the truck has 120k miles on it, so double what is typically recommended for the stock lifespan. As far as leaf springs go, what is a good kind to get? I've never worked on suspension before, only engine and cosmetic pieces.

 

Sorry, can't do front shocks on 2WD 2011 Ranger that way, it uses a "strut" type set up, so you just have to commit to changing them if ride is too stiff
But you can test the rear that way

 

I have a 4WD though. It has Bilstein shocks on the front and Bilstein shocks on the back plus leaf springs

 

4WD should use torsion bars not coil/struts so you can remove one end of the shocks to test if the torsion bars have been "cranked" to a higher rating
People often did this(cranked) to raise the front end for larger tire clearance, but it also makes for a stiffer ride up front

Shocks on their own do not support any weight(struts do) so they can be removed and vehicle height or stance should not changed
The springs are the suspension, the shocks are "dampeners" for the suspension

You want easy to bounce suspension, without shocks connected, and it should continue to bounce after, nice soft suspension
And with shocks connected it should be easy to push down a little and then get stiffer the farther down it goes

 

Ron, you are very knowledgeable about Rangers and diagnostics in general, but I wish you would stop spreading disinformation about cranking torsion bars. It is similar to adding a spacer to the top or bottom of coil springs. Yes, there is a slight change in the angle of the lever arm created by the lower control arm but that also happens when using a spacer with coil springs. The change in force on the spring is so minimal it would take a very high precision instrument to measure the change if any that would take place. You can't change the spring rating of a torsion bar by rotating it. An increase in force on the spring can but that does not happen by cranking the torsion bar. You obviously do not understand the physics of springs and suspension.

The problem with cranking torsion bars is when they get cranked too much. It reduces the amount of downward travel of the suspension and will cause the shocks to hit the internal bump stops or the upper control arms to hit the frame when the vehicle lifts from a bump. That makes it feel like a stiffer ride up front.

About 3 months after I bought my current Range new, I lifted the front end 1.5" by cranking the torsion bars to level the vehicle. It was still at the limit of the specs for new suspension ride height but was slightly over the spec for used suspension. It did not change the stiffness of the ride at all. In fact, I always felt the Ford tuned Bilstein shocks were a little too soft for rock crawling. After I installed Bilstein tuned shocks at around 100K miles I was much happier with the ride.

Please get more qualified information on torsion bar suspension and the effect of adjusting it before giving advice on it. Things you have read on the internet is likely not to be qualified. I have been an Aerospace engineer for more that 45 years, of which more than 6 years with Ford Aerospace. I am more than willing to listen to any valid information that contradicts my views on this.

 

I am uncertain what to do as far as the torsion bars go, having differences in opinions. On another note, I'd quickly like to ask if it is safe and effective to remove the smallest leaf from the leaf springs. And if it isn't, what is a good brand leaf spring with a lower load capacity that I can use to replace the current ones?