Lifting the ranger

LoganWC34

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Aug 8, 2023
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Hey guys, i have the 05 fx4 ranger. So i have torsion bars and i cranked them today. I had horrendous nose dive. This pretty much leveled me out. I want a little more lean though, and i havent found any other way to lift the front end as i believe i dony have any spindles. I dont wanna get the torsion key lifts because ive heard it makes it ride rougher, what should i do thats not costly? Im 16 in highschool so
 
Crank the fuck out of them and air down 😂

I'm not sure what the fx4 was, never was a big Ford guy, but if it's 2wd, MaxTrac makes a pretty affordable spindle that should get you about 3" of lift give or take. Plenty of used ones out there too.

Torsion key lifts aren't terrible, torsion bars are terrible lol. It is what it is bud. Sway Away used to make replacement torsion bars but I don't know if they're even in business anymore, but worth a search on your end. Probably a tad better option then keys or cranking keys.

Also, back to 2wd options, maybe consider going to a coilover and ditching the torsion bars. Fox makes a 2.0x6.5 that fits just right. But if you plan on going lt, might as well save the expense and fab work for when you install a kit.
 
Cranking the bolts on the keys is going to make the front just as stiff as a lift key, lift keys just give you more adjustability at a taller front ride height. Get the correct length shocks to match after lifting the truck getting a drooped length. Also might be able to gain droop travel from cutting your droop stops if there are any on those trucks.
 
Cranking the bolts on the keys is going to make the front just as stiff as a lift key, lift keys just give you more adjustability at a taller front ride height. Get the correct length shocks to match after lifting the truck getting a drooped length. Also might be able to gain droop travel from cutting your droop stops if there are any on those trucks.
Is there anyway to lift it more other than keys though?
 
Cranking your torsions to the limits will make your truck ride like shit. The T100 is torsion bar in stock form. I was able to lift the front a couple of inches before it really rode like crap.

Spindle lift might be a cheap option then a small leaf spring block in the rear.

Keep in mind as time goes on, you'll end up scraping all of this stuff for better performing suspension parts. From experience, you're better off keeping it stock and saving your pennies to buy real suspension parts.
 
If you're only trying to lift the front end for looks purposes, then a few inches using the torsion key should work. You might or might not need new shocks depending if your shocks can handle a few more inches of lift.
 
keep in mind, you want to keep SOME down travel when lifting your truck so it doesnt ride like 💩. if you crank it to the point your sitting at full droop its gonna feel harsh even just going over speed bumps. Like stated above if you can lift it and cut the droop stop to keep some down travel without causing any ball joints to become un happy that would be the ticket!
 
If you're only trying to lift the front end for looks purposes, then a few inches using the torsion key should work. You might or might not need new shocks depending if your shocks can handle a few more inches of lift.
I do plan on getting new bilstein shocks so i should be good, there a few inches linger than stock
 
4x4 trucks, for the most part, do not have lift spindles available. The cv goes through where the lower ball joint/uniball would go on a lift spindle
thats what i figured, would there be a way to get a lean on my truck without doing torsion keys or no
 
Shocks will not lift your vehicle. Shocks control the speed of your travel. Your torsion bars are the equivalent of what coil springs and leaf springs do... set ride height. Like someone else mentioned, make sure to leave some down travel if you start cranking them. You can always try cranking them a little at a time and see where you draw the line for comfort, then go get it aligned. Make good friends with your tape measure for any changes and WRITE NOTES so you can look back on what you did, why, and what you thought.

When it comes to torsion bar trucks, I've found my sweet spot is 25% down travel, 75% up. Seems to be the best balance of looks, ground clearance, and ride quality in my opinion.
 
thats what i figured, would there be a way to get a lean on my truck without doing torsion ke
You keep saying lean and I keep thinking you want your truck to lean to the left or right. So yeah. Take out the torsion bar and a couple leaf springs from one side of your truck 😂
 
You keep saying lean and I keep thinking you want your truck to lean to the left or right. So yeah. Take out the torsion bar and a couple leaf springs from one side of your truck 😂
ahahs, just the front a little higher than the rear
 
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