2019 FX-4 Lariat Lift/Level/Tire help needed

[RangerDad]

My kid has a 2019 FX-4. He wants to lift it and put on bigger tires. I know virtually zero about cars/trucks. I do think that I don’t want him removing crash bars - something about that just sounds like a bad idea…. He’s thinking a 3.5” lift kit (Rough Country) and I’m wondering if that changes the dynamics/safety of the truck. Also, what tires would you recommend for that? We don’t off-road a whole lot, and when we do, it’s more mud than rocks (Everglades backcountry). If you have some pics of what yours looks like, that would be awesome I did try doing a search but didn’t find anything specific on this topic. Pic of car in a current, but muddy state attached. Thanks in advance for the help.

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[TxOTRRanger]

Hopefully someone on here with a lifted FX4 can be some help to you. Mine is a basic XLT Sport 4x4 still at stock height. Here is a pic of it.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Pic is in the rain, so a bit distorted.

Bilstein 5100s set at 1.8 in the front and Tremor rear leaf springs which give about an inch of lift.

32" Cooper Rugged Trek AT tires (great tires).

No crash bar removal needed and no rubbing.

You will notice that @TxOTRRanger also has impeccable taste in wheels

 

[Rence]

TxOTRRanger-stock
DR.Zaius-1.8” front lift with 32’s
Mine is 2” front level with ready lift low profile crash bars with 33’s,

now we need a lifted truck

 

[RangerDad]

Thanks guys. One more question that just came to mind. Does the spare fit in these sizes?

 

[TxOTRRanger]

At least we have given some variety of ways to go through with this. IMHO.
@Rence, nice looking Ranger!

 

[Rence]

Thanks guys. One more question that just came to mind. Does the spare fit in these sizes?

I believe you can fit up to a 33” tire. I have a spare 33” it barely fits.

 

[ctechbob]

You asked if it will effect the stability.

Yes.

Any time you raise the center of gravity you increase the chances of a rollover.

Now, how much is that increase? Probably not a lot.

How responsible is your kid?

 

[RangerDad]

As 16 year olds go, pretty darned responsible. Much more so than my parents could have ever dreamed I could be.

I appreciate all the help, fellas.

 

[ctechbob]

As 16 year olds go, pretty darned responsible. Much more so than my parents could have ever dreamed I could be.

I appreciate all the help, fellas.

My personal opinion. No way I'd spend a bunch of money on the truck.

He's going to wreck it. Might as well not tear up a bunch of stuff

 

[OGMix376]

My kid has a 2019 FX-4. He wants to lift it and put on bigger tires. I know virtually zero about cars/trucks. I do think that I don’t want him removing crash bars - something about that just sounds like a bad idea…. He’s thinking a 3.5” lift kit (Rough Country) and I’m wondering if that changes the dynamics/safety of the truck. Also, what tires would you recommend for that? We don’t off-road a whole lot, and when we do, it’s more mud than rocks (Everglades backcountry). If you have some pics of what yours looks like, that would be awesome I did try doing a search but didn’t find anything specific on this topic. Pic of car in a current, but muddy state attached. Thanks in advance for the help.

Nice looking truck..
Personally I feel you should look into BDS suspension over the Rough Contry lift.
The quality in the product difference is noticeable.
BDS is coming in at a more premium price I do admit.. I felt it was worth it.
3.5” lift will let you clear some 33” tires (mind your offset.. 0 thru +25/+35 will give you fair clearance ((some rub will happen under certain circumstances)) high clearance intrusion/crash bars will be good to get. I think they come with the BDS 3.5” lift kit so you’ll have to remove the old ones and install the high clearance ones.)
The BDS 3.5 lift has a differential drop (it’s actually more of a slight rotation though)
Lifting with the 3.5 will likely warrant you getting Upper Control arms (UCA’s) the BDS kit comes with them…
Here’s the bds fox 2.0 lift to 3.5” kit
https://bds-suspension.com/products/3-5-inch-lift-kit-fox-2-0-coil-over-ford-ranger-19-23-4wd

I went 6” lift Fox 2.5 and 35” tires.
Here’s some pictures of my truck take what ever information you need from them.. feel free to ask questions I’ll answer the best I can… I did almost go 3.5”… then figured out if I did that I’d still want to go bigger.. so I held off and then full sent it once I could.
…
I’m having issues loading the pictures I just took so I’ll upload a older one

 

[Logan]

I believe you can fit up to a 33” tire. I have a spare 33” it barely fits.

Just be aware that spare might be different rim size. In that case you can’t do same exact tire but you can get something close.

 

[OGMix376]

Just over 19.5” clearance up to the bottom of the tremor U steps.
11” 3/4” clearance under the front differential cover.
11” clearance under the rear differential.
The majority of the differential clearance is due to the larger tires 35”
17x8.5 wheels with -38 offset.. which is roughly 3” pushed further outboard from the oem wheels I had…
If you have any questions feel free to ask I’ll answer the best I can..

personally I am extremely happy i waited and went 6” lift over the 3.5… but that’s just me.

 

[OGMix376]

Just be aware that spare might be different rim size. In that case you can’t do same exact tire but you can get something close.

Great point.. personally I think it’s a good idea to go into it knowing I’m going to buy a like for like wheel and tire for the spare.. so if you buy all new aftermarket buy 5 wheels and 5 tires

 

[docthndr]

A 2019 Kia Sorento on AT tires and a disconnected front sway bar made it up Hell’s Gate in Moab — which should tell you something about how far setup, articulation, and driver understanding go compared to just throwing expensive parts at a truck. More down-travel and consistent tire contact matters more than “big lift + big shocks” in many situations.


For the Ranger, I wouldn’t recommend going past a true 2.0" lift (no spacers) unless you’re planning to modify other parts of the suspension. The FX4 setup is fine for basic off-roading, and depending on your wheel size and offset, 33s are doable. You may need intrusion bar deletes or replacements, but those are simple bolt-on components. I run 275/70R18 on my FX4 with no issues. Your speedometer will read about 3–4 mph off unless you correct the tire/speed ratio, and I’m also curious if that error affects calculated MPG readings.


Once you go past 2.0" of lift, you need a clear goal and an honest look at how much maintenance you’re willing to accept. You also need to verify whether you have aluminum or steel knuckles — some 2019s are aluminum, and that affects what UCAs and ball joints you can run. Around 3.0–3.5" of lift, you’re entering the zone where UCAs, CV angles, steering geometry, and axle bind become real considerations. Someone with a higher-lift setup can chime in here, but it’s not just “bolt on and go” after that point.


Lower control arms are usually fine, but brands like Mevotech offer upgraded LCAs and their TTX stabilizer links, which are a noticeable improvement over stock. The UCA market, however, gets overwhelming fast. Camburg’s uniball UCAs get love in the Baja community for strength and articulation, but they require more maintenance. SPC’s UCAs offer major alignment flexibility but aren’t worth it unless the shop actually knows how to dial them in. Then you have ICON, BDS, Dobinsons, Belltech, Mevotech, and others — all with different designs, ball joint choices, caster corrections, greasable vs sealed joints, and different travel characteristics. The real question is: what are you building the truck to do, and how often do you want to service these parts?


A good alignment shop is worth more than half the mods people buy. Even with stock components, a shop that understands camber/caster tradeoffs for off-road use can get more performance out of the truck than a shop that just “sets everything to green.” Struts and shocks are even more subjective. Twin-tube vs mono-tube, reservoir vs non-reservoir, price differences, and brand loyalty all play into it. Most mono-tube/reservoir setups do offer better thermal control and longevity, but budget and intended use matter far more than brand names.


If you want easy improvements, disconnecting or removing the front sway bar does give you more down-travel and keeps tires planted off-road. But you pay for it on pavement with increased body roll and potential wheel shimmy at higher speeds. Whether that tradeoff is worth it depends on how you actually use the truck. Tie rods are generally fine as-is, and the OEM design is intentionally the “weak point” so you don’t destroy your steering rack during extreme articulation. Some aftermarket tie rods exist, but unless you really understand your setup, stronger isn’t always better — pulling an inner tie rod out at full droop is a real possibility.

Your rear shocks and rear sway setup are generally good enough for most builds, but if you want to tighten things up, Hellwig makes a solid rear sway bar and a helper bar option. You can also look at Old Man Emu (OME) for rear-end support kits, or even swap in the Tremor multi-leaf pack if you want a simple OEM-based upgrade with better load handling and stability.

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