SOLVED: Driver Side Frame 1/2 Lower, Shim Added to Rear Leaf Spring

[Hounddog409]

I wonder if it is an FX4 vs non FX4 thing?

Good point. I will look in the morning for spacers

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[User79]

I wonder if it is an FX4 vs non FX4 thing?

Doesn't seem to be, both FX4 & non FX4 owners have posted saying they have it.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Doesn't seem to be, both FX4 & non FX4 owners have posted saying they have it.

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any pattern to it at this point - at least not that I'm seeing.

 

[User79]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any pattern to it at this point - at least not that I'm seeing.

I'm starting to think they may all have the driver's side shim. There are probably still 20 or so Rangers at my local dealer....when I get a chance I'll go look at those.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I'm starting to think they may all have the driver's side shim. There are probably still 20 or so Rangers at my local dealer....when I get a chance I'll go look at those.

I was thinking someone reported they didn't have it, but in looking back at the prior posts, it looks like everyone has reported having the shim on the drivers side. Will be interested to find out what you see.

 

[pboggini]

I'm starting to think they may all have the driver's side shim. There are probably still 20 or so Rangers at my local dealer....when I get a chance I'll go look at those.

I just checked my 2WD STX XL and it has the two shims on the drivers side and one on the passenger. It was made in late March so it would have likely picked up any running changes. Honestly, given that I want the back lower I'd be tempted to take out the second one on the drivers side and the single one on the passenger side. Not sure why it needs the single one as there doesn't seem to be any clearance issues.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I just checked my 2WD STX XL and it has the two shims on the drivers side and one on the passenger. It was made in late March so it would have likely picked up any running changes. Honestly, given that I want the back lower I'd be tempted to take out the second one on the drivers side and the single one on the passenger side. Not sure why it needs the single one as there doesn't seem to be any clearance issues.

Hi Pete,

Careful...That "shim" is actually a half spring, sometimes called a slapper spring...you need that spring, so you only have one shim on the left rear...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Hounddog409]

4x4 STX Supercab.

Just looked. 2 on drivers sid . 1 on passenger.

My thought is to off set gas tank and driver weight?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

4x4 STX Supercab.

Just looked. 2 on drivers sid . 1 on passenger.

My thought is to off set gas tank and driver weight?

Hi Tod...read above...one of those shims is a half spring....not a shim...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[mike]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any pattern to it at this point - at least not that I'm seeing.

Unless I am mis-reading something the pattern seems to be this is normal spec and it took a lot of effort by the OP to get his Ranger in to spec. This would be a fun poll question. Maybe take the results to blueovalforums and see if anyone there has an answer.

 

[pboggini]

Hi Tod...read above...one of those shims is a half spring....not a shim...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Are you sure? I just went outside and looked, those shims don't extend out past the axle mounting flange so I'm not sure how they'd be a 1/2 spring. I used to have some 1/2 springs (the shortest leaf only went forward on the stack) on my '65 Mustang. These don't look anything like that, they look just like shims.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Are you sure? I just went outside and looked, those shims don't extend out past the axle mounting flange so I'm not sure how they'd be a 1/2 spring. I used to have some 1/2 springs (the shortest leaf only went forward on the stack) on my '65 Mustang. These don't look anything like that, they look just like shims.

Hi.

Okay...maybe because you have an XL....however I doubt it. Look at the spring from the front to the back and take a picture. maybe the XL is different. Not from the rear but from the front looking back.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[pboggini]

Hi.

Okay...maybe because you have an XL....however I doubt it. Look at the spring from the front to the back and take a picture. maybe the XL is different. Not from the rear but from the front looking back.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Attaching a pic. It indeed has two spacers on the left and one on the right.

Do those of you who have 4x4, XLT and/or Lariats have this half spring? I have the single spring with the load spring which was what all the reviews said the Ranger would have.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Attaching a pic. It indeed has two spacers on the left and one on the right.

Do those of you who have 4x4, XLT and/or Lariats have this half spring? I have the single spring with the load spring which was what all the reviews said the Ranger would have.

Hi Pete,

Yep...It looks like they indeed put two spacers on your 4x2... Here is a pix of the half "slapper" spring. So you have a mono spring, eh?

Interesting!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[pboggini]

Hi Pete,

Yep...It looks like they indeed put two spacers on your 4x2... Here is a pix of the half "slapper" spring. So you have a mono spring, eh?

Interesting!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

I have that slapper spring too it's what I referred to as the helper. So, I have the mono and the helper but the helper/slapper spring goes just as far in the back as it does in the front.

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