Anybody planning to lower their 2019 Ranger?

Jwells96

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I'll PM you his number, but he's just an installer and knows a damn good bit about the Ranger pieces.

Just FYI about the Belltech front drop. I have emails from KW (Belltech) saying that the control arm/control arm front drop kit actually only lowers the front end 2.75", which is about the same as I'm at with the Control Front drop.

I do all mechanical work myself. As long as you have about 4 jack stands and a couple of floor jacks and some mechanical knowledge, you'll be fine. You have to remove the whole leaf spring pack, to do some modifications to it and it's not heavy at all. Then, when you reinstall the leaf pack, it'll mount to the front hanger first, then under the axle. It's really not too difficult, if you're prepared for everything and doing all this on the floor isn't too bad and I'm almost 50 years old! A pair of Quick Jacks would've been awesome, but not something I wanted to spend $1500-$2000 on and wait months, until they were delivered...
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I actually remember starting on the rear, about 4pm on a Friday afternoon, after work and finishing it about 4-5 hours later.

Some wives are different than others, LOL! My wife was happy that I had something to work on, after selling the Miata... This build is pretty much all I talked about from early 2021 until I got the truck in October and then starting get all the parts in from October through February of this years...

I started ordering parts at the end of October and the suspension took the longest to get... I was planning on using Belltech on all 4 corners, but their, at the time, new control arm design released too early and when I ordered it, I had all sorts of trouble with Belltech CS. I finally was able to get ahold of their finance girl and then she gave me their CEO's number and all she did was apologize for everything I'd been through and gave me a discount and free shipping on my rear kit!

Oh, I found a pic of the wheel/tire after the drop, but without flares and it does stick out 3" from the fender...
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Their instructions are really pretty good, with the lack of bolt torque specs, but I found this online.
Screenshot 2022-04-28 at 08-18-00 Ford Ranger Torque Specs.png
Fender flares just shipped out today from Ford and will be here early next week, guess i got lucky.
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Mirage775

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Fender flares just shipped out today from Ford and will be here early next week, guess i got lucky.
Wow! That's awesome news man! Well, Air Design might've had the flares available, when I ordered mine, but I also ordered their full body kit!

You'll definitely like these flares, they're pretty sharp in person!
 
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NTXTremor

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While I don't mind the "face down, a$$ up" look (*ahem*) of the Tremor, I've been using the bed A LOT recently to haul a lot of heavy items, and I would not mind if the bed were a bit lower.

I think I've read every post about leveling or lowering, and I am not convinced that it is worth the trouble. It seems to me that the option that would work best for me would be to buy an extra set of Tremor leaf springs and have them re-arced to drop the rear by about 2 inches. That seems like the least complicated way and should have the least amount of subsequent drivetrain impact, but I am still not sure if it would be worth the trouble.
 


Mirage775

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D Fresh

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While I don't mind the "face down, a$$ up" look (*ahem*) of the Tremor, I've been using the bed A LOT recently to haul a lot of heavy items, and I would not mind if the bed were a bit lower.

I think I've read every post about leveling or lowering, and I am not convinced that it is worth the trouble. It seems to me that the option that would work best for me would be to buy an extra set of Tremor leaf springs and have them re-arced to drop the rear by about 2 inches. That seems like the least complicated way and should have the least amount of subsequent drivetrain impact, but I am still not sure if it would be worth the trouble.
Get in touch with @Fitzmotor here.


He has had some success with de-arcing Tremor and/or ROW spring packs.
 

Jwells96

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Finished!
Settled on going with the -2.0 for now on the front struts after attempting to go with a -2.5 drop. Tried the +2.5 first knowing that -3.0 was not possible without a redesigned upper control arm. I could not achieve an adequate camber or toe setting with the -2.5 drop, so regrouped and went with the -2.0 which pushes the camber adjustments to the limits. There is little adjustment left on the tie rods for toe adjustment, but there are ways to cheat if you find that you are unable to dial the toe dial that in. The assembly was pretty straight forward. If you have experience with changing out struts and springs, you will have no issues. Do not panic if there is a bit of play left between the spring and upper seat. This small amount will disappear once the the front is laden. I will eventually make the transition to a -3.0 when the upper control arm becomes available as I'd prefer a bit more drop.

On to the rear. I chose to go with a -5.0 drop. By going this route, it provides a generous amount of drop once the truck is laden with a result of an actual -5.5 inches of rear drop at the axle. The overall installation was relatively easy. Just a lot of on your back time if you do not have access to a lift and truly, having done axle flips with and without a lift, I feel much more comfortable doing this with multiple jack stands and floor jacks.
One of the most important things to remember, is you will need to keep the front of the axle assembly supported. I have threaded jack stands that are infinitely adjustable, so this was not a problem for me. I used three to support and to move the axle assembly up and down as needed.
When it was time to set the axle assembly onto the saddles, you will most likely need to use a floor jack as this procedure will require moving the axle forward unless you have kept the assembly centered in the wheel openings which is difficult to do
Every piece fit well which made the job much easier than some of lowering jobs I have done where the parts were not of the same quality as the Belltech parts are. The supplied hardware is top grade as well. The one thing that you need to know, is that U-bolts and shackle hardware is SAE, not metric. No big deal. Just keep that in mind.
Now the question that seems to be a hot topic of discussion. Will the tires be centered exactly in the wheel openings, most likely not, but let me tell you what I found on my pre-installation measurements that I made. The wheelbase on the passenger side was 8mm shorter than the driver's side. Neither side was centered as you would hope that they would be from the factory. Are all Rangers like that, I have no way of knowing. My guess is that there will be variances on some of our trucks. Did I freak out, NO and nor should you unless you have a major discrepancy in dimensions between each side.
After all was said and done, I found that I was able to get both sides wheelbase within 2mm of each other. There is an 8mm gap difference between the front of the tire and the wheel opening moulding on the driver's side with the front being closer than the rear. That is 2mm better than the factory gap of 10mm. The passenger side is now the same as the driver's side with an 8mm difference between the front gap and the rear. This is something that I personally will not worry about. The pivot angle moved 1° which is quite acceptable.
Overall, this is a good quality kit. Some people will have better results than others. That is the nature of these types of modifications. If I was using this as a the track vehicle, which I am not, then I would be making a few changes like moving the centering holes in the saddle and lower spring plate. For me, this is not a big deal. Maintaining correct geometry is the number one concern which this rear kit achieved.
For the cost and quality of components, this is a good kit and a good deal. Just be prepared to put in some work on the rear flip kit. I had to go solo with mine and I can tell you that it would be best to have an assistant to help with some of the procedures.
In the end, I achieved what I wanted. A truck that is more driver and accessibly friendly for a 5'6" guy. I can now reach over the bedside behind the cab and touch the bed floor and easily pop into
the back of the bed. I call that a success!
Driving wise, the truck is more firm than it was which I personally prefer, the rear end does not dance nearly as much on hard bumps etc and the steering feels more precise. Body roll has decreased which is always a good thing.
Simply put, I LOVE IT! Next, a rear sway bar to reel in a bit more rear positivity.

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Hi there, my belltech kit has just came in today and I will be installing tomorrow, have you had any issues with sway at high speeds? any need for a sway bar of sorts to keep the rear or front end under control when doing more spirited driving?
 

Mirage775

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Hi there, my belltech kit has just came in today and I will be installing tomorrow, have you had any issues with sway at high speeds? any need for a sway bar of sorts to keep the rear or front end under control when doing more spirited driving?
I'll answer since he hasn't yet. Remember, mine's lowered 3" front and 5" rear and it sticks to the curvy roads around here.

I have no issues with my stock front sway bar keeping the sway to a minimum! I rode with my stepdad today, in his stock '21 Ranger FX4 and it swayed all over the damn road...

There's only one aftermarket rear sway bar available, it's super pricey, and I believe it's more for lifted trucks and I'm not 100% sure it'll work with us few that are lowered? I thought about contacting Hellwig and asking if it would work on a lowered 2wd, but never got around to it...
Hellwig Adjustable Rate Rear Sway Bar

Hope this helps?
 

Jwells96

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I'll answer since he hasn't yet. Remember, mine's lowered 3" front and 5" rear and it sticks to the curvy roads around here.

I have no issues with my stock front sway bar keeping the sway to a minimum! I rode with my stepdad today, in his stock '21 Ranger FX4 and it swayed all over the damn road...

There's only one aftermarket rear sway bar available, it's super pricey, and I believe it's more for lifted trucks and I'm not 100% sure it'll work with us few that are lowered? I thought about contacting Hellwig and asking if it would work on a lowered 2wd, but never got around to it...
Hellwig Adjustable Rate Rear Sway Bar

Hope this helps?
Kit is installed pictures tomorrow, needs an alignment bad. And need to check for rubbing. Man I got a story to tell…
 

66F100

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Hi there, my belltech kit has just came in today and I will be installing tomorrow, have you had any issues with sway at high speeds? any need for a sway bar of sorts to keep the rear or front end under control when doing more spirited driving?
You will have absolutely no swaying or tracking issues with the new kit - as long as you install it correctly and align it properly. The handling will be much improved over stock and may even feel harsh or rough. After 8 months of driving with my truck lowered 2F and 5R with the Belltech kit, I couldn't be happier. For an everyday driver, on mixed roads, in all weather it is perfect for me.
 

BassRanger

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Helper bag project was a success. Tested them out today. Very pleased with the results. About 600lbs on the tongue. Bags aired up, trailer is level and rear end is only down about 1/2" from normal ride height. Rear end is very smooth and settled with the bags. I was expecting it to be more harsh and bouncy. Love the convenience of being able to adjust the rear.
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