Fox 2.0 ride height adjustable

[LMCustoms]

I recently upgraded my ford ranger tremor with new wheels and realized i need to get a front lift super bad! Although i already have fox 2.0 i was considering getting the 2.0 ride height adjustable, i would like to know if anyone else has good experience with the ride height adjustable shocks and if the off-road performance should be the same?

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[awd.nv]

I recently upgraded my ford ranger tremor with new wheels and realized i need to get a front lift super bad! Although i already have fox 2.0 i was considering getting the 2.0 ride height adjustable, i would like to know if anyone else has good experience with the ride height adjustable shocks and if the off-road performance should be the same?

Here is my conversation with a Fox rep back in 2021.

Me: " I see the front fox 2.0 coil over is not threaded, is there any way to level this without buying new coil overs? Different Fox spring length? If there is not a Fox product, any thoughts on something like the Traxda 1" or 2" level kit? "

Fox Support: "The Oem Internal bypass shock is not adjustable and being that it is position sensitive I cannot recommend any alterations to your suspension.

Should you choose to change out your suspension to fit your new goals, here are our options"

Me: Thanks for the fast response. From an off road performance standpoint, would the Fox 2.0 adjustable coilover be a direct replacement over the Ranger Tremor's OEM 2.0 coilover or a performance improvement?

Fox Support: I unfortunately do not have direct access to look at the specifics on OEM products, internally and tuning wise we can assume there are differences,

The 2.0’s would only be an upgrade if you want a lift, the 2.5’s are a serious upgrade as a much larger capacity shock with adjustable compression damping.

----
So in the end, hopefully someone has done the change who can answer better than a Fox agent can. I ended up just putting a 1" level and have had zero issues. Some went 2" but I was always concerned with 2" and fast dirt trails upsetting the suspension.

 

[LMCustoms]

Here is my conversation with a Fox rep back in 2021.

Me: " I see the front fox 2.0 coil over is not threaded, is there any way to level this without buying new coil overs? Different Fox spring length? If there is not a Fox product, any thoughts on something like the Traxda 1" or 2" level kit? "

Fox Support: "The Oem Internal bypass shock is not adjustable and being that it is position sensitive I cannot recommend any alterations to your suspension.

Should you choose to change out your suspension to fit your new goals, here are our options"

Me: Thanks for the fast response. From an off road performance standpoint, would the Fox 2.0 adjustable coilover be a direct replacement over the Ranger Tremor's OEM 2.0 coilover or a performance improvement?

Fox Support: I unfortunately do not have direct access to look at the specifics on OEM products, internally and tuning wise we can assume there are differences,

The 2.0’s would only be an upgrade if you want a lift, the 2.5’s are a serious upgrade as a much larger capacity shock with adjustable compression damping.

----
So in the end, hopefully someone has done the change who can answer better than a Fox agent can. I ended up just putting a 1" level and have had zero issues. Some went 2" but I was always concerned with 2" and fast dirt trails upsetting the suspension.

yeah i’d rather spend the money and get shocks then put blocks on it knowing i’m building it to do heavy off-road

 

[Frenchy]

Even if you got the 2.0 with threaded body, they are only designed to work at a specified height. Add too much preload and you will top out the shock and create a rough ride. Lower the preload too much and you will bottom out the shock easily creating a rough ride. Of course both will result in damaged shocks and struts.

What is the best way to go? I would look at a different shock and strut combination all together. To my understanding the Fox Shocks and Struts are only designed for 2 inches of lift up front and possibly 1 in the rear(it may have been updated). If you want more height(and I'm not talking about leveling, but actually lifting) then you need to look at something like Dobinsons IMS or something similar.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Even if you got the 2.0 with threaded body, they are only designed to work at a specified height. Add too much preload and you will top out the shock and create a rough ride. Lower the preload too much and you will bottom out the shock easily creating a rough ride. Of course both will result in damaged shocks and struts.

What is the best way to go? I would look at a different shock and strut combination all together. To my understanding the Fox Shocks and Struts are only designed for 2 inches of lift up front and possibly 1 in the rear(it may have been updated). If you want more height(and I'm not talking about leveling, but actually lifting) then you need to look at something like Dobinsons IMS or something similar.

The Fox 2.0 adjustable coilovers can provide up to 3" of lift which is plenty of clearance for off roading

 

[awd.nv]

How much more lift are you looking for? Eventually you will also need to worry about upper control arms due to the ball joint angle.

Hopefully someone here has measured both OEM Fox 2.0 vs threaded 2.0, that will answer some important questions. It may be the case that biting the bullet and getting Fox 2.5 will be worth it for your goals. Imagine spending $1k on shocks and then later needing to spend $2400, total $3400 to get the front the way you want it.

A 1" spacer still allows for both bump and droop travel since the spacer is between the shock and shock mount on the truck. So the piston should be close to the same location as stock. A coil spring lift is usually what gives people a harsh ride when the shock is fully extended for the lift.

However the lift is achieved, I think what our Rangers eventually suffer from is that the control arm ball joint runs out of articulation, thus aftermarket UCA are needed.

 

[LMCustoms]

How much more lift are you looking for? Eventually you will also need to worry about upper control arms due to the ball joint angle.

Hopefully someone here has measured both OEM Fox 2.0 vs threaded 2.0, that will answer some important questions. It may be the case that biting the bullet and getting Fox 2.5 will be worth it for your goals. Imagine spending $1k on shocks and then later needing to spend $2400, total $3400 to get the front the way you want it.

A 1" spacer still allows for both bump and droop travel since the spacer is between the shock and shock mount on the truck. So the piston should be close to the same location as stock. A coil spring lift is usually what gives people a harsh ride when the shock is fully extended for the lift.

However the lift is achieved, I think what our Rangers eventually suffer from is that the control arm ball joint runs out of articulation, thus aftermarket UCA are needed.

the ranger tremor comes with a stock .8 inch lift so i’m hoping to get 1-2 inches which according the some research should be capable with the UCA i have however i still have not heard of anyone doing this to their tremor so i would need to know a bit more

 

[Frenchy]

the ranger tremor comes with a stock .8 inch lift so i’m hoping to get 1-2 inches which according the some research should be capable with the UCA i have however i still have not heard of anyone doing this to their tremor so i would need to know a bit more

Correction. The Tremor is higher in the front by 2 inches and in the rear by 0.1 at best. This is compared to the FX4 BTW.

 

[LMCustoms]

Correction. The Tremor is higher in the front by 2 inches and in the rear by 0.1 at best. This is compared to the FX4 BTW.

okay so then would i be better off trying out the Eibach Pro-truck which is capable of 3.5 inch lift i would be willing to install new UCA if needed but clearance looks good right now

 

[Frenchy]

okay so then would i be better off trying out the Eibach Pro-truck which is capable of 3.5 inch lift i would be willing to install new UCA if needed but clearance looks good right now

Not necessarily. If you want to lift the truck(as in the entire truck front and rear) then you need to look at a kit that does just that. The Tremor is already leveled as is from the Factory and more or less is at its limit. From my own experience I would not lift the front higher by 0.5 and the rear can easily take 1.5. pair that with some 33's and you will have an excellent combination for OffRoad Travel.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

okay so then would i be better off trying out the Eibach Pro-truck which is capable of 3.5 inch lift i would be willing to install new UCA if needed but clearance looks good right now

Depends on what you're trying to do. The 3.5" Eibach kit will only lift the front of your truck another 1.5" and won't necessarily perform better than your Fox shocks you already have. If your goal is to just lift the front. then it might be easier to just buy a 1" spacer from Fordrangerlifts.com and call it a day.

Assuming the wheels you just put on have the similar offset to the OEM set, you can probably fit 33" tires right now if you buy the size 255/80r17 and change nothing else. You can drive pretty much anywhere you want to with this set up.

If you're really trying to mud bog or rock crawl, then you'll need to go beyond the scope of just the leveling or lift kits mentioned here and put some work into fitting big, wide tires and increasing wheel travel.

 

[LMCustoms]

Depends on what you're trying to do. The 3.5" Eibach kit will only lift the front of your truck another 1.5" and won't necessarily perform better than your Fox shocks you already have. If your goal is to just lift the front. then it might be easier to just buy a 1" spacer from Fordrangerlifts.com and call it a day.

Assuming the wheels you just put on have the similar offset to the OEM set, you can probably fit 33" tires right now if you buy the size 255/80r17 and change nothing else. You can drive pretty much anywhere you want to with this set up.

If you're really trying to mud bog or rock crawl, then you'll need to go beyond the scope of just the leveling or lift kits mentioned here and put some work into fitting big, wide tires and increasing wheel travel.

alright i guess i might do that and possibly hold off until i can get some better coilovers, now does the 1” block mess up anything with suspension or is it safe?

 

[YaBoiNewton]

alright i guess i might do that and possibly hold off until i can get some better coilovers, now does the 1” block mess up anything with suspension or is it safe?

1" spacer is fine, just make sure you buy the tremor-specific one

Edit: but really what is driving the desire to lift the truck?

 

[awd.nv]

alright i guess i might do that and possibly hold off until i can get some better coilovers, now does the 1” block mess up anything with suspension or is it safe?

The 1" block really is the sweet spot for me. Off-road either going quick (+40mph) or articulating the suspension feels great. The back wheel well will still be 0.5" or so higher but once you put things in the bed it will sit level. The 1" still lets things articulate fine, no weird wear that I know of in my bushings, balljoints or front axles. Was recently aligned by Ford at 50k miles and surely that tech would have said something.

The 2" level kits make them look level but the front wheel well is technically higher. I think they look level due to the downward slope on the front of the trucks. 2" is probably fine but this is where I would wonder about CVA angles and UCA when working the truck off-road because for the Tremor that means over about a 2.5" lift.

I am probably due soon for shocks which is why I was wondering what I should do or just replace with OEM Fox shocks like stock. Fox 2.5 are appealing but not sure I will get my money out of them so Bilstein was also a consideration. Stock OEM Fox 2.0 though have been just fine too.

I have 60k miles on my truck and had the level put on VERY early, like maybe 3-5k miles. Used the "Ford Ranger Lift" 1.0" kit, shoot the owner was kind enough to install it for me for some labor cost since he is also in Vegas. By 10k miles I has 1" wheel spacers and 33" k02 (now k03).

I also tow a 19' travel trailer, off-road on occasion and daily drive in Vegas which can sometimes feel like off-roading depending on where I go.

Not necessarily. If you want to lift the truck(as in the entire truck front and rear) then you need to look at a kit that does just that. The Tremor is already leveled as is from the Factory and more or less is at its limit. From my own experience I would not lift the front higher by 0.5 and the rear can easily take 1.5. pair that with some 33's and you will have an excellent combination for OffRoad Travel.

The Tremor is not level from the factory. I have a 1" spacer in the front and my rear wheel well is still 0.5" higher. The lift you mentioned earlier, which I think is more like 1.5" lift from Ford is including a small lift from the 32" tires over stock Rangers.

Maybe it is a 2" lift compared to an XL work truck spec? Compared to the FX4 I think it was like 1.0 to 1.5" lift.

 

[Frenchy]

The 1" block really is the sweet spot for me. Off-road either going quick (+40mph) or articulating the suspension feels great. The back wheel well will still be 0.5" or so higher but once you put things in the bed it will sit level. The 1" still lets things articulate fine, no weird wear that I know of in my bushings, balljoints or front axles. Was recently aligned by Ford at 50k miles and surely that tech would have said something.

The 2" level kits make them look level but the front wheel well is technically higher. I think they look level due to the downward slope on the front of the trucks. 2" is probably fine but this is where I would wonder about CVA angles and UCA when working the truck off-road because for the Tremor that means over about a 2.5" lift.

I am probably due soon for shocks which is why I was wondering what I should do or just replace with OEM Fox shocks like stock. Fox 2.5 are appealing but not sure I will get my money out of them so Bilstein was also a consideration. Stock OEM Fox 2.0 though have been just fine too.

I have 60k miles on my truck and had the level put on VERY early, like maybe 3-5k miles. Used the "Ford Ranger Lift" 1.0" kit, shoot the owner was kind enough to install it for me for some labor cost since he is also in Vegas. By 10k miles I has 1" wheel spacers and 33" k02 (now k03).

I also tow a 19' travel trailer, off-road on occasion and daily drive in Vegas which can sometimes feel like off-roading depending on where I go.

The Tremor is not level from the factory. I have a 1" spacer in the front and my rear wheel well is still 0.5" higher. The lift you mentioned earlier, which I think is more like 1.5" lift from Ford is including a small lift from the 32" tires over stock Rangers.

Maybe it is a 2" lift compared to an XL work truck spec? Compared to the FX4 I think it was like 1.0 to 1.5" lift.

Keep in mind that the FX4 still uses 31's from the factory. It's the same for non FX4 package trucks. The Tremor has 32's from the factory along with front struts that lift it up by 2 inches in the front. The rear has different leaf springs than non Tremor Rangers. It only lifted about .08 at best.

Keep in mind I had my Ranger next to a tremor once(can't remember if I still had 32's or switched to 33's already) and my truck was not that much higher than it(maybe 0.5 in the front) and the rear was much higher due to the Old Man EMU lift. With the way the Tremor is from the Factory there really isn't much else to do at this time.

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