My Little Blue Truck

[rmkawboy]

Okay.... I'm in too, I guess!

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[TxOTRRanger]

Nice looking Ranger, welcome to the party lol. Like the velocity blue.
Have Fun and Enjoy It!

 

[rmkawboy]

So far it's been a great rig. Great to drive and very comfortable. WAY more civilized than my '91 Range Rover Classic. The color was more for my wife. She said no silver or black. She's a lifelong Cubs fan being from Chicago before moving to CO to go to school in the '80s. So I got Ford's version of Cubbie Blue. I kinda wish they did a Blackhawks red, however.

 

[rang19ca]

I love Blue, I guess that is obvious.

 

[fob63]

Okay.... I'm in too, I guess!

I bet the 1966 MG "B is fun but winds up fast around 50 mph on highway. I've had a few leyland motors cars . I also had TR3, TR4 IRS, Tr6 and way back an Austin Healy 3000 MK3.

 

[LBT]

Alright I’m sold. Blue is the best color. I already knew it in my heart. I’m officially a blue ranger supremacist now. All other color rangers are wrong. I still like you, but you’re wrong.

 

[tm1506]

I'm a little partial to Blue too!

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Thanks all! I'm really excited to mess around with a new truck. Unfortunately a lot of the upgrades will be done by someone else since I don't really have a place to work on my truck now that I'm in an apartment. The suspension upgrade I would probably have done by a shop anyway since that's more than I want to deal with right now (especially since I've had some back issues lately).

On the suspension upgrade I'm thinking the Eibach coilovers make the most sense for my use case (mostly on road, with some forest service roads in the mountains and light off road at this point). I was originally looking at the OME kit since I liked the all inclusive aspect but it sounds like it would be stiffer than I want and is more off road/overland focused. Am I right about that? I'm open to other options and don't have experience with any of these.

As for the color, I almost went with a Cyber Orange one (and I kind of hate that I loved that school bus color) but the Velocity Blue was just too handsome!

I’m sure others will disagree with me but I’m gonna say it anyway… I do the same kind of driving you’re planning on. Mostly highway and city streets, occasional trails back to fishing and camping spots. I went with a Rough Country 3.5” lift and have no issues with it. (I did have some problems initially because the wrong parts were installed but we won’t get into that disaster.) That aside, the truck’s ride didn’t change at all. I have a standard 4x4, not the Fx4 suspension, so mine doesn’t ride as stiff to begin with. The lift kit is just oversized leveling spacers with aftermarket control arms to correct the ball joint angle. I added 1.5” blocks in the rear after I put a bed rack on to get the rear end lifted back where it was. It’s definitely not meant for serious off-roading but for the kind of driving I do, it’s plenty fine. It allowed me to fit 33” tires and gain a bit of clearance for the trails. That’s all I was looking for. As far as install, definitely something you could do yourself if you’re mechanically inclined and have some basic tools.

Eibach and OME kits are more geared for moderate off-roading from what I understand. As for stiffness/softness of coils and leafs, I can’t say. I do know that they offer more suspension travel in the front and do soften the back end a bit depending on what leaf combination you go with. I believe OME has a leaf pack that allows you to add or remove springs based on how much weight you’re hauling and desired ride quality. More springs will give you more rear end height but also stiffen the ride a bit.

Suspension upgrades are really just a matter of preference. I knew I wasn’t going to be taking my ranger on any crazy trails or crawling with it so I wasn’t going to drop big money on a high-end lift kit. My truck is plenty capable of tackling all the roads and trails I drive. For those sketchy spots where I push it too far, I have a winch and traction boards. I might not be able to rock crawl but I’m sure not getting stuck!

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

I’m sure others will disagree with me but I’m gonna say it anyway… I do the same kind of driving you’re planning on. Mostly highway and city streets, occasional trails back to fishing and camping spots. I went with a Rough Country 3.5” lift and have no issues with it. (I did have some problems initially because the wrong parts were installed but we won’t get into that disaster.) That aside, the truck’s ride didn’t change at all. I have a standard 4x4, not the Fx4 suspension, so mine doesn’t ride as stiff to begin with. The lift kit is just oversized leveling spacers with aftermarket control arms to correct the ball joint angle. I added 1.5” blocks in the rear after I put a bed rack on to get the rear end lifted back where it was. It’s definitely not meant for serious off-roading but for the kind of driving I do, it’s plenty fine. It allowed me to fit 33” tires and gain a bit of clearance for the trails. That’s all I was looking for. As far as install, definitely something you could do yourself if you’re mechanically inclined and have some basic tools.

Eibach and OME kits are more geared for moderate off-roading from what I understand. As for stiffness/softness of coils and leafs, I can’t say. I do know that they offer more suspension travel in the front and do soften the back end a bit depending on what leaf combination you go with. I believe OME has a leaf pack that allows you to add or remove springs based on how much weight you’re hauling and desired ride quality. More springs will give you more rear end height but also stiffen the ride a bit.

Suspension upgrades are really just a matter of preference. I knew I wasn’t going to be taking my ranger on any crazy trails or crawling with it so I wasn’t going to drop big money on a high-end lift kit. My truck is plenty capable of tackling all the roads and trails I drive. For those sketchy spots where I push it too far, I have a winch and traction boards. I might not be able to rock crawl but I’m sure not getting stuck!

As for camping, the setup I used before I put the bed rack on was a tent from Rightline. It worked perfectly with the matching air mattress. I’m like 6” shorter than you thoyou may not find it as suitable as I did lol. You might have to go with a rooftop tent and overland rack.

Some racks say they aren’t compatible with bed covers but I modified mine to make it work. It’s kind of a pain rolling it up with the rack in the way but my bed cover is closed 95% of the time anyway so it’s not a big deal.

Stole this pic from Amazon but this is the exact setup I used for quite a while.

 

[Mokume]

Welcome Kevin! Congratulations on your Ranger and you're on the right track with changing out that crappy Fx4 suspension. I did that with my '19 Ranger and went with the Eibach coilovers and it made a world of difference right away. It'll smoothen out the ride and keep the rear from wallowing all over the place over bumps. Good call on doing the transmission fluid, pan and Fitxstick!

Our resident BlueMan @Friday yet? will be happy to see another fellow blue member.

Funny you should mention the wallowing ride on 5th gen Rangers, my 2020 S/Cab does just that, it's as though the front and rear suspension designs are at odds with each other, producing a "hobby horse" ride experience which I find unsettling.
As I recall road tests experiences resulted in mild motion sickness with drivers and passengers alike.
In my early years as a mechanic with the local fire department I remember driving a '99 Chevy C3500 service pickup vividly, it had a 454 mated to an outstanding Turbo-Hydramatic, it was a beast power wise, however it did not being loaded to it's limits, it would constantly see-saw in it's ride to the point of making me seasick.
In contrast the shop also had a 2000 F350 setup the same as the Chevy, it had a 460 mated to a C6, it would handle loads vastly
better than the Chevy, but was a dog power wise compared to the Chevy.
We also had a similar Dodge, it did nothing well and was nicknamed the "Penalty Box"

 

[rmkawboy]

I bet the 1966 MG "B is fun but winds up fast around 50 mph on highway. I've had a few leyland motors cars . I also had TR3, TR4 IRS, Tr6 and way back an Austin Healy 3000 MK3.

on nice, sunny Colorado days, 55-60 Cruising speed is about it. I had a '62 Austin Healey MkII factory tri-carb set up at one point. Sold it to buy a BMW 2002. That turned out to be the WORST car I've ever owned. I'll never own another BMW auto because of it. I have owned 6 BMW motorcycles and have one in my garage as we speak....

 

[fob63]

on nice, sunny Colorado days, 55-60 Cruising speed is about it. I had a '62 Austin Healey MkII factory tri-carb set up at one point. Sold it to buy a BMW 2002. That turned out to be the WORST car I've ever owned. I'll never own another BMW auto because of it. I have owned 6 BMW motorcycles and have one in my garage as we speak....

TR6 and Austin Healy had the Leyland overdrive setup. Nice setup and kept the vehicles in rpm power range. In theory (7 forward gears with the paddle switch).

 

[TxOTRRanger]

I'm a little partial to Blue too!

Even though I currently have a black truck. Still my favorite color is and always will be Blue. Hints, Grandpas Ole Blue F150, the BIGFOOT monster trucks, Tim Englers Mission IMPOSSIBLE Super Modified pulling tractor and Bob Gliddens 3 tone red, white and Blue 86 Thunderbirds.

The one that he walked away from the crash in Atlanta.

The 1986 NHRA Pro Stock Championship winner.

 

[LBT]

I’m sure others will disagree with me but I’m gonna say it anyway… I do the same kind of driving you’re planning on. Mostly highway and city streets, occasional trails back to fishing and camping spots. I went with a Rough Country 3.5” lift and have no issues with it. (I did have some problems initially because the wrong parts were installed but we won’t get into that disaster.) That aside, the truck’s ride didn’t change at all. I have a standard 4x4, not the Fx4 suspension, so mine doesn’t ride as stiff to begin with. The lift kit is just oversized leveling spacers with aftermarket control arms to correct the ball joint angle. I added 1.5” blocks in the rear after I put a bed rack on to get the rear end lifted back where it was. It’s definitely not meant for serious off-roading but for the kind of driving I do, it’s plenty fine. It allowed me to fit 33” tires and gain a bit of clearance for the trails. That’s all I was looking for. As far as install, definitely something you could do yourself if you’re mechanically inclined and have some basic tools.

Eibach and OME kits are more geared for moderate off-roading from what I understand. As for stiffness/softness of coils and leafs, I can’t say. I do know that they offer more suspension travel in the front and do soften the back end a bit depending on what leaf combination you go with. I believe OME has a leaf pack that allows you to add or remove springs based on how much weight you’re hauling and desired ride quality. More springs will give you more rear end height but also stiffen the ride a bit.

Suspension upgrades are really just a matter of preference. I knew I wasn’t going to be taking my ranger on any crazy trails or crawling with it so I wasn’t going to drop big money on a high-end lift kit. My truck is plenty capable of tackling all the roads and trails I drive. For those sketchy spots where I push it too far, I have a winch and traction boards. I might not be able to rock crawl but I’m sure not getting stuck!

Appreciate the input! I am looking for the opposite of what you mention actually. I'd prefer minimal lift (more of slight level) and I'm mostly looking to improve the ride. If I was looking to just add a lift or level I would plan exactly what you did. I'm not sure I need the level of suspension I'm looking at but I figure I might as well future-proof it as best I can since it's being changed out. I have some thoughts of exploring off-roading more. Especially after watching this stock review from @Stage3Motorsports:

 

[AzScorpion]

Appreciate the input! I am looking for the opposite of what you mention actually. I'd prefer minimal lift (more of slight level) and I'm mostly looking to improve the ride. If I was looking to just add a lift or level I would plan exactly what you did. I'm not sure I need the level of suspension I'm looking at but I figure I might as well future-proof it as best I can since it's being changed out. I have some thoughts of exploring off-roading more. Especially after watching this stock review from @Stage3Motorsports:

That's a good video and I've done that trail several times in my '19 Ranger stock. It can be done with a stock Ranger but going down the last section you really should have a small (2") lift and 32"-33" tires which makes it a little easier. I used trail control (IIRC set at 3 or 4 mph) which helps a lot. That trail gets used a lot and then weather has eroded it since they made this video over 6 years ago. They done fix or groom the trails out there so they get beat up pretty bad especially with those darn Pink Jeep tours.

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