Ranger Gets Ford Performance Parts Leveling Kits with Coil-overs & Fox Shocks

[runner69]

Tha

Thanks... They’re 265/70R17 Goodyear Ultraterrain A/Ts load range E on the stock Sport wheels.I thought that I’d try something different instead of my usual KO2s.

how at the load range E's feel, are they harsh?

Sponsored

 

[berlow94]

Can those who are claiming that the kit supplied through Ford dealers and the kit supplied through aftermarket parts vendors such as Summit Racing and Stage 3 are the same please stop?! You’re spreading misinformation.

The Fox shocks supplied through Ford dealers are valved differently internally than the shocks that are being sold aftermarket. What those differences are, I don’t know but would love to throw both sets on a shock dyno or speak with someone in Fox’s tech dept. to find out.
As for the coil springs, based on the Eibach part numbers that have been provided on this thread. It seems that both springs are 550 lb/inch rate and 3” ID size, but the springs provided with the kit from the dealer are 16” overall length vs the springs provided with the kit sold aftermarket are 14” overall length.

I’m going to assume that the shock overall length and strokes are the same between the 2 DIFFERENT kits although I would love if someone would be willing to measure their Ford kit before installation

 

[FL.ranger]

I don’t know for a fact but it doesn’t really make sense that they would be different, but if they are, respect to FORD. My take on it is that Ford would never waste the money on tuning them differently without seeing a substantial profit margin. I don’t see that they are more expensive and when you buy them from another company , Stage 3 or whatever they are still specifically for the Ranger.

But again this is just speculation and I have no facts to back it up but then again I really don’t care. I love the coilovers and am very happy with my purchase. I did buy them from a Ford dealer.

Also look at all the other “Ford Performance” products. They are all the same aftermarket products you can get straight from the manufacture. The fog lights (Rigid), Rock lights (Rigid) , the exhaust (Borla), and intake (Roush). It just all seems like marketing 101.

 

[ryyck]

Can you use the Ford Pass Rewards for the Ford Performance?

 

[berlow94]

I don’t know for a fact but it doesn’t really make sense that they would be different, but if they are, respect to FORD. My take on it is that Ford would never waste the money on tuning them differently without seeing a substantial profit margin. I don’t see that they are more expensive and when you buy them from another company , Stage 3 or whatever they are still specifically for the Ranger.

But again this is just speculation and I have no facts to back it up but then again I really don’t care. I love the coilovers and am very happy with my purchase. I did buy them from a Ford dealer.

Also look at all the other “Ford Performance” products. They are all the same aftermarket products you can get straight from the manufacture. The fog lights (Rigid), Rock lights (Rigid) , the exhaust (Borla), and intake (Roush). It just all seems like marketing 101.

I understand that based on assuming margins you would think that they would be the same. However I’m showing with part #’s and physical dimensions that they are completely different.
Somewhere floating around on this forum is an article directly from Ford stating how they took Fox’s Ranger kit and specifically tweaked it themselves.

As an OE partner with Fox, it wouldn’t cost Ford any more or less money to spec the same shocks and springs as what Fox supplies aftermarket but with a different shock tune and spring rate/size.
OE’s do this all of the time in the bicycle world, moto world, ATV/Snowmobile world, etc...

My goal in investigating this is to confirm with facts what the differences are and how either kit might be more or less beneficial for someone’s specific needs. For example, one kit might have increased suspension travel and a softer compression circuit which would be more ideal for someone who spends more time off-road. The other kit might have less spring travel and a firmer compression circuit therefore offering a slightly stiffer ride for better on-road performance.
This would make a great sticky for someone to reference when trying to make a more informed purchase decision for their personal needs. (Warranty coverage or lack thereof aside)

 

[runner69]

I don’t know for a fact but it doesn’t really make sense that they would be different, but if they are, respect to FORD. My take on it is that Ford would never waste the money on tuning them differently without seeing a substantial profit margin. I don’t see that they are more expensive and when you buy them from another company , Stage 3 or whatever they are still specifically for the Ranger.

But again this is just speculation and I have no facts to back it up but then again I really don’t care. I love the coilovers and am very happy with my purchase. I did buy them from a Ford dealer.

Also look at all the other “Ford Performance” products. They are all the same aftermarket products you can get straight from the manufacture. The fog lights (Rigid), Rock lights (Rigid) , the exhaust (Borla), and intake (Roush). It just all seems like marketing 101.

It's not hard for them to be valved differently, I race mountain bikes and specialized has a FOX Rear shock but it is completely different from a "FOX" shock even though they that are both called a "float 23"

 

[FL.ranger]

Can you use the Ford Pass Rewards for the Ford Performance?

Yes

 

[ryyck]

Yes

Thanks Fl.

 

[NvrFinished]

I understand that based on assuming margins you would think that they would be the same. However I’m showing with part #’s and physical dimensions that they are completely different.
Somewhere floating around on this forum is an article directly from Ford stating how they took Fox’s Ranger kit and specifically tweaked it themselves.

Yes, you can find the article link in my original post here where I verified that there is an actual difference between the two. The information you posted about the Eibach spring part numbers is excellent as well. It didn't occur to me at the time to try and find those part numbers.

 

[r2t2k2]

how at the load range E's feel, are they harsh?

To me? No, but I’m used to putting them on trucks I plan to tow with. The ride is firm but smooth. The A/T tread produces a little of a rumble feel if that makes sense.

 

[berlow94]

Just installed the Ford Performance Fox 2.0 leveling kit.
I hope everyone has checked their truck for level with this kit. I know they are advertised as “preset out of the box” but mine weren’t even close.
1/4” difference in height from left to right and the front was about 1” taller than the rear with no weight in the truck.
After driving the truck about 1k miles with the kit installed and setup properly my front is sitting just over 7/8” lower than the rear with no weight in the bed. I hate the reverse rake look.

For background info I race cars on the track and am very familiar with corner balancing cars with adjustable sway bars, coil overs, reservoir multi adjustable shocks, etc.

 

[NvrFinished]

Just installed the Ford Performance Fox 2.0 leveling kit.
I hope everyone has checked their truck for level with this kit. I know they are advertised as “preset out of the box” but mine weren’t even close.
1/4” difference in height from left to right and the front was about 1” taller than the rear with no weight in the truck.
After driving the truck about 1k miles with the kit installed and setup properly my front is sitting just over 7/8” lower than the rear with no weight in the bed. I hate the reverse rake look.

For background info I race cars on the track and am very familiar with corner balancing cars with adjustable sway bars, coil overs, reservoir multi adjustable shocks, etc.

Interesting... I didn't think these kits were even capable of lifting that high. I was under the assumption that 3" was the max height they could go - which supposedly is just enough to make the truck level. But yours was 1" higher in the front than the back?

I'm a track guy as well and have a spot in my garage where I check ride heights and do my camber changes and alignment before I go to the track. I plan on checking my ride heights before and after kit installation. I know that I don't have the lean in the rear that people have complained about.

So what made you finally decide on the Ford Fox kit vs. the aftermarket Fox kit? I'm still trying to figure out which is best for me.

 

[berlow94]

Interesting... I didn't think these kits were even capable of lifting that high. I was under the assumption that 3" was the max height they could go - which supposedly is just enough to make the truck level. But yours was 1" higher in the front than the back?

I'm a track guy as well and have a spot in my garage where I check ride heights and do my camber changes and alignment before I go to the track. I plan on checking my ride heights before and after kit installation. I know that I don't have the lean in the rear that people have complained about.

So what made you finally decide on the Ford Fox kit vs. the aftermarket Fox kit? I'm still trying to figure out which is best for me.

I think that is the main difference between the Ford Performance and the aftermarket Fox kits. The coil spring on the FP kit being 2" longer in overall length puts the threaded collar lower on the shock body and allows for more overall lift height. (Assuming that the shocks on both kits are dimensionally the same. Still trying to get a solid answer as to the valving differences)

I messed around with the heights for about 4 hours before locking it down and aligning the truck.
Even went as far as leveling the frame of the truck to the alignment rack and leaving the front wheels off to ensure that the back was level from the factory from left to right.
It was a pain in the ass compared to my track car since with the track car I have the car up on corner balance scales, each spring has an adjustment collar, and I can completely remove the adjustable sway bar end links. It's relatively easy to adjust each wheel height independently and move weight around in the car to get my cross weights 50%/50% and the car level at the same time.

With the truck I don't really have any weight to move around, no adjustable sway bar links, and I can only adjust the front spring perches.

As I mentioned before, I ended up with the truck within 1/8" level left/right up front which I needed to leave to keep the rear 100% level left/right, and about 7/8" lower in the front vs. the rear. Aligning it was easy after that. An even +0.2 degrees of camber, and even 3.2 degrees of caster and just a lick of toe in. (I don't like the factory adjustment of unequal caster and camber left/right to accommodate for the crown of the road)

 

[Truckee Bill]

Just installed the Ford Performance Fox 2.0 leveling kit.
I hope everyone has checked their truck for level with this kit. I know they are advertised as “preset out of the box” but mine weren’t even close.
1/4” difference in height from left to right and the front was about 1” taller than the rear with no weight in the truck.
After driving the truck about 1k miles with the kit installed and setup properly my front is sitting just over 7/8” lower than the rear with no weight in the bed. I hate the reverse rake look.

For background info I race cars on the track and am very familiar with corner balancing cars with adjustable sway bars, coil overs, reservoir multi adjustable shocks, etc.

The Ford Performance leveling kit replaces the rear shocks as well. But are those shocks any different that the Fox shocks in the FX-4 package? It seems like I'm being asked to replace perfectly good shocks.

 

[NvrFinished]

The Ford Performance leveling kit replaces the rear shocks as well. But are those shocks any different that the Fox shocks in the FX-4 package? It seems like I'm being asked to replace perfectly good shocks.

No, they are not the same. The Ford 2.0 Fox leveling kit has all 4 shocks tuned by Ford to work together as a package - particularly since the front sits higher with higher rates springs. Just as the stock shocks on the FX4 package are tuned to work together.

Sponsored