Suspension Upgrade Advice for 2021 Ranger (King vs Rough Country vs Fox)

[dozxab]

~~ Quote from support at Shock Surplus when I asked. "I used to love Rancho and have had plenty of sets myself before they were bought out by Tenneco, but after that buyout they now account for about 75% of our warranty claims and less than 5% of our sales."

I have an FX4 that comes with the upgraded shocks. I replaced them at 12K for an upgrade and to level it a bit. I went with Eibachs and they are better than I expected. Improved handling on the twisty mountain road that I run twice a week and handling over fire roads and pot holes is vastly improved. They are reasonably priced and come with the Eibach Limited Million-Mile Warranty. This is a great article that should help guide you. https://www.shocksurplus.com/blogs/news/leveling-strut-comparison-bilstein-vs-eibach-vs-fox

Poke through the Shock Surplus blogs. They are straight shooters and test the crap out of everything the sell. You didn't mention a budget but this would apply to the lower end of quality stuff. I had King's on my 19 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and they were amazing. Bought it used and it came with them.

Sponsored

 

[SonoranDesertranger]

I had fox 2.0s and they were really good, then switched to king 2.5s, ucas, and wildtrak leaf packs. For most people id say the fox 2.0s are all you need but it depends what you want to do.

Pic on profile is with fox, this is a current pic.

 

[OGMix376]

I’ll pop my thoughts in… both Kings and Fox (2.5’s) are good.. if you get kings you may want to get the ones with compression adjustability… (they’re available with or without.)
Fox 2.5 performance elite should come with dual speed compression adjustability (Fox DSC 2.5 shocks).
When looking for Fox 2.5’s they have the older Factory Race series and the ones which are replacing those known as Performance Elite… main difference is steel body shocks (Factory Race) and aluminum body (Performance Elite).. on the remote resi and piggy back resi for the kings they use a slightly smaller tube than Fox does for the connector for the resi to the shock body… also king uses a chrommolly (idk how to spell) and Fox uses a harder material (I think hardened anodized steel or something.)… but the Kings to my understanding have a bit more travel.. so there is definitely a give and take.. my opinion is the Fox are better built, but the Kings may serve your purpose better if you want maximum travel while whooping around..
Having the adjustment in the compression may assist in the driving too and home from the trails.. being able to adjust for Off road and on road to a degree..

 

[Gibs45]

Check out ICON as well!

 

[COblue]

They are no longer making the BP-51s for the 5G ranger per ARB support.

No surprise, ARB didn't seem to care much about the US Ranger platform outside of the promotional launch items and some of those are discontinued. Tough to get aftermarket companies to care when the ranger is the lowest selling mid size.

 

[cmhmh]

No surprise, ARB didn't seem to care much about the US Ranger platform outside of the promotional launch items and some of those are discontinued. Tough to get aftermarket companies to care when the ranger is the lowest selling mid size.

3/18/25:
Hello, at this time, we no longer have a BP51 option for the ford Ranger. Those have been discontinued (there had been fitment issues on those, they were going to redesign, but sounds like that project has been put on a permanent hold unfortunately. That could change in the future, but at this time, no updates on that)

 

[SDXLT]

If you have the money for Kings or Fox 2.5's then go that route. I'm out in Borrego and pushing my truck hard through the washes a lot and I went with the Eiback 2.0r which gives you resi's in the rear. I have the Tremor leaf packs in the back as well and went with Icon tubular UCA's with the delta joint and beefed up my sway bar end links. I could be happier with the Fox or Kings, but for this money it's a solid setup for what we do with our trucks. I can tow and load the bed and it doesn't squat. I've had it loaded over the roof of the cab with multiple trees I've cut down and taken to the dump.

 

[MarkCl]

Hey everyone, I’ve got a 2021 Ford Ranger and I’m looking into upgrading my suspension setup. Right now, I’ve just got a cheap $60 leveling puck up front, but I’m not really loving how the suspension feels, especially when I’m off-road. I’m looking to get something with better travel and performance overall—something that will make my truck more capable off-road while still being a decent daily(this is my first car that’s actually mine, and I drive it every day).
I’ve been eyeing the KING 2-3” Leveling Kit which is supposed to include, Front Remote Reservoir Extended Travel Coilovers and, Rear Piggyback Reservoir Shocks.
I’m also considering getting ucas from Total Chaos to go with it.
I wanted to ask—is this King setup worth it, or would I be fine with something like a Rough Country kit or a Fox setup instead? I’m still relatively new to all this but learning as I go. Any advice or experience with these specific parts or just in general you guys have would be really appreciated. Also open to any other suggestions/mods I should be looking at!

You might want to consider whether you plan or will be towing a trailer. If you have a leveling kit, putting a trailer of any significant weight on it will turn your low beams into high beams and may make your high beams unusable. Also, a leveling kit will reduce your gas mileage. There are reasons why Ford designed the truck with the nose down a bit.

 

[jdamtb918]

I have a 21’ Tremor and had the FRL 2” lvl kit installed about a month ago. I haven’t noticed, according to my truck computer, any loss in fuel economy since raising the front end.

 

[DonovanJM]

I have a 21’ Tremor and had the FRL 2” lvl kit installed about a month ago. I haven’t noticed, according to my truck computer, any loss in fuel economy since raising the front end.

I have had my '21 Tremor leveled for a few years and I consistently average about 20mpg. Usually slightly over but it dips into the high 19's from time to time. I don't remember what it averaged when I first got it but I don't remember it being any better. Different wheels but still original tires

 

[Brett Fields]

Before anything else, let me say that any main stream product out there is going to be better than what you have.
I wouldn't suggest that you spend top dollar on anything until you try something more moderate. At that point you have a basis of comparison. I went from Fox 2.0's to Bilstein 6112/5160's. I thought that the Bilsteins would be a stop gap until I figured out what I really wanted. I discovered that I'm perfect with these Bilsteins and the Icon leafs.
Maybe when I become rich & famous, I'll try something fancier. Save your money. There's plenty more stuff to buy.

Edit:
Grab a Ford Performance bumper on sale before they're gone. The Safari Snorkel was also on sale. ...Just sayin

 

[jdamtb918]

I have had my '21 Tremor leveled for a few years and I consistently average about 20mpg. Usually slightly over but it dips into the high 19's from time to time. I don't remember what it averaged when I first got it but I don't remember it being any better. Different wheels but still original tires

same exact fuel mileage on mine as well lol. I am running a cheap Amazon throttle controller and use the Eco mode the majority of the time and I only run 93

 

[lazynorse]

Icon leafs and Eibach Pro Truck measurably improved daily drivability and offroad manners. Tested on 1+ week long trips in desert Oregon and Idaho canyonlands, Utah's Canyonland White Rim Trail and San Rafael Swell and more, all loaded down with 1-2 week camping provisions. I ruled out Fox as I don't want the expense or hassle of rebuilding them in fairly short amounts of mileage, as they're designed to need that. I don't need whatever Kings provide, they are hugely expensive. I've got all the capability I need right now. Folks should watch those Shock Surplus videos, they are pretty transparent about what most need for most uses cases.

 

[dozxab]

Icon leafs and Eibach Pro Truck measurably improved daily drivability and offroad manners. Tested on 1+ week long trips in desert Oregon and Idaho canyonlands, Utah's Canyonland White Rim Trail and San Rafael Swell and more, all loaded down with 1-2 week camping provisions. I ruled out Fox as I don't want the expense or hassle of rebuilding them in fairly short amounts of mileage, as they're designed to need that. I don't need whatever Kings provide, they are hugely expensive. I've got all the capability I need right now. Folks should watch those Shock Surplus videos, they are pretty transparent about what most need for most uses cases.

Shock Surplus videos are EXCELLENT! I got the Eibach Pro Truck and they are great. Do they make the Icon leaf springs with no lift?

 

[OGMix376]

Shock Surplus videos are EXCELLENT! I got the Eibach Pro Truck and they are great. Do they make the Icon leaf springs with no lift?

Pulled this off their site.. looks like at very minimum you’ll be at .375 of and inch lift in the rear at the lowest configuration.. hope this helps…

Sponsored