Whats the difference? (besides price)

[Ffpmme24]

Ok so my Suspension goal was to "level" my Ranger, the front rake is annoying.I started out with going to do the BDS kit, with the rear NX2 shocks and there spacers. in front, but when I was watching the install, I will still need to mess with the springs to put the spacers on. Is this correct?

So because I have to mess with the springs, and the many options listed in this group, I was looking at the following with item specific questions listed below.

Eibach Pro Truck Lift Stage 1 (What do i use to tighten the spring down? The top of the OEM I have now?)

Bilstein 5100 kit, ( What springs do i use? My OEM ones?)

I like the EMU kit, but do i need to spring for rear springs? (see what i did there??) Can I mix with a different brand of rear shocks? Can you buy with out the springs?

For me this 90% aesthetic this is a daily driver so it needs to still have daily function. the limit of my off road at the moment is limited to a few level grass fields and jumping a few curbs to get into turn lanes. (This may change)

Trying to keep it under 800, so what else should I be looking at?

Thanks

Sponsored

 

[Frenchy]

Ok so my Suspension goal was to "level" my Ranger, the front rake is annoying.I started out with going to do the BDS kit, with the rear NX2 shocks and there spacers. in front, but when I was watching the install, I will still need to mess with the springs to put the spacers on. Is this correct?

So because I have to mess with the springs, and the many options listed in this group, I was looking at the following with item specific questions listed below.

Eibach Pro Truck Lift Stage 1 (What do i use to tighten the spring down? The top of the OEM I have now?)

Bilstein 5100 kit, ( What springs do i use? My OEM ones?)

I like the EMU kit, but do i need to spring for rear springs? (see what i did there??) Can I mix with a different brand of rear shocks? Can you buy with out the springs?

For me this 90% aesthetic this is a daily driver so it needs to still have daily function. the limit of my off road at the moment is limited to a few level grass fields and jumping a few curbs to get into turn lanes. (This may change)

Trying to keep it under 800, so what else should I be looking at?

Thanks

So I cant speak too much for the Eibach as I do not know too much with that particular brand. Bilstein is a totally different brand and the basic 5100 kit is designed to use the factory springs.

Now to Old Man EMU!!!

Small disclaimer here: I do not work for them nor am I sponsored by them but I do know quite a bit!!!!!

To start off with I always recommend matching parts with the same manufacturer. Why you ask? Well they were designed to work together. That doesnt mean you cant mix some parts like shocks and springs as long as the parts will "work with each others parameters".

As stated earlier I recommend matching and therefore still recommend the Old Man EMU lift kit. Not wich kit do you get? Well first off how much do you want to spend? The BP-51 kit is really nice and I plan to go to it but it has a hefty price tag. The nitrocharger kit both light and heavy-duty are a much lower cost and still do well. Second is how much weight will the truck have normally? If you have a bumper and winch(or plan too very soon) and or have a bunch of weight in the bed then the heavy-duty kit will be your freind. If not then light load will do just fine and you keep factory tow capacity and payload capacity.

I myself have the standard light duty kit and I have yet to have any issues with it. How much of a lift does it provide? 2.4 front and 1.6 rear. It is very close to a 1 inch level. I also have Firestone Destination XT tires on 285/70-17 on stock wheels with no spacers and have no major rubbing issues. I can make promises for other tires.

Now I have been Offroad plant along with on the street to say the least. I have also towed with this suspension and it does just fine.

Last but not least you can buy the rear leaf springs by themselves but make sure that the shocks you buy can handle the lift they provide. If you dont you will run into problems.

Hope this helps.

 

[azdriver]

No, I do think @Frenchy is sponsored by OME and Firestone.

JK...Or am I

??

 

[Frenchy]

No, I do think @Frenchy is sponsored by OME and Firestone.

JK...Or am I

??

Trust me, I really wish i was so I could get the stuff i wanted!!!!!

 

[azdriver]

So, to stay under $800.00

1) Spacers - This will likely keep you under your target price. Maybe a little higher if you have someoene else install them. It will get you some height but generally isnt' the recomended way of lifting your truck. Not sure why as they aren't something I never really looked at.

2) Bilstien 5100 - I think it's 5100 up front and 4600 if you want to do the back to. They are designed to work with the factory springs. You adjust a collar on the 5100 to adjust the preload to gain your height in front. The 5100 and 4600 are pretty much the same except the collar can be adjusted on the 5100s but not the 4600. Can stay under $800 especially if you do the install yourself.

Possibly below $800 (DO NOT QUOTE ME ON THE PRICE LOL)

Just a set of coilovers for the front and leaving the rears stock - You might be able to find just some coilovers for the front for under $800 but probably need to be on sale and you will definately need to do the install yourself.

Over $800 - Probably the best solutions
Full lift kits from Ford Performance, OME, ICON and Eibach - All of these will cost you more than your target price especially if you have someone else install it but is generally considered the best way to level your truck. Especially if you think you might go off roading. If there is that chance this is the way I would do it. Actually, it is the way I'm doing it.

I bought the Ford Performance Fox 2.0 kit from Levittown Ford here on the forums. I got it for about $1300 and will be having it installed by a dealer for between $400 - $500. Doing it this way helps if there is any warranty issues down the road because it's a Ford Performance product installed at a dealer or ASE certified mechanic.

 

[Ffpmme24]

thanks for the feedback @Frenchy and @azdriver
I may do the Fox system in steps. Rears first and then fronts as I can afford them.

 

[Frenchy]

What made you think Fox all of a sudden?

 

[Ffpmme24]

What made you think Fox all of a sudden?

I have been thinking about fox from the beginning, but it was a price point issue. When I checked to see if I could split the OME lift into two purchases front/back. I saw I could do that with the fox also. The only advantage that the fox has and this was a follow up question is that it’s Ford approved, for lack of a better term. Thinking further would a EMU avoid the warranty? Heck would the fox if it is not installed by Ford?

 

[Frenchy]

I have been thinking about fox from the beginning, but it was a price point issue. When I checked to see if I could split the OME lift into two purchases front/back. I saw I could do that with the fox also. The only advantage that the fox has and this was a follow up question is that it’s Ford approved, for lack of a better term. Thinking further would a EMU avoid the warranty? Heck would the fox if it is not installed by Ford?

Well I can say that I was considering the Fox kit for truck originally until the Old Man EMU kit became available. What had me change my mind? Well the fact that 1 when going Offroad you want to lift the entire truck, not just the front( and a lot of people can't grasp that concept). Second, it is a truck. What do you think will happen when you put stuff in the bed and/or tow a trailer that has a fair bit of toung weight? The back will go down. Another reason I stayed away from FOX. The last reason was I did not like the idea of having to rebuild my chockes after 10,000 miles as that is what FOX recommends with 50/50 on and OffRoad. Sounds silly but true.

Now when it comes to warranty for the truck a lift kit like Old Man EMU will NOT void your trucks warranty. Well with the exception that the new shocks and springs wont be covered by Ford. It would be the same thing for Eibach, Bilstein and any other lift or leveling kit that does not require cutting of the Chassis, suspension and steering components.

 

[azdriver]

I have been thinking about fox from the beginning, but it was a price point issue. When I checked to see if I could split the OME lift into two purchases front/back. I saw I could do that with the fox also. The only advantage that the fox has and this was a follow up question is that it’s Ford approved, for lack of a better term. Thinking further would a EMU avoid the warranty? Heck would the fox if it is not installed by Ford?

There are two Fox kits available for the Ranger. One is from Fox and the other is from Ford Performance. The one from Fox can be done in two purchases but won't be covered under warranty. The one from Ford Performance I don't think can be done in two purchases but is covered under the factory warranty when installed by a Ford dealership or mechanic.

Remember, not everyone needs the same thing. Not everyone will be towing a lot or loading down the truck with roof racks, tents and metal bumpers. and a bunch of other stuff. Heck, we won't all be doing the same type of offroading either. So while Frenchy may need to have the back end of his truck lifted others of us won't. You just have to decide on what you're going to do with your truck and what you need to get it done.

 

[Ffpmme24]

Well I can say that I was considering the Fox kit for truck originally until the Old Man EMU kit became available. What had me change my mind? Well the fact that 1 when going Offroad you want to lift the entire truck, not just the front( and a lot of people can't grasp that concept). Second, it is a truck. What do you think will happen when you put stuff in the bed and/or tow a trailer that has a fair bit of toung weight? The back will go down. Another reason I stayed away from FOX. The last reason was I did not like the idea of having to rebuild my chockes after 10,000 miles as that is what FOX recommends with 50/50 on and OffRoad. Sounds silly but true.

Now when it comes to warranty for the truck a lift kit like Old Man EMU will NOT void your trucks warranty. Well with the exception that the new shocks and springs wont be covered by Ford. It would be the same thing for Eibach, Bilstein and any other lift or leveling kit that does not require cutting of the Chassis, suspension and steering components.

That’s good to know about the warranty. I saw that Stage 3 has the front and back shocks from EMU sold separately, with out the springs. Did you replace the leaf springs? If so why?

 

[Frenchy]

That’s good to know about the warranty. I saw that Stage 3 has the front and back shocks from EMU sold separately, with out the springs. Did you replace the leaf springs? If so why?

I went with the entire kit wich included the rear springs. Why? Well besides the weight in the back thing I also have added travel in the back wich helps with articulation for offroad and comfort due to a "quote on quote" softer spring because of the increased travel. Should I add that thr truck is still at a Practical height where you can still use the truck as a truck?

 

[Frenchy]

There are two Fox kits available for the Ranger. One is from Fox and the other is from Ford Performance. The one from Fox can be done in two purchases but won't be covered under warranty. The one from Ford Performance I don't think can be done in two purchases but is covered under the factory warranty when installed by a Ford dealership or mechanic.

Remember, not everyone needs the same thing. Not everyone will be towing a lot or loading down the truck with roof racks, tents and metal bumpers. and a bunch of other stuff. Heck, we won't all be doing the same type of offroading either. So while Frenchy may need to have the back end of his truck lifted others of us won't. You just have to decide on what you're going to do with your truck and what you need to get it done.

Something to consider with what you said. It doesnt matter if you have heavy bumpers, bed racks with tents, bed draws or other stuff in the bed all the time or not. Pickup trucks(yes all of them) from the factory are designed with said rake because they know people will put stuff in the bed and/or tow at some point causing the rear to squat. Will it be every day? Maybe..... Maybe not. But that is why its there.

And I'm sorry but a leveling kit does not cut it for offroad. I have already seen a post from one other member that only did a leveling kit and damaged his bed by hitting the ground with the tail pipe and it bent the bed. If that doesn't tell you enough then I dont know what will

 

[azdriver]

Something to consider with what you said. It doesnt matter if you have heavy bumpers, bed racks with tents, bed draws or other stuff in the bed all the time or not. Pickup trucks(yes all of them) from the factory are designed with said rake because they know people will put stuff in the bed and/or tow at some point causing the rear to squat. Will it be every day? Maybe..... Maybe not. But that is why its there.

And I'm sorry but a leveling kit does not cut it for offroad. I have already seen a post from one other member that only did a leveling kit and damaged his bed by hitting the ground with the tail pipe and it bent the bed. If that doesn't tell you enough then I dont know what will

It tells me several things:

1) Offraoding involves risks. You risk everything from just plain getting stuck to damage to your vehicle and physical injury. If you're not will to take those risks then you shouldn't be offroading.

2) Design your build around the type of offroading you'll be doing. A hardcore rock crawler needs to be build differently than a desert runner. Do your research and know what you need to do to get your build to be able to perform the offroading that you'll be doing as safely as possible remembering point #1, you take your chances when you go offroading. Nothing can change that. If you damage your vehicle it's not the kits fault if you are doing something that the kit wasn't designed to do.

3) Skill is just as important as your build. While you will need to push yourself a little bit to become a better offroader you should know your limitations and when to stop. If you can't tell that then you run the real risk of damaging your vehicle or getting hurt. Know when to stop and if you're going to be pushing yourself that day then go with someone with more experience than you.I don't know what happened in the situation you mentioned and this comment has nothing to do with his skill, it's just a general statement.

Everyones requirements are different so no two builds will be the same. Just because a build isn't like yours doesn't mean it's wrong. It just means it's not yours.

 

[Ffpmme24]

It tells me several things:

1) Offraoding involves risks. You risk everything from just plain getting stuck to damage to your vehicle and physical injury. If you're not will to take those risks then you shouldn't be offroading.

2) Design your build around the type of offroading you'll be doing. A hardcore rock crawler needs to be build differently than a desert runner. Do your research and know what you need to do to get your build to be able to perform the offroading that you'll be doing as safely as possible remembering point #1, you take your chances when you go offroading. Nothing can change that. If you damage your vehicle it's not the kits fault if you are doing something that the kit wasn't designed to do.

3) Skill is just as important as your build. While you will need to push yourself a little bit to become a better offroader you should know your limitations and when to stop. If you can't tell that then you run the real risk of damaging your vehicle or getting hurt. Know when to stop and if you're going to be pushing yourself that day then go with someone with more experience than you.I don't know what happened in the situation you mentioned and this comment has nothing to do with his skill, it's just a general statement.

Everyones requirements are different so no two builds will be the same. Just because a build isn't like yours doesn't mean it's wrong. It just means it's not yours.

If I look realistically at what I want to
Do, this is majority cosmetic. I want the leveled look,I don’t need or want bumpers winches etc. I want performance IF I need it. I live in center all Florida, hurricane issues, of getting over around debris would be my main concern.

I have to move with my wife Range Rover, which is a strangely capable SUV, I wonder if Ford got some of the brains of the Modes from when they owned JLR? I want a overland off road rig, it will be a old school tricked out LR Defender, but that’s a whole different story!

Sponsored