01-05 Sport Trac 4x4 Lift Options Discussion

[JohnnyO]

True, Dixon Bros doesn't say how much lift you get. Looking at the pics I'd say about 5" but you get more travel. I think the big plus is that the halfshafts and steering parts are stronger than stock.

 

[brianjwilson]

It's not considered a lift, it is a long travel kit. I believe I'd read that people ended up with 1-2" of lift after the dixon bros kit. Not surprising though considering the longer control arms, and pretty much stock angles on them.

 

[JohnnyO]

Well, Dixon Bros is geared toward desert racing where you don't so much need height as you need lots of travel. IMO Superlift is perfectly fine unless you're wheeling around a lot of rocks, but even so, the lowered front crossmember makes an excellent mud plow then.

 

[Stolle]

does superlift sell just the front parts alone?

 

[John_Rock]

does superlift sell just the front parts alone?

I really doubt any manufacturer is going to just sell the front parts. You would need to buy the whole kit and throw away what you dont need or try to sell it.

I personally think doing the Spring Over Axle conversion is better than getting lift springs. I believe the Superlift uses lift springs. SOA will give you more travel. If you are interested in offroad performance. If you are just interested in a lifted truck look, then it doesn't matter too much.

 

[Stolle]

im more into performance. hence why i asked if i can get the front parts alone...

its just that the front only BL seems sketchy to me...and it still seems to sit with a forward rake to it in the pictures posted...

 

[JohnnyO]

does superlift sell just the front parts alone?

I don't know, but their Ranger kit is cheaper because it does not come with rear springs (just lift blocks since Rangers are sprung-over). As far as I know the front end parts are the same, so you could probably get a Ranger kit if you're going to do a SOA on the rear. At some point ('02 or '03 I think) Ford changed the ball joints, so there are two different kits from Superlift depending on the model year.

 

[Diesel Scout]

Here are two I came across recently I don't see mentioned in this thread, they can both be found here.

Brenthel Industries

The Chase kits looks about perfect to me, shocks included and nets 3"-5" of lift with 9"-12" of travel. It is, only for the front suspension and you'd be on your own to match the rear. I am thinking custom built rear leaves from Deaver or one of the local companies.

 

[topofffun]

I have one thing to add to all of this nonsence. The superlift ranger lift kit is missing a piece for the sport trac. I have a 2003 ST i bought a used kit off a 2002 ranger. It was missing the drop bracket that goes on the front diff. on a sport trac it needs to be longer. I called up four wheel parts and they sent it in a few days. But that is on a 4wd. my 2cents

 

[Project_Sparta]

bump since we cant make this a sticky

 

[jeremyc653]

John just wondering you said you have no lift in the front other then the tt how are you fitting 37" tires without rubbing anything well i guess i should be asking do the tires in the front rub

 

[John_Rock]

John just wondering you said you have no lift in the front other then the tt how are you fitting 37" tires without rubbing anything well i guess i should be asking do the tires in the front rub

I currently have 35-36ish tires. They hit my fenders and maybe firewall with the right situation.

I really don't have a TT now. I advise against the TT nowadays. Yeah, I did it in the beginning. Right now on my truck, one side is cranked up and one isn't just to kind of make both sides at the same level. Obviously one of my torsion bars is more fatigue than the other. I have a side by side pic of Txplates and my truck after he put on his 35" MTRs. Txplates never did a TT and his truck's(no offroading experience) front end looked higher than mine. And my torsion bolts were cranked all the way up.

 

[John_Rock]

I have a side by side pic of Txplates and my truck after he put on his 35" MTRs. Txplates never did a TT and his truck's(no offroading experience) front end looked higher than mine. And my torsion bolts were cranked all the way up.

My truck is on the left and Txplates is on the right. My truck is after years of abusive offroading. Txplates truck had not been offroad yet.

 

[FUN LS1]

So it seems like the most affordable way to lift my 2002 2WD ST is the one that will wear parts out and turn the ride quality into crap.

Well - that sucks!

 

[Project_Sparta]

So glad to see this stickied.

 

[J-Bubba]

what is the exact purpose in replacing my torsion bolts?

 

[John_Rock]

what is the exact purpose in replacing my torsion bolts?

J-Bubba, is your truck 4x4 or 4x2?

 

[jeremyc653]

So it seems like the most affordable way to lift my 2002 2WD ST is the one that will wear parts out and turn the ride quality into crap.

Well - that sucks!

i belive almost all truck have the problem of wearing out parts faster once they are lifted because the truck was not factory made to do that

 

[J-Bubba]

my truck is 4x4

 

[Project_Sparta]

Chad551 did a coil over conversion, I have no idea, the cost, the materials, or the difficulty of doing this. I hope he reads this and fills us in.