4" Rough Country/combo lift questions

[Baddecision93]

Ok...I've spent about 4 hours researching today, so and can't find exactly the answers I'm looking for...hope you guys can help.
I purchased a ton of new body panels for my Ex and realized that until I do my suspension lift I probably shouldn't try to install them (the front tires scrub a little at full lock.) If I bend my new panels at all I'm going to be pretty mad. I'm not totally thrilled with the current tires I have and would like to go to a 32 or 33 BFG A/T K/O in the future.
Knowing that, I know that a 4" suspension lift would be my best bet.
However, I just spent $700 on body panels (that I would like to insall in the immediate future) and I'm a single dad without tons of extra cash lying around.
I've really been toying with a 4" Rough Country lift but I'm a little spooked...I really don't want the drop axle bracket to punch a hole in my front differential. If I install the bumpstop extensions will this prevent that problem? Or is it better for me to just peice together a lift and get the axle pivot brackets from Skyjacker or James Duff? I know the Rough Country isn't heavy duty enough to handle hard wheeling but I'm going 75% for looks. I realistically plan to "off road" (run through muddy fields) maybe once a month.
Also, I have a spare junkyard leaf pack & I made the homemade lift shackles out of boredom but haven't put them on yet. The Rough Country kit w/o rear springs runs $440 but w/springs it jumps up to $680. If I can get away doing 2 AAL on each side and the shackles I think I can get 4" of rear lift and save myself $240. If that works I think it would be waaay worth it but I don't know if anyone knows if that will provide enough lift...If so is the ride going to be regrettably stiff?
I know that's lots of questions but I appreciate your guys' help. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

i have a rough country 4 inch lift (spacers made it about a 5 inch) and i also have 33x12.5x15 tires that rub a little. i do some medium-hard wheelin with my truck and i have not punched a hole. i do have bump stops and extensions on so i do not hit. the rough country kit is actually fairly strong and not may people have had problems with it.
for a rear suspension option i would say do a SOA (Spring Over Axle) conversion. you will get 5 inches of lift for less then 50 bucks. you just use the stock leaf springs. Dannyboy has a thread here. search SOA conversion.

but if you really want to keep your rear leaf springs under, then i guess you could do two add-a-leafs and an F150 top leaf spring. that MAY work. but it will be pretty dang stiff.

since this is for looks mainly then just do the rough country lift and dont worry about it.
for the rear, either make custom leaf packs, buy the 4 inch lift leafs, or do an SOA.

for the money, you really cant beat the RC 4 inch lift.
my 2 cents

 

[Baddecision93]

Thanks for getting back w/me.
Did you get the full leaf pack with your Rough Country or just an AAL?
I just wonder how they get to 4" of lift in the rear. Every el-cheapo kit seems a little different. The Rough Country def seems like a good bet for a guy like me as far as price goes.
According to the picture on the Tuff Country lift site their lift comes from an AAL so I think that + shackles could get me there w/o having to use 2 extra leafs on each side. I don't mind it riding like a truck, I'd just rather it not ride like a washboard, lol.
I'm nervous with my own ability to weld on my axles or I would try SOA...I don't think I'm quite there yet and I would hate to bend the axle tubing irreparably. Otherwise I would consider that bc I do really like the look of a little bit of a rake and that would (in theory) get my rear up just an inch or inch and a half higher.

One last thing Eddie, did you put the bumpstop extensions on top of the factory bumpstops? I think I've read people do that for extra insurance against the front diff hole-punch problem but I wasn't sure.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

the picture of the rough country kit is not accurate. i actually got the cheapest kit that was for a ranger, it came with lift blocks which i couldnt use. but ended up selling for 20 bucks on craigslist along with the U-bolts.

you WILL NOT bend the axle tubing just by welding onto it. those tubes are thick stuff.
i have stock leafs, and stock shackles on my soa. and i even made my spring perch shorter so im getting closer to 5 rather then 6. unlike some people (chevy trucks) i dont like height, i like function and practicality.

your AAL idea will work, just get 2 different lengths of AALs. a longer one and a shorter one so you dont have the same length twice in your leaf pack.

as far as the rake goes, it will increase after a few months due to the springs sagging and getting broken in. in that case you will need to get ahold of some spacers. most people here like to use F150 spring seats or they take a bunch of big thick washers found at tractor supply places and weld them together making one big metal spacer for the spring to sit on. dont use poly or rubber spacers. they will just split overtime and come apart.

and another thing, if you go with the RC kit, DONT use their shocks. if it requires you to buy some then buy the cheapies. find another better/more durable brand like rancho, skyjacker, or bilstien

the kit came with 1.5 inch bump stop extensions. but i put about another half inch extension. i just had some scraps of 1/4 inch plate layin around and i stacked 2 pieces and welded them on.
before i did my gear swap, on my old front diff case i saw some some small dents and scars from my diff hitting. but ive come down pretty hard from ledges and if thats all i walk away with then thats fine with me.

 

[Baddecision93]

the picture of the rough country kit is not accurate. i actually got the cheapest kit that was for a ranger, it came with lift blocks which i couldnt use. but ended up selling for 20 bucks on craigslist along with the U-bolts.

you WILL NOT bend the axle tubing just by welding onto it. those tubes are thick stuff.
i have stock leafs, and stock shackles on my soa. and i even made my spring perch shorter so im getting closer to 5 rather then 6. unlike some people (chevy trucks) i dont like height, i like function and practicality.

your AAL idea will work, just get 2 different lengths of AALs. a longer one and a shorter one so you dont have the same length twice in your leaf pack.

as far as the rake goes, it will increase after a few months due to the springs sagging and getting broken in. in that case you will need to get ahold of some spacers. most people here like to use F150 spring seats or they take a bunch of big thick washers found at tractor supply places and weld them together making one big metal spacer for the spring to sit on. dont use poly or rubber spacers. they will just split overtime and come apart.

and another thing, if you go with the RC kit, DONT use their shocks. if it requires you to buy some then buy the cheapies. find another better/more durable brand like rancho, skyjacker, or bilstien

the kit came with 1.5 inch bump stop extensions. but i put about another half inch extension. i just had some scraps of 1/4 inch plate layin around and i stacked 2 pieces and welded them on.
before i did my gear swap, on my old front diff case i saw some some small dents and scars from my diff hitting. but ive come down pretty hard from ledges and if thats all i walk away with then thats fine with me.

I really appreciate the help, man. Glad you got back with me.

I think I'm gonna go with the 4" RC and just do the rear myself, you sold me on it. When you mentioned your setup I went to your registry to see what it looked like w/that kind of height. I never even realized that I had already read your entire registry when I was looking for some lift ideas. You've got a sweet ride but I think it's a little more lift than I'm going for, lol. I gotta be able to get a carseat up into the back seat still . Think I'll skip the SOA and front seat spacers, at least for now. Hopefully 4" as opposed to 5.5" makes the difference I think it will in regards to keeping me just a little closer to the ground.

I'd also heard problems with the RC shocks eating through bushings like crazy, so I appreciate the input there too. I think maybe a decent quality Skyjacker shock might offset some of the terrible ride quality of my AAL. Maybe...(there's always wishful thinking, right?

I've read some guys w/the 4" still scrub wide 33s sometimes. I thought I saw you write that somewhere but I can't find it now...

Anyway, I'm going w/Cragar soft 8s (more copying other guys, lol) w/a 4.75 backspace so I'm only going to get 10.5 wide tires so I don't stick out ridiculously far. Think I should probably go with 32 BFG A/T then though so I don't risk rubbing. Hope that setup will work...

Thanks again for getting back w/me. Guys like you and Foxracin give me all kinds of good ideas. Glad you put up w/noob questions & helped a guy trying to figure this all out.

 

[bonzo_player]

They do offer a Ranger kti, but only with rear springs due to the fact that the Exploer is spring under. A good friend of mine put it on, but be aware you will need a larger camber kit to align it.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

Baddecision, its not a problem.
we have all been noobs at some point...hahah :roll:
i would actually go with a smaller backspacing. you will be lifting your expo up, and not out. you really need to go out and widen it so its more road worthy. find a 3 or 3.5 inch backspacing on your soft 8s.
with my 33s i just barely rub on the inside of the fender. right by the drivers door.
again, just my 2 cents...start a vehicle registry and post up some progress pics!

 

[Baddecision93]

Backspacing

I questioned that immediately after I posted it.

I really like the offset look and I can justify the extra strain on the front end cause it gives me a wider stance for the trail So, ya, I think I should try for like 3 1/2" instead. From creeping other ppl's pics on here I think 3 1/2 w/32 or 33x10.5 should take care of the offset I need without pushing it to rub on a 4" lift.

I'm gonna start a registry soon, I just want to buy my Elite membership first. It will make life easier.

I actually have accomplished a decent amount so far. Actually just finished up new pads and calipers on the front to fix a grabby brake. I've got everything wrote down chronologically so it's all ready to go as soon as I actually get around to starting my registry, lol.

I'm excited, the more I do the more I want to do....Hopefully this isn't just the "honeymoon phase"

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

sounds like your on the right trail with wheel offsets. go up and out.
basic geometry: the triangle method.
gotta have a wide base if you wanna go up...