Cheap 2" Lift

[Concept156]

I have a 95 Limited with auto ride control. When I put it in four low, the really expensive auto ride shocks ($250 a piece) 'air' up and lift my Explorer two inches. The reason I am asking is because the dealership wants $750 to replace my two front shocks. And since only Ford manufactures shocks that will fit and work with the system... they can charge whatever they want...

So the actual question is:
There is a switch to turn the auto ride system off. So, would it be possible to turn the auto ride off... and then get shocks that are two inches longer... and then have a two inch lift for the price of shocks? And possibly 3-4" if I do a TT on top of this?

 

[JoshC]

well i don't know about the autoride thing but i don't think you'll be able to get longer shocks that will give you a lift. If i'm wrong someone tell me, but the shocks just hold up weight not, lifting. Lifting on the front comes from the cross memeber or what ever it is called. Believe me, i've thought about this many times. Longer shocks will probably give you maybe a little bit of a longer travel until your bump stoppes hits, but i don't think it's possible. If you find out something different then please smack me and tell me! thanks

Happy trailes!

 

[Robert]

Jot017 is correct in that longer shocks will not give you lift. All they do is dampen the bumps, they don't push up on the vehicle an appreciable amount to cause a lift. There is a switch that you can flip that will disable you air-ride system though. Check in your owner's guide under changing a flat tire. There are all sorts of warnings about disabling the air-ride system whenever you jack up a tire. I think the switch is in the jack compartment. Since mine is a Sport I don't have the system.

 

[Concept156]

Thanks... I knew that would be too easy to get a lift. I will check out my springs and torsion bars this weekend.

 

[KEbert]

I got Bilstein 5100's for a Ranger and they gave me a quarter of an inch of lift. (I measured just for the hell of it). I also had to use a jack to put the fronts on because they were so stiff.

 

[Robert]

It is possible to get a slight lift with stiffer shocks, it just won't be an appreciable amount. If you go stiff enough to get a couple of inches, your shocks won't dampen your suspension unless you drive it off a building. I remember back when I had air shocks on the back of my Toyota pickup. When I put 100 PSI in them my back end would raise a couple of inches. It rode like it didn't have springs though.