Help me get started

[dgonz]

Okay. Hi everyone, new to the forum, just got my 05 ST in October and I'm gettin to the point where I want to start changing it. I'm completely car-stupid you might say so please bear with some of my dumb questions. First. I want to lift the truck a few inches. 3-5 ish inches. I'm not going to be off roading or anything crazy, I just like the look of a lifted truck. Then I want to put bigger tires on it, something that will sit outside of the wheelbase a little bit and give it that stocky beefy look. And then I want to make it LOUD I know it's a v6 but I've seen a few videos with loud ST's......so again, any help will be appreciated. But expect a lot of questions if you answer this thread. Thanks everyone.

 

[Clusterpup]

see this tread for lift options.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231158

look around the site, do some searches and you will find plenty of info.

 

[dgonz]

http://www.fabtechmotorsports.com/applications/ford/2wd98-05ranger.html

I followed this link and all it is is Ranger stuff ? does that make a difference or do the trucks use the same parts?

 

[Clusterpup]

you could just do a tortion twist and shackle lift. Im not too familar with the 4x2 tracs but I believe there is a spindle lift for rangers that works with the tracs.

 

[dgonz]

okay. I've seen some posts on here saying that a TT messes something up? can't remember what it was specifically.

But okay, if I wanted to do that. How much (and keep in mind I'll unfortunately be paying someone to do this because I would be in way over my head if I tried it myself) would something like that cost? and how much lift would I get?

 

[Clusterpup]

I have no idea how much a shop would charge as I do all my own work. You can do 2" with the shackle lift and tortion twist. If you are worried about the TT weakening your tortion bars then get a body lift.

 

[dgonz]

I wish I was truck savvy enough to pull something like that off. But I don't have the means or the knowledge. I need a Mr Miyagi to show me haha. Well it sounds like a body lift is what I'm gonna end up going with at some point. Will 33'' tires fit with just the body lift?

 

[Clusterpup]

With this site, a ford shop manual and some tools you can learn to work on your truck yourself. I'm not the most mechanically savy, hell I work on computer networks for living some I'm a geek by nature not a gear head.

 

[dgonz]

It's definitely an interest of mine I think the biggest part is lacking the confidence to actually go try something myself. I'd be too afraid to really screw up my truck. But hey it sounds like I'm in the same boat as you, I'm a systems tech in the IT department of the company I work for. There's hope for me yet lol. Thanks again for all your help. Greatly appreciated

 

[Clusterpup]

Yeah theres still hope. Nice to see another IT guy on this forum. John Rock the mod here in the sport trac forum is also an IT guy. I used to be a tech too but that was back in the 90's, I've graduated up to admin now.

 

[dgonz]

that's where I eventually want to be. I was in elementary school in the 90's lol. I figure if I can learn to do the expensive things (homes, computers, cars) life will be a lot easier for me haha.

I just found a manual online for my model. Now I have homework to do.

 

[Pheonixx77]

just my 2 cents...

if your not car savvy and or don't have all the tools(you would be surprised what you might need with a body or suspension lift. Pay a shop to do it and either ask them if you can watch or ask a lot of questions. But certainly go visit the shop and ask them if it would be better for you to buy the parts ahead of time or let them get them for you. If the shop specializes in lifts they will likely have better prices than you can get.

 

[dgonz]

definitely good advice. That's what I was kinda planning on doing anyway. I can read forever but like I said I don't trust myself enough to do a lift on my truck without someone there who knows what they're doing. It's worth the money to pay someone to do it. Good idea about the parts though thanks for that.

 

[Pheonixx77]

as an example, there is a shop near me that will put a 3" body lift on my trac for 300$ installed and parts are included in that price. But all these people do is lifts all day every day.

 

[dgonz]

nice. I didn't even know these places existed lol. I'll have to ask around to some of my buddies and see where they had theirs lifted.

 

[ncranchero]

Most any alignment shop can/will do the TT for like near nothing. You're going to have to have it aligned immediately after it's done anyway. It's like a 2 minute job when it's on the alignment rack. Not recommended over about 2" up or down in adjustment though.

 

[Clusterpup]

that's where I eventually want to be. I was in elementary school in the 90's lol. I figure if I can learn to do the expensive things (homes, computers, cars) life will be a lot easier for me haha.

I just found a manual online for my model. Now I have homework to do.

Yeah keep studying and learning on the job, you'll get there. Learning how to do stuff yourself is a great idea for many reasons. Before I started in IT I was a construction electrician, so I'm pretty handy overall.

If you start out with small projects such as changing fluids, brakes, hoses, belts, you will learn. Maybe one day you'll be like ncranchero and be tearing down trucks with one hand tied behind your back!