Lift or lower?

[Squid-Vicious]

new to the explorer scene but im having a baby any ive just traded my beloved lowrider (98 ranger single cab stepside 6/6 drop) for a 98 2 door explorer sport 4x4 4.0

im gonna miss my lowrider so bad and i cant stand the though of driving a stock car so my first thought was to jus lower it but my question is would it be more worth my while to do a 3 inch drop with nice wheels or a 3 inch lift with nice tires?

im new to this site and just looking for some opinions and maybe see some pics of some modded 2 doors to help me decide

thanks in advance!

 

[Sedition]

Well, do you wanna take it off road?

 

[Joe Dirt]

In all seriousness, I'd actually look at a 4-door before you dump a bunch of money into it, 2 doors are a PITA with a baby.

 

[slickemhoundd]

Lift it, much easier with a baby, go for family expeditions and be safer in the snow

 

[Jstcruz]

In all seriousness, I'd actually look at a 4-door before you dump a bunch of money into it, 2 doors are a PITA with a baby.

This is VERY true!

I have always had this rule of thumb; 2 wheel drive - drop it. 4 wheel drive - lift it!

 

[slickemhoundd]

2wd lift it and lock it. 4wd....... Lift it and lock it

 

[Exploder919]

2wd lift it and lock it. 4wd....... Lift it and lock it

That sounds about right to me

 

[Jstcruz]

I definatly have nothing against lifting 2wd. Ill be lifting my 2wd Ranger. But ya dont want to drop a 4wd imo

 

[2TimingTom]

In all seriousness, I'd actually look at a 4-door before you dump a bunch of money into it, 2 doors are a PITA with a baby.

Yep. Lifting that baby carrier through the opening and having to stretch out to place it in the base on the backseat..... you'll either screw up your back or come away with some super lower back muscles.

And I'd look for one that has the LATCH anchors (vehicles 2002 and newer). They make putting baby seats in practically a no brainer.

 

[Blee1099]

honestly with a kid on the way, leave it stock. A recent study said that a newborn costs as much as a home mortgage. The cost that a newborn pediatrician charges for those frequent visits within the first 6 months add up, then you add formula, diapers, etc.. Save the cash.

 

[Joe Dirt]

^ and that ^

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Lift it, much easier with a baby, go for family expeditions and be safer in the snow

I don't see snow being an issue in Kentucky

 

[FIND]

If you are used to dropped vehicles, you probably won't like lifted ones.

But, on the other hand, lowering a 4wd makes about as much sense as lifting a 2wd.

That, and the expenses and the difficulty in getting children loaded...

But as for getting children in... I have 3 kids... A lifted truck is DEFINITELY not easier to get kids into, and I have a 4 door with only a couple inches of lift. Also, lifting trucks does not make it easier to get through snow, unless the truck does not have enough ground clearance to get past the snow. Take it from a South Dakotan, if the roads haven't been plowed and the snow is that deep on them, stay off the roads. Between all the people who think they are great drivers, and all the people who don't realize they can't get through a 3 foot snowdrift in a Dodge Neon, it is better to stay off the roads so that emergency responders can get there, and so that plows can get through. Besides, lifting means a higher center of gravity which is a horrible thing to have on surfaces with low traction. Anyone who lives in a part of the country that gets REAL winters where they have to drive out in the middle of nowhere knows that lifting and big tires is bad news on snow and ice. Skinny snow tires and a low center of gravity are the way to go.

Granted, you're in KY, so if you get snow, you have a lot more pressing issues to worry about anyway.