loads of new parts and 31's, now I need a small lift.

[Chrome_Rush]

I did a ton of searching in the subject and came up with several options but have a few questions I haven't found d answers too.

Working with a 91 XLT 2wd 4 door, 5 speed with 3.73 limited slip rear. I just replaced all 4 ball joints, all 4 shocks, radius arm bushings, front brakes and bearings. Now that I had it riding right I put on a new set of 31x10.5 bfg all terrains on 15x8 -19mm offset (3.75 backspace) aluminum flat black American racing baja's wheels. There is one spot on the inner wheel well plastic at the front that the tires are rubbing a bit when I turn when I get close to full lock. I can live with it but that combined with only having about 1.5" from the tire to the fender I would like to do a small lift 1.5-2"

I have to measure but it appears the front is lower then the back by just shy of an inch. I'm wanting to do the warrior shackles in back to get the 1.5" in back. It's the front I'm concerned with. I don't want the front to sit higher.

I am considering the 1.5 rough country coils, but have read that they give more lift then advertised and would likely set the front up an inch higher? Is this true? Is anyone using this combo? And if so is it level or did the springs lift more then advertised?

I was wanting to do the f150 coil seats, but read with those you can't get the spring hold down nut back on on a 2wd. So that seems to be out of the running. I'm going to guess stacking washers would also have the same effect of the nut not being able to go back on.

I'm sure the stock springs have some sag at 243k miles. But how much? Has anyone done stock replacement springs and measured rife height or could, if the springs are sagging over an inch I may be happy with just a new set of stock coils with a few washers under them and the warrior shackles for the back. I just did new Kyb shocks all around so I really want to keep the lift under 2" so I can still use my new shocks. It's a daily and I don't want more lift then that anyways. Just trying to find the best option for me. also, how do you remove the alignment shims?

 

[Cliff1977]

I run the sme size tire on stock rim. Had same issue at inner fender liner. I used 2 10 inch zip ties to pull the lower rear corner in toward frame. No rubbing issues now. As for the outer fender clearance issue you are experiencing ; I think the offset of the rim is the reason. Try the stock offset and you will clear.

 

[Cliff1977]

As for the ride height of front. Airlift makes a air bag for inside of coil. Rated at 1000 lbs. might save you. Time and money over a/m coils. Btw. Mine were 175.00$. They bring my front ride height back up to 3.5 inches of tire clearance at top of tire to fender arch. While holding up my 800 lb plow Assm.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

I don't have any rubbing at the rear of the fender liner. Actually have quite a bit of room there. It's only on the front part of the liner in front of the tire. I know own it's the lower backspace causing the issue but I'm obviously not going to go out and buy new wheels. The stock backspace would cause rubbing at full lock anyways. I also went with this back spacing because I'm adding the late second gen xls flare set when I paint it and wanted the tires out a little farther. A slight lift is really all it needs.

When you say aftermarket coils are you just talking stock replacements? Or an aftermarket lift coil? Which ones did you get?

 

[Cliff1977]

I am running the stock progressive 4x4 coils. I think there may be a difference in coil thickness between 2x and 4x version. Also may check in on stx coils from 4x ranger, they are stout. Same with rear leafs from same model ranger.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

The Rangers use a different leaf setup. We have axle over leaf the have it under. I have also thought about using a ranger 4x4 coil but I'm not sure how much it would lift. I think the rough country 1.5" leveling coils would likely be easier. I'm just not sure how much lift they give since I have heard they lift more then advertised. The 2wd and 4wd use the same springs. So you have 3.5" wheel well gap with those and an 800 pound plow. I'm sure the plow is lowering it a half inch or so. I'm guessing mine would sit more like 4" with them. Do you recall what part number you bought and what brand. Did you just look up coils for your explorer? I bet the progressive rate spring rides a bit better too. I wish the 2wd had the longer spring hold down studs like the 4x4 does I would just use the f150 spring seats.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Did a little digging and got specs on some moog coils. For the explorer they list cc870 which have a free height of 13.47", install height of 11.5 and a bar size of .68" yet only an 899 point load rating. They list cc868, the specs seem weaker at a 13.25" free height, 10.5" install height and smaller .67" bar size, with a spring rate of 485lb per inch. yet they have a much higher 1280 load rating as well as a slightly lower spring rate at 463lb. Per inch. All the specs would lead me to believe the cc870 would be a stronger spring, more free height and install height and a higher spring rate. But the load rating is so much lower I'm not sure...

Now onto the ranger springs I found part number cc842, free height is more then both explorer springs at 13.75", bar size of .67" and a higher load rating then both at 1447lb. But... the spring rate is considerably lower then both explorer options at 40 lb per inch. Onto the second that seems be fierce then all of the previous 3 is the moog cc866. Free height is the most of all the springs at 13.94". Bar size is .68" spring rate is the highest of all so far at 489 lb per inch. And the load rating is also higher then all others at 1650lb.

Now as far as the explorer springs I'm not sure which would give more height since one seems so much better specification wise, yet has a much lower load rating then the other. (I understand the specs on springs a bit but not clearly enough to figure out which is better when factoring in load rating. the cc866 for the ranger really seems like it would give more ride height then any of the others given its free height is 3/4"-1/2" higher then the explorer replacements and it has both a higher spring rate and a higher load rating. But for all I know they could just compress the same as the others and just cause a terrible stiff ride. Anybody with any input on this.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

So should I rake it this is one of those sites people don't read any posts that are longer then 3 sentences?

I can't believe there aren't at least a few people who have replaced springs with new ones or used the 1.5 rc springs and could give some insight here...

 

[5spdman]

While I went off the slightly deep end and went SOA rear and 4" coils and 1" spacers up front for mine, the easiest way to a small lift (1.5 as you mentioned) with some of the parts you mentioned that I can think of would be to go with the TC leveling coils you found for the front...to get rid of that sag, I'd either go with the ranger springs (cc866) and shackles, or personally, I'd pull springs off of a 2001 Explorer and shackles.

Cheapest would be F150 coils spacers, '01 Explorer leafs and lift shackles...

 

[Chrome_Rush]

I can't do the f150 coil seats because it's 2wd and the stud isn't long enough to bolt the spring back down. That's definetely what I would do otherwise with warrior shackles. From what I have seen searching the Web the 1.5 rough country coils seem to lift more. I saw a few pics of people who installed them along with shackles and the front was about an inch higher then the back, not the look I'm after.

I did a few calculations on the springs to figure if and how much lift I could get. I'm not sure the exact unsprung weight but I estimated it to be around 2500 on the front axle. So 1250 per spring. The cc868 is what I have seen people use to replace sagging front springs so I used that to get a base. With a free height of 13.25 and a springrate of 463 1250lb will compress the spring 2.7". Leaving you with a free height of 10.55". The cc866 with a free height of 13.94 and a springrate of 489, 1250 pounds will compress it 2.55" for an install height of 11.39". From what I'm seeing the cc866 will give almost an inch of lift. While still being a progressive rate spring and offering a nice ride. Now what I need is someone who replaced stock springs with the cc868 to chime in with ride height and to specify their tire size so I can see how much sag it will fix on mine. I think the cc866 plus about 3/4" of washers stacked should get me the lift I want, a nice ride and let me still be able to put the nut back on the spring hold down.

 

[5spdman]

The studs may be the same size for the axle beams. Personally I'd just pull one from a 4wd beam and test it out...should only cost a few bucks, and if it works, then you've got the option of the coil seats, or as I did and you previously mentioned; washers.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

The studs aren't the same length. The 2wd stud much shorter. There is only about a half inch at most of thread above the hold down nut. I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything more then 3/4" in there and still have enough thread engagement on the stud. That's why most of the coil spring spacers you can buy come with an extension for it. Those are also an option. But I think the cc866 spring along with a washer stack would net me the same lift while improving the ride. Although it will cost a bit more. I would just swap the 2wd stud for a 4wd stud on the beam to run the f150 coil seats, but I can't get them loose. When I did the radius arm bushings I actually had to drop the entire I beam because I couldn't get the radius arm to I beam bolts loose. I snapped 2 24" long breaker bars trying. This was after soaking them in Pb blaster for days and heating. After 2 snapped breaker bars I said screw it and unbolted the beams. Those bolts/stud will never come off this thing. I think to get them to break free I would need a 1" drive breaker bar about 60" long

Also, how do you post pictures on this site? I was thinking about just Making a build thread, but can't figure out how to post pics

 

[5spdman]

I'm originally from Ohio, and feel your pain. Our rusted midwest vehicles can be tough to work on sometimes. When I couldn't get my RA studs or bolts on my 93, I ended up slipping a 1 1/8" box wrench through a 3' pipe wrench with the jaw removed...PB for two days, no heat and some elbow grease and it came loose...had to do it that way for both bolts on both sides. Worked like a charm! I did bend the wrench a little, but it was a cheaper wrench that the school had, so I hadn't expected much out of it to begin with. A Craftsman 1 1/8" wrench is only $16, and if it were to bend or break, just take it in to Sears and grab a new one!

Pics are pretty easy...some people use a hosting site such as flicker or photobucket, but I use Facebook. Copy the URL for the picture from whatever site you're using, click on the little photo icon when you're posting, and paste the URL into the box that pops up.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Trust me I tried everything on those bolts. If 3 days soaking and heating, and a 24" long breaker bar with a 36" pipe slipped over snaps 2 good breaker bars and doesn't loosen anything it'd just not coming off lol. I would need to buy a 1" drive breaker bar and a 1 1/8 socket for it and still use a big pipe to even think about getting it loose.

So has anyone replaced their springs on this thing with either a moog replacement or the "leveling" lift coils that can chime in about the results and ride height? There has to be a few out there that have these things.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Also where is the best place to look for the warrior 153 shackles? I see them on amazon for about 80 bucks with free shipping.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Try an impact gun rather than breaker/cheater bars. Putting a lot of leverage on something will usually end up in a break of the weakest link but an impact gun works in a different way. You can do the same thing by putting tension on a wrench and hitting the wrench with a hammer. Impact guns are relatively cheap though, considering how much easier they make life. I just picked up an Ingersoll Rand for $110, brand new.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

An impact has nowhere near the power needed to break those bolts loose. I was easily putting 1000lb. Ft. Of torque on those bolts. Most impact guns only put out about 200. You can get them up into the 500 or so range but they are much more expensive. Stull not half the power needed to break this loose though. I have 2 middle of the road impacts good to about 250-300 and those bolts just laughed at them.

 

[5spdman]

You can get them higher than 500 though. Just bought a Milwaukee 18v Fuel 1/2" high-torque impact...good for up to 1,100 ft-lbs nut-busting torque and up to 700 ft-lbs fastening torque. Sure it'll set you back around $430, but for the power and dual speeds, two batteries, Milwaukees 12v and 18v combo charger, hefty carry case, and the ability to use it on the trail with out fear of running out of air, this thing is worth it...now I just need to find a set of torque sticks...

I'd still give the box wrench with a long pipe wrench idea a shot...never hurts to try, right?

 

[Chrome_Rush]

That would be only give me half the leverage I was using before when I snapped those bars. It's really not worth the effort to try. I've just come to the conclusion the f150 seats aren't an option and I either need lift coils, a coil spacer and adapter or a new stick spring and spacer.