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ST info

DirtBagPhil

Member
Joined
December 16, 2007
Messages
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City, State
Calgary, Alberta
Year, Model & Trim Level
02' Sport Trac
Hey everyone.

Does anyone know the stock gearing, and also the biggest tire i can fit on a
3" body lift without losing my fenders and any sort of highway speed?

I have installed a 3" body lift and coil overs in the rear to help out the leafs. that brought it up about 1.5-2" in the rear, how much lift can I get from a torsion twist?

Thanks
DirtBagPhil
 



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We can only guess what gearing you have without more info. Some have 4.10's, some 3.73's, and some even 3.55's I think.
Get the axle code from the drivers side door jamb, or even better, read the metal tab on the rear differential cover. There should be a metal tag on one of the bolts holding the differential cover on, should have info like "8 8 3 L 73" or something similar. Let us know what it says.
I recommend against using those crappy "coil-overs" because the shock mounts aren't designed to carry weight, they most likely limit suspension travel, and give a stiff ride. Warrior sells a shackle (WAR-153) that gives 1.5" of lift in the rear, no decrease in ride quality, and allows the springs to move easier.
I run 33x12.50's on 15x8's which required small fender trimming in the back of the front fenders. A torsion twist will make the ride more stiff, and you will top out the suspension constantly on small bumps. There is only about 2.5" of downtravel in the stock suspension anyway. If you raise the front 1.5", you only have 1" of downtravel left.
However if you want the truck to ride like crap, you can probably get about 2" of increase ride height, but be prepared to replace balljoints and cv joints quick and have a rough ride over small bumps in the road.
My sport trac came stock with 4.10 gears, and I didn't like it much with 33's. Pulled okay but the engine and transmission had to work a lot harder on hills, and especially any time offroad, I had to use 4-low a lot. I re-geared to 4.88's (slightly overkill), but the truck stays in overdrive a lot more, and it pulls much harder. 4.56 would be ideal with 33's, I personally would go anything less than 4.10's with 33's though.
3.73's will get around but not very well, and your (already weak) transmission won't be happy for long.
 






do you have a 3" suspension or body lift?

Im not trying to build a hardcore off roader, just something I can go play on the trails with on the weekend and drive back and forth to work. I dont mind loosing some ride quality but i dont want to drive a tank either.

My truck is in overdrive all the time and takes a good hill for it to kick down.
Also can i keep my stock 16" wheels if i choose to run 33"s?

Do you have a good source for parts?

Thanks,
DirtBagPhil
 






I have the performance accessories 3" body lift on mine. I would personally leave the torsion bars alone, or if you do mess with them, just don't move them too far. You could measure the height from wheel well to top of the wheel sitting on level ground, then pick the front of the truck and measure again, see how much downtravel you have (may have sagged some). You can decide from there how much you want to adjust them (if at all).
Once you put tires on the truck will look a whole world different. You can run 33's on the stock wheels, either 285/75/16's or 305/70/16's. Try to avoid getting an "E" load rating tire though, they are common in that size and will ride more harsh than a C or D rated tire. I bought 15x8's because I wanted more sidewall, wider wheel, and tires are cheaper for 15" wheels.
Here are the shackles http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info.php/products_id/6362
I got around very well just with 33's and the body lift, the shackles kept the rear from dragging on some things too. I leave my rear sway bar disconnected all the time unless I am towing (personal preference), and disconnect the front sway bar offroad. It just helps the suspension move more independently. You'll have more body roll, but better suspension movement.
Here is my flex with completely stock suspension, just disconnected sway bar endlinks...
flex1.jpg

flex2.jpg

Eventually I wanted to be more capable so I installed front and rear lockers (though just the rear made a HUGE improvement), and had front and rear receivers made for recovery...
I also got rid of a bunch of plastic crap in the front, from under/around the bumper and radiator to help the approach angle.
 






Cool man thanks alot,

I will do some research and let you know how I made out.
 






thats a shi**y place for a speed bump :) lol
 






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