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eddge

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Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Location
Fayetteville
i think im going to get annoying :D i dont know much about trucks when it comes to suspension, and rear ends, and all that good stuff. i basically just know engines. i bought a 77 F-150 ranger short bed. Its got a bit of a lift already, but its old and im going to fix it up a bit. What is better to get, suspension lift, or body lift? ive got 38" tires but they rub on the fender still when i turn hard. i think its got a 6" lift, but im not exactly sure. i guess basically, if you take this truck, fix it up , given about a $3,000-$5,000 to work with suspension, steering, and what not, what would you get, and why?
:Rockon:
 
depends on what your after in off road performance area. I got me a 78 f100 ranger that im currently building but is totaly being made into a rockkrawler ie: cab only and a lot of tube. If yours has already got a 6" suspension lift and scrubs a little a body lift is a cheap and easy way to clear the tires. However If you are all about rockkrawling then its probably not the best route to go since it raises you center of gravity. Most on here would tell you to cut your fenders to fit but im not sure if thats the direction you want to go in. If better suspension flex is something you want then you might want to look into some new stronger more flexy radius arms that broncograveyard and james duff offer. That upgrade with some new flexy coils would make a big difference in the flex depo. On the rear if the lift is by blocks then i would suggest going to a shackle flip that sky manufacturing among others offer. This allows you to eliminate the rear lift block which can cause trouble in vehicles with whats called axle wrap. Also since you have larger tires you might want to consider regearing to compensate. I can't stress enough the difference it will make off road if you were to put a locker in the rear axle also. I would hold off on the front axle thou as far as locking it since im assuming you have the dana 44 38's on that axle is pushing it, especially when you have a V8. You also might want to look into some trail armour such as rock sliders and bumpers.

So basically if it were me and i was trying to make the truck good for trail/rockkrawling use i would do the radius arm/shackle flip first and trim the fenders then i would regear and lock at least the rear axle

If mud or very light trail riding is all you are plannin on doin then id do the body lift then regear and lock the rear axle.

Either way good luck :driver: :driver:
 
for the most part, the guys i ride with go mudding, but im trying for a well rounded truck. so i can do a little bit of everything till i find what i enjoy most. so far, ive just been mudding, with a little bit of rock climbing. not much experiance yet :D ill probably cut the fenders, do the radius arm/shackle flip, and lock the rear axle. which brings me to another question, with lockers, you can turn em on and off as you please, so if i use the truck to commute, i wont wear the tires out as fast. 38 super swampers arent cheap ;)
 
selectable lockers are really expensive definitly not worth it in my opinion whatsoever, personnaly the only apllication i would think a selectable locker might be aight for is a front axle so you can turn easy but honestly if you have the front axle locked itd probably be cheaper to get hydro assist than pay for a selectable locker.

But anyway like i said would not lock the front due to lack of strength but the rear drop either a ez locker or lockright in (round $250ish). It locks the axle fully but still allows you to turn and not chirp the tires so you won't wear them out prematurly i've got one in the rear of my Z71 and have never had any uneven tire wear from the front to back tires.
 
jrraw23 said:
i got the ez locker in the Z71
Ez lockers, lockright, aussie lockers are all the exact same thing just different brand names
Click to expand...

WRONG. Similar design, not the same.
 
jrraw23 said:
selectable lockers are really expensive definitly not worth it in my opinion whatsoever, personnaly the only apllication i would think a selectable locker might be aight for is a front axle so you can turn easy but honestly if you have the front axle locked itd probably be cheaper to get hydro assist than pay for a selectable locker.
Click to expand...


It has nothing to do with turning the steering wheel. a locked front axle will have a tendency to push the tires when you try and turn, making it diificult to make tight turns.

If you can swing it bro, selectable is the way to go. open on the street and locked when you need it.
 
now, selectable lockers seems the way to go, now its the choice of cable, air, or electric. air, im sure, will be the most expensive, because you need all the airlines, compressor and what not. electronic, ive heard, is not the most reliable, and cable can be a pain in the butt to route the cable right. but im not so sure i can afford the air. maybe ill hold off on the lockers for now.
 
I still wouldnt lock that front axle, a dana 44 is not gonna last very long locked with 38's, but i'd definitly lock the rear and id do an ez locker or lockright (ok so there slightly different in design they still perform the same function and replace the stock spider gears) and they arn't very expensive either compared to other lockers.

Whatever you decide i def think a rear locker is the most important mod you can do to your truck to assist in its offroad capabilities, even more important than the suspension mods or regearing, having 3 wheels turning instead of two makes a huge difference.
 
I agree with Greg, selectable locker is real nice. He has an ARB in his front, I did too when I had a 10 bolt front. All depends on driving style. There is no locker that everyone will agree on. just the plain truth. Some Cromo's in the front will defiantly do better. Dana 44 spares are pretty easy to change. CYJcrawler has a welded front, and had issues turning it until he put in a hydro assist system. I am sure it isn't as friendly as a Detroit or lock right, but it does go and can't say I have seen him with issues that were too extreme he couldn't over come them. If you choose to weld, make sure you have lock outs, so it's still street able. No the D44 isn't gonna last too long with it locked, no matter how you lock it. So best advice is carry spares and know how to change them. Oh and carry the tools to do it too.
You can absorb a lot of good information here, but at the same time you can absorb some bad info too, so pick and choose who you listen too. The mechanics, the experienced wheelers, and of course those who have real work experience and actually wheel can be your best sources. Not everyone had deep pockets and sometimes you do what you have to do, to be able to wheel, just do your best to not make it a trail blocker.
Hope to see you on the trail soon
 
thanks again for the info. i think im gonna stick with what i got, get it working right as is, and change as i go, and need to upgrade.
 
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