cbxer55
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2009
- Messages
- 1,865
- Reaction score
- 767
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Midwest City, Oklahoma
- Vehicle Year
- 1998
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 3.0
- Transmission
- Automatic
My 98 does really good with just front and rear Hellwig anti-sway bars. I've never lowered it, still at stock ride height for a SPORT version. True it doesn't have a V-8, just a 3.0 V-6. Despite all the non-believers, wit ha good cai being fed cold air, a modified exhaust with no muffler, a JET chip, and 4.1 gears, it runs really good. It goes around my favorite curvy road really nice. That road is about a mile from where I work, and I go out there every day on my lunch break and thrash it. My Lightning is heavy and doesn't do as good as the Ranger does. My 07 Mustang out handles it, but not by much. When I'm out on that road thrashing it, I manually shift it, despite being an auto, with a shift kit recently installed.I would think a 2wd 98-11 Ranger with a performance suspension would handle better than a Jeep Rubicon or a Bronco on 35's.
I think the bigger issue is the Bronco won't steal Mustang sales like a 2wd compact pickup might.
So yeah, I think the Lightningbolt would be a superb truck to own. And also, look at all the V-8 conversions out there now. A few years ago, there was a V-8 conversion with a blower on it for sale. Someone posted the link on this site. I pondered buying it. Wish I had. It was called the Ranger Lightning.
BTW: The shift kit and the 4.1 gears made my Ranger totally different. I love it. I drive it more than the Lightning or Mustang. This coming weekend, I have three days off. Planning on yanking all the non-functional ac equipment. Someone elsewhere told me it subtracts about 60 pounds of weight off the front end. Then I plan on relocating the battery to the passenger side rear corner of the bed. Trying to alter the front heavy weight bias, which goes a long way toward better handling.