Help for a Newbie on lift kits

[TrexMex]

Hello,

I just bought a '94 4wd ranger which I'm dying to start modifying... Something that keeps puzzling me is that the truck sits high on the butt and I don't know if this is stock (i.e. supposed to be like this) or has some after market blocks in it..

Anyways, I am thinking on putting in a 4" skyjacker class II w/leaf springs lift kit, and was wondering if this will level up the truck by itself or I will need some coil spring spacers to accomplish this... I really wouldn't care for adding more than a 4" kit since I'm thinking that if I wanna go higher I can always add a body lift kit, unless recommended otherwise.

Thanks in advance guys, this is really new territory for me, even though I've been doing car mechanics (yeah yeah, small cars... finally got into the real stuff) for a while now.

 

[JoshT]

What you are referring to is called rake, when the rear is higher than the front. From my experience almost all ford trucks (excluding possibly the FX4, and FX4 LII) came from the factory with some rake. If there is an extreme amount then something has probably been changed, if it's only an inch or two it's probably stock. Oh and on some of the newer trucks with Torsion bars the dealers will actually set them level, but yours doesn't have them.

I think most lifts would also level, but since I've never messed with them I can't say for sure.

There's nothing wrong with a body lift, so long as you don't use hockey pucks (don't even ask, it's very controversial). Just know a body lift won't add clearance it's almost only for looks. That said they will keep your rockers off the ground a little longer, but if that's a worry build a set of rock sliders.

 

[TrexMex]

Got it! I was reading in another thread that actually if I don't remove the blocks in the back the truck will end up at 6 1/2" or so... again, I'm guessing that's just for the back and will sill have "rake"... Is this correct?

 

[Sunk]

Well if you get the kit with the leafs and the back sits at 6 1/2", just take out the blocks and you'll be better off anyway.

 

[McDerry]

The rake is so you dont load up the truck in teh erear and shift the weight of the front wheels.