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While it has become common for auto manufacturers to refresh or redesign vehicles in an effort to stay ahead of the competition, the Ford Ranger remained relatively unchanged from 1998 until Ford decided to discontinue the model in the United States in 2013. During that long run, Ford sold over two million Rangers, and even more Explorers, which share many common components with the Ranger. Despite this popularity, there is little aftermarket support for the downsized Ford pickup. This is puzzling because the Ranger is a worthy alternative to the much more popular Toyota Tacoma. Our 2001 Ranger uses a 4.0L engine rated at 207 hp, a Mazda-sourced manual transmission, and a strong 8.8 rear axle with 4.10 gears that, unlike the Tacoma, comes from the factory with the U-bolts pointed upwards to maximize ground clearance.
One drawback to the Ranger is the torsion bar front suspension, which is more complicated than the Tacoma’s coil and strut suspension. Perhaps that is why so few companies have supported this platform. One notable exception is Superlift, which offers a 4-inch suspension lift for the Ranger (and also Explorer). This suspension is similar to what you would find for a fullsize domestic truck, with replacement crossmembers and new steering knuckles to lower the front suspension to create room for larger tires.
Our Ranger came from the factory with a 31-inch-tall tires and was running a taller 32-inch tires with the torsion bars preloaded for added ride height. This results in a loss of downtravel though and a corresponding rough ride, all while being limited to 32-inch-tall tires. We wanted to run a set of 33-inch-tall (285/75R16) Cooper Discoverer MTP tires from Discount Tire Direct, but there was no way they were fitting with the stock suspension. Superlift solved that problem, all while making our truck more durable with 1/4-inch thick crossmembers and improving the ride quality with Superide shock absorbers. Combined with aggressive Cooper tires, we now have a truck that has no problem keeping up with most Tacomas on the trail, and at a fraction of the price of a comparable Toyota.
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