Att SportTractoF150: 4-6" Bilsteins too long for 4" Rancho
Hey.....sorry bout starting a new thread for an existing topic....but I wanted to catch you before you bought anything. The 4-6" Bilsteins are over 6" longer than stock. Now....your shocks can't be any more than 1.5" longer than your lower control arm brackets. For example, if your suspension is stock, you can put a 1.5 inch spacer on top of your stock shocks. Due to the geometry of the suspension this 1.5 inch spacer will give you about 2.5 inches of lift. The 6" longer shocks will not work with the 4 inch Rancho brackets. I know this because I just put these shocks on my Superlift which uses 4.5 inch brackets. Now I know that's only a .5 inch difference, but trust me......there isn't ANY room left. And I actually had to "modify" the shocks slightly to get them to work with my 4.5 inch brackets.
Basically, I made the mistake of assuming that the shocks were the correct length for a 4" lift, with the ability of cranking it up another 2 inches if you wanted. Similar to the way the +2 "leveling" Bilsteins work. But these shocks are actually designed for a "true" 6 inch kit.....and are too long for 4 inch brackets(they'll rip the upper control arm off the knuckle the first time you go airborne).
But, if you put them on a kit with 4.5 inch brackets......they'll actually give you 7 inches of lift if you run them on "6 inch" setting =)
The 6 inch setting puts the spring seat in nearly the same location as the stock shock. The shock is in a "neutral" state, in the middle of it's travel range. The 4 inch setting puts the shock in a "lowered" state; At ride height the truck is practically sitting on the bumpstop.
Here's a pic of shocks on the 4" setting. You can see the truck is practically riding on the bump-stop. Oddly enough, you can't tell it just by driving. There is still a reasonable ammount of up travel......till you hit something BIG. Torsion bar Chevys and Toyotas ride on the bump-stops from the factory. They do this to make the torsion bar behave similar to a progressive coil spring.
Yeah, they'll work fine if you have 6 inch brackets. The name is a little deceiving. They are only for trucks with 6 inch lifts. And are too long for trucks with 4" brackets.....like the Rancho kit.
Yeah, they'll work fine if you have 6 inch brackets. The name is a little deceiving. They are only for trucks with 6 inch lifts. And are too long for trucks with 4" brackets.....like the Rancho kit.
then if this is true how does fordboy05 have them?
They don't have a "True" 4 inch setting. If you have 4 inch brackets, and put the on the 4 inch setting.....the truck will be sitting on the bumpstops at ride height(see-pics) and will rip out the upper ball joint at full extension. So, I wouldn't consider this a 4" shock....
I have Superlift 4.5" Brackets.......and had to "modify" them to get them to work properly. Meaning the suspension cycles fully without binding. If simply installed "as-per-instructions" they will bind the upper ball joint at full extension.....regardless of the setting. If he has them on his Rancho......without any modifications....it's like running one of those 3" leveling kits. Ya know....the kind that you have to put a jack under the lower control arm just to bolt on the upper ball joint. So technically, you "can" put them on a Rancho.....but I honestly don't know how you could without having serious issues. Unless......the Rancho brackets are really more like 4.5 inches and they just round down??
i have no idea what you mean rancho uses 4 inch lift shocks in the front, not a spacer like you must have had (looking at the pics anyway) you got me??
It's simple....the shocks are 6 inches longer than stock. 6 inch shocks on 4 inch brackets = No Good!! It would be the same thing as putting a 2 inch thick "leveling spacer" on a stock truck......it doesn't work.
The shocks can't be any more than 1.5 inches longer than the brackets. And yes, that .5 inch DOES make that much of a difference. Which is why I said maybe the Rancho brackets are actually 4.5 inches......and they just call it a 4 inch lift?? I don't know, that just speculation.
And if your not confused enough......think about this for a minute: 4.5 inch brackets + 6 inch shocks = 7 inches of lift.
rancho uses 4 inch lift shocks in the front, not a spacer like you must have had (looking at the pics anyway) you got me??
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