I would like to 'pick the brains' of owners of Ford Rangers On this forum...
I have now purchased a 2014 XLS Ranger. I am getting ARB to fit draws, duel battery, canopy in January. I am also considering/researching what I should do regarding suspension. I don't intend to do anything until I have tested it towing my Retreat caravan.
I would like to know how have other Ranger owners found the stock suspension?
I plan to make use of the storage space in the Ranger and I have no doubt that by the time I get my fridge, solar panels and BBQ I will be getting close to using all the payload available. I have a Retreat caravan. Single axle Keppel. The weight of the loaded van when gas bottles and water tanks are full will be around 2650kg and the ball weight is around the 300kg mark.
Ranger users, based on your use of the Ranger do you think I will need to consider a suspension upgrade?
The suspension system I will be considering is Old Man Emu suspension.
Aus-Kiwi said
12:27 AM Dec 16, 2014
Older model.. We drive them as service vehicles at Ausgrid . We drive them over curbs all day and NEVER had suspension issues.. Nothing beats a proper suspension upgrade as manufacturers tend to design for nice drive out of the showroom.. Still Connot tow or carry over vehicles specs tho..
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 16th of December 2014 12:27:32 AM
revemike said
09:58 AM Dec 16, 2014
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Older model.. We drive them as service vehicles at Ausgrid . We drive them over curbs all day and NEVER had suspension issues.. Nothing beats a proper suspension upgrade as manufacturers tend to design for nice drive out of the showroom.. Still Connot tow or carry over vehicles specs tho..
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 16th of December 2014 12:27:32 AM
thanks. yes, I will certainly take great care NOT to exceed the payload and other limits. I have my scales out....
ken thomas said
12:21 PM Dec 16, 2014
Hello Mike
I had the problem with the tail dropping in the ranger and the springs are not hard enough for even fords weight recommendation
I put ironman helper springs on mine and it lifted the back by about 50mm and with the van on it sits fairly level, also have WHD
There are a lot comments on that newranger forum and will answer ALL of your questions
I used that forum for 6 months before I took delivery and some of the info is remarkable
Ken
revemike said
01:24 PM Dec 16, 2014
ken thomas wrote:
Hello Mike I had the problem with the tail dropping in the ranger and the springs are not hard enough for even fords weight recommendation I put ironman helper springs on mine and it lifted the back by about 50mm and with the van on it sits fairly level, also have WHD There are a lot comments on that newranger forum and will answer ALL of your questions I used that forum for 6 months before I took delivery and some of the info is remarkable Ken
Thanks for this info Ken. I have just been reading up on the helper springs. This looks like a good option for me. Can you tell me the details of the one you used? Did you fit it yourself? What were the costs involved?
revemike said
01:48 PM Dec 16, 2014
ken thomas wrote:
Hello Mike I had the problem with the tail dropping in the ranger and the springs are not hard enough for even fords weight recommendation I put ironman helper springs on mine and it lifted the back by about 50mm and with the van on it sits fairly level, also have WHD There are a lot comments on that newranger forum and will answer ALL of your questions I used that forum for 6 months before I took delivery and some of the info is remarkable Ken
Ken, I have just read the comments on the Ranger Forum where they mention the possibility of the helper spring not being suitable on the Ranger due to it hitting the chassis on the PX. Have you encountered this? What is your experience in this regard?
Bluey1 said
04:44 PM Dec 17, 2014
Hi mike
I just finished upgrading mine. I went lovells as they are Aussie steel used to make the springs and coils.
Have a lotus van 2600 kg loaded.
To keep the car low ford invert the rear springs leaving one heavy spring that takes the weight when fully loaded. The shocks are all soft and when towing often bottomed out making the ride on rough roads harsh. Look at the bump stops you will find they are working hard.
When I loaded van on would drop rear 30mm and lift front 20 mm I used a weight distribution hitch to level this out.
I ordered the standard duty front and rear for the ranger. The rear lifted 50mm as the springs are concave and the also have nylon wear pads between the springs to allow them to slide easier resulting in a softer ride. The front comes with struts springs and two spacers. I used the smaller of the two spacers and lifted the front 30mm. The stance looks good.
The ride is smoother and slightly firmer but all harshness is gone. Load the van on and rear drops 10mm front comes up 10mm I was expecting the front to lift more like the 20 mm pre suspension. Not sure I need the WDH
Ride with van on, taken out most of the pitching very happy with it.
Any of the suspensions will have the same good results you will not realise how bad the standard setup is until you change it
Hard bit is getting the correct weight rating for the springs and shocks to suit your setup
Regards Darren
revemike said
04:57 PM Dec 17, 2014
thanks for this info Darren.
ken thomas said
02:21 PM Dec 19, 2014
Hello Mike
I got the springs from ironman online @$135 pair and fitted them myself
You can have them at different tensions, lifted the car about 50 mm and ride is still good without a load
Ken
Crockie said
09:35 AM Dec 22, 2014
We have the 2012 XL dual cab, From my understanding the tray will take 1000KGs as a payload, meaning the suspension "should" be able to handle it. Our model is the high rider so we have high arrive and departure angles, we also have a 2600KG caravan. Under tow and with the tray not fully loaded (mind you with WDH) we have no issues at all.
From what has been said I would say you will have no problems with your mods.
A wise mechanic told me not to mess with factory suspensions.
Merry xmas
revemike said
10:05 AM Dec 22, 2014
Crockie wrote:
We have the 2012 XL dual cab, From my understanding the tray will take 1000KGs as a payload, meaning the suspension "should" be able to handle it. Our model is the high rider so we have high arrive and departure angles, we also have a 2600KG caravan. Under tow and with the tray not fully loaded (mind you with WDH) we have no issues at all.
From what has been said I would say you will have no problems with your mods.
A wise mechanic told me not to mess with factory suspensions.
Merry xmas
Thanks Crockie... and a Happy Christmas to you too... and all GNs
(welcome to the forum too. I see this is just your second post. I hope you find this forum as useful as I do.)
mr glassies said
09:49 AM Dec 24, 2014
colorado not ranger
i had issues with our ollie and fixed it with a sax 3 stage suspension . the 3 stage gives you 1st stage standard ride to 250 kgs picks up weight to give. 2nd stage more stability and last one gives good old heavy duty caring ability and i love it . took 50 mll of the sag with the van on the back now i don't use wdh with our 2700 kg van on the back . works just like a truck only 3 stages not 2
thats how i roll
dibs
revemike said
10:41 AM Dec 24, 2014
mr glassies wrote:
colorado not ranger i had issues with our ollie and fixed it with a sax 3 stage suspension . the 3 stage gives you 1st stage standard ride to 250 kgs picks up weight to give. 2nd stage more stability and last one gives good old heavy duty caring ability and i love it . took 50 mll of the sag with the van on the back now i don't use wdh with our 2700 kg van on the back . works just like a truck only 3 stages not 2
thats how i roll
dibs
I was reading an article about this 3 state Sax in a Caravan and Motorhome on Tour mag only last night... thanks for this first hand comment on the Sax
-- Edited by revemike on Wednesday 24th of December 2014 10:55:24 AM
old bob said
12:31 PM Mar 17, 2016
revemike wrote:
I would like to 'pick the brains' of owners of Ford Rangers On this forum...
I have now purchased a 2014 XLS Ranger. I am getting ARB to fit draws, duel battery, canopy in January. I am also considering/researching what I should do regarding suspension. I don't intend to do anything until I have tested it towing my Retreat caravan.
I would like to know how have other Ranger owners found the stock suspension?
I plan to make use of the storage space in the Ranger and I have no doubt that by the time I get my fridge, solar panels and BBQ I will be getting close to using all the payload available. I have a Retreat caravan. Single axle Keppel. The weight of the loaded van when gas bottles and water tanks are full will be around 2650kg and the ball weight is around the 300kg mark.
Ranger users, based on your use of the Ranger do you think I will need to consider a suspension upgrade?
The suspension system I will be considering is Old Man Emu suspension.
mate what did you end up doing to your ranger suspension and are you happy with it ?
iana said
08:49 PM Mar 17, 2016
Hi Mike,
Are you saying the weight of your van is 2650 plus 300kg or is it 2650 which includes the ball weight?
We have Rangers at work, the two carrying a constant load have up-graded springs on the rear. The others need the spring up grade (inverted springs).
Keep an eye on the combined vehicle mass as well.
I am looking at getting Peddlers to fit springs to my BT50.
revemike said
09:40 PM Mar 17, 2016
iana wrote:
Hi Mike, Are you saying the weight of your van is 2650 plus 300kg or is it 2650 which includes the ball weight? We have Rangers at work, the two carrying a constant load have up-graded springs on the rear. The others need the spring up grade (inverted springs). Keep an eye on the combined vehicle mass as well. I am looking at getting Peddlers to fit springs to my BT50.
no, the loaded weight of the van is around 2600 and the ball weight is 270kg (not a total of 2870kg)
Atfer towing for a while I decided to get the suspension upgrade. While it did tow okay with stock suspension the extra strengrh gives me more confidence when towing. There is no sensation of a floating front of the tug.
revemike said
09:45 PM Mar 17, 2016
old bob wrote:
revemike wrote:
I would like to 'pick the brains' of owners of Ford Rangers On this forum...
mate what did you end up doing to your ranger suspension and are you happy with it ?
Atfer towing for a while I decided to get the suspension upgrade. While it did tow okay with stock suspension the extra strengrh gives me more confidence when towing. There is no sensation of a floating front of the tug.
I went with the Old Man Emu ones from ARB. I am very happy with them. I got the mid range suspension that gave me 50mm lift and the ride is my ch better
old bob said
10:43 AM Mar 18, 2016
REVMIKE ok thanks for the info did you do front and rear with shocks
-- Edited by old bob on Friday 18th of March 2016 10:54:02 AM
old bob said
10:48 AM Mar 18, 2016
HI GUYS
what are peoples thoughts on the load plus helper springs as far as engenering goese ? as they are only fited on the front half of the oem springs leveing the rear half unaded ?
-- Edited by old bob on Friday 18th of March 2016 10:53:05 AM
revemike said
02:34 PM Mar 18, 2016
old bob wrote:
REVMIKE ok thanks for the info did you do front and rear with shocks
-- Edited by old bob on Friday 18th of March 2016 10:54:02 AM
I did both old bob. Worth the expense as far as I am concerned
I would like to 'pick the brains' of owners of Ford Rangers On this forum...
Older model.. We drive them as service vehicles at Ausgrid . We drive them over curbs all day and NEVER had suspension issues..
Nothing beats a proper suspension upgrade as manufacturers tend to design for nice drive out of the showroom..
Still Connot tow or carry over vehicles specs tho..
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Tuesday 16th of December 2014 12:27:32 AM
thanks. yes, I will certainly take great care NOT to exceed the payload and other limits. I have my scales out....
I had the problem with the tail dropping in the ranger and the springs are not hard enough for even fords weight recommendation
I put ironman helper springs on mine and it lifted the back by about 50mm and with the van on it sits fairly level, also have WHD
There are a lot comments on that newranger forum and will answer ALL of your questions
I used that forum for 6 months before I took delivery and some of the info is remarkable
Ken
Thanks for this info Ken. I have just been reading up on the helper springs. This looks like a good option for me. Can you tell me the details of the one you used? Did you fit it yourself? What were the costs involved?
Ken, I have just read the comments on the Ranger Forum where they mention the possibility of the helper spring not being suitable on the Ranger due to it hitting the chassis on the PX. Have you encountered this? What is your experience in this regard?
I just finished upgrading mine. I went lovells as they are Aussie steel used to make the springs and coils.
Have a lotus van 2600 kg loaded.
To keep the car low ford invert the rear springs leaving one heavy spring that takes the weight when fully loaded. The shocks are all soft and when towing often bottomed out making the ride on rough roads harsh. Look at the bump stops you will find they are working hard.
When I loaded van on would drop rear 30mm and lift front 20 mm I used a weight distribution hitch to level this out.
I ordered the standard duty front and rear for the ranger. The rear lifted 50mm as the springs are concave and the also have nylon wear pads between the springs to allow them to slide easier resulting in a softer ride. The front comes with struts springs and two spacers. I used the smaller of the two spacers and lifted the front 30mm. The stance looks good.
The ride is smoother and slightly firmer but all harshness is gone. Load the van on and rear drops 10mm front comes up 10mm I was expecting the front to lift more like the 20 mm pre suspension. Not sure I need the WDH
Ride with van on, taken out most of the pitching very happy with it.
Any of the suspensions will have the same good results you will not realise how bad the standard setup is until you change it
Hard bit is getting the correct weight rating for the springs and shocks to suit your setup
Regards Darren
thanks for this info Darren.
I got the springs from ironman online @$135 pair and fitted them myself
You can have them at different tensions, lifted the car about 50 mm and ride is still good without a load
Ken
From what has been said I would say you will have no problems with your mods.
A wise mechanic told me not to mess with factory suspensions.
Merry xmas
Thanks Crockie... and a Happy Christmas to you too... and all GNs
(welcome to the forum too. I see this is just your second post. I hope you find this forum as useful as I do.)
i had issues with our ollie and fixed it with a sax 3 stage suspension . the 3 stage gives you 1st stage standard ride to 250 kgs picks up weight to give. 2nd stage more stability and last one gives good old heavy duty caring ability and i love it . took 50 mll of the sag with the van on the back now i don't use wdh with our 2700 kg van on the back . works just like a truck only 3 stages not 2
thats how i roll
dibs
I was reading an article about this 3 state Sax in a Caravan and Motorhome on Tour mag only last night... thanks for this first hand comment on the Sax
-- Edited by revemike on Wednesday 24th of December 2014 10:55:24 AM
Are you saying the weight of your van is 2650 plus 300kg or is it 2650 which includes the ball weight?
We have Rangers at work, the two carrying a constant load have up-graded springs on the rear. The others need the spring up grade (inverted springs).
Keep an eye on the combined vehicle mass as well.
I am looking at getting Peddlers to fit springs to my BT50.
no, the loaded weight of the van is around 2600 and the ball weight is 270kg (not a total of 2870kg)
Atfer towing for a while I decided to get the suspension upgrade. While it did tow okay with stock suspension the extra strengrh gives me more confidence when towing. There is no sensation of a floating front of the tug.
Atfer towing for a while I decided to get the suspension upgrade. While it did tow okay with stock suspension the extra strengrh gives me more confidence when towing. There is no sensation of a floating front of the tug.
I went with the Old Man Emu ones from ARB. I am very happy with them. I got the mid range suspension that gave me 50mm lift and the ride is my ch better
REVMIKE
ok thanks for the info did you do front and rear with shocks
-- Edited by old bob on Friday 18th of March 2016 10:54:02 AM
HI GUYS
what are peoples thoughts on the load plus helper springs as far as engenering goese ? as they are only fited on the front half of the oem springs leveing the rear half unaded ?
-- Edited by old bob on Friday 18th of March 2016 10:53:05 AM
I did both old bob. Worth the expense as far as I am concerned