shorting the lower cotrol arms

let me be alittle more decriptive about what i was tring to say. the truck was z'ed w/20x8.5 and a 38mm offset. when the truck went up and down the tires were close to hitting the fenders. Now the truck is in the process of a sfbd and i am worried about them actually hitting the fenders. that is why i wanted to know if shortening the lower control arm would change/effect the suspension geometery

Modifying the control arms in any way will effect your geometry in some form.

good or bad??

One problem with 98+ ranger suspension is the huge ridiculously tall spindle. Even though adjustable tube arms will definitely help, if it were me, I would get Max to build a set of spindles. If that is too much money, I would be putting on a toyota clip.

Yes, if you change the lower control arm it will change the geometry of the suspesnion. Some mechanical engineer at Ford spent days designing that suspesion to function both safely and properly any even a little slight change can thrown everything off. Just as already suggested your best bet would be to swap the clip but if not than look into some custom arms which Ed proposed.

sooo if i shorten the lowers then i should shorten the uppers the same amount?

Edited: 4/15/2008 3:19:03 AM by riddinlow99

one problem that your goin to run into if you modify the arms is that your goin to limit your lift Im sfbd on my 99 and had to move my upper control arm in an inch to be able to clear the fenders with my 20x8.5 with a 13mm offset it fixed the fender problem but now i can only get about 2" over the tire with the fender before hitting the frame with the control arm

I'm sorry, it was a long weekend...

If you shorten the lowers, then you will have to shorten the uppers as well and that will negate any camber limiting effect that shortening the lowers only would have created. Honestly the best cure would be drop spindles or a different clip.

would you be able to just narrow the whole front clip a few inches instead?

Originally posted by notlowyet



would you be able to just narrow the whole front clip a few inches instead?

That would be a better option than shortening one control arm, or moving its mounting points.