turboranger
01-28-2009, 11:22 AM
i have an 89 ford ranger that i want to convert to coil over with some A arm suspension. im trying to get as much info as i can so i know what im going to be getting my self into.what i would need. things to think about. I would like the truck to be un on the street and maybe take it to some SCCA events. any help advice that i can get would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Jared
dusterbd13
02-05-2009, 06:41 AM
im assuming that you already have the twin i-beam setup.
if you swap it to an A-arm design, youre going to be really outclassed with a street truck in the SCCA, as youll move up into classes with some dedicated race cars.
that being said, youre looking at a full custom suspension. you could go with a mustang II front end, but those really arent that great. or, you could fab your own front stuff using circle track parts. lastly, you could clip the front of the frame with something else, like an s10, montecarlo, etc. somthing that already has the design you want. my personal suggestion would be C4 corvette, and fab the hard points to match the factory ones.
but you may not need to do all that. the twin i beam front end handles supprisingly good when lowered, stiffer coils, better shocks, and some good rubber. just use quality parts. i believe at one point hotchkis made lowering parts for your truck. hard part will be finding them.
id also look into bigger sway bars, weight reduction, larger (to a point) diameter wheels with wider tires, and an upgrqde over the rear leaves. all of these will be cheaper and easier than a full front clip swap, and help to keep you competitive in the SCCA.
all this is coming from a guy that uses an S10 in the local SCCA.
hope thuis helped.
Michael
ebare
01-25-2014, 09:02 PM
Mike Maier from MaierRacing has a ton of parts for mustangs that really make them handle. He goes for simplistic and affective and does a really great job at it. I have an 87 Ford Ranger and I'm looking into doing something similar towards your direction and I've been looking into Mike's company and potentially his ideas and parts and converting that onto the ranger. Good Luck!