- Joined
- Oct 15, 2023
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 20
- Location
- Lansing, Michigan
- What engine do you have?
- V6 engine
- What year is your Sport Trac?
- 2003
- What Generation is your Sport Trac?
- 1st Gen Owner
I have a 3" body lift kit and 1-3" suspension lift kit (described below) that I want installed on my 2003 Sport Trac XLT (121k miles, southern vehicle, no rust). The truck needs to have all of the cab mount insulators replaced, as well as new shocks, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to install both kits.
I don't need 6 inches of lift, but I'm going for 4 inches with the ability to adjust up if I want to in the future.
My plan is to put 31.5" BF Goodrich KO2 Baja Champion A/T tires on with Performance Replicas/PR185/16X8/MATTE BLACK/00MM/185MB-68650 wheels. I hope these don't look too small with a 4" lift.
There's a local place here (AllPro) that specializes in aftermarket work. They mostly do Jeeps but had a look at my truck anyway. They don't do body lifts on any vehicles, and they had some concerns about installing the suspension lift on my Sport Trac.
Their concerns and recommendations are listed below. They seem like reasonable concerns, but I thought that this community might be able to confirm or negate these issues for me.
Body Lift
Performance Accessories 2001 - 2005 Ford Sport Trac 3" Body Lift Kit # 70023
Gap Guards for 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2WD/4WD Gas by Performance Accessories
For reference, I had an earlier question on the compatibility of this body lift (the current consensus is that it is compatible).
Concerns:
- There are a lot of things that need to be checked for binding, rubbing, and proper alignment during a body lift.
- My kit has adapters for the bumpers.
- Looking around this forum, I see a misaligned fuel filler pipe on this Gen 1 with a 3" lift.
- I found a reference to the radiator needing to be raised.
- There are several reports that an AC line needs to be moved in order to avoid rubbing on something.
- The front tow hooks need to be removed because they won't align with the front bumper cover.
Parts on hand:
- body lift kit
- gap guards
Suspension Lift
Torch Off-Road 2001-2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 3" Leveling Lift Kit W/ Add-A-Leaf 4X4 4WD
Concerns:
- The springs on my truck are 20 years old, and I won't get the kind of lift I'm looking for because the springs are worn in. Furthermore, since the springs are so old, there is a chance the springs won't hold up for very long with the extra tension on them.
- Although it looks good, the torsion bar might break when it is re-keyed, just due to its age and wear. They don't want my truck taking up space on their lift while I hunt for a replacement.
- My shocks are absolutely shot.
Their Recommendations:
- Replace the leaf springs with brand new ones.
- Buy new torsion bars just in case the old ones break during install. They guess that it might be challenging to source a new one (they were right).
- Buy 2 new torsion adjusters and nuts.
- Shocks: They recommended Monroe Reflex or SenseTrack, or KYB if I couldn't find Monroe. However, I have heard that the Monroe coil-over shocks ride like a brick and make the vehicle less stable on the road, unless you're towing. Also, they have a reputation of wearing out faster than other brands.
Inquiry out for updated Addco 633 rear sway bar.
That passenger side torsion bar is near impossible to find. It took me days to track one down, and one finally turned up on eBay.
I learned that, although my torsion lift is adjustable from 1" to 3", a 4WD should not exceed 2" because it puts too much strain on the CV joints, and will wear them out quickly, or even bind them if the lift goes beyond 2". Most people seem to do 1.5" or 1.75" to be safe. For a 2WD, it can be adjusted up to 3" because there are no CV joints. That means I will definitely be installing the body lift after this, so I'll have somewhere between 4" and 4.75" total lift. Plus, the upgraded body mounts are slightly taller than factory (not certain how much).
Update (January 8, 2024):
- Entire front/rear end were inspected by two shops and anything that was worn and affected the suspension or would require an alignment has been replaced.
November 2023:
- Installed new leaf springs (State Spring)
December 2023: (AllPro)
- Installed new KYB shocks (ordered from O'Reilly)
January 2024: (AllPro)
- Replaced worn factory body mounts with poly/Kevlar Daystar KF04015BK - 01-05 Ford SportTrac Body Mounts.
- They ran into a problem with two rusted out bolts in the rear, and were able to order replacements overnight from the local dealership.
- The Torch leveling kit was installed, but not the extra leaf springs. They weren't able to get the driver's side perfectly level with the passenger side, but it is really close. They used up exactly 2" of lift on both sides to make the front level with the rear. They recommended not to lower the passenger side from where it is at (2") because it will get too close to a bolt (not sure where but I'll see if I can get a photo of it). So, the outcome of this leveling kit is that on the 4WD, the front can be raised to 2" exactly, not more or less. I'm wondering if I could get away with raising the driver's side just past 2" to get it perfectly level without causing extra CV wear.
February 2024: New wheels from TWD - Tires/Wheels Direct (Performance Replicas/PR185/16.0X8/MATTE BLACK (5x). New tires from Belle Tire: BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 31.8"x9.3". No rubbing. These tires fit with just under half an inch of extra clearance when the steering wheel is cranked all the way.
Still to do:
- sway bar upgrade(s)
- body lift
Torch Off-Road has a 30 day return policy, but I was able to return the unused leaf springs minus a 30% restock fee.
Pretty easy to work with.
Questions:
1a. Does anyone have any experience installing these types of lift kits on 20+ year old vehicles?
1b. If so, did any of the above issues (or others not mentioned here) complicate the install?
2. Is there any other preventative maintenance that should be done on the frame/body while doing this work?
3. Is there a comprehensive list of things won't align properly after a body lift, and are there fixes for those?
4. Did anyone else have a problem getting the driver's side and passenger side even?
Updated November 17, January 14, and February 28 with current status.
I don't need 6 inches of lift, but I'm going for 4 inches with the ability to adjust up if I want to in the future.
My plan is to put 31.5" BF Goodrich KO2 Baja Champion A/T tires on with Performance Replicas/PR185/16X8/MATTE BLACK/00MM/185MB-68650 wheels. I hope these don't look too small with a 4" lift.
There's a local place here (AllPro) that specializes in aftermarket work. They mostly do Jeeps but had a look at my truck anyway. They don't do body lifts on any vehicles, and they had some concerns about installing the suspension lift on my Sport Trac.
Their concerns and recommendations are listed below. They seem like reasonable concerns, but I thought that this community might be able to confirm or negate these issues for me.
Body Lift
Performance Accessories 2001 - 2005 Ford Sport Trac 3" Body Lift Kit # 70023
Gap Guards for 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2WD/4WD Gas by Performance Accessories
For reference, I had an earlier question on the compatibility of this body lift (the current consensus is that it is compatible).
Concerns:
- There are a lot of things that need to be checked for binding, rubbing, and proper alignment during a body lift.
- My kit has adapters for the bumpers.
- Looking around this forum, I see a misaligned fuel filler pipe on this Gen 1 with a 3" lift.
- I found a reference to the radiator needing to be raised.
- There are several reports that an AC line needs to be moved in order to avoid rubbing on something.
- The front tow hooks need to be removed because they won't align with the front bumper cover.
Parts on hand:
- body lift kit
- gap guards
Suspension Lift
Torch Off-Road 2001-2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 3" Leveling Lift Kit W/ Add-A-Leaf 4X4 4WD
Concerns:
- The springs on my truck are 20 years old, and I won't get the kind of lift I'm looking for because the springs are worn in. Furthermore, since the springs are so old, there is a chance the springs won't hold up for very long with the extra tension on them.
- Although it looks good, the torsion bar might break when it is re-keyed, just due to its age and wear. They don't want my truck taking up space on their lift while I hunt for a replacement.
- My shocks are absolutely shot.
Their Recommendations:
- Replace the leaf springs with brand new ones.
- Buy new torsion bars just in case the old ones break during install. They guess that it might be challenging to source a new one (they were right).
- Buy 2 new torsion adjusters and nuts.
- Shocks: They recommended Monroe Reflex or SenseTrack, or KYB if I couldn't find Monroe. However, I have heard that the Monroe coil-over shocks ride like a brick and make the vehicle less stable on the road, unless you're towing. Also, they have a reputation of wearing out faster than other brands.
Inquiry out for updated Addco 633 rear sway bar.
That passenger side torsion bar is near impossible to find. It took me days to track one down, and one finally turned up on eBay.
I learned that, although my torsion lift is adjustable from 1" to 3", a 4WD should not exceed 2" because it puts too much strain on the CV joints, and will wear them out quickly, or even bind them if the lift goes beyond 2". Most people seem to do 1.5" or 1.75" to be safe. For a 2WD, it can be adjusted up to 3" because there are no CV joints. That means I will definitely be installing the body lift after this, so I'll have somewhere between 4" and 4.75" total lift. Plus, the upgraded body mounts are slightly taller than factory (not certain how much).
Update (January 8, 2024):
- Entire front/rear end were inspected by two shops and anything that was worn and affected the suspension or would require an alignment has been replaced.
November 2023:
- Installed new leaf springs (State Spring)
December 2023: (AllPro)
- Installed new KYB shocks (ordered from O'Reilly)
January 2024: (AllPro)
- Replaced worn factory body mounts with poly/Kevlar Daystar KF04015BK - 01-05 Ford SportTrac Body Mounts.
- They ran into a problem with two rusted out bolts in the rear, and were able to order replacements overnight from the local dealership.
- The Torch leveling kit was installed, but not the extra leaf springs. They weren't able to get the driver's side perfectly level with the passenger side, but it is really close. They used up exactly 2" of lift on both sides to make the front level with the rear. They recommended not to lower the passenger side from where it is at (2") because it will get too close to a bolt (not sure where but I'll see if I can get a photo of it). So, the outcome of this leveling kit is that on the 4WD, the front can be raised to 2" exactly, not more or less. I'm wondering if I could get away with raising the driver's side just past 2" to get it perfectly level without causing extra CV wear.
February 2024: New wheels from TWD - Tires/Wheels Direct (Performance Replicas/PR185/16.0X8/MATTE BLACK (5x). New tires from Belle Tire: BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 31.8"x9.3". No rubbing. These tires fit with just under half an inch of extra clearance when the steering wheel is cranked all the way.
Still to do:
- sway bar upgrade(s)
- body lift
Torch Off-Road has a 30 day return policy, but I was able to return the unused leaf springs minus a 30% restock fee.
Pretty easy to work with.
Questions:
1a. Does anyone have any experience installing these types of lift kits on 20+ year old vehicles?
1b. If so, did any of the above issues (or others not mentioned here) complicate the install?
2. Is there any other preventative maintenance that should be done on the frame/body while doing this work?
3. Is there a comprehensive list of things won't align properly after a body lift, and are there fixes for those?
4. Did anyone else have a problem getting the driver's side and passenger side even?
Updated November 17, January 14, and February 28 with current status.
Last edited:
