newbee ford ranger on bags

Fist i want to say this is my first lowrider. its a 1994 ford ranger 4.0liter. I bought i with it already lowered but i want to put airride on it now. I bought off ebay a triangulated 4 link like everyone has on here. it came with no instuctions. Do the long bars go on top or on bottom? which ones do you put on an angle? and do they come together on the rear end or do they come together on the frame? Also, My rangers rear end differential is longer on the drivers side than it is on the passenger side, does this make a difference? when the bed was on the wheels sitted in the wheelwells eqqually. where do I put the airbags? on the rear end or on bars. I have even seen another set of bars added to the back with bags on them, do I have to buy them?

please help. My brother is only here on the weekends and he brought all his welding machines here to help me today. He is a union millwright by trade and knows how to weld good as hell but doesnt know about lowrider trucks at all. I dont want to screw up my truck on my first attempt

Kinda tough to give you help if you don't have a clue at all what you are doing.

I beam rangers are definitely not something you should just dive right into. Tell your brother to bring his stuff home until you've done some serious research because you are in no way ready to start on this.

Edited: 10/21/2007 1:13:15 PM by iLLblazer

check out www.rangerpowersports.com and start browsing through some project threads.You need to get a fuel cell or at the very least relocate your tank to the bed if you want to lay frame on a ranger. It will also give you the room you need to run a proper 4 link setup.Not sure what else I can say other then start doing some research and then ask for help when you need it on the details. You cant expect someone to walk you through it step by step.You can look at my profile and look at pics of 2 of the 3 rangers I've done to see if that gives you an idea. there is alot more involved with bagging an I beam ranger than there is with most trucks. You might be better off paying a shop to do it professionally if you are this lost.

I second Joel's comment. This is not the kind of stuff you research an hour before you do it.

Longer bars generally on the bottom shorter on top. you also have to maek sure to set you pinion angle and that your bars are parallel at ride height. and one of you upper bars will be closer to the diff cause it's offset. that's just how it is. you might as well go ahead and take out all the inner fenders while your at it.

You said you got a 4 link off of ebay. not sure how big it is but you might want to just put your bags over the axle for now.

That gives you a general idea of whats going on.

This is a weekend project for a beginner. Please don't rush it and just look into it before you do it otherwise you'll be doing it over, and that just plain sucks.

You are right about the offset pumpkin on the rear axle. Just center the rear end in the frame by measuring the brake backing plates. Your tabs on the top for the triangulated bars will be the same on each side if measured off of the backing plates also. Without seeing it I would say the longer bars are for the bottom. You dont want to mount the bags to the bars unless they are reinforced a gusset of some sort. I usually angle the bars in at the front.

Thank you and point well taken. I have realized that my truck is harder than I thought. Today I was hoping to get my triangulated four link installed. or "tached". I have printed out a million pics for my brother but when I took the bed off last night to take measurements things got sticky. I know the fuel tank must go. i have an aluminum one to put in the bed. I am eventually going with a carbed 302 so the front end i am tackling last.

here is what I have bought so far. I have a rear notch kit with two bars going across and two plates the 2600 bags mount on above the axle from ebay never installed. I have a triangulated 4 link with 16 "A" tabs and heim joints.
yesterday i was able to tear down the rear end, remove leaf springs, hangers, spare tire carrier and grind/cut off spring brackets. I am not trying to rush things, I just wanted to have something for my brother to do while he was here today

I didnt think I was rushing things. i have been looking at this site for a while studying all types of truck set ups. I just wanted to know for today which bars went on top and which ones go on the bottom. the bars are (2)20" and (2)24" no panhard bars. I planned to do my bags on top of the axle but when i saw the rear was offset to one side I didnt know how everything could fit triangulated on the axle tubes. my brother said he cant weld on the cast center section and I didnt know that. i am sorry to have bothered you people with my stupid questions, maybe i should have just built a civic instead or bought something already done

Man do i feel your pain brother!!! I had no idea things were so strange with fords until I actually tore into mine.
The rear end is offset from ford to put the driveshaft on an angle. chevys do it by actual pinion angle fords do it by ofsetting the pumpkin. most people I have seen have bags on their bars, but you MUST have at least 1.5" bars or square tubing. the kp 6 link has the extra bars to lift a parralel 4 link, you do not have that set up! a triangulated 4 link replaces the panhard bar, wishbone, track bar, what ever you want to call it. you have what you need, all except information. research a little more, then have your brother come back.