New to me 99 XLT. Lifting front w/airbag delete question

[Subcanis]

Hey everyone, FNG here. I picked up a 99 XLT AWD with the 5.4, 3.73 limited slip, 170k.

Am going to be doing a lot of work on it this summer. First up will be headgaskets (yay). Already fixed the intermittent odometer. Did the Gotts mod. Removed steps and side trim.

Will be lifting it this summer as well (rear spacers, front torsion links) and running 285/75r16s (want to keep stock wheels). While doing the front pads and rotors today I discovered that this truck used to have the airbags. Looks like it has the Strutmasters kit. When I do the lift, do I keep the coil over shocks? Then for the rear, just replace the struts with the +2" Ranchos?

I read the stickied post in the suspension forum but didn't see the answer.

Minus the head gasket leak, Im really liking this truck.

Sorry if this has been beat to death, my google-fu is weak.

 

[Mediamonkey11]

For the front, just turn the torsion bars to raise, spacers for the rear. I am almost positive you don't need new shocks, no one I remember has ever said they HAD to, however I'm sure some have because they thought they did or feel better for doing so.

I did the Monroe conversion, lifted by cranking torsion bars and spacing the rear, both by 2", and have gone off-roading where suspension flex was imperative and had zero travel issues, flexy as heck with a very confident and compliant on road feel.

Can't imagine there's any real difference between the Monroe kit and the Strutmasters kit. The only real reason I'd think one would want longer rear shocks is to achieve more droop for the rear axle. But with the setup I have it flexes so much, any more and the spring would fall out. Been there.

So short answer, no, I'll say you don't have to buy anything other than rearr spacers. Or just make them.

 

[Subcanis]

Wow, thanks for the fast reply!

So you are saying I dont need the re-indexed keys? Just crank up the stock ones and put the spacers in the rear?

Ill plan on leaving the front coil overs and putting new stock length shocks in the back.

 

[Mediamonkey11]

No aftermarket keys needed either. Just turn up the stock ones, and install spacers in the rear. No reason to replace the shock in the back I wouldn't think, even if they installed longer length ones you wouldn't ever have to worry about anything... I never threw a spring on this rig, only on my old Trooper, no fun!

 

[Subcanis]

Outstanding. Thank you very much.