Ford Ranger Long-Travel Kits: What Actually Fits

September 7, 2026

The short answer: bolt-on long-travel kits do exist for the Ford Ranger, but only for 2WD 1998–2012 trucks, and which kit you need depends on a detail most people miss: some 2WD Rangers are coil-sprung and some are torsion-bar sprung. Older Twin I-Beam Rangers and every 4WD Ranger are custom-fab territory.

Which Ranger front end do you actually have?

This is the question that decides your entire build, and it splits three ways:

  • 1983–1997 — Twin I-Beam (2WD) or Twin Traction Beam (4WD). A pivoting beam axle, not an A-arm front end. No modern bolt-on long-travel kit fits it.
  • 1998–2011 — short-long arm (SLA) independent front. The 2WD XLT is coil-sprung; the 4WD is torsion-bar. The trap: the 2001–2005 Edge and 2006–2009 Sport in 2WD are also torsion-bar — a 2WD Ranger that is not coil-sprung.
  • 2019+ (T6) — double-wishbone coilover front end. A different platform entirely, with its own aftermarket.

Get this wrong and you buy the wrong kit. Camburg sells XLT and Edge/Sport kits as separate part numbers for exactly this reason — the vendor’s own catalog structure confirms the split.

Buying a kit: Camburg is the production option

Camburg is far and away the biggest name making Ranger long-travel, and the only one selling it as a catalog product with published pricing. Their Ranger kits are 2WD only, in a tier ladder from Trail Series up to full race:

Kit Fits Price
Entry Level 6.0 Kit ’01–12 Edge 2WD $2,695.99
Long Travel Kit ’98–12 XLT 2WD $5,295.00
Long Travel Kit ’01–12 Edge/Sport 2WD $5,295.00
RACE Long Travel Kit ’98–12 XLT 2WD $7,295.00
RACE Long Travel Kit ’01–12 Edge/Sport 2WD $7,295.00
3-Link Kit (rear) ’93–12 Ranger $4,195.00

Prices as listed at SDHQ, September 2026. The RACE kit runs up to 18" of travel on 1.5" lower and 1" upper mono balls, with 2.25" front hubs and Wilwood 12" rotors on four-piston Superlite calipers.

Budget gotcha: Camburg long-travel kits are suspension only — no shocks. Coilovers are a separate and substantial line item, so price them in from the start. See our King Shocks guide and the bypass vs coilover breakdown, or run the numbers in the build-cost calculator.

Who makes Ranger kits — and who just sells them

This trips up a lot of searches, so to be plain about it:

  • Dirt King does not make a Ranger kit. As of September 2026 their Ford catalog covers the Bronco, F-150 and Raptor only. If you have been searching for a Dirt King Ranger long-travel kit, it does not exist.
  • SDHQ does not manufacture Ranger long-travel either. They are a retailer and installer — the Ranger kits they list are Camburg’s. Shock Surplus and Suspension Lifts stock them too, as does Camburg direct.
  • Camburg is the manufacturer of the catalog kits above.

Beyond the catalog, two fab shops build Ranger long-travel to order: Dixon Bros Racing (99–12 Rangers) and Vegas Dezert Fab, who offer a Ranger Edge/Explorer 2WD kit plus an 1983–2009 cantilever long-travel rear. Neither publishes pricing — these are quote jobs. That is the route for a 4WD Ranger, a Twin I-Beam truck, or anything outside Camburg’s fitment.

Rear suspension

Every Ranger leaves the factory with a leaf-spring live axle. Two paths, same as any leaf-sprung prerunner:

  • Keep the leaves and add travel — longer shackles, a re-arched or custom pack, proper bump stops and real shocks. The budget route.
  • Go to a link rear — Camburg’s 3-link kit covers ’93–12 and is the off-the-shelf option; Vegas Dezert Fab’s cantilever setup reaches back to 1983. For general theory read long-travel suspension explained.

What a Ranger long-travel build really costs

Front suspension alone starts around $2,700 for Camburg’s entry kit and runs to $7,295 for the race kit — before shocks, which are the single biggest add. A link rear is another $4,195 at catalog price. Custom fab from a shop is quote-based and varies with how much of the truck you want touched.

The honest tradeoff: the Ranger is cheap to buy and there is a real bolt-on path, but only if you have the right 2WD truck. A 4WD or a Twin I-Beam Ranger costs meaningfully more because it all becomes fabrication.

Ford Ranger long-travel FAQ

Does Dirt King make a Ford Ranger long travel kit?

No. As of September 2026 Dirt King’s Ford lineup is Bronco, F-150 and Raptor. For a Ranger, Camburg is the catalog option and Dixon Bros Racing or Vegas Dezert Fab are the custom route.

Is my 2WD Ranger coil-sprung or torsion-bar?

A 1998–2011 2WD XLT is coil-sprung. The 2001–2005 Edge and 2006–2009 Sport in 2WD use torsion bars. Check before ordering — the kits are different part numbers.

Can you put a long-travel kit on a 4WD Ranger?

Not from the catalog. Camburg’s Ranger kits are 2WD only, so a 4WD long-travel front end means custom fabrication.

How much travel does a Ranger long-travel kit give?

Camburg’s RACE kit is rated up to 18" of front travel. The standard and entry kits give less; exact figures depend on the shock package you pair with them.

More Ranger & prerunner guides

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