A 2022 Ford Ranger leveled 2 inches up front with the Ford Performance Fox shock kit sheds the factory rake and rides noticeably smoother, while a full-length Prinsu roof rack — mounted with rivnuts in the roof drain rail — adds a permanent, low-profile platform for gear.
This 2022 Ford Ranger came into Juggernaut USA in Wheat Ridge (Denver), CO for a simple goal: an overall better ride. We installed the Ford Performance Fox shock leveling kit for 2 inches of front lift and a full-length Prinsu roof rack to make it trip-ready.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2022 Ford Ranger |
| Leveling | Ford Performance Fox shock kit — 2" front, killed the rake |
| Rack | Prinsu full-length roof rack (rivnuts in the drain rail) |
| Owner goal | A better overall ride |
| Result | Level stance, much smoother ride, permanent gear platform |
What the 2-inch Ford Performance Fox kit did
The kit levels the Ranger with about 2 inches of front lift, which kills the factory nose-down rake and opens clearance for a taller tire down the road. But the real story is the ride. This is Ford's own engineered kit built around Fox shocks, so it is a genuine damping upgrade over the OE shock, not just a spacer that jacks the nose up. The owner noticed it right away — the ride is much smoother, and you feel the difference most on Colorado's beat-up roads, where the Fox valving soaks up the chatter the factory shock passed straight through. We install a lot of leveling kits, and dollar for dollar the Ford Performance Fox kit is one of the biggest ride improvements we see on a Ranger.
The Prinsu rack: an involved install, not a bolt-on
Worth being straight about, because it is the part of this build that takes real work. The Prinsu ships as a kit with a fair amount of assembly. It does not use any factory mounting points — it mounts with rivnuts set into the roof's drain rail, which means drilling. The careful part is confirming where those holes go: you test-fit the assembled rack on the roof, mark it, lift it back off to double-check, and only then commit, because the holes are permanent. It is genuinely a two-person job to get the full-length rack on and off the cab without scratching paint or losing your marks. And we seal every hole with silicone and paint the exposed metal, so the bare steel never rusts. Done right, that is a rock-solid, weather-tight platform under a loaded rooftop tent; done wrong, it is a roof leak. It is exactly the kind of step worth having a shop do rather than fighting it in a driveway.
What tires fit a 2-inch-leveled Ford Ranger?
This Ranger kept its tires, but the 2-inch level is what turns a future tire upgrade into a bolt-on instead of a rubbing problem. Here is how it shakes out on the 2019-2023 Ranger:
- On or near the factory wheels (high, roughly +55mm offset), a 2-inch level comfortably clears about a 32-inch tire — think 265/70R17 to 275/70R17.
- Stepping up to a true 33 (285/70R17) is where it gets tight. The Ranger's front wheel wells are narrow, and the usual limiter is the factory crash bar / intrusion beam that sticks into the well — 33s often need that addressed to stop rubbing at full lock.
- Aftermarket wheels with more backspacing (a lower offset, roughly 0 to +18mm instead of the factory +55) push the tire outboard and buy the room a 33 needs. Stay around +20 to +30mm if you want factory-like road manners; go more aggressive only if you are ready to trim.
- 35s are a lift-kit conversation, not a leveling-kit one.
Offset matters more than height on a Ranger — the same tire behaves completely differently on a +18 wheel versus a -12. If you are planning tires, tell us the wheel you want to run and we will spec the combination that clears.
How the install went
The leveling kit is a straightforward front-end job, finished with an alignment so the Ranger tracks straight and wears its new stance evenly. The Prinsu is the involved half — assembly, test-fitting to confirm the drill locations, a two-person lift on and off the cab, then rivnuts in the drain rail, sealed and painted. The truck left sitting level, riding better than it came in, with a permanent roof platform ready for a tent or gear.
Common questions on this build
How much does the Ford Performance kit level a Ranger?
About 2 inches up front — enough to kill the factory rake and open tire clearance. On this truck it also made a real, noticeable difference in ride quality.
Is the Prinsu Ranger rack hard to install?
It is the involved part of a build like this. There is a fair amount of assembly, it uses no factory points so it needs rivnuts drilled into the roof drain rail, you test-fit it on and off the roof to confirm the locations, and it takes two people to handle the full rack. We seal and paint every hole so it stays weather-tight and rust-free.
Can a leveled Ranger run 33s?
On a 2-inch level, 32s fit on close-to-factory wheels; a true 33 (285/70R17) usually wants an aftermarket wheel with more backspacing and often the factory crash beam addressed. 35s need a real lift.
More from the build
Book the same work
We install leveling kits and roof racks in-house at our Wheat Ridge shop north of Denver — including the drill-and-rivnut racks worth doing right. Call (970) 341-4221, or read about our leveling kit installation. A trip-ready Ranger wants underbody protection too — see our Ford Ranger skid plates. Another from the bay: our Ford Ranger Icon lift build.
We serve Denver, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Arvada, Lakewood, and the Front Range. Call (970) 341-4221 to talk through your build, book the same work on our roof rack installation page, or see all our install services.
