Extreme Metal Products Polaris Ranger Crew 800 Lift Kit

Apr. 08, 2014 By Rick Sosebee
Our 2013 Polaris Ranger Crew 800 needed a little extra clearance for the trails.

There is one thing that can give you extra ground clearance to get over the taller obstacles in the trails, and it will also give you extra height for the deeper mud as well. This one thing is a lift kit.

There are a number of common lifts that offer about two inches in additional height and are simple to install. Our 2013 Polaris Ranger that is used to haul hunters into and out of the rough country needed some additional clearance for the trails. Looking for an inexpensive option that wouldn’t break the bank, we turned to Extreme Metal Products and found this super simple lift kit in its eBay store.

The Extreme Metal Products lift comes with all the necessary hardware for installation.

The Extreme Metal Products kit is made of high-strength steel and comes with all the necessary hardware for proper installation. In just about one hour we had an additional two inches of clearance on our Ranger, so follow along to see just how easy the installation is.

The first thing you should do when working on any SXS or heavy off-road vehicle is slip a couple of jack stands under the frame work – don’t every rely on the hydraulic jack itself!

Once the vehicle was properly supported, we turned our attention to the front wheels. Using our Snap-on impact tool we removed the front wheels, and for a little added protection we stuffed them under the machine.

We only had to remove the upper shock bolts to remove the shock for the installation.

Once the top shock bolt was unbolted, this allowed the shock to lie down out of our way.

The front brackets for our lift kit fit over the stock shock locations and bolts into place via the previous shock holes. This makes for a simple and swift installation. The shock will then be reinstalled in the new bracket bolt location. 

Turning our attention to the rear of the machine, it was a similar process as the front but with two parts instead of only one. The sway bar nut is removed so the bolt extension can be installed, but wait until the shock bracket is fixed in place on both sides before adding this part.


The rear shock is unbolted from the frame and the bracket is laid over the frame and shock mount. 

Using the supplied bolts, fasten the bracket to the Ranger frame and then remount the shock to the new bracket bolt position. 

Final move: Add the sway bar bolt extensions and remount the sway bar.

As we said, it’s a pretty straightforward installation. The lift is now complete and ready to ride. Be sure to recheck the bolts that were loosened or added to the machine after the first ride. The lift will allow the Ranger Crew to accept 27- to 28-inch tires, which would ultimately create even more height and ground clearance.

Now we have some added ground clearance for tackling the trails.

As with any aftermarket upgrade, this is changing the original state of the vehicle and can cause some undue stress to the factory. Raising a machine will at times put the CV axles of said vehicle into extreme angles and in the right condition can wear or even break those parts prematurely. Be sure to consider the higher center of gravity as well when first driving the upgraded vehicle, as off-camber trails can be a little tricky. This is not meant to scare you but to just make you aware that there are things to take into consideration. High-angle axles can be purchased to give the extra length and aid with proper geometry for lifted vehicle. Do some research before installing this or any lift. We’ll be adding high-angle Gorilla Axles to our ride and will feature install soon right here on Off-Road.com.

Contact
Extreme Metal Products
216-267-3900
http://www.extrememetalproducts.com/


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