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My First Explorer, 2000 EB

As per the instructions above here's the info:
2000 Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition 5.0
I'm from Parsons KS and you can contact me easily through a PM here.

Well, they aren't good pics. They were provided by the seller using a cell phone. But this is my 2000 Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition. I am going to "visit" it today at the sellers house and pull the radiator. My next day off I get to install a new one (would do them both today, but had to order the radiator). Jon (Turdle) has already provided me with the link to the radiator replacement thread. (Thanks again Jon)

Mods will be slow due to funding and the need to finish putting an engine in my other vehicle (seen below). Probably just go with exhaust and slightly more aggresive tires when funds allow. Any suggestions for basic upgrades? LOL I'm a seasoned Veteran with Thunderbirds, but a newbie with Explorers.

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My other vehicle can be seen here:

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They failed how? Like you broke a main leaf or they went flat? What was the fix new springs?
 






It'll level with all your stuff packed up. Good job!
Actually as you are seeing it in the pictures, it is loaded with spare parts, tools, recovery gear, and my air compressor. I never take them out of the Explorer so it's always ready to head out for day trips. Obviously, it'll be loaded with a lot more for longer trips like Moab or Ouray.
 






Well I've used it as a daily driver for a couple of days. It definitely has a firmer feel to it. Getting a vibration up near highway speeds, need to look into that. The new springs may have put the pinion angle off a hair perhaps? Still need new rear shocks and new longer brake lines. There's a place here in Mesa that makes custom brake hoses. I can take a set of old hoses off of a salvage explorer as "templates" and they'll make a set of longer braided steel lines for me.
 






About a month ago I was backing up in a drive-through (to move closer to the drawer) I checked my mirrors, looked behind me, etc. I backed very slowly and heard a "thump" and then a horn honked. I got out and met a very upset guy asking how I could not have seen him. I showed him the huge spare tire in my window and he asked about my mirrors. I pointed out that his altima was not as wide as the Explorer so it wasn't visible in my mirrors. He showed me a couple of small dents in his bumper and hood and the damage to his "new" flat black paint. We came to a settlement eventually and ended the issue.
Anyway I didn't want to risk it happening again so I went straight to Amazon and got a backup camera. It was easy to wire in and it's wired through one of the switches on my switch panel so I can turn it on whenever I like (in reverse or not).

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Well, I took LilEddie out with the Mesa4Wheelers for our annual trail maintenance trip (we sponsor the Log Corral trail and the trip helps keep it clean and the brush cut back). Its not a bad trail with only 1 real obstacle. Its a waterfall that comes down at about a 45° angle to the direction of the trail (approach, turn to the right, climb, tight turn to the left, around a big boulder). The first time I went the Explorer still had the OEM bumpers, maybe even the running boards, no body lift, no rear locker, 31" tires. LoL needless to say climbing it was a challenge. I broke out a headlight in the process. This time it was much easier. The extra clearance provided by the bumpers, and the protection (and clearance) provided by the lack of running boards and the extra steel put on along the pinch weld really helped. Not to mention the rear locker and 33" tires. However.... (there's always one of those isn't there?)

I had cleared the only "real obstacle" and was moving with the group when I came across a friend's rock crawler (twin turbo 455 olds powering 40+" tires) parked in the trail. I didn't see him, so I decided to go around. Bad idea. My Tcase skid plate got caught up on a rock, but not too badly. I backed off of it, took a different line and went again. Hooked up on the rock again. Backed off, moved forward, caught again. This time when I tried to back off, I didn't move. Tried harder, just dug deeper holes in the sand/loose rock. Those holes got so deep that now I was sitting firmly on the skid plate. Another member of the group got in front of me, and I had to hook on to his jeep and use the winch to get me off that dam..darned rock. Everything's ok, no major damage, but the skid plate is toast. We had to wire it up in place to keep it from dragging.

Silver lining. I'm going to try my hand at making a real skid plate out of 1/4" steel. One that provides more protection while also providing more clearance. The OEM skidplate is lower on the passenger side than it really needs to be, and that is where it got caught.

I'll post some pics of the damaged skidplate when I get home. I'm killing time at work right now.
 






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