In a nut shell... Used to own a '92 Explorer, 4.0, auto, 4x4, all power yada yada. Sold it with 185k miles with less than $200 in repairs (excluding routine stuff). Bought a '97, 4.0, control trac 4x4, 5 sp auto, all power yada yada. Now has 115k and has been less than stellar. Noisy front end that you can't grease. Occasional check engine lights. Constant OD lights with some other trans. issues. A lot more squeaks and rattles. Lousier gas mileage. Etc. Wish I'd never sold my first one.
Have a chance to buy a '91 with extremely low mileage. Gimme your opinion. Yes I realize that my '92 was exceptional, or was it?

i perfer the first generation explorer front axles myself, but trannies in all explorers are basically equaly horrible. sounds to me like you were lucky with your 92, as i put in 3 trannies in my 91, before i hit 120k.

i say, if your going to make money on the deal with selling your 97 and buying a 91, go for it.

If it were me, I would be looking for a '93 or '94 with a manual.

if i were to get another 1st Gen Explorer i would look for a 92 to 94 sport with a 5-speed, even though i've had pretty good luck with my Explorer except for my accident its been pretty damn depenable and it drive great now that i've replaced all 4 balljoints and had it aligned,

and it has only 101,500 miles on it, and i'm pretty sure its the original tranny in it also

If it were me, I would be looking for a '93 or '94 with a manual.

Aw heck yeah! A clutch and a stick. Ah...

Personally, I'd look for a 93 or 94 automatic. The trannies in those seem to be a lot better than the 91 and 92 because the a4ld matured a bit. Sure, its still a light duty tranny, but I wouldnt hesitate pulling a 17 foot boat, double jetski trailer, or the occasional car trailer with a 93 or 94 x (and have done all 3)

Bingo. The A4LD by the last year was as good as it was gonna get stock. It was never really a HD offroad unit anyway. The auto MFGRs have a way of fxing problems on trannies and once they get em RIGHT, they introduce something new, and the fixes start all over again. Not saying the A4LD was ever "right" for a vehicle like the Explorer, but by 94 was as good as it got ... stock. I like mentioning I am sitting on a stock A4LD with 206K on it.