Anyone notice this forum is really dead?

Yea I noticed. Guess most on this board are interested more in offroading than in street performance. I haven't gone either way yet (still stock), and I probably won't. Although I am interested in more power...

Pacman

noticed that too... the thing is that all the tech stuff gets answered between the General, Modified, Under the Hood, and Tires/suspension forums. so there's really nothing left to talk about, know what I mean? maybe we should turn Sport Truck into an 'Explorer Nookie Tales' board to liven things up.

I've noticed it too.. sux... I don't do any off-roading, my explorer doens't touch dirt unless I have to. Wish there were more performance parts for my truck.. I just got my Explorer Express catalog, so maybe I'll find something to put on my truck...

This forum will be what we make of it. Alot of stuff gets answered in the other forums so you cant expect this one to get alot of questions going around. This forum will be what we make of it and if we all start saying it sux then it wont be here at all. So lets see if we can get some more going on in here. I know there are some pretty nice explorer (street) that we can talk about and ask questions.

I agree.. As soon as I can get some pix done of my truck, I'll post them.. Working on lowering mine a bit with the help of Brian :) I think there are alot of street Explorers out there, I know of a few.. one with hydraulics on it.. I don't care for that much, but it kinda looks kool driving down the street.. I'll talk to him and see if he would like to join!

Also realize that the address is explorer4x4.com, so more is going to be about the off road side of the explorer's capabilities.

Rob

Well looks like it is http://www.explorerforum.com now.. so who knows... cuz an explorer is a truck...

It did start out as a web site directed toward offroad because our truck is for offroading. However, as the site has expanded it has branched out. You are right though. This forum is only what you make it. If you guys start posting stuff here it will get answered. Unfortunately, I can't help you there because I know more about the 4x4 area. Rick and I will help out any time we can. I know there are a lot of street and sport Explorers out there. So once you guys get this thread going it will probably get bigger. Good luck!:D

Thanks Char,
The way I look at it, teh truck is still an Explorer no matter what you have done with your suspension. This means that anyone on this site can help you with questions. Due to the address of the site being a Explorer4x4.com it will be hard to get a big group of just street trucks so that s up to us to get the word out that there is more to the site than 4x4's. Keep on Explorin.

Your right, doesn't matter what you have done to the suspention, it is still an Explorer!! I just like the looks I get when I go rumbling through town, and people telling me they like what I have done to it.. I don't want it to look like every other Explorer out there, I want it to look like mine. :)

I think this forum will take off once more "street" explorers find out about it. This site is only getting close to 2500 members and think about all the explorer/navajo/rangers out there and only about 10% ever see more than just pavement under the tires. Just be patient, or spread the word as much as you can.

If you looking for suspension answers and you can't seem to get them answered here try going to the "Shocks, suspension & Lift kits" forum or "Modified Explorers" and post your questions there as well as posting them here, your bound to get some reply's. Most of the suspension places we deal with will probably have the products your looking for to lower them as well as raise them.

good luck and hang in there,
FM

Ya know, you guys could get more street Explorers to come to this sight by advertising the site with one of those Very Cool "Serious Explorations" or "Explorer4x4.com" stickers on your trucks. This is a win, win situation when you buy one of these stickers. :)
And they are priced right.

Thank you for your support. :D

Good plug for your stickers, heheheh.. I have been thinking about getting 2 of them for my windows, one for each side.... Lemme see how much they are. :)

I think that the stickers are the best way to get the name out! I have them on my new street sport trac and on my jacked up Explorer. People will see a sport truck and see the address and know that there is more than just 4x4's.

TymeKeeper,
I don't make anything from these stickers. In fact I don't have anything to do with the stickers. I'm just a moderator, but I do know that it cost money to keep this website going and being a member of this website, I want to contribute what I can to keep it going. :) A street Explorer with "Serious Explorations" on it would look Very Cool. :D

Where can I get ahold of these stickers. I know through one of you guys. What sizes do they come in? what colors? I have all the stickers from my mods on my rear windows, and would love to put one there.
Thanks,
Jason

I'm gunna look into it.. I am stickering up my rear side windows, I think they would look good there.

Click here Stickers,Hats,Videos (http://www.explorer4x4.com/video.html). The stickers are at the bottom of the page.
Thanks Guys. :)

I noticed that Explorer Express has a few including an "Explorer X" front window sticker.. Looks pretty nice.. Saw it in my cataloge.. :) Thinking about getting one of those too.......

I love advertising for this site and the stickers are the best way to do it. When people see an Explorer that looks a little different and then see that there is a web site they can go to it makes it nice for others that dont know about us. Plus with me it just feels a little more custom. Thanks guys....

Yip sure does!! Oh, Brian, you owe me some e-mail, don't you? heheheh :)

Advertising about this website would be cool. But since this is the matter of the "Sport" Explorers...I dunno if it make since to have 4X4Central.com bumber sticker on say a slightly lowered Explorer with 17inch street tires would make sense. I know this website site is majority monster-all terrain tires type. I like all explorers and especially this site! New name for the entire web site perhaps???..Just something to consider if we want to make this a well know website to both community of us street and off-road explorers.

I see your point on that, I don't have an explorer, and a 4X4 sticker would be odd.. I think I would put it on anywayz cuz I like this site. :)

Remember that the stickers say "www.explorer4x4.com" It wouldn't look silly, like Ray said, very cool ;) Xplor, notice on the main page the site is now called "The Explorer On & Off-highway Website", didn't used to be that way. Also remember that the forums are now under http://www.explorerforum.com, maybe we need to get some stickers that say that, what do all the sport truckers think?

[Edited by Stephen on 06-25-2000 at 08:10 PM]

yeah, since it doesn't say 4X4 anymore

You guys should bring it up in the Feedback forum. Its your website too, and I'm sure Rick will listen to what you want.

Is he the one that orders them? Wasn't sure..

Rick's the administrator, this is his website. He's the one who makes all changes and all decisions about the website. Ray, Gerald, Myself, Matt etc are all Moderators. We head up individual forums.

Ahhh.. that makes sence to me.. I used to run a msg board, years ago... before the internet became popular...I'll have to ask Rick about the stickers, and see what he says..

Yep, he'll probably read this thread, but you can put a post in the feedback forum about it. Better yet, send him a Private Message, he'll be sure to get that.

I have the sticker that say "www.explorer4x4.com" on my new sport trac and it doesnt look out of the ordinary. It is set up more for street w/ 17's.

There are a few things that are different between the 4 and 2 door models of the Explorer. The two door has a better off-road ability, turning radius and performance since it is shorter and lighter. Maybe the forum title(s) should be renamed/expanded to Explorer Sport Street and Explorer Sport Off-Road.
You guys are right when you say there are many other places to post and answer questions of every description. I came here to this forum because I'm on my third 2 door Sport, not because I drive either on the street or off-road (I do both). Now when it comes to parts, owners of the Sport/Navajo have much less to choose from in aftermarket parts since most of them cater to the 4dr Explorer. If users start coming here to this forum to talk technical, street or off-road issues that only effect 2 door Sports/Navajos it certainly must fly,,,like this thread here.

bluescat,
By calling this forum Explorer Sport Trucks, they're not talking 2 door versus 4 door- they mean sport trucks as in set up for the street, dropped, low-pro tires, etc, versus the jacked up off-road rigs this site used to be dedicated to. Now it's more of a general Explorer thing.

Jeff;
Thanks for setting me straight, no wonder I couldn't figure out what everyone was talking about. With the media, insurance and environmental types bemoaning the existence of the 4WD in general and the SUV in particular, I can see where the street stuff will become more popular. The SUV breed certainly has changed and become much more stylish. There are light years of difference between my '94 Navajo LX and the new 2001 Sport. I can't decide whether to go cruising down the boulevard or go climbing up a rock. With these vehicles, you can do both.

I'm in no means bashing or putting down Sport Trucks, its whatever floats your boat. In my opinion however, when you take a SUV and lower it, install lower profile tires etc. you're taking away its inherant ability, and really the only thing an SUV does well. Look at a new Explorer, a new 2001 Sport like Bluscat's cost damn near $30,000. You're paying a premium for its extra tough hardware. Then you get it home, lower it and remove the hardware? Think of the sports car you could get for $30,000. A Mustang Cobra, or even a Saleen. Again, this isn't a bash, it just confuses me.

You're absolutely right about that Stephen, it was almost 30K by the time the extended warranty and that 1.5K paid to the self-perpetuating bureaucracy that 'governs' us so efficiently. But GM charges 33K for one of their four door pick-ups! Mine was fully loaded at 28K.
One of the reasons nobody goes off road is because 1)there are no places to go in the immediate locale and 2)the real stuff will damage your sheet metal, among other things. Now that's what this forum is all about. Meeting folks like you, I'll be able to find a relatively modest place to go wheeling and that's a start.
I feel guilty not using the 4x4 capablilties a lot more on the last two Navajos I've owned but it sure did get me through the winters and the muddy festival sites. I'll bet I used 4WD less than an hour total from 1991 through today's date. That's why I'm reading up. Even Ford's new campaign is focused on actually getting the buyer off of his/her sofa and "going for it".

Steve -
Just think of it this way..... We are all much safer in our "tanky," extremely slow, sports trucks.

You ask for it; you got it Toyota! Oops! That's not it. You ask for it; you got it "www.explorerforum.com". Yea, that's it. Rick didn't read this thread, however, I being the all and great admin's wife did. I told him about your discussions. He said when he places the next order for stickers he will have the "www.explorerforum.com" sticker made. Watch for him to post on the page for Stickers, Hats and Videos. :D

I want a few of those stickers, to put on my ride.. As far as the ablities of an explorer, I got mine so I would have room for the kids...It is 2 wheel drive, so I don't go 4 wheeling...So I figured that I would make it into a street machine...Everyone has different tastes...

Thyme, exactly. I wasn' bashing street trucks, just not my thing.

I know, some people like them, some don't..

I hear you Stephen, but I have other reasons why I set-up my Explorer for paved road use as oppose to a 4X4 off-road machine.

1.) It's true I could have purchased a brand new Mustang GT or a Cobra, but that $30,000 is not enough for a brand new GT nor a Cobra. In the Bay Area (at least in San Francisco-Daly City-Colma Area), a new GT carries a price tag of about $33K (with mark-up) and a new Cobra is priced at around $40K (with mark-up). After this I'll have to worry about my insurance rate. As a young adult I figured I would probably pay about $3K for an insurance coverage. A friend of mine, who has a clean driving record, pays $250/month for his brand new GT. He is 21 and lives in the suburbs. A $33K-$40K "sports car" and about $300/month of insurance coverage is absolutely a NO NO for me. Though I'd like to own one of these babies someday :)

2.) There is not a place in San Francisco to take your vehicle for off-roading. I will not travel 200 miles just for that.

3.) SUVs were meant to be driven off-raod. Who would want dings and scratches on their SUV after shelling out $30,000+ of their hard earned cash? Not me and am pretty sure that 80% of the SUV owners out there don't want dings and scratches on their SUVs as well. If I want to go off-roading, I can rent my dad's F250.

4.) Off roading is addictive. That is why I am staying away from it :)

5.) I want my girlfriend to be able get in the truck without requiring my assistance. Especially when she's wearing a mini skirt. Just kidding :)

PS
I am sorry to hear about your Explorer's tranny :(

Oh I understand. I don't offroad much either, just occasionally.

Thanks for the concern about the tranny!

I think statistics are that only about 3%-5% of SUV's ever see anything more than pavement under the tires. I have to ask the other 98%-95% of the SUV owners WHY didn't you just by a mini van?, most of them are cheaper and easier to maintain.

My guess is that they just want to be with the crowd, funny how pier pressure works, uh?

FM
92'Navajo
4WD, 2Dr
3" sus. lift
31X10.5 BFG AT's
4.56 front/rear
Flowmaster catback
K&N drop-in