My Explorer build.

[WormsExplorer]

Yeah I do not know much either BUT I will learn as I go. My 92 had 3.73's ls also. She was unstoppable. Of course I could not take her on big stuff but the places I did take her she would just not stop. Looking forward to getting this one on the trails.

 

[bigred4x4]

I have this personal ratio and that is the number of vehicles you recovered vs the number of times your truck had to be recovered by somebody else and winching doesn't count in my book because you still didn't require outside help I see it as another extension of the truck and if the first number is larger than the second then your sitting pretty. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been stuck over the last 10 years so I'm happy with my rig anything else from here gets pretty expensive. I'd love to have some HD CV joints though so I can feel comfortable with a front locker the only thing I could find so far is rcd and there over $1000!! That's rediculous! As if chromoly was the price of gold lol

 

[gmanpaint]

I'm not telling you what to do, just trying to help out here

If your going to 33's, look for the 4:10 axles.

The proper setup is 4:56 with 33's, but the V-8 will help with the 4:10's. This is the cheapest method of swapping the gears. Anything over 4:10's is going to cost you way more in parts & install labor. Even if you can do the install, the gears, install kits, fluids will run you $1000 alone. At that point, you will want to add a locker, and bring it up even more.

Speaking of a locker, the LS isn't that great, unless it is fresh, and an extra disc added for more lockup. Older LS are worn, and typically fail to give traction when you need it the most. From the sound of the type of trails you would be doing, I would add an ARB in the front, and rebuild the rear LS. Of course this is $$, and not that easy to do, if you don't have it. Since this is a hobby build, just order it all as you can, and when you have it all, then have at it.

Just keep in mine, that you will be losing some power with the 3:73's, and your trans will heat up faster. Your not going to get into the powerband as easily with the 3:73's. You will feel this on inclines, street & trails.

 

[WormsExplorer]

OUCH! That is to much for the old Pocket book. I think I will Just stay with the limited slip in the rear for now and then If I need to get it Locked.

 

[WormsExplorer]

I'm not telling you what to do, just trying to help out here

If your going to 33's, look for the 4:10 axles.

The proper setup is 4:56 with 33's, but the V-8 will help with the 4:10's. This is the cheapest method of swapping the gears. Anything over 4:10's is going to cost you way more in parts & install labor. Even if you can do the install, the gears, install kits, fluids will run you $1000 alone. At that point, you will want to add a locker, and bring it up even more.

Speaking of a locker, the LS isn't that great, unless it is fresh, and an extra disc added for more lockup. Older LS are worn, and typically fail to give traction when you need it the most. From the sound of the type of trails you would be doing, I would add an ARB in the front, and rebuild the rear LS. Of course this is $$, and not that easy to do, if you don't have it. Since this is a hobby build, just order it all as you can, and when you have it all, then have at it.

Just keep in mine, that you will be losing some power with the 3:73's, and your trans will heat up faster. Your not going to get into the powerband as easily with the 3:73's. You will feel this on inclines, street & trails.

Thank you for the info. That does sound good to see about finding a 4.10 axle. But from What I have experienced so far with 3.73 33s are not to bad, I had it on a 78 Blazer with 33s and she did great on the trails. I also had a 92 Full size bronco and Stock Gears (Thinking 3.55s) and ran 35s with her. She did great on the trails also. As for on the highway Had nothing LOL. I do not like the Skinny peddle when I trail. I crawl when I go out. I do plan to freshen up the LS and I think getting a Select-able Locker in the front would be awesome. But it is a build and I will have to just take it one day at a time. I also know that comparing Other vehicle with this one is like comparing Apples with Oranges.

 

[gmanpaint]

Your right about comparing.

You can't compare the HP from a carburetor cammed 350 to an EFI mild cammed 302, with completely different trans gearing, getting power to the wheels.

The more HP and Trq, the more it overcomes the lack of gearing. But...Your talking about a 200 hp engine with a trans & axles setup for street driving. The 4406 will help with that, but going deeper with gears is just as important when increasing tire size. Everything in the drivetrain will thank you for not overworking them with deeper gears. Be prepared to do a lot of mods to your trans/engine cooling systems with the 33's & 373's. Those 3:73's are maxed out with 31's on these rigs.

Like I said, just trying to help is all. I wish someone had brought this to my attention before I spent the $$ and time into certain items before hand. I had 3:27's with 33's at one time. After I burned up the perfectly fine trans, I went to 4:10's, and eventually to 4:56. Wish I went straight to 4:56, and saved a lot of cash!!

 

[WormsExplorer]

Thank you sir. I will be looking into getting betters gears for her. But I got to get her running first. Thank you all for the help and the knowledge. I really do love this Forum. A LOT Of help here.

 

[bigred4x4]

If I were you I would start with armor and protection, then lift, tires, then gears lockers etc.

Armor protection:
Sliders build your own or trail gear has some dom tube 72" weld together kit for under $250 pull a t case skid plate from junk yard and install it under transmission, pan (requires some cutting, drilling, and tapping into the boxed section of frame) and a front plate that runs from the frame near the bumper to under the cross member. You can get a rci for $200 or have a metal shop make one mine cost less than $100 custom made. Add winch, tow hooks etc for recovery. This way your vehicle can take a beating and not cause any major damage, also bumpers,etc would help but will cost some $

Then lift tires,
Tt /shackles to start and would recommend a body lift honestly it'll for the 33's better and increase your approach and departure angles for $200 and will be fairly easy to install. Body lifts also make removing drive train components easier and allow an atlas 2 someday if you wish. Or get the front bracket kit for $700 and do a soa in the rear kit cost $100 plus shocks if that's too much that's ok. Plus the body lift keeps the majority of the vehicle weight at stock height so it will be more stable my ex actually corners very well. Then tires 33's are nice but also consider 32's they will fit better cause less wear on your drive train and you won't notice that much difference if any really on the trail. You could even put them on the stock rim not ideal but will actually hold a bead better at low pressure.

Then gears. Lockers etc

This is the big dollar section 4.56 would be sweet for off road but what kind of trails are you doing exactly remember you do have low range you'll be fine 33's and under with that ratio with a V8 drive train 4.10's would be perfect best way to b do that is swapping in some 4.10 axles, but do it all at once if you want gears and lockers get everything you need and be done with it in one go then consider, disconnects for sway bar, extended brake lines, limiting straps, etc a locker up front will give you an advantage but an auto locker will kinda busy suck with a live axle unless you do the avm manual hub conversion which is another few hundred or more so $800+ for an arb doesn't seem so bad also a torsen should reduce the chance of breaking stuff over a locker once you go big tires and lockers and low gears you have to build up the axles to compensate. Or expect to break stuff, the rear 8.8 should be ok I'd worry more about the d35 up front mainly the cv's.

The third section (gears lockers) really depends on what capabilities you really need out of it compared to where you go Wheeling although I'd rather have to winch up something then change out cv's trail side because my locker put too much stress on it. Just my opinion.

For now a aux trans cooler will help with the heat there cheap and easy to put in might also recommend a trans temp gauge so you can monitor it and if you crawl a lot get an electric fan to put on it.

To make a long story short start with the insurance policies and the "needs" first then add the "wants" and cool factor stuff later. Build it only as you need it .

 

[WormsExplorer]

Thank you Red. I will keep this all in mind.

 

[SWIGIN]

The difference between 3.73 and 4.10 gears is so minimal I wouldn't think twice about sticking with the 3.75s. Especially if this will be street driven.

I know, apples to oranges but my 79 bronco still has the stock 3.50 gears with 35s and guys used to rag on me about lower gears but with a 425hp 500 plus TQ 460 it had no problem at all.

Those who were concerned all had small blocks and have no idea what a big block can do. Plus my cruise RPM on the highway was near 3000 rpm....no way I was regearing that thing.

Your 5.0 with 33s will be fine with 3.73s. The cruise RPM difference betwwen them and 4.10s might be 200 RPM but I even doubt it would be that much. Plenty of truck guys have 33s or larger with 3.73 gears.

 

[SWIGIN]

Nice I don't know much about the v8's but from my understanding most of them came 3.55 I wished I would have lucked out like that and got one with 4.10's with my v6

From all the rears I have rebuilt and EX's I see in the junk yard most 5.0 EX's had 3.73 and some had 4.10.

I have never come across one with 3.55s but I'm sure they exists.

 

[SWIGIN]

You will LOVE the 4406 if your used to a 78 Blazer. Your Blazer probally had a NP 203 or NP 205 T case in it. Both are geared much higher then the 4406 when comparing low.

My 79 Bronco has the NP205 and my 5.0 EX with the 4406 is SO much lower in low then the old Bronco it's shocking.

Do yourself a favor and do the 4406 swap as soon as you can IMO.

 

[bigred4x4]

From all the rears I have rebuilt and EX's I see in the junk yard most 5.0 EX's had 3.73 and some had 4.10.

I have never come across one with 3.55s but I'm sure they exists.

I'm not familiar with the v8's I thought I read that on here somewhere but i bet the V8 and 4.10 is a heck of a combo stock

I would follow my advise I posted if your budget building. But then again it's just my opinion on a good way to build for reliability and is a good sequence to minimize and streamline your path to success but by b all means if you want a solid axle and have the money or willing to save for it id say do it! You can get by with ifs but a solid axle with the works would be awesome! and I will follow this thread nomatter what. Sometimes people try to talk "sense" into you but it's your truck do what makes you happy. A sas isn't totally of the table for me just for now I plan on keeping my ex alive as long as I live. So maybe someday

 

[bigred4x4]

Also one more thing if I could do b it over b again I would have done an add a leaf instead of shackles it's a little more difficult but should make your leaf pack stronger and last longer plus it looks better my shackles have sagged my old springs a bit tried the Monroe load leveling coil over shocks to help (got lazy) which it did my springs where pretty much completely flat before I was very impressed initially brought them back to like new but now they've settled and I'm not too far off from where I was before and it's a stiffer ride in the rear, but it doesn't say with weight loaded as bad, and with the body lift they stand out and I actually have to measure my departure angle from the bottom of the shackle as it is the lowest point on the rear end I'm thinking on doing away with them soon and getting new leaf pack with an aal. Unless I can buy leaf packs that gain some lift....? Anybody ? And not the 4" you get from the super lift springs im thinking like 1.5~2"

Also you should look into a soa conversion with a sloped body lift and tt it looks great gives you better ground clearance (best overall probably without going sas) eliminates the need for longer shackles and it's cheap not sure why more people don't do it? I think iv only seen it done line maybe twice on here. If I did it all over that is what I'd probably do unless there is some draw back I didn't know about.

And with the tt the ride is pretty stiff now ( I held off on doing it forever but it looks great and adds noticable ground clearance under the cross member.)even with new shocks up front so be prepared for that and don't forget the cam bolts otherwise it really can't be properly aligned afterwards and those tires are too expensive to not install them.

 

[WormsExplorer]

I've heard that you can use the ******* pack from an f150 85 to 89 if I remember correctly. That is what I'm planning. I've also heard you can use the over load from an 250 or 350.

 

[bigred4x4]

I've heard that too but what's the advantage? Strength? Lift? Not sure if I want springs on there that are almost a decade older than mine haha. Plus to Piece that together at the junk yard ..... Sounds like a pain. And what about bushings?

 

[SWIGIN]

If you understood the swap you would like it.

Main leaf is EX the rest are f150 if you want and they are stronger then EX. You add F150 leaves till you get the height/ride your after....simple.

 

[bigred4x4]

I see you said earlier that your doing a tt and aal so my shackle rant I guess was not needed. But yeah I need new springs all around I had to put in longer adjuster bolts just to do the tt recently I'm praying it won't settle any more because I'd rather not keep cranking.

 

[bigred4x4]

Is this a new parts build or do most people get used leaves and still come out stronger.
If that's the case sounds cheaper than buying new explorer leafs. I'd be all for it does it give you any lift? I've read other guys saying the new explorer leaves don't last very long before sagging starts to set in.

 

[SWIGIN]

I don't know if your talking to me or not but I think shackles are used far too much on this site too soon.

In my mind if your rear springs are weak you want to add strength to them by adding an AAL, then maybe those coil over shocks if your into them, then shackles if you need more height. But you should beef up or replace the worn out springs first.