ExplorerChadd
New Member
- Joined
- December 28, 2017
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Alberta
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2001 Ford Explorer 4x4
Howdy. First timer here. Have been driving Fords for years. First vehicle was a ‘78 F 100 with a inline 6. Still one of the best trucks I’ve ever had. Got away from fixing my own vehicles, started driving newer ones with warranties. Got lazy LOL. With recent recession, had to give that up. Back to buying vehicles that I can fix on my own. Recently purchased a second vehicle, a four door 2001 Ford Explorer 4 x 4. Paid $950. Since my wife has a safe and reliable minivan for the family, this is now my project truck. To begin with, it had some issues in the front end. All the ball joints, and both sway bar links were shot. Passenger side hub assembly needed replacing. Further, the rear pinion oil seal was leaking bad, and it looked like it hadn’t had an oil change for a long time. So, after 700$ ( parts, oil, some shop time for wheel alignment and rear seal- hard to do at -35 in the driveway lol) it’s safe and ready to use. Engine and tranny are strong, rust is minimal, interior is fairly clean, thus I have a solid base for a modest 4x4 build. Plans include (for now) a simple 2 inch suspension lift via a torsion key adjustment up front and new springs (which are sagging) in the back, either new springs with two inches built in, or factory ones with a two inch shackle extension, whichever is cheapest. Then finish it off with either 30” or 31” BFG,s. Should be a family (and budget) friendly trail machine for the occasional trips into the country. Will post pics as I go, and may be asking the occasional question when something comes up. That’s all for now, thanks for reading
