ttb to torsion bars??????

I dont know if anybody has ever tried this before or if it can even be done, BUT is it possible to put the front axle out of a 96 explorer into a 93 explorer? Mine, the 93, has the ttb, and the 96 has the ifs with torsion bars.

Funny you ask this because I'm doing the total opposite right now, putting TTB on my 2000 A-arm truck. Anything is possible, but I can't imagine it being very easy to pull off, and if you're doing all that work to convert to A-arms, then why use torsion bars? If you're thinking that the frame rails are the same and you can easily transplant the IFS, unfortunately the frame rails are completely different in the front and not even the same width. Your 93 frame is about 3" narrower from inner rail to inner rail.

Thanks for the info mounty71. Guess I'll just be swapping the gears then. Mine, the ttb, has 3.27 nonlimited slip gears and the 96, the ifs, has 3.73 limited slip. Bought the truck really really cheap from where i work for parts. Motor, trans, transfer case, rear-end, front gears, power seats, and anything else i can salvage for my truck. I have already put in keyless entry and auto headlights out of a 98 explorer so I think I'll be in good shape.

I don't think you can use gears from an IFS D35 into a TTB D35. TTB gears are reverse cut.

Your breaking my heart. lol....... Did any first gens have the 3.73 gears? i really want the rear-end with disk breaks and the 3.73 gears limited slip out of the 96 but i have to have the same gears in the front.

Some did come with 373, but they're not nearly as common as 327 and 307.
You could just buy new 373s for the front, but I'm guessing you're hoping to keep things low budget. Keep your eye on the For Sale section here, they do come up.

Could i swap out even the front gear where the drive shaft bolts on?

4.11 years are pretty common though...

What? 90% of the explorers I have seen have 3.73 gears, most with LS. 3.27 and 4.10 is quite rare around me. I've never seen one with 3.55, although they do exist. Kind of like the 4 door manual transmission combo.

I have a parts 96 ranger 4x4 chassis with 3.73 gears. Also have a few disc brake 8.8s at the shop with at least 1 being 3.73. Too bad your in KY though.

2stroke said:

What? 90% of the explorers I have seen have 3.73 gears, most with LS. 3.27 and 4.10 is quite rare around me. I've never seen one with 3.55, although they do exist. Kind of like the 4 door manual transmission combo.

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Damn, wish it was like that here! My local Pull-a-part has about 20-30 1st gens at any given point, and every one I find is the open 3:27 like mine! I keep looking, though, so I can find a 3:73 or 4:11 ls set before I go up to 33s. I do have a 4 door manual now, though!

Maybe it's a regional thing. 3.73 LS was standard here new, and other ratios being optional. Just what ford shipped here I guess.

2stroke said:

Maybe it's a regional thing. 3.73 LS was standard here new, and other ratios being optional. Just what ford shipped here I guess.

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Very well could be. Pretty sure the 3 1st gen Explorers I've seen are 3.73, 2 with LS. 2 spent most of their lives here, probably originally shipped to dealers within a few hours of me.

2stroke said:

What? 90% of the explorers I have seen have 3.73 gears, most with LS. 3.27 and 4.10 is quite rare around me. I've never seen one with 3.55, although they do exist. Kind of like the 4 door manual transmission combo.

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Where I am, 90% of them have 3.27's (!) at the yards.

Now with 2nd gens wrecks I see more 3.73LS's than anything.

I'm still looking for a unicorn -- a 4.10LS

If you find that unicorn, I'd check the glove box for gold bars!

Once I started looking, 4.10 is everywhere here. Took me an hour to track down the one I bought. I only know of one 3.27 first gen personally. Strange, as you don't need as much gear here as you do in the mountains.

Maybe I should start a poll.

All mine were 3.27, & that's all I could find...for parts & wrecked 1st gens...non existent here. Most "yards" have only newer 2000 & up vehicles. And when you find a part it's INSANELY priced.

2stroke said:

Maybe it's a regional thing.

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It might be. The southern-ish guys see mostly 3.27's and the northern see 3.73.

Would be interesting to know what was sold where but that's pretty obscure info by now I bet.

I have had three 1st gens all with manual transmissions.

91 - 4 door 4x4 5 speed - open 3.55's - originally sold in Oklahoma

92 - 4 door 2WD 5 speed - open 3.27 - originally sold in North Carolina

93 - 2 door 4x4 5 speed - LS 3.73's - originally sold in Oklahoma

I have to agree, I think it is a region thing. I remember searching salvages in Tennessee and a good portion were 3.27 or 3.55. Only v8's had 3.73 (in the salvages I was searching)

The salvages in Oklahoma have 3.73's mostly, few 3.55's and pretty rare to find 3.27. I have yet to stumble upon 4.10's.

ok thought bout goin in a diff direction. could i just take the body off the 96 frame and put the 93 body on the 96 frame?