Sloped body lift + SOA successful

[r37ribution]

Nick, great idea and awesome truck!

after reading 7 pages, SOA sounds like the way to go. best bang for your buck. I'll probably do the sloped body lift until i can afford to replace the tortion bars. I'm just a little weary about getting the perches lined up properly so my truck doesn't dog-walk. is there any replacment rear end that will bolt up to our trucks from another truck that has the upper perches mounted in the proper place preferably with a 9" rear?

also if anyone has some extra 3" body mounts I got $$$ on it.

thanks aaron

[j602]

Getting the perches on right is not that hard. Just have a level handy, and take your time getting them even.

[Nick26]

thanks for the compliments... the perches were the least of my worries, just do them parallel to the lower ones. I read tipping the pinion up and making it mismatch the angle from the transfer case and cause vibrations cause its out of sync. I did it parallel and mines perfectly smooth. I only have like one 3 inch spacer left though after mailing a few off to hokie. technically you could probably bolt up a ranger axle cause they had perches on top but its definitely easier and cheaper to just weld on your own perches.

[j602]

Yeah I did mine parallel to the old ones and it turned out perfectly. I think moving the perches to rotate the pinion does the same thing as a pinion angle shim.

[nissanboy]

Ranger rear axles are only 28line and are weaker than the explorer axle... not to mention the spring perches are diffent widths due to spring mounting configurations. The ranger rear is also not as wide as an explorer rearl. So dont use the ranger rear.

[j602]

WTF are you talking about?

[r37ribution]

so the swapping the axle idea won't work....was just curious. i have seen a lot of rangers dog-walking down the freeway before like they had a bent frame or misaligned leaf springs, but they are not suppose to be adjustable I thought like our X's. Maybe ranger axle's not fitting is a good thing.

[xplor_off-road]

Originally Posted by explrig91

o just wondering, that's wat i am doin with mine tho. i got the ranger rear from a junk yard just need to install it. i figure doin a SOA and using the ranger 3inch blocks and combined with my homemade lift up front i am lookin at around 7.5 to 8inches of lift.

I would stay away from the Ranger rear! Unless ya plan on swappin' all the guts out. I'm thinkin' the Ranger only has 27 spline axels where as the Explorers have the heavy duty 31 spline. In any case the weld on perch would be easier to set up than a rear end gear swap! just my .2 tho. anyway good luck

[Lefy]

I like what I see man good job.. this maybe in the cards for me.
I hate my body lift. and really hate draging my shocks and spring plates on everything.. hmmm

[r37ribution]

sounds like you want a tru lift then...

[sk1er17]

dayum lefy.. diggin up an old one here aren't ya

that explorer of yours still runs ??

[Nick26]

Originally Posted by r37ribution

sounds like you want a tru lift then...

why spend the money, this is exactly the same if not better and only costs like $200 ($150 for body lift and $50 for perches).

[Lefy]

yeah my explorer is still rolling round 172k on the odometer. I'm trying to make it hold up till i'm out of college as money is tight. I see you got a chevy now not bad looks good.

[Hokie]

I haven't taken it to the full degree. I've got 2" blocks in the rear, tapering upto a 3" block in the front. It sits atleast an inch high in the rear right now.

I've got the cut blocks and correct length bolts in storage for when I do a rear SOA. But for right now I'm running shackles and an AAL in the rear. I'm hoping to get access to a welder and fabrication shop at CSU's engines lab that I'm starting at tomorrow.

One thing I've noticed is that with my rear about 2-3" higher than the front my gas gage seems to be more susceptible to inclines (although at stock height, my Mounty's gas gage has always fluctuated more than my Sport did). More of an annoyance, the only downside I can see is that it reads lower than actual. I'll only put in 16-19 gallons now when it reads low (21 gallon tank).

I need bigger tires, 285's would fit great

[MountaineerGreen]

Looks good! Hokie, you need your own thread and maybe some before pictures as well. 285's and 4.10's are just right.

[dman726749]

bout time you got that thing lifted

[Hokie]

Originally Posted by MountaineerGreen

Looks good! Hokie, you need your own thread and maybe some before pictures as well. 285's and 4.10's are just right.

Yeah, I'll make a new Elite Mountaineer registry (right now its for my old Sport). I've been busy with the move. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it when it was stock. Oh well, it was just a stock Mountaineer with chrome steelies, 29" tires and a 2" sagging rear end.

I'm trying to talk my roommate into putting a 2" budget boost on his '05 Xterra and buying my 265's so I can get 285's. I think that would help my mpg's some right now b/c ever since I regeared I've been getting 15 mpg or less, engine just must be spinning too fast.

That and my speedo/odom is off by 9% (low) right now (which doesn't make sense b/c the larger tires and lower gearing should've countered each other).

I'll have access to a machine shop, welders, WATER JET! and other fun toys so the truck will be getting sliders, front and engine/belly skid plates and maybe the rear SOA.

[MountaineerGreen]

Originally Posted by Hokie

That and my speedo/odom is off by 9% (low) right now (which doesn't make sense b/c the larger tires and lower gearing should've countered each other).

I had that same thought- but your speed is read at the wheel speed sensor, not at the transmission. So, the gears won't counter the speed issue, the speedo will remain the same no matter what gears you have. You can program your speedo through your ABS module, but you will need a NGS from a stealership to do so. I have corrected my speedo for my 285's.

[Hokie]

Originally Posted by MountaineerGreen

I had that same thought- but your speed is read at the wheel speed sensor, not at the transmission. So, the gears won't counter the speed issue, the speedo will remain the same no matter what gears you have.

I thought the speed is read at the t-case mag pick up sensor? Isn't that why 410Fortune doesn't have a speedo in his '96 with the manual 4406?

[MountaineerGreen]

Originally Posted by Hokie

I thought the speed is read at the t-case mag pick up sensor? Isn't that why 410Fortune doesn't have a speedo in his '96 with the manual 4406?

Remember, your AWD T case doesn't have any wires/sensors. 410 did a retro fit of a tone ring to make his speedo work.