ld50 Explorer mods revisited

Hello fellow Explorer enthusiasts.
If you want to jump to my solid axle swap thread click link below: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163210

If you start here you will see the mods to my Ex in cronological order as they happened, and as my own ideas and expectations were being formed. Some of my early mods led me into my SAS, and were essential to the process. There is a link to my solid axle swap at the end.

This started out as a re-do of my modification thread I started before I finally became elite. I couldn`t go back to it and post pictures so I wanted to redo it in style.


~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~

This is a rough guide that may depend on your resolution!

PAGE 1:

-Intro
-Front license plate raised
-driving lights
-Stock picture
-Cone air filter
-CB and cheap glass mount antenna
-Wire mesh grille
-Front tow hooks install
-2"suspension lift + shocks

PAGE 2

-2"suspension lift + shocks cont`d
-Broken front lower shock mount remedy
-Addition of 31x10.5 tires
-Alignment woes
-Fire extinguisher added (with warning pics)
-Rear locker added (my initial thoughts)
-How I beat the "left side lean"
-My first real trip report with thoughts on truck perf.

PAGE 3:

-Body lift kit parts problems
-Canadian flag 3rd brake light
-2" Body lift install
-2" Body lift install cont`d
-Short lived front bumper gap filler (LOL)
-Rear bumper remount (2" higher)

PAGE 4:

-Rear bumper remount (2" higher) cont`d
-Front bumper remount (2" higher) (Tow hooks raised inside frame)
-Warrior shackles and rear shock mount skidplates
-Skid plate problems
-My first time towing a Jeep outta the mud
-Rear sway bar removal and upper shock mount mod
-Emergency brake cable mod #1

PAGE 5:

-More Warrior skidplate/shockmount problems noted
-Front splashguard (bumper to swaybar)
-Trip report; Vancouver Island
-Post trip thoughts
-Warrior skidplate shock mount breakage
-The amazing throttle cable mod!
-Hieght measurements to bottom of bumpers

PAGE 6:

-Info on wheel spacers
-Warrior comes through with proper plates
-Rear shock mounted to axle with old sway bar brackets
-Raised upper rear shock mounts
-I get the dumb idea to buy a bra
-The "Zimmerman" rear spring mod (I later regret)
-Front swaybar disconnects (cheap, didn`t work well)

PAGE 7:

-Emergency brake cable extension!
-1 & 1/2 inch wheel spacers
-1 & 1/2 inch wheel spacers cont`d
-Custom exhaust (brand?)
-My first stuck!
-Wheeling thoughts and misdiagnosed problem
-Hippoliner on rockers (like herculiner)
-Replacing a rear shackle bushing with poly
-Starter problem troubleshooting, repair
-Note on premature corroding of battery cables for 91-94 Explorers

PAGE 8:

-Better front swaybar disconnects
-Dual battery setup!
-Dual battery setup! cont`d
-Fender trimming to fit 33s

PAGE 9

-Fender trimming to fit 33s (cont`d)
-I put my front driving lights in the back for reverse lights
-The 33s are on!
-Warrior shock relocation bracket mounts for rear lowers

PAGE 10

-Four foot antenna mount at rear corner
-Another trip report
-1 year anniversary
-I prove that I could possibly be crazy

PAGE 11

-Cheap fender flares
-Old Man Emu rear springs (OME-36)


PAGE 12

-I assume that I have reached a plateau!

PAGE 13
-Detroit EZ locker install into my open front diff.

PAGE 14
-Detroit EZ locker install into my open front diff. (cont`d)
-Rear towhook install

PAGE 15
-J-Clips to keep front coils from popping out at the top

LAST PAGE
-Link to rusty rocker panel repair
-Link to Solid Axle Swap

 

[ld50]

Now, the locker is all set up so it is time to clean the surfaces of all the old gasket material, get all of it off, and wipe it down with varsol or some sort of good cleaner. What you don`t want is an oily residue left on the surface, or it may leak. After all this work, a leak would suck, bigtime.
My theory on gasket material, is more is better, don`t be cheap! and follow the directions...

 

[ld50]

I rigged up a system here for re-mounting of the diff. A ratchet extension in the vice to keep her steady, and enough room to get the bolts in from underneath.
I stuffed a rag under the axle as you can see, this was to keep it up high so I didn`t scrape off my gasket material on the remount. If you do scrap some off, once you almost get it in place, try to re-apply some to the area. I lost some to the right of the pic, I used my finger to re-claim it, and tried to get in back where it came from.

Once it was in place, I tightened the bolts to hand tight, and went and re-packed the bearings. After about an hour, I tightened the bolts to about 45 ft/lbs. lastly, I put the bolt back in that I talked about earlier (the cheat)

 

[ld50]

I advise undoing the u-joint on the input shaft to the diff at this point, then re-attaching it after you re-install the TTB. You can just slide the passenger side axle in place when you assemble it.
Good idea to grease those slip joints on the axles too.

I have no more pics, but just hook everything back up as it came, if you are following along. Don`t forget to put some new oil in the diff, I used 85/140 diff oil, because no one seemed to have the 75/140 that was suggested in the manual.

Once I try this sucker out, I`ll come back and tell you if I notice anything!

 

[carsonm]

Me too, I do feel like I was right there helping.

God I LOVE this thread!

 

[bates]

Can you clarify that 'cheat'? From what I'm getting you are saying there is a bolt and nut holding the third member in, and it inaccessible when the whole assembly is in the truck, due to the postion of the radius arm, and to fix this, the shop notched your RA to get to it. Is this correct?

 

[ld50]

Yeah, sounds like you got the idea. here`s another pic, the bottom left of the square points at the bolt.

 

[Kirby N.]

SO how do you like it? I love my front LockRight. It made my truck work sooo much better. It is just alot scary in the hardpack snow at any speed...

 

[ld50]

Still haven`t tried it...

Think I`ll do a quick trip this weekend just to try it out.

 

[ld50]

Wow, It`s definitely different with the front locker in there.
First thing I noticed was the wheels do not like to be turned, they fight you to stay going forward. When I turn it grabs and bucks and tears up the earth. It`s almost too much traction, can`t wait till I bust a u-joint in my front end, LOL.
If I keep the hubs locked and just disengage the transfer case it still feels really stiff, the only way to stop that feeling is to unlock the hubs it seems, which is different than I`m used to, still haven`t tried just unlocking one side.
Anyway, damn does it ever have traction now, it`s unreal.


I kick myself because I saw an Explorer while I was out that had fallen sideways down a little embankment and stopped a hair before flopping, and I had forgotten my camera! I could not believe this guy had not rolled, and neither could he.
There was a couple trucks there helping him out, it was pretty cool.

 

[Brandons]

Good job, i just looked over all 14 pages, and its awsome, a lot of inspiration, i think im going to start with fixing my front lower shock mounts

 

[ld50]

Thanks Brandon!

I got a new mod!
I`m going to the Serious Explorations Moab run so I needed rear tow hooks. What I did was moved my rear reverse lights over a tad and put the hooks where they used to be. For one of the mount holes I used the rivet point, just ground off the head and drilled the rest out:

 

[ld50]

As you can see in that pic the frame kind of gets skinnier as It goes back to where I need to mount the second hole. I decided the hooks would just have to be slightly angled to ensure the strongest mount, no big deal. I tightend up the bolt that goes through the old rivet with the hook about where I wanted it, then drilled the next hole (closer to my shackles) and bolted her up. I couldn`t go the other way because the rear crosswise part of the frame would be in the way.

 

[ld50]

Don`t forget, I raised my rear bumper after my body lift, so I have more room under there.
Anyway they`re on now, and you can barely notice they aren`t straight.

 

[Brandons]

hehe, whenever i needed towed out from behind, the trailer hitch is my best friend

 

[Brandons]

And that looks great man

 

[ld50]

Thanks for all the replies/support guys!

 

[Adam Foote]

Hey bro can you take a picture of ur transfer case for me? please? i have a thread about why i need it but no one is replying to it

 

[ld50]

Sorry haven`t looked here in a while. Pic of transfer case huh? I`ll look for the thread, maybe you got it already, but I won`t be able to take a pic till tomorrow.

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

Holy Crap!

Man that is a very nice rig you got there
its nice to see all those add-ons and such, and the best part is that all that work you have done yourself, *thumbs up on that*

very cool stuff with your Ex.

awesome thread

 

[majorlag]

The BEST thread!

Man, this is the best thread on the site! (No offense to any other posters)

Your excellently-written, very informative and entertaining narrative of your buildup from grocery-getter to off-road monster really inspired me to modify my truck! And the best part is your photo log! Two big "thumbs up" to you for doing all this by your little lonesome, eh!