Thanks to Bronco638 and everyone else who contributed to this thread. I just did an F150 leaf spring swap on my 98 Ltd. today. It took me about 8 hours total including driving 30 minutes each way to the Pull-n-pay salvage yard, pulling the springs from an F150, and installing them on my Explorer.
The only hangup I had was the rear mounting bolt was seized in the bushing on both sides (where the leaf mounts to the shackle). I removed the whole shackle along with the spring assy. and gave up on trying to remove that bolt. Hopefully not a biggie.
Here's a few things I learned along the way:
My stock springs were different than most - mine had 4 real leafs rather than 3 plus an overload. I believe mine were even softer than most - perhaps being a Ltd., they optioned it for a softer riding suspension. Not sure.
F150's appeared to have several spring configurations, so it's important to know what you're looking for. I managed to find an '86 2WD Crew Cab with a 4/1 leaf pack measuring 1.75" thick. This was one of the lighter spring packs used on F150's. I think you have to be careful to avoid getting carried away and installing a leaf pack that is way overkill for an Ex.
This website:
http://www.generalspringkc.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=77&pg=1 was most helpful in understanding both the stock Ex spring configurations and the stock F150 spring configurations. As you can see, what you're looking for is an '80 - '96 F150 2WD with a 2.5" wide spring pack. There were several configurations, and the 4/1 1.75" thick version I snagged appears to be rated at 1655 lbs, which is almost double my stock 4-leaf set (the more common 3/1 set is rated at 1100 lbs. on Gen II's)
Some have mentioned "fanning" problems. Ford installed a steel clamp around the front of the leafs to eliminate this. I imagine most people are destroying that clamp when removing. I destroyed my first one, but on the second one, I was careful to bend the locking tab just the minimum amount necesarry to be able to remove the clamp. I was then able to successfully reuse the clamp.
I had never been to one of these Pull-n-pay salvage yards, but I must say, they've got the system figured out. All the vehicles are suspended, so you don't need any sort of jacks. I was apprehensive about driving 30 minutes away concerned I would not be successful. I was probably out of there with my springs in an hour. I took a heavy toolbox full of everything I imagined I might want. In the end, I used a 1/2 breaker bar and ratchet, 13/16 deep socket, 13/16 wrench (I think it's actually metric, but the 13/16 works - just a bit snug on the fasteners), and a screwdriver to help remove the tight-fitting sockets from the fasteners. Oh, and $46 to get out the door with my "new" springs.
So far, I've only driven it around the neighborhood, but it feels and looks like it should. Prior to the swap, the back end was all but riding on the bottoming cushions. Now it sits up proud, but it seems to still be responsive to bumps in the road.
I'm a happy camper!
AM.