RCD lift kit PURCHASED!!!!! no more tortion bars 4 me!

[redranger4.0]

R37 glad to hear you finally got it all installed. that specific kit was the first non prodotype kit to be on a ranger(99% sure about this) and now its the first i know of on a explorer. hurry up and get those pics up. i want to see how it turned out height wise.

 

[r37ribution]

Hahahahaha I know that feeling! Always takes a bit longer then expected doesn't it? Something ALWAYS comes up too...

Surprisingly, we did not have to make one trip to the store thanks to everything Mechanix had available to us in his garage.

The only major scares we had that I can think of were what we thought were missing parts for the front diff bracket and the rear brake line problem.

There were a lot of other worries but with the ingenuity of everyone there we were able to think through things quite quickly.

...Glad you guys got it done, now be CAREFUL doing 75 MPH on a new kit is NOT a good idea. You need to drive it around a bit and tripple check everything you guys installed for a while. Make sure nothing is coming loose, hitting, rubbing, cracking etc. I have spent HOURS under a truck checking EVERYTHING.
I have seen the stories of people installing a new part, getting on the highway or something and BAM, totalled and injured.

Because of the bad weather we had last night we went mostly 55mph the whole 60 mile trip home. When I found a clear spot on the freeway I couldn't help my curiousity and concern about the possibility of vibrations comming from the SOA since we didn't extend the driveshaft or offset the perches. Not to mention the front end should have been completely out of allignment! So I hit the gas!

I couldn't believe how smooth and straight she drove! Definately as good as before the lift if not better. Nonetheless, I will still be getting the allignment checked and adjusted.

We came up with a very easy and accurate method of alligning the rear perches for SOA too-Actually TheRookie's idea-
1) Remove the rear axle and put it on jack stands. Place a jack under the diff.
2) Place a level on the origional perches underneath the axle and use the jack to level the axle.
3) Place a level on your new perches and level them.
4) Double check everything!
5) Weld!
We did one side at a time. Re-checking the level of the lower perches each time.
No we did not offset the perches by 2 or 3 degrees this way but it worked perfectly and I know it's accurate. Didn't need an angle finder either.

 

[4.0L_4X4_Rob]

Its good to hear that it went together ok. Can't wait for the write up and pic's

 

[redranger4.0]

how do you like the ride with the kit? i thought it was better then stock when it was on the ranger.

 

[adarkang]

Awesome, so nothing too unbearable to modify! I'm glad to hear that. Now, since you did not angle the perches, did you end up moving your rear axle forward? Did you use the stock caliper's and rotors for the front, and did they fit ok? Pic's would help out a lot! Congratulations on being the first Explorer that I know of to be lifted with a RCD kit!

 

[r37ribution]

how do you like the ride with the kit? i thought it was better then stock when it was on the ranger.

I haven't drivin it much yet. Woke up late as hell and basically just watched the super bowl yesterday. I'll know a little more today.

It's definately a more solid ride and firmer. I'll have to drive over some things and see how she flexes in the front. I don't want to go over much with the rear brake line as it is. I think my tortion bars were getting a little loose so I'm not sure how it will compair to a truck with fewer than 200K on the clock.

Awesome, so nothing too unbearable to modify! I'm glad to hear that. Now, since you did not angle the perches, did you end up moving your rear axle forward?...

Nope, rear axle stayed in the middle hole on the perches. We did open the holes up a little because we didn't flip the leaf pin. The pin was on the top of the leaf and the nut on the bottom so it wouldn't fit.

...Did you use the stock caliper's and rotors for the front, and did they fit ok? Pic's would help out a lot!...Congratulations on being the first Explorer that I know of to be lifted with a RCD kit!

The caliper bracket fitment issue is a myth! No problems there, unless they completely changed the design later on the X but I seriously doubt that. There isn't really anything around the caliper to rub.

...Congratulations on being the first Explorer that I know of to be lifted with a RCD kit!

Thanks! It feels pretty good to finally get this all done, been waiting what seems like a lifetime!

I will get pics from my cousin today, not sure what all he has. Maybe I'll call Mechanix and see if I can convince him to email me some before I go back to make the little fixes on the lift.

 

[mechanix]

I went out in the garage today looking for something and found Scotts camera. I can send them all to you or when you come back you can get them.

As for the install. I think it went pretty well. The directions where kind of vague in spots. Better pictures would be have helped alot but over all they worked out. The whole kit as a whole seems to be very good quality and should last. If anyone was to try this alone I would reccomend getting a helper. A second hand would help out alot. I know having four guys on this all the time was nice, cause myself at times would get tired of laying on the floor, someone else would jump down there and do what I was doing or something else. Personaly I enjoyed putting on the lift. The working conditions could have been better (i.e. a lift). I think that is all.

Over all TheRookie, R37 and R37's cousin was a pleasure to meet and a pleasesure to work with. I would do it again in a heart beat.

I am ready to install another. It was fun!!

Eric

 

[410Fortune]

A lift? Pffft 35" tires is a lift, I can even fit on the creeper under my TTB (barely)
hahahaha
Nice work fella's. I think its great to see a group from the board get together to wrench on this stuff. I hear this happens quite a bit witht he TX crew and I know two of my wrenching buddies up here in CO originally were on this forum

Good way to learn and to help out, you never know when you will need help back!

 

[r37ribution]

I went out in the garage today looking for something and found Scotts camera. I can send them all to you or when you come back you can get them...

Well sheet, that puts a real kink in posting pics huh?

My sister has a camera that I'm sure she will let me borrow it to post pics of the finished product...I'll try to get them posted in an hour.

I honestly couldn't believe it when Mechanix first posted about helping me out and then to my suprise TheRookie wanted to join in! The community is definately what makes this forum so awesome.

Rest assured when TheRookie needs help installing his trans, I will be there. Same goes for whenever Mechanix needs some help.

 

[TheRookie]

It seriously was a lot of fun. I think we did well time wise and learned a lot in the process. I made a mistake that made us undo a little work that we did. Other than my screw up it went smoother than I coulda dreamed. Mechanix's garage is set up quite well. Especialy since he has only been in it for a few weeks. Thanks for a fun day guys, it was a pleasure to meet you and get a chance to get together to mod a truck some. You will DEFINATELY have to make the trek out to paragon sometime so we can wheel some

 

[adarkang]

Still waiting patiently for pictures!

 

[zhanx]

r3e when i take leave next you gotta hook up and let me see that sucker.

 

[r37ribution]

My fault for taking so long to get these, my sister took forever to find her digi cam!

It was late and I didn't have a photo editor to increase the brightness but here is a sample. I'll get better ones during the day tomorrow. The stock X is my FS 5.0L.

:edit: finally figured out how to use imageshack lol you dont have to click on the pics nemore...

 

[adarkang]

Looking good! Do you have a body lift along with the RCD, or just the RCD?

 

[r37ribution]

Looking good! Do you have a body lift along with the RCD, or just the RCD?

RCD 5" suspension lift and SOA ONLY!

It is very unlikely I will ever install a body lift...

 

[adarkang]

Wow! that looks pretty good! I might have to take my 2" BL off. I guess i'll have to see.

 

[r37ribution]

With a 2" body lift 35s would prolly fit without any rubbing...

I'm planning on removing my front bumper, installing a skid plate and custom bumper with a wench. That might be enough to clear them not sure.

 

[XFire05]

looks incredible.

Paul

 

[r37ribution]

My BFG 31s look dinky as hell! LOL

 

[adarkang]

I was planning on going to 33's since I am gonna be doing alot of highway driving. Your explorer is a 4 door, correct?