99ex22's Elite Registry!

Here Is my 1999 XLT. She's all original except for the modifications Ive made, got 163,000 miles on her and is in pretty damn good shape. It was a one owner before me, they took really good care of it, never been hit, and the only scratch on it is on the roof from a tree branch I hit on the trail. The previous owners always had it maintained at their local Ford dealer so all the parts on it are Motorcraft parts. I am constantly changing it and working on it.

Modifications:
Custom Leaf Packs
War153's
TT
1" Body Lift
15x8 Crager Soft 8's
33x12.5R15 Cooper A/T's
Cat Back Magnaflow with 2 1/2" Pipe
Midland CB Radio
Smoked tail light's and 3rd brake light
Sylvania Silverstar Bulbs
Hella Comet 500 driving lights
KYB Monomax shocks
Trico Neoform Wipers
A pretty sweet Ford antenna
Clear corner lenses
Krylon Fusion on plastics
Billet Grille
10K pound tow hooks
Class 3 Tow Master Hidden Hitch
Smittybilt tow hook reciever
20% tinted windows
Mountaineer Grille
240W 3 Way Pioneer speakers
Transfer case skid
Gas tank skid
1997 explorer bumper
Grab handles on pillars
Painted pass airbag, vents, glove box black
Throttle cable mod
Brown wire mod

Here is a stock picture. Right around the time the addiction started taking place...
(dead links)

Here she is after Warrior shackles and TT...
(dead links)
Then I got my Soft 8's...
(dead links)
Then I got my 31's....
(dead links)
Then the ugly 3" Body Lift....

Then I went spring over axle in the rear and sloped body lift for a while...then shortly went back to the previous set up....


And then just recently I cut the 3" pucks down to 1" because I couldnt look at all the gaps and crap hanging down anymore that the 3" body lift created....along with the mountaineer grille. So my current set up is 1" Body lift, 2" TT and Warrior Shackles. Out of everything ive tried this is my favorite. I think my next mod now that im a couple inches lower will be a 4" deep by 40" or so roof rack made by rola and slap 4 hella 500"s up on a light bar.


Let me know what you guys think! and give me idea's of what I should do next! Any questions, just ask! Thanks,

-Russ

 

[99ExploratorySUV]

Hey 99ex22 u got a real sweet rig there. I was just reading your post about 5" of lift for under 300.00. Thanks for posting that, it was very organized makes it very easy to find all the info I need. I just had a quick question about your Cragar Soft 8's. I understand that you have the 15x8's to run those 33's. Now do you need any kind of hubcentric rings to run those wheels? Have you ever had any problems with lugs breaking? I've just heard that to get wheels for an Ex, they need to be hubcentric, or have hubcentric rings. I just wanna get it straight from someone running aftermarket rims, cuz I really wanna get a set of wheels, but I wanna make sure I do it right the first time. If you are running hubcentric rings, could you give me the measurements? Thanks. Keep that Ex running strong, it looks great.

Kyle

 

[99ex22]

Hey 99ex22 u got a real sweet rig there. I was just reading your post about 5" of lift for under 300.00. Thanks for posting that, it was very organized makes it very easy to find all the info I need. I just had a quick question about your Cragar Soft 8's. I understand that you have the 15x8's to run those 33's. Now do you need any kind of hubcentric rings to run those wheels? Have you ever had any problems with lugs breaking? I've just heard that to get wheels for an Ex, they need to be hubcentric, or have hubcentric rings. I just wanna get it straight from someone running aftermarket rims, cuz I really wanna get a set of wheels, but I wanna make sure I do it right the first time. If you are running hubcentric rings, could you give me the measurements? Thanks. Keep that Ex running strong, it looks great.

Kyle

Thanks! nope I don't have hub centric rings and have thousands and thousands of miles on them. I haven't had any trouble at all with lugs or anything either.

 

[99ex22]

UPDATE- I remove the SOA kit because it destroyed my leaf packs from axle rap so I had to purchase new leaf packs from a local spring shop for 300.00...they're made by Triangle spring. Anyway I didn't want to risk screwing my new packs up so I put them back under and put the full 3" body lift back on. The truck rides soooo much better with the new packs..I highly recommend everyone getting new springs I was surprised of what a difference it made in handling and its no longer saggy.

 

[99ex22]

Updated first post! I detailed the hell out my truck today!

 

[storlied]

Wait, so lemme get this straight.. You went from the normal BL, to sloped with SOA, then back again... and you went from... steel bumper, to plastic, back to steel.. and now plastic again?... lol... Also, were you surprised at the price of those leaf packs? I never really looked into them.. but I didn't think they were gonna be $300.... specially considering an AAL is like $35..... So overall.... stock leafs + AAL or new leaf packs completely????

 

[rngmStr]

did u have the Superlift 1160 SOA kit? perches seemed small on those.........

 

[storlied]

Also, the rear axles on the 5.0L model explorers came with bars to fight axle wrap... if you decide to go for the SOA again... you might wanna take a look at the 5.0L setup..

 

[99ex22]

Also, the rear axles on the 5.0L model explorers came with bars to fight axle wrap... if you decide to go for the SOA again... you might wanna take a look at the 5.0L setup..

Yeah I can never make up my mind with my truck lol.... The axle I have on there now is out of a 5. L but those brackets got in the way of the superlift perches so I had to bend them out of the way.... I also reversed the tt and put the stock shackles back on and Im really happy with the way it sits now. It looks alot cleaner a little lower with the tires in the wheel well a little.

 

[storlied]

Call me crazy, but I personally like the look of the shackles hanging down... =| And more the lift, the better, right?.. Did you have to go back and do some trimming cuz u killed the 'suspension' portion of the lift?

I wish you could come up here and help me with this thing... lol..

 

[99ex22]

nope it just barely rubs while im turning and backing at the same time. BTW I did have a AAL in my old packs and all it did was give me a little lift and make it stiff as hell. Plus my old packs had 160,000 miles on them and were squeaky...it sounded like a school bus going down the road. I removed the shackles and tt for 1....as a experiment and 2... Im going to be finally moving out on my own here pretty soon and I don't want to be tempted to go on the trails and break something as I wont be able to afford to fix it. Plus It's a dream to drive on the highway now...nice and smooth and handles really well with only a 3" body lift and 12.5" wide tires.

 

[99ex22]

did u have the Superlift 1160 SOA kit? perches seemed small on those.........

Yeah it was the 1160 kit. I think it was mostly due to my springs being so worn out but I didn't want to chance it with my new ones...

 

[trj360]

axle rap .

Yo so i got these leaf springs
They are cool and keep things
Lifted up in the air then
I get axle wrap and they start to bend
So I get some new packs
And the girlies show me racks
Then I update my post
because i got the most
AXLE RAP!!



99ex, that was a great idea! An axle rap!

 

[storlied]

New idea for ya. Lights behind the grille?

 

[99ex22]

yo so i got these leaf springs
they are cool and keep things
lifted up in the air then
i get axle wrap and they start to bend
so i get some new packs
and the girlies show me racks
then i update my post
because i got the most
axle rap!!

:d

99ex, that was a great idea! An axle rap!

wrap*****

 

[99ex22]

New idea for ya. Lights behind the grille?

Ehhhhhh maybe....it's crossed my mind a few times but I hate taking the front end apart..

 

[storlied]

Only so much the grille really. You'll have more light, I see you got rid of your Hella's... and it'll still give that sleek look you have.

 

[99ex22]

Yeah I might give it a try tomarow as I have nothing else to do. I don't know how stable they're going to be though mounted to that thin plastic....

 

[Turdle]

Use a long strip of metal to tie the 2 together from underneath--this adds strength

 

[trj360]

I've always wanted to see someone else use this bumper...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165605

http://www.jeepbumpers.com/product_info.php/cPath/3590_2351/products_id/26412

 

[99ex22]

you know, If I had 300.00 I would buy that in a heart beat. That mounty still looks extremly clean with it mounted on there....Alot of those prerunner bumpers are too bulky for my taste but I like that one!