99 V8 Sport AWD "Black Beauty"

Hi every one out there. My name is Chris and I drive a 99 Explorer Sport. It used to be a 4.0 SOHC 4X4 and now it has new life as a 5.0 V8 AWD. Right now she sits on stock sizes tires with rims off of a 2010 Ranger. Any ways the girl friend likes to name all of my cars so she named it Black Beauty. So now I guess I need to do some black out work. Any way here is a list of mods that have been done and a list of what will be done.

Mods Include

Interior
01 Sport Seats
01 Sport Instrument Cluster w/LED's
Remote Start with Alarm installed by me.
Sony Head Unit
Pioneer Speakers in the front
Cerwin Vega Speakers in the rear
Kicker CVX 10" 1200 Watt max subwoofer
JL Stealth Subwoofer Box
Rockford Fosgate p500-2 1000 Watt max amp
LED Interior lighting (Dome Lights)

Exterior
Bug Deflector
Billit Grill
Fully Debadged
Roof Rack Removed
Side Steps Removed
18inch Rims
Stock turn signals to clear corners (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=87602)
Tinted 3rd Brake Light
Tinted Tail Lights

Performance
5.0L V8 Swap
Mac CAI bought from VroomZoomBoom
Custom Exhaust

Engine
Replaced Both Upstream O2 Sensors 3/19/2014

Suspension
4 Door Leaf Pack
2 inch lowering blocks in the rear
Caster/Camber adjusters
Custom length sway bar end links
TT in the front
KYB Gas-a-Just shock in the rear.

Transfer Case & Differential
4406 Manual Shift 4X4 T-Case Swap
Custom Rear Drive Shaft bought from VroomZoomBoom with u joint Precision 354 at axle and Precision 232 at transfer case
F150 front drive shaft with conversion u joint Precision 353 at axle and Precision 354 at transfer case
D35 w/4.10 open
8.8 w/4.10 Traction Lock

Lighting
Fog lamps modded to stay on with high beams
HID Head Lights
Led Puddle Lights
Led License Plat Lights
LED Strip Under Hatch

Mods Coming Soon

Performance
Electric fan
TM Headers
1 inch Intake Spacer

Exterior
Black Powder Coated Billit Grill
Black Head Light with diamond lenses retro fitted with projectors.
Color Match Trim to body color

Lighting
HIID Fog Lights
22" Cree LED Zombi Lights

Interior
Add Zombie Lights Switch
Add Reverse Lights Switch
Add Inverter Switch

I will keep this first post updated with mods as I can. Thanks for looking.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Tim, find the length you need and cut down the tubes on your present set, then you can trim off the bolt end once they are installed. It may help against tire rub on the swaybar also.

yea, i just dont know why i didnt think of that when i did mine. will do it soon, need to replace the sway bar anyway.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Well like I said I am posting a pic of the spark plugs that I pulled out. It kind of looks like who ever had the parts car that the motor was pulled from only changed plugs on one side.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Here was my other fun event for the night. I went to get an alignment. They put my EX on the machine. I waited for over an hour when they finally came and told me that machine was broken. I was like WTF why didn't you tell me sooner. They told me they just found this out. And I told them that was BS since I had been standing out side of the bay my EX was in the whole time.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Round 2 on the alignment machine. The told me they could not get it adjusted all the way and my steering wheel still is not straight.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Round 2 on the alignment machine. The told me they could not get it adjusted all the way and my steering will still is not straight.

find a new shop. adding the cam adjusters should have made their job easier, not harder. unless you have bad tie rods, ball joints, ect, they should be able to nail it dead on.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Yea they said that my lower ball joints where bad. So yea more work for me.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Well good news for me. We are going to go and buy are old 97 4door explorer xlt from my great grandpa tomorrow. The wife will be driving it so the means I have more time to do mods to the sport.

 

[delexploder]

Looks good dropped down

 

[R1dd1cK]

Thanks. I can't wait for operation black out. Then I think it will look really sharp.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Well I started the debadging to day. Any one know of a good way to clean the junk that is left over from pulling the letters off?

 

[Turdle]

Leather glove and thumb pressure with heat gun.

-eraser-

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Leather glove and thumb pressure with heat gun.

-eraser-

or find a autobody supply store. 3m makes disks that go onto a drill for them.

 

[R1dd1cK]

Thanks guys I will try one of the two methods and see whats happens. Any way I saw a few threads on here about putting sho wheels on an explorer. What I did not see was what size spacer is needed. Any one know what size spacer is needed on a 2nd gen explorer?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

depends on the rim offset. most mustang rims, you will need 1/4-3/8 spacer for the front

 

[vroomzoomboom]

one other thing. now that you have lowered it, two problems i had was the spare tire carrier was rubbing the diff cover when going over bumps. granted, i have a alum TA diff girdle which is thicker then a stock diff cover, but it made a mess of the powder coating. just ask turdle. second problem was, the exhaust pipe going over the diff was hitting it (this was when i had the v6 in it mind you, so i dont know what the tail pipe is like on yours). i had to get a new tail pipe bent up, and put in. might be worth your while to check on them, if you havent already.

 

[Turdle]

Hmm,when I lowered out Black Turdle Mounty, I installed 17x9 cobra R replica wheels, with 275 60r's , and used no spacers--the wheels went to Techiman33's truck and he has been rolling on them for years, with no spacers. Picture for proof.

 

[blueka]

nice to see another V8 Sport..


Si

 

[R1dd1cK]

Well so far I have not seen any rubbin. I think I am going to chop the exhaust. Right now it goes to a 2 in 2 out muffler then joined by a y pipe back to one. The guy doing the exhaust could not get 2 pipes to fit. I also am thinking about the 4406 transfer case.

 

[blueka]

aren't we all? haha, I'm still trying to find an electric one...

Si

 

[R1dd1cK]

Yea I will have enough other electric stuff by the time I'm done.