ok Lift Kit fight, need some explorers ;-) | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

ok Lift Kit fight, need some explorers ;-)

SwaintaN

Explorer Addict
Joined
March 15, 2008
Messages
2,348
Reaction score
2
City, State
Carey, Ohio (Georgia Grown)
Year, Model & Trim Level
93 XLT
Friend of mine is gonna help do the lift from RC 4" Lift, I have a 93 X he has a 1990 Ranger. He swears up onside and down the other that if I do the RC 4" Lift kit, that the rear AAL will LOWER the back of the explorer! When I say, NO, it will lift, or many of the Serious Exploration User have lifted, would have lowered?! So hes saying all of us who did an AAL lowered the rear?! Come on guys, does the AAL lower the rear?

Part of our Convo:
Chris S: so i dont have to do the spring flip if i dont want to, the RC 4" SUSP lift comes as a full Kit
John C: u need to do it when u do the lift cuz ur axle rests above the springs if you do not do the flip you will raise the front and lower the back when u install the AAL
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Installing a AAL will raise the rear no matter where the springs are, period. They might raise it a slight bit more on a SOA since the thickness of the spring will also add height.
 






An add-a-leaf will lift the rear of the explorer(but not near enough to match the 4in front kit) but the RC kit for the ranger doesnt come with an AAL it comes with rear lift blocks which will lower the rear of an explorer. If you flip the axle under the leaf springs(SOA)it will give you about 5.5" of lift which may be too much.
 






ok i am the one he is arguing with about the lift

i am a mechanic who has done numerous lifts and drops on american and import vehicles so i am going to settle this now as i am not sure if SwaintaN was understanding what i was trying to say


yes an AAL will lift the vehicle no matter what but it will only take out sag thus giving the illusion of a lift .

If the axle sits between the frame rails and the springs this is called a "spring under axle configuration" or SUA adding blocks to this configuration lowers the vehicle and if you use add a leaf you are not actually lifting it but rather eliminating suspension sag


now if the springs rest above the axle this is called a "spring over axle configuration" or SOA adding block or add a leaf to this setup lifts the vehicle and removes suspension sag


now that the technical terms are out of the way

when you take a vehicle that is OEM equipped as a SUA and convert it to a SOA that is called an "axle flip" or "spring flip"

in doing this you acheive approx 4 inches of lift(depending on axle tube size) in the rear end without add a leaf or blocks you can add blocks or add a leaf for a larger lift

i hope this helps to clear up any confusion


i did forget to mention that his explorer is currently equipped with SUA configuration
 






John C: u need to do it when u do the lift cuz ur axle rests above the springs if you do not do the flip you will raise the front and lower the back when u install the AAL


this is what he said earlier.. however, got brought to the public, and changed his mind :D
 






His best bet of getting the rear end up to match the front is a set of 4" leaf springs though not the cheapest it will match the best. The second option will be the SOA which will put the rear end higher than the front but its the cheapest. Or maybe you can try out the AAL with extended shackles.
 












Well actually the SOA is mainly done for a cheap lift and possibly to clear a little room from under the axle but it has its disadvantages. When you get into custom leaf packs is when you get into serious off-roading:D
 






as far as i understood when RC emailed me, they will be giving me two AAL for each side, plus I have a set already here and I have them warrior shackled :D should look nice lol what we will do to wrap 33-35 underneath lol
 






My RC kit came with leaf springs. What are you paying for your kit?
Man I dont know I think that many aals may just create a really stiff ride and may not lift it all, with all those extra leaf packs it'll be like adding a block under the axle. But I'm not sure maybe someone else can answer this.
 






chris what u r not understanding though is that until you get the springs on top of the axle the only way u will get any lift in the back is with shackles you can use 1 add a leaf or 3 it doesn't make any difference other than give you a stiffer ride due to the extra spring leafs an axle flip is not that difficult to do u can eyeball the pinion angle then all that needs done is a new set of perches tacked in place directly opposite the originals and fresh u bolts(if the originals break) and its done piece of cake
 






4713280164_large.jpg


ok this is the suspension of his explorer as it sits after the warrior shackles also right after i put on the rough country shocks this is why i am telling him that to get the lift he wants he should use stock shackles and do a SOA config and then if he wants more lift that is when to add the add a leafs because add a leafs typically are installed at the bottom of the spring pack and currently the bottom of the spring pack as you can see in the pick would have no effect on vehicle height other than helping with suspension sag (this pic was taken from the project hex album so it is infact chris's explorer)

this should put a really detailed light on the subject
 






Yea but a SOA creates more than 4" of lift which I'm not saying is a bad idea just stating that the rear end will sit higher even with the 4in RC kit up there. Also RC makes a set of 4" lifted leaf springs that will lift the rear of the explorer while keeping it SUA which is what I'm running right now.

Also since the AAL's are curved a bit and stiffer they will typically lift an explorer 1-1.5" if he were SOA it would probably lift it more. but still of course no where near 4".
 






What you need is an spring over with flat leaves. That would get you close to the 4" you need.

I've proposed an alternative to the 5.5" of lift typically found in the SOA conversion -- to pocket the front spring eyes into the bottom of the frame rail, and plate the frame for support.

That would accomplish two things, first it would eliminate that big old rock catcher called the front spring hanger, and second, it would give about 1-2" less lift in a SOA conversion.

I don't think that this would be that difficult a modification. I'd just pull the spring hanger, set it along side the frame rail, mark it out, cut on the marks, and weld it in place, allowing for enough room for the spring to exit the lower frame rail. Then, I'd plate the entire area to reinforce it to a distance of about 6" fore and aft of the modification.

I was going to do this on my own 'Sploder, but I sold it to finance a project truck instead. Now I don't have to pocket spring hangers... The entire truck is one big fabrication. :thumbsup:
 






yeah i have the warrior shackles on now and four aals that come with rough country, should put it up there :-D the SOA seems to be more so for serious off roading when it comes to the explorers.

some good vs bad with the swap on an explorer
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224417&highlight=SOA
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46236

Hey buddy.. you can AAL all you want, it wont give you 4" of lift. Im running 4dr leaf packs on my sport, an AAL and warrior shackles and its only ~ 3" of lift. Im purchasing a set of lift springs to get the rear level. you should know this. we talk about it all the time.. and why didnt you tell me you bought the 4" RC kit? you know, with the leveling springs I sold you, you can just buy the drop brackets, use your front spring spacers and the shackles aal in the back and have about 3" of lift all the way around. just so you know, that way youd only have to buy the drop brackets and pitman arm from roughcountry. if you need any help or have any questions you know how to get ahold of me.

oh.. and a-hole, you told me you were selling your ex bc it was a pile. what changed? wait, i know.. a stork.
 






yes sir, lol, the stork changes everything... even ordering a 3rd row seat, sold some parts though getting them shackles replaced.
 


















Call Jeremy at Moab Off-Road. He'll set you up with whatever you need.

502.962.8141 or moab-offroad.net

A couple of other guys from the board discovered that he has some good prices on quality products. Help keep a local shop alive!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.











Back
Top