35' TSL on a 3in BL w/ 2.5 TT and Warrior shackles............and some minor trimming

[ed060784]

Hey guys first i wanna say thanks to this forum and all the people who answered my millions of questions last year in order to help me get my X to a level that i wanted to be at all along, and also to prove wrong all the people that went on and said to me "oh you can't built an Explorer cuz they don't sell anything for those trucks..." I've working on my truck for a lil bit now and im alomost to the point where i wanna be at.
i mean i started like this

then went to something like this...

And now im here ...

but i got some minor issues like:
1) i cut already about 4 fingers width from the front fenders to avoid rubbing and it worked OK for city and hwy driving but parking its a whole different story now...... and the thing is that i cut off a section where the panels of the body meet right under the front doors so i wonder if i can keep on cutting more w/o any major effects?? like the car falling apart while im driving....!

2) And #2 is that the back wheels rub a bit right on the rear fender, actually where the fender stars but my other question is that if i cut that will mess up my rear doors?? cuz that is exactly where the doors meet too .....

Thanks for all or any suggestions, i just finished the truck today so i haven't taken more pics but as soon as i do I'll post them right away

 

[Elessar65]

You are never going to be able to wheel it without destroying your tires/bodywork. Get some fiberglass fenders and you'll be golden. Also, your CVs are not long for this world with that kind of angle on them. BTW, I love your bumper.

 

[gmanpaint]

I would get some lift springs in the rear to get some more height to help out with the shackles. That should help a bit in the rear.

As for the front, 2.5" TT is living on the edge BIG TIME! Your CV axles are not long enough for that much TT. If you take it out on a trail, you just might pop a CV from the diff. I would install a set of limit straps ASAP. I would also take it down at minimum 1/2".

Ways to go about fitting those 35" tires are:
Install a straight front axle and a james duff lift kit w/extended radius arms
Get a 4" suspension lift and do a 2" TT (preferably 1.5")
Replace the front fenders with fiberglass pre-runner type like Elessar had mentioned.
Go with a long travel front kit for more travel. Kit comes with longer CV axles made for it.
Take a Sawzall to everything that's in the way

Fabricate the rear axle to go back a couple inches, and chop off the bottom panel on the rear fenders. This will eliminate the need to cut the rocker at the rear door.

Bottom line is, to run 35" on a 2nd gen EX is costly!

 

[ed060784]

You are never going to be able to wheel it without destroying your tires/bodywork. Get some fiberglass fenders and you'll be golden. Also, your CVs are not long for this world with that kind of angle on them. BTW, I love your bumper.

you talking about like those fenders they sale for the cj's and tj's ?? oh and thanks about the bumper, u know it fit right in even though its a bumper for a jeep wrangler..

 

[ed060784]

I would get some lift springs in the rear to get some more height to help out with the shackles. That should help a bit in the rear.

As for the front, 2.5" TT is living on the edge BIG TIME! Your CV axles are not long enough for that much TT. If you take it out on a trail, you just might pop a CV from the diff. I would install a set of limit straps ASAP. I would also take it down at minimum 1/2".

Ways to go about fitting those 35" tires are:
Install a straight front axle and a james duff lift kit w/extended radius arms
Get a 4" suspension lift and do a 2" TT (preferably 1.5")
Replace the front fenders with fiberglass pre-runner type like Elessar had mentioned.
Go with a long travel front kit for more travel. Kit comes with longer CV axles made for it.
Take a Sawzall to everything that's in the way

Fabricate the rear axle to go back a couple inches, and chop off the bottom panel on the rear fenders. This will eliminate the need to cut the rocker at the rear door.

Bottom line is, to run 35" on a 2nd gen EX is costly!

Dude u couldn't be more right about running 35's, i mean the rear its very simple like u said just add new leafs like old man emu leafs or something but the front its where the issue is at cuz yeah i know im max out with the TT but i got no choice , im just hoping the cv's don't pop out while im wheelin ..haha in the other hand superlift went bankrupt so there goes my IFS lift and the SAS....well.... thats the next step after i catch my breath from this last hit of all the stuff i put in...

 

[Elessar65]

you talking about like those fenders they sale for the cj's and tj's ?? oh and thanks about the bumper, u know it fit right in even though its a bumper for a jeep wrangler..

Like these:
http://www.mcneilracinginc.com/off-road-fiberglass/Ford/Explorer/95-01_4dr/index.htm
http://www.fiberwerx.com/html/ford/explorer/fenders.html
http://www.hannemannfiberglass.com/custom.asp?id=457567&page=120

You shouldn't have any problems with some flares like these on there. I can't recommend any over the others though as I have no experience with them. Get in contact with some of the west coast guys, these kind of fenders are really common on desert prerunner type trucks with long travel setups.

You still had to fabricate brackets and stuff though right? No way that bolted right on, lol. The width and stuff fit pretty good though?

 

[corkey]

superlift is till making kits i hear, but if you want a front kit,
this one works, and it's for sale,

http://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2/f29/f54/98488-brand-new-4-superlift-lift-kit.html

it seems upon further viewing of that page that the knuckles are not with it, and have to be bought separate,

 

[turboranger91]

oh my god! it looks cool and all, but do you actually plan on wheeling it?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

nice x

 

[wantedexplorer]

The problem is the 15" Wide Tire. And what are you running for a rim 10"? Whats the back spacing?
Look around here there are 35's on 2nd gen's with the TT/AAl/3"BL with trimming But there running a 8" Wheel and 12.5" Tires.

Ide do a 34x10.5 on a 8" Rim and you would be good to go. Or even a 35x12.5 on a 8" wheel and the trimming you did will already be enough for them. Thats an extra 3"s + of clearance for turning and rubing.

 

[BenS]

Go ahead and run it first after you trim some more. I completely cut off the first bolt that holds the bottom of the front fender on. The second bolt holds it on no problem. Looks sweet. I've been considering replacing my 35X12.5s with 36X13.5s or 35X14.5-15's.

 

[gmanpaint]

The problem is the 15" Wide Tire.

Good catch! I didn't even see it was a 15" wide tire.

I think your inner well lining would also have to be removed along with the fiberglass fenders for clearing these tires.

 

[ed060784]

Yeah that's the plan so far, im going this weekend to a park to try that thing out and see how many parts am i gonna break while im there cuz i kinda tend to pedal it to the metal every time i go out wheelin!!
Yeah also my rims are 15x10 but that's cuz i got them next to nothing, i mean they are pro-comp rims and i got all 4 of them for $150 , and the problem about superlift its that they declared chapter 11 bankruptcy so they're not dead completely but they got a foot in grave already.....ha ha.. so trying to order parts from them it's pointless might as well throw ur money down the drain....
thanks for all the nice comments guys, they mean a lot........

 

[explorerguy89]

nice rig =]

 

[BenS]

Throw some more pics up. I'd like to see side a side shot and close-up of the trimming you've done.

 

[ed060784]

ok here are a coupe of pics of the trimmig for the fenders.....

then trying to make that jeep bumper fit in.....

a before and after at our shop.....

this is the kinda truck i follow when we go out wheeling....

AND this is the final result.......

 

[wrigley_1285]

do you have any close up pics or a write up on how you got the jeep bumper to fit. also what kind of bumper and what wrangler is it for?

 

[ed060784]

And this is a lil bit of the Florida swamps and how they look like , therefore reason why i gotta go with such wide tires...and also cuz they look great...

YEP...! toyotas aren't as good as they say they are......

Now a big boi bronco, just with a lil help (cuz its got stock gears and 38.5 TSL's) does great things......ford power....hahaha..

Always on the way out s#^* happens......

 

[ed060784]

do you have any close up pics or a write up on how you got the jeep bumper to fit. also what kind of bumper and what wrangler is it for?

Well really i got no thread for the bumper but im not the first one who does it either, this thread was the one who gave me the idea to go on and try to make it work...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223933&highlight=winch+options

I really wanted something like this which it would fit just right but it took $900 and 2 months of wait just for shipping , plus another $1200 for the bumper....but man i love this bumper
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154980&highlight=snorkel