Foxracin's 1991 Exploder

Real Name: Trevor
Year : 1991
Model: Explorer
State: North Carolina
City: Mount Holly



Just picked up this Exploder last week. Its not in the best of shape but overall its decent. The motor runs great and the body has very few dents and dings.

When I got it the trans was out like every other a4ld. I am a 5 speed guy myself and was planning to convert to 5 speed anyway.

First thing and did is check the fluid in the trans. Nice and red, full, and doesnt smell burnt. Pulled one of the lines at the radiator and fired it up and no fliud. Nothing at all. Pulled the pressure plug in the side of the trans and fired it up to make sure the lines were not stopped up somewhere and still nothing so I knew something wasnt right with the pump.

Got it home and put it on some jack stands and started tearing out the trans.

Got the trans out and pulled the torque converter out and found some scaring on the snout. Thats not supposed to be like that. lol

Pulled the bellhousing off then the pump from the bellhousing and theres the problem. One of the pump gears cracked and spread the teeth apart and locked up and spun on the torque converter.

Oh well time to throw it in the scrap pile. Dont want to spend the money on it again not even know if the rest of the trans is good and for it to just break again. I figured I could swap in a 5 speed for not much more then fixing the a4ld.

Figured I would mess with the inside a little while I try to find a trans.

Put in a Sony headunit. Ran new speaker wires and used the internal amp after 2 stock amps were not right. Soldered all the connections and ran new speaker wire and its good as new.

Put it in a Midland CB I had laying around.

Overall shot of the interior.

Then I figured I would ride over the the Pull-A-Part to see if I could run across anything. Sure enough ran across a 1992 5 speed Exploder. But somebody already robbed the trans and starter. Figured I would go ahead and get what I could off it. Got the computer, Manual trans wiring harness, pedals, and Master cylinder(when they got the trans they cut the line so it wasnt useable). Still had the flywheel, clutch/pressure plate still on it too but I didnt have the money for it right then.

So I came home and started swapping out some stuff.

Manual trans wiring harness.

Swapped computers and moved it to behind the glove compartment to get it a little higher.

Swapped the pedals. I left the pedal assembly in and just changed out the brake pedal and put the clutch pedal on. It was aggravating but definitely beats pulling the dash out to change the entire assembly.

Went back the next day to Pull-A-Part to get the clutch and flywheel and all that good stuff crawled under it and somebody done took the clutch and pressure plate. So I missed out on that. Went ahead and pulled the flywheel off though. It looked fairly new.

Pile of junk parts I have pulled off so far. lol It keeps getting bigger.

Thats where I am at so far. Need to scrounge up some money to get me a trans and a few other pieces and I should be set.

For now I will probably just do a body lift and coil spacers and shackles for now with some 33's or 34's after I get it on the road.

Then save up for the d44 SAS down the road.

Ill keep this thread updated as I get some more work done.

 

[Foxracin]

Took it wheelin at a atv/ohv park today. Burried it big time with the first hour being there. Took about 2 hours to get it out. It was a bottomless pit. Didnt look that bad wasnt any standing water or anything in it. Had to dig out around the fan about 3-4 times from the mud packed up in it and it started over heating and the winch was killing the battery. Had to pull a little and let it sit and charge the battery back up. Broke one of the "jeep" manual hubs. Also found a log burried in the hole and it jammed itself up into the fenderwell and stopped it from pulling out anymore. Hooked the come-a-long to it and got it broke off out of the way and finally got it out. Changed the hub and continued on.

Right when it sank

Started winching it

Broke hub

Hub pieces

Turned it into a wheel spacer

Log we dug up

Getting closer to getting out

Almost out

Finally made it out

The path

Changing the hub

Rode around some more and met up with a guy with a chevy on 44's and rode around with him a little and he wanted to try out that mud hole. He came in from the other side and made it about half way across then burried it to the axles. It broke axle in it also. Got it winched out for him.

His ruts

Then a fourwheeler came along and decided he was going to try it. Came in the same way I did an it didnt make it far at all.

Rode around some more and winched a fourwheeler out of the river that sucked in water and wouldnt spin over. Got the plug pulled out and spun it over to get all the water out for him and got it fired back up.

Then found another mud hole the big chevy tried in 3wd.

First try didnt make it far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTEAKlXcE90

Got it winched out again and he tried it again with a little more speed and a little different angle. Made it out of the deep part and it shut off on him. I believe it would have made it apart if it wouldnt have shut off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbcBKFBv2X8

Got it winched out yet again and got it started back up and called it quits. Had a blast. Definitely gave the winch a workout and it never missed a beat. Definitely reccomend it to anyone looking for a winch.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

looks like someone had a good day.
its always good to have a BIG truck there, thos guys are fun. ive got a friend with a zuk sami on 44s and a 4 link in the rear with Dana 60s.
when you go to 33s you should consider another type of M/T, those swampers dont look like they clear out well.
and maybe i missed it, but what type and how many lbs is your winch? also, how many amps does it draw?
truck looks great btw

 

[backfrmcolorado]

hell yeah. looks good. yeah just like you my a4ld is out on my 1994 x... switching to a 5 spd, but im thinkin of getting crazy and fitting it with a supercharged 5.0 out of my buddies wrecked mustang. if no 5.o how hard is it to convert to manual.

 

[Glen4X4]

Jeez sounds like a hectic day! Time to upgrade alternators. Hard to believe you broke a hub with 31's what a mess!

 

[explorerguy89]

wow thats some nasty mud

 

[Foxracin]

I forgot to put I also broke a front axle on the same side also. Believe it broke at the same time the hub did.

 

[Foxracin]

looks like someone had a good day.
its always good to have a BIG truck there, thos guys are fun. ive got a friend with a zuk sami on 44s and a 4 link in the rear with Dana 60s.
when you go to 33s you should consider another type of M/T, those swampers dont look like they clear out well.
and maybe i missed it, but what type and how many lbs is your winch? also, how many amps does it draw?
truck looks great btw

They clean out great when you get them spinning. I just didnt have them spinning fast winching it out case there wasnt anything for them to bite to. But I am probably going to get a set of the bfg km2's.

The winch is a Smittybilt 8000lb. I think it pulls like 400 amp at full pull. Yes its a lot but it a life saver.

 

[Foxracin]

Hard to believe you broke a hub with 31's what a mess!

Same thing I was thinking. It was the stronger Jeep hubs too. Broke a axle on the same side also.

 

[Glen4X4]

Maybe you should downgrade to the regular WARN hubs...then they should break before the axle has a chance too...hard to believe they both the axle and hub went.

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

nice progress fox. how is that smitty workin for you. i sold my warn so i'm definetly looking for a new winch...

 

[Foxracin]

Maybe you should downgrade to the regular WARN hubs...then they should break before the axle has a chance too...hard to believe they both the axle and hub went.

I put a regular warn back on it. I would rather the axle break then the hub though. Axles are cheap at the junkyard and there are tons of Explorer around here. I got one today for $15 bucks. Hubs are a lot more.

 

[Foxracin]

nice progress fox. how is that smitty workin for you. i sold my warn so i'm definetly looking for a new winch...

I love it so far. I would definitely recommend it. So far it has pulled me out 3 times, pulled that chevy on 44's out 3 times, a fourwheeler in the river and pulled down a few trees. Never missed a beat.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

what you should do is go to your local autozone and buy a few sets of the mile maker hubs that are identicle to the warn ones but they are made with less quality... Then get the life time a warrenty on them. And when one breaks just throw on a new one then exchange the broken one when you get back into town. I don't know if they still do the life time warrenty tho... Might have to check up on that.

 

[Foxracin]

Got the Aussie locker in the mail today.

8.8 Install kit

Also got the broke axle changed out. Here is the broke one.

 

[SCB1904]

Love what you're doing to your x. Keep it up!!

 

[Foxracin]

Took the Sploder back to the same place as last time and tried out some more stuff and some more trails since I fixed the axle. Did pretty good. Only had the pull the winch twice cause of some pretty deep mud and ruts.

Only carnage was a mirror, bent drivers tie-rod, and lost the u joint caps on the driver front axle. Broke the joint right at the end of the day so I put it in 2wd and left. Dont think it hurt the axle so I should just be fine with a new joint. Ill try tacking the caps on and see if that helps any.

Anywho here are some pics and what not.

Small rock

Some sand by the river

Only rocks we could find at the place

Vid coming up them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOBgksrVRf4

Flexed it out a little where it was washed out. The rear flexes pretty good to be stock for the most part. Need to try to get some more out of the front though.

Tierod bent a little more then its supposed to be.

Pulled it off and bent it back out and put it back on and aligned it a little and back at it.

Broke mirror

The found another mud hole. Wasnt real deep or anything but had some pretty deep ruts coming out of it. Made it just about out and it would get hung up on the rut with the frame and rear end and wouldnt come out. Had to give it a little tug with the winch. Wouldnt back up a whole lot either cause the quarter panel was all in the side wall and trailer hitch was digging in.

Vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGA68ZPVyis

Side wall

Had to go through another mud hole on the same trail that didnt look that bad but the passenger side sunk in it. Started taking on a little water on the inside.

Mud on the inside

Another creek

Then on the way home seen this big Monster truck sitting off a side road. Had to turn around and go get some pics of it and a better look. Tires on it were 66 inches tall. My buddy stand beside it for size reference.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

those are some MONSTER leaf packs!^^
that rut your front passenger tire went in to looks crazy!

is that aussie locker installed yet?
if so, how you like it?

 

[Foxracin]

The Aussie isnt installed yet. I got another rearend Im going to get my buddy to set the 4.56's in then put the Aussie in and get it all ready to go and swap it in.

 

[Foxracin]

Got a little more bass now. Got a little 8" JBL sub and bought a little cheap 250watt rms amp. I wasnt looking for anything super loud just looking for a little more bass. I listen to a lot of metal/double bass stuff and it work and sounds great for what I wanted.

Got it all put in and wired up today. Its all mounted inside the box I built in the back.

Sub mounted in box

Sealed off a box inside the box for the sub

Amp wired up and everything

Dont mind all the saw dust. Still need to vacuum all of it up.

 

[Foxracin]

Got some stickers in the mail today.