Going Up! (4X50 Exploder progress)

I know that it may not seem like much to many of you but for those like myself, sitting around with a bucket of rust and very little budget...

This is a 1950 Ford, F1 pickup body being installed on a '92 4X4 Explorer chasis. Also known as "Project Insanity".

I just had to post this because I feel like I got over a major speed bump tonight!

It's all I can do to come in from the "Man Cave" tonight when I know that a simple all-nighter would have the rest of the front end on by morning...

 

[4X50 Exploder]

Rear shock mounts.

Well, after a week off to catch up on some of the honey-do list...

I got around to fabing up rear mounts for the new Rancho 999028 shocks. Wouldn't ya know it, while test fitting them, I crimped a brake line and the parts stores closed 15 min earlier! I'll have to wait to morning to post the end results with the shocks mounted up...

 

[Cozmik]

WOW!!! Go you!!! I can't wait to this thing finished!!! Beautiful work thus far!!

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

WOW! Those are impressive.

 

[4X50 Exploder]

WOW!!! Go you!!! I can't wait to this thing finished!!! Beautiful work thus far!!

Finished? Thanks, but I don't think you are paying attention... This is a 4X4... Work on a 4X4 is never finished, you just run out of money!

Here's the newly fabbed mounts and shocks hanging on the truck. The SOA conversion is done, now it's time to pull it back inside for rear brakes and wheel bearings...

 

[black91EB]

subscribing, this is very cool. I love the before and afters, I can never remember to do that.

 

[damarble]

Looks great, I'll have to stop by and check it out sometime. I like the lower shock mounts, great idea. Any way to drop the body any farther? Would be nice to stay low enough to fit in a standard garage.


If you need any local help or connections checkout inwadventures.com, it's a private local forum for wheelers. There's only a few of us Ford guys so we got to stick together.

 

[4X50 Exploder]

Looks great, I'll have to stop by and check it out sometime. I like the lower shock mounts, great idea. Any way to drop the body any farther? Would be nice to stay low enough to fit in a standard garage.


If you need any local help or connections checkout inwadventures.com, it's a private local forum for wheelers. There's only a few of us Ford guys so we got to stick together.

If I drop the cab more I would have to do some serious surgery to the firewall. My running boards would then be below the frame and I want to avoid that so I can build some skid rails into them and prevent beating them to death once they are painted... I would also end up with very little height in the bed, It's allready going to eat up 12" the way the frame comes up in the rear...

Seriously, if you are going to be in Spokane let me know and we'll see if we can get together...

 

[dbush72]

I'm in spokane all the time (work there) have body n paint skills, would love to see your project in person. Maybe we could swap labor for labor n help get us both closer to goals?

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

you should put those shock mounts into production and give me a test pair.:roll:

 

[4X50 Exploder]

I'm in spokane all the time (work there) have body n paint skills, would love to see your project in person. Maybe we could swap labor for labor n help get us both closer to goals?

Not a bad idea... PM sent.

 

[4X50 Exploder]

Give me?

you should put those shock mounts into production and give me a test pair.:roll:

After I win the lottery I'll be happy to send you a set for free. OBTW, do you have to buy a ticket to win?

They were actually quite spendy because I had to buy the material at retail cost and in a very small quantity... I'd guess at around $70 for the complete setup including Grade 8 hardware.

If I thought I could actually sell them, I would like to do it... I figure that I'd have to get abgout $100 bucks a set unless I had a lot of orders so that I could buy material in larger QTY...

Let me know, you could be the proud owner of a two of a kind item!

 

[jd4242]

are they mounted where the sway bar mounts?im pretty sure ive seen brackets for sale that mounts where the sway bar was.either way they are nice!!also are those stock leafs or lifted leafs?

 

[4X50 Exploder]

Custom shock mounts for SOA Conversion.

are they mounted where the sway bar mounts?im pretty sure ive seen brackets for sale that mounts where the sway bar was.either way they are nice!!also are those stock leafs or lifted leafs?

They do use the swaybar bracket that is welded to the axle but they set the mounting point out as far as poss toward the springs and as low as they can go without being a snag hazard...

The new brackets replace the stock XP7 & LS26 mounts allowing you to use the L1 mounts on the better/longer shocks.

For now they are the stock springs with 400K+ and sagging on the driver side. The reason I went with 28" shocks is because the spring's days are numbered...

If you can remember where you saw the brackets for sale, let me know, i'd like to see the diff in what I came up with on my own...

 

[jd4242]

Ill have to look around but I think they just mounted right where the sway bar was.your design would be wayyy better! Those leafs look pretty good,looks like way more lift than my soa but mine are sagging so bad and you don't have the body on.so what's next on the list?

 

[4X50 Exploder]

...so what's next on the list?

I'm modifying the SuperLift, Super Runner Steering setup. I have the tab that attaches the tierods to the control arm cut off and will be welding on a new one that will come closer to the correct angle with the axles...

Meanwhile, I'll be putting her back inside, out of the heat, so I can replace the rear brakes and wheel bearings.

 

[jd4242]

how are those shocks mounted on the top?

 

[explorerguy89]

this thread is effin awesome

 

[4X50 Exploder]

how are those shocks mounted on the top?

Post #41 shows the upper mounts I made. The upper mount replaces the stock type XP7 (dogbone) with L1 style (5/8" eye). The lower mount replaces the stock LS26 (12mm) with the L1 style also.

 

[4X50 Exploder]

Forget about the Tow Truck!

Big car show in town this weekend and couldn't find squat for the truck at the swap meet, not even t-shirts...

Did find a couple usefull signs to help post the rules around here though...

 

[MrQ]

Wow....what an awesome build! Please keep up the good work.

Subscribing...