Do 3rd gens and 4th gens share the same frame?

[wbrudi28]

Looking to purchase a bull bar for my 04, but came across this chrome bull bar on amazon for about half the price than any other ones i could find. Only problem, it says its for 2006-2010 explorers.

Did some research, and can't find it anywhere. next step is to look at the blueprints, if possible...

link to the bull bar:
http://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Stai...1-5&keywords=explorer+bull+bar#productDetails

 

[obie]

What about something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-2005-F...xplorer|Year:2004&hash=item3a837004a5&vxp=mtr

or this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/02-05-Ford-...xplorer|Year:2004&hash=item460802165d&vxp=mtr

Even if the frames are the same, the front ends are different and the bars are all most likely designed with different bends. Odds are, it won't fit, and then you'll have to bite return shipping or try to sell it for less than you paid for it.

 

[wbrudi28]

good looks man...didnt even think of ebay. their website www.truckgeardirect.com sells it even cheaper!!

now the question is...do i get chrome or black lol

 

[obie]

Post a picture of your ride and we can all chime in on what would look better!

 

[JCUZ]

That's similar to the one I bought - I got black. Oh, and mine is designed for an Expedition, but I will modify the mounts to suit the explorer.

 

[wbrudi28]

went ahead and got the chrome one from www.truckgearsdirect.com

http://www.truckgeardirect.com/?ITEMID=WF-503

pic of my X for reference:

have a set of chrome lugs to add as well.

the black may look better right now, but once the warm season is over i plan on removing the black powdercoated steel roof basket...

 

[jsotomar]

when you receive it and if chrome is not for you, maybe try plasti-dip too ...no rhyming intended

 

[obie]

That'll look good! I always thought the "tank" look of the 3rd gens was very nice, and it'll look better with that bull bar. Should help protect the truck if you hit a deer or large racoon too, haha.

 

[HiImBrian]

That'll look good! I always thought the "tank" look of the 3rd gens was very nice, and it'll look better with that bull bar. Should help protect the truck if you hit a deer or large racoon too, haha.

To be honest it wouldn't do jack if you hit a deer. Unfortunately, most of the bullbar and brush guards that are available for our explorers are thin steel and will bend fairly easily. Most they'll protect you from is a shopping cart in a parking lot lol

 

[Jesla]

Wiki…

"The Ford Explorer and the Mercury Mountaineer were both updated for the 2006 model year on a new frame, produced by Magna International rather than Tower Automotive. It was upsized slightly because a then-brand new crossover utility vehicle was added to Ford's SUV/CUV lineup, the Ford Freestyle."

 

[obie]

I dunno about that Brian. There are a few members here who had brush guards, one hit a deer and ones girlfriend hit a pole or something. The one that hit a deer just had a dent in the headlight guard and the one that hit a pole saved the front end from even more severe damage. I know my Westin and Hunter are both made of some thick steel, and so are the brackets. I'd feel very confident if I hit something with them.

 

[HiImBrian]

Well here is Mr Dubya's ex post-telephone pole.

Looks like a hunter guard to me, and while it may have absorbed a fraction of the impact the guard was still crushed like a can. I have a hunter guard and I could bend or even break one of the headlight covers off with my bare hands.

It is exactly what it is called. A BRUSH GUARD. Light branches on trails are what it's made for. If you want protection from a deer, or anything substantial, you'll need a custom frame-mounted bumper.

Also, any bull bar or brush guard would be useless for pushing/pulling a car, truck, etcetera without additional center supports.

 

[wbrudi28]

Yeah, i'm not too concerned with that facet of use. I love on long island and honestly the biggest rodent we see out here are drunk highschool students...preousing the streets at night. if that happened )god firbid) i think my truck would be the last thing i'd be concerned about!

it should be coming in sometime this week, gonna put it on and grab 4 of these. 2 for the bull bar, and 2 for the rear of my roof basket for some rear lighting when im out fishing.
http://www.amazon.com/LED-LIGHTS-Sq...376275580&sr=8-3&keywords=led+off+road+lights

 

[Mkpn24]

Chrome

Get the chrome brody

 

[hockeyfwd334]

I have that bar on my 02 Ex.. I have a 3" body lift so to get it to ft in the right spot I had to modify the bracket it came with.. I also picked up some 1/2 in bolts because the ones that come with the kit were off just a bit... Yeah though it will only deflect and catch fur.... It's not to heavy duty

 

[Mr Dubya]

I have that bar on my 02 Ex.. I have a 3" body lift so to get it to ft in the right spot I had to modify the bracket it came with.. I also picked up some 1/2 in bolts because the ones that come with the kit were off just a bit... Yeah though it will only deflect and catch fur.... It's not to heavy duty

How did you modify the bracket that came with the brush guard? I'm about to have my friend's machine shop make a few brackets to raise it the 3" necessary. I'm curious to know what you did, if different.

-Dubya

 

[hockeyfwd334]

How did you modify the bracket that came with the brush guard? I'm about to have my friend's machine shop make a few brackets to raise it the 3" necessary. I'm curious to know what you did, if different.

-Dubya

The bracket originally hung below the frame. I had to cut the bracket, slotted new holes, and switched bracket sides. All that is left is a 90 degree piece of angle iron. The bar now bolts to the bracket directly in front of the hole in the frame. Makes it a bit harder to install the bolts in the frame. The plus side is now I was able to put the tow hooks on and the bar fits in the slots in my bumper where the tow hooks would go.

Originally the 90 hung down below the hole in the frame and was easy to install. but it was to low

After the bracket hacking .. It looks like its in the right place.

 

[hockeyfwd334]

Bracket mod pics

 

[Mr Dubya]

Although I don't have the bull bar, but the brush guard, this gives me a little insight, even though the brackets are quite different.

Thank you sir!

 

[wbrudi28]

finally got all the off road lights installed, next up is to modify the brackets to attach some tow hooks

drilled painted and bolted up an additional piece of steel across the 2 factory aux light brackets so i could put 4 instead of 2. 2 inner ones are spot lights and the outer ones are flood lights. i get about 180* of lighting in the front

drilled a piece of stainless steel (laying around) and mounted it onto the roof backet U-bolts, then attached 2 flood lights onto them. the bracket swivels at the roof basket as well as the light itself, so I can turn them outwards a bit or perpendicular to the truck, and turn the lights another 90* so they can point forward/out to the sides if necessary.

wired them up and put the aux switch panel just above my knee so only i can access it, almost behind the ignition so i dont accidentally flip them on and blind people while driving.

next up is to get 2 more spot lights for the front of the roof basket, mounted the same way as the ones in the rear. very happy with how it turned out and since theyre all LED, the 6 lights use about the same current as 1 50watt spot/flood light