Warrior shock mount/skid plate warning!!!

[ld50]

Hey people,

I just recently installed my Warrior skid plate shock mounts and see a problem. I was funnin in a local wheeling pit yesterday and noticed that the mounts put the shocks so close to the sway bar that they rub!
I got a 1/4 inch dent in each shock now.
I thought they were close but would be okay. I jacked up one side till the other side came off the ground, but like a butthead, I didn`t take into account that under real life wheeling conditions, the tires can stuff alot more than that. It was that extra stuff that damaged the shocks.

They do supply 2 bolts to extend the mount, but I didn`t think I needed them because it only would move them rearward 1/2 inch.

I`m going down to see what I can do to remedy the situation and will repost later.
I will try those spacer nuts, just to be sure it isn`t my own darn fault, And then disconnect a side of the sway bar so I can get more stuff on the tire.

 

[Jason_25]

Here's my remedy: remove the rear sway bar entirely.

 

[JDraper]

I have the Warrior shock mount skid plates on my X and have no rubbing issue whatsoever. However, I did use the extenders on mine.

 

[ld50]

What a joke!

I had a good look and here is what I`m finding:

- The spacer nut would only bring the shock closer to the curve in the swaybar, thereby increasing damage.

- My 2" suspension lift could not cause it since the tires would still stuff enough to cause damage.
If anything, I would have more damage without the lift.

Now I also did a mod to the upper mounts a while back, I should fess up to. I wanted more down travel without over extending the shocks.
I used some bolts and nuts which fastened the shock through a 3/4" piece of piping that basically was a spacer. I was worried that this was the culprit, but when I removed them and reconnected them the way it comes stock, diconnected one side of the swaybar and jacked one side up, the bar fit right into the dent, and then against the shock when I pushed harder.

So maybe 91-94 models aren`t suited for this application?

Shiite, I guess I gotta take the sway off, but then I worry about them shocks extending hard and pooin the bed on me. I have an add-a-leaf AND a WAR 153 shackle to get the truck to sit nice when I`m loaded for the trails. When unloaded it is slightly higher than the front, which I like also.

I gotta figure something out before a big trip I`m taking in 3 weeks.

I gotta contact Warrior about this, too. I got a flyer right here from them that says it fits my truck.

 

[ld50]

Well Jason will be happy, I took the rear sway bar off entirely.

Just my luck when trying to get it off, one of the bolts stripped and would not back out of the clip. And why would they use clip nuts for the suspension is beyond me. They probably saved .5 of a cent on every Ex that came off the assembly line.
Since slashing my wrists was not a particularly healthy option at the time, I bent the bracket enough to get the bushing and bar free. I`ll deal with the bolt later on my own terms.

I undid the bottom of the shocks to see if anything was binding into the dents and they seem okay, but it still irks me that they are dented.
Then I played around with the suspension. Using a jackstand and floor jack I tried to see if the shocks would bottom out or extend to the end of their travel when I`m wheelin`.
By the way, there sure is more travel now!
I decided to lengthen my upper mount extensions to 1&1/2 inches. Now they still have an inch of down travel after the springs catch the rear axle, and the top have plenty of room as well. (the shocks are stock size, if I need longer ones later, I`ll get them. And they`re already dented so who cares if I screw em up now.)

So I`ll see how it feels for the next few days, And if it is to squirrelly, I`ll just have to bend those sway bar ends and reinstall them. I have no doubt that I will be better off on the trail, but my trip will mean 2-3 hours on highway, plus most of the places I can go to are a good drive to get to.

Now I`m off to send an e-mail to Warrior Products!

 

[TwoToneX]

if you're just talking about taking the rear sway bar off, you shouldn't have a problem at all. i have a 5.5" and 33's with no rear sway bar and it never gets bad at all. it's taking the front off that makes my truck sway like a small boat in big waves

 

[ld50]

Thanks for the vote of confidence about the sway twotone.

I emailed Warrior, and if their committment to me is as strong as it says on their website, I will have a new truck next week!
He,he, kidding of course, but it would be nice if they kicked in for new shocks or at least acknowledged a problem. They won`t be getting them back now, unless they ship a remodelled set, they are just too cool to lose.
I can`t find anyone with a 91-94 who has had this happen yet, but perhaps we will see...

 

[JDraper]

They must have changed something in the swaybar location between the eary X's and the newer ones. I have pretty much the same setup you do, 2" suspension lift with rear shock mount extenders (about 2.5-3" extension), and I have an inch clearance min on all sides of my shocks. Even when I have gone offroad and not disconnected my swaybar, I have never bumped my shocks against the swaybar.

 

[Brian1]

Does anyone have a pic of the skid plate your talking about?

 

[Jason_25]

Hey ld50, glad you took the leap

If you still don't feel comfortable with the body roll then invest in poly bushings for the front sway bar. That will help immensely. "Hank" on the boards sells them and it benefits the site.

 

[ld50]

Hey ld50, glad you took the leap

Yeah, I guess you could say my butt is hangin out there. ( or something more clever)

I have only been on small forays since doing it and it actually doesn`t feel that bad so far. It`s like I can feel it, but can`t, you know? My one concern is that sometimes my rear locker releases hard and makes the rear jerk as it tries to compensate. I wonder what it will feel like now.

I was double checking everything today and found that my brake cable would rub on the rear drive side tire, and be pulled quite taut on the bracket when the tire is at full droop (and there is quite alot more!)
I pulled apart the connections and ran the cable that goes into the drivers side drum and rerouted it under the bracket instead of through so now it can move more.

I have a big trip planned for the end of the month so I`m going to leave it off till then and see how I like it. If I do decide to leave it on I`ll definitely get those bushings you spoke of.

Does anyone have a pic of the skid plate your talking about?

I have a pic in my main thread, on page three I believe.
Every mod I am making is there, so check it out!

Dead Link Removed

 

[JDraper]

Here's a pix..

 

[JDraper]

And a picture of it before installation.

 

[Byrd91]

Where'd you guys get the skid plates?

 

[ld50]

Get them from anyone who carries Warrior products. Try an off-road place that specializes in jeep parts.

 

[ld50]

Hey guys, here is my reply from Warrior.




James,
>
>Sorry for you problems with the rear u-bolt skid plates.
>You are the first ever to have a problem with clearance with our plates. We
>are some what confused because their should have been enough room. Is the
>shock can larger than factory? Perhaps a simple solution would be some good
>"off road shocks" that can be, and are recommended to be, ran up side down
>with the shock boot at the bottom instead of the traditional top of the
>shock mounting. I think Pro Comp has such a shock.
>
> We here at the factory will find a older Explorer and make whatever
>modifications are needed to move the shock away from the away bar so
>clearance is not an issue. We take our customer problems seriously and
>will take steps to improve our product when problems arise.
>
>Sorry for your resent problem.
>
>Let me know what you come up with. Thanks again for the feed back.
>
>WARRIOR



- So they don`t seem to believe there is a problem yet.
I have procomp ES 3000 shocks on (brand new) I think they might be a little thicker than stock.

DOES ANYONE HAVE THESE PLATES ON A FIRST GENERATION EXPLORER?

 

[Brian1]

Thanks for the pics. I am going to be modifying my stock plates with a skid plate and to reverse the shock mount. I didnt know there were any aftermarket ones made for the Explorers.

 

[ld50]

Hmmm...

No reason why I couldnt flip those shocks is there?
I was rereading the reply, and it seems like that is possible with my shocks.
BUT, I really don`t miss the swaybar now, and may run out to a local wheeling area tomorrow to see how the extra travel is, so?

Any comments?

 

[ld50]

Just a follow up. Warrior is offering to make me new plates to their dimensions, but I am going to make sure I can flip my shocks and then suggest they tell 91-94 owners to flip them in the instructions. Then maybe I`ll ask for new shocks instead.


Still want to find someone with similiar problems. Where are you?

 

[410Fortune]

a small dent in the outer tube of your shock will not hurt shock performance and really is not a big deal.

Now if you start to look around at early model Explorer's you will see that Ford had some wild idea's when it comes to sway bars, meaning there are like 5 different setups thatthey used. It's like they closed their eyes and grabbed some sway bar parts from a big parts bin and then used whatever. You might think about using some shorter (or longer, whichever will sove the clearance problem) "dog bones" to raise the sway bar pivot point up a little bit to clear the shock. Rangers and BII have different length "dogbones" then the Explorer so thats a good place to find parts.

That is if you even want your rear bar back on.

My truck has a similar situation to yours, sorda. Mine is an 88 BII with a 97 Explorer 8.8 rear axle. The 8.8 was converted to spring over with some weld on type aftermarket spring perch's, then the old shock mounts were torched off the old 7.5" axle and simply welded on to the 8.8 tube, just like the factory BII mounts. Well in order to get a rear sway bar on there I had to grind about 1"out of the sway bar to axle tube mount on the passenger side. I also hads to use a Ranger 8.8 sway bar itself and Explorer dogbones. My sway bar hits my passenger side Duff shock in one spot and has made a nice 1/2" dent in the shock tube. It's been like that for over a year. It bugs me to know that when we welded on the shock mount I could have moved it over about 1/2"to fix this problem, and eventually when I have a welded there and some time I will re-do it, but it really doesnt cause any problems other then an annoying clank now and then. Whats the point? There isnt one, just that it wont hurt your shock to have a small dent in it.........and you do have options if you want that bar back on there..............Explorer Express sells some serious sway bar kits for the Explorer, that might also help......


Oh and the urethane bushings in the sway bars was the best $30 I ever spent on my truck......