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@SuperGordo Ayy, what a year it has been! There were things that could have been worse, and things that could have been better, but any year spent with an Explorer was a good year! Here's to a happy and prosperous 2025!

@Squirrelmaster Some things are worth fighting over, some things aren't. Personally, I don't think I'll ever find a lady worth separating with my Explorer for, but if you tied the knot with the lady before you tied the knot with the Explorer, you know which one has to come first. I'm sure you...

@Fix4Dirt That's a bridge I wasn't willing to cross then, but with it all falling apart after the garage rebuilt it, my life was at just as much risk either way. At least if the unloader got me, it would have been my own doing. Hopefully there won't be a next time any time soon, but when there...

Well, I got all of that fun stuff dealt with, but after I took it out for another drive, noticed the front passenger brake response seemed to be abnormal. When I looked under there, I found that the bar pin connecting the front passenger strut to the lower control arm was snapped on one side...

@DemonMudder Hey, thank goodness it was a little problem and not a big one, yeah?

What Fix4Dirt said.

@97Sandbox It appears that is what happened. Why, though, I do not know. My guess is that it probably smacked into the sway bar on compression when or after the end link separated. These are Superlift's revised extended sway bar links; the design is the same (see post #21 for pics of the old...

@Stic-o Always good to see the next owner actually using the vehicle for what it's made for!

@97Sandbox The lift instructions say to flip the sway bar upside down, which does put the end links at an odd angle. To judge by the bowl-shaped washers, it appears that the top washer came off and the sway bar came off the top without damaging the bolt. If the washer was ever installed on the...

I support all suggestions listed thus far.

Welp... took her out for a good break-in session with the new suspension parts up front, and broke the passenger front sway bar end link bolt, again, already. The previous one survived several years of abuse, the current one lasted one casual run. I didn't push her hard at all. I might order...

@97Sandbox Those wheels on the Mounty are sick! I don't think I've ever seen those in person.

Once the engine is halfway out, you will find your problem! OK, jokes aside, taking it slow and steady with this type of project is the best way to get it done right, particularly when working alone. Label EVERY THING. I had my Durango torn apart for almost a year, every part that came off...

Wal Mart is the place to get cheap tires for Black Friday. I just picked up a set of Goodyear Wrangler Authority for $155 each. My brother likes the Cooper Discoverer series, but claims they don't wear well. The tread pattern isn't bad, I'm curious to see how they work out for you. P.S. That...

Nice! I'm calling it now, though - gonna encounter one other wacky small annoyance before she's out. Don't know what it's going to be, but it will introduce itself soon!

Always some oddball little thing that comes up in every project, isn't there.

@DemonMudder I'm a thousand years late to this conversation as always, but IIRC when I replaced my transmission cooler lines, I used around 6-7 quarts of Mercon V (factory transmission cooler). Personally I use exclusively Valvoline synthetic in both of my Explorers. It's not cheap, but only...

She's back together and back in the game. Replacing the dropped crossmember without removing the upper bolts was interesting... when you don't have a helper or the proper tools, you come up with creative ways of getting stuff done. Planning to take her out Saturday, and then start wheeling...

@97Sandbox I am a supporter of the SOHC/M5R1-HD. My SOHC's are at 197k and 227k, never rebuilt, and neither of them makes the slightest timing chain rattle. My Limited gets close to 20 MPG's. Maintenance wins!

@410Fortune I considered straightening it out, but just ordered another one from Superlift for like $80... pocket change. I'm gonna keep the other one for a spare, or use it for some other project if I need a piece of metal.

The stuff is done. I got her back finally, but this crossmember is going to need some help before she hits the trails again. After that, she's back in order and ready for action.

@410Fortune Progress in process of elimination... eventually you gotta reach the end of the line, and that's where the problem will turn up. Meanwhile, this thread is more interesting than any thing I've seen on TV in the last few decades. "The project two bays over has all the goodies I need...

Sheesh. No ETA given, no shipping cost charged, arrived this morning. Definitely enjoyed the customer experience from RealTruck.

+1 for Timken, I'm running Timken bearings front and rear. I didn't really need them replaced, just did it since I was tearing the whole front end apart any way. They were around 180k then, still going strong.

@ChepaAguilar Welcome to Explorer Forum! 1998 was a good year for the Explorer, the last year before the fog lights and rear hatch redesign if I recall correctly. These trucks require little, but routine, maintenance in order to get the best out of them. How many miles you got on her? Got...

After my annual trip to the mountains, I heard my Sport making a rythmic ticking that changed with the RPM. Gave it a good look over and found one of the spark plug wires jumping around on the end of the plug. Disconnected and resecured, fixed the ticking. Don't overlook the small stuff!

Called Superlift directly, ordered the drop brackets and the sway bar link kit. Minor setback. Ordered 4 of the brackets just in case; if we don't need the rears this time, we can use them on the front when these inevitably get mangled up.

Kudos to J_Train for making this list almost 12 years ago. https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/threads/superlift-part-numbers.377327/#post-3095182 So assuming that they're still available to be had anywhere, the parts I'm after would be 55-05-9630 Brkt, Crossmember Drop and potentially...

@BillyJunior Welcome to this forum! The 2011 Ford Explorer is a 5th-generation; there is a forum dedicated to those here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/categories/2011-2019-ford-explorer-5th-generation-explorer.151/ Hope you find this forum useful, and hope your GF is enjoying that...

@DannyW Yes, it is a 4" lift. I know RC made a 5", but I don't know of a 4". Part of the reason I'm inclined toward fabrication is that I can have it made to fit the Superlift bolt-on sub-crossmember. Basically the drop bracket is a planned sacrificial component. I could have an additional...

Well, boyos, it looks like I'm going to be sourcing new drop brackets for the front crossmember. The Superlifts are gnarled up to where they need to be either straightened out, or replaced. My Superlift bolt-on sub-crossmember is still intact and does not appear to be bent, and to the best that...

Lookin' good out there! Sand is its own game; it can be wet and firm, or it can be dry and loose, or it can be wet and slurpy. Knowing the throttle is crucial. I've never done it in a 2WD. Looks like you did well!

@Stic-o 1.5" is perfect for these trucks. Less than that and you have to modify the studs; more than that and you have to trim the fenders.

@Rivulose Nice find! 2nd-gens are always fun trucks to own, drive, and work on. Engine? Mileage? Color? Any mods?

@DannyW It's either them, or give up front-end alignments... I've never had an alignment from anywhere else that I didn't still have to get corrected here. This is the only place that can get her to track straight. Their parts quotes are always high, but this has got to be the highest quote...

@Lyrelia Weclome to our collective back yard! Here you will surely find all of the knowledge that can be had about your Explorer. 3rd-gen Limiteds are beautiful machines. We'd love to know more about it! Engine? Mileage? Color? Any modifications?

@DemonMudder I know the feelings, my guy! Get ready to get neck-deep in engine bay crud!

Went to my favorite garage (a local Cadillac dealer) to have damage assessed and front-end alignment attempted (one of the few places that will actually take the time to get it straight; they charge extra for modified suspensions and do a job are worth every cent it costs). According to the...

Awesome! Sunsets are nice, but sunrises are awesome!

Aww yeah, man! Now we get back into the flow! Gears... I've said this elsewhere, now it's your turn. To calculate the difference in fuel economy, use this formula: ( Old Tire Diameter / Old Gear Ratio ) / ( New Tire Diameter / New Gear Ratio ) - 1 In my case, this was ( 30 / 4.10 ) / ( 33...