'02 BlackTrac on 35s | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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'02 BlackTrac on 35s

Finally got around to making a profile for my Sport Trac. Havn't had much time to do anything with it yet but drive it back and forth to work. Havn't even washed it yet since I bought it cause it's too damn cold!

Anyway, here's the specs:

From the Factory:
2002 Sport Trac 4x4 Base Model
5-speed manual
Black Exterior, Grey Interior
3.73 Open
Power windows/doors/mirrors
Cargo cage

On it when I bought it:
4" Superlift with Rear Springs and Front Driveshaft
Torsion Twist and Warrior Shackles
StreetLocks 16x10 wheels
315/75R16 Goodyear MTRs (35s)
Custom Front Bumper (Lotsa steel, lotsa gussets, shackles)
PIAA 520 Fogs
Ford Class III Hitch
Clear Corners
Black Alteeza Tail Lights
K&N FIPK
Poweraid Throttle Body Spacer
Tinted Front Windows

What I've put on it:
Upgraded front seats to premium cloth seats (Driver's Power)
Pioneer DEH-7600MP CD/MP3 Player
Rockford Fosgate P152S 5.25" Components in Front
Pioneer TS-D681R 6x8 Two Ways in Rear
JBL P180.2 Amp
Infinity 10VQ in sealed box
Vector 750W Power Inverter
Overhead console from Explorer (temp, compass, map lights)
Optima Yellow Top
35x12.5R15 BFG Mud Terrain TA KM (2-15-06)
15x8 ProComp RockCrawler Series 51 Wheels with 3.75" Backspacing
Superlift Front Skid Plate
Overhead Console (temp/compass/lights)
Shine by Griot's Garage Polish and Wax
Aussie Locker in the rear

Stuf I've had to fix:
-Clutch Slave Cylinder went out at 25k, just after I bought it. Must have been a fluke because these usually last as long or longer then the clutch.
-Goodyear MTRs were out of balance, out of round and worn funny. Original owner never properly balanced. Replace with BFG MTs.
-Front Differential. Due to the lift not being installed correctly (The bumpstop extensions weren't there) the suspension over traveled when offroading on compression and bent one of the differential drop brackets and cracked the diff case. Replaced the case with a used one, replaced the bracket, then decided to go back and double check EVERYTHING about the lift since it was obviously improperly installed. Everything else seems peachy.
-Both Upper Ball Joint. Had a little play in it, probably from the above bottoming out incident. Replaced with lifetime warranty Moog.
-Both Outer Tie Rod Ends. Boots had holes rubbed in them from the brake dust shield. Replaced with Moog and removed dust shield.

Plans for the future:
RCD Coilover Conversion with 2.0X6.5 coil-overs in front
Fuel Tank Skid Plate
Power Lumbar
Custom Rear Bumper to match front
4.56 gears
Underdrive Pulleys
Convert To Electric Fan

Don't really have any action shots. I'm always the one driving and I'm the only one that wants to use a camera! Here are some in my driveway for now...
 

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Yeah, fake beadlocks. "Streetlocks" if you will.

I'm sure I would have no problem gettin rid of either item on here :p Its like EBay, you can sell anything!!

Any offers on the wheels, anyone?

16x10 Streetlocks with 4.25" backspacing.
 



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4.25 backspacing? i'm sure your new 3.75 wheels minimize rubbing a bit more?

nice s/t. i think they look awesome lifted. i want to convert my truck to a s/t this summer. if i can get shop time and the back end of a ranger cab, i think i will.

i hang out with alot of ricers, and sometimes i want to part my truck out and get a turbo supra, or good down payment on an srt-4, but then i see trucks like yours and it reminds me how much better trucks are, and how much i really want 35's.
 






Actually the 4.25 backspacing didn't rub anything in everyday driving. I never had it offroad, fully compressed, with the wheel turned but it never looked like it had rubbed anywhere with the previous owner either. I'm pretty sure the Sport Tracs have more clearance in the fenderwells then other Explorers do. Rolling the 35s up next to my 98 looks like it would take a hell of a lot of trimming to get them to fit even with a lift.

4.25 backspacing on a 10" wheel isn't as bad as an 8" whel because the center of the wheel is actually out further then with a 3.75" 15X8. This pulls the tire out a little bit and doesn't rub as much as you would think.

I actually have some mild rubbing that I didn't have before with the new set up! Not sure if its the different tread (spec'd height and widths are the same as the old MTRs) or the different backspacing and wheel. It's nothing major, just a little bit of plastic that was already trimmed before.
 






oh i didnt take into consideration that the old ones were 15x10. i have nearly zero rubbing with the 33's and 35's are only an inch bigger on each side. i'm gonna make it work. i'm not a fan of body lifts, so i'm not gonna switch out to a 3" for more clearance and i dont make enough money for a coilover conversion 5" lift or 4" drop bracketry superlift. so i'm just gonna cut and bend till they fit. keep my COG lower. the non flexy IFS makes the truck tippy enough.

i want to see some wheelin pics of that s/t! get that thing dirty.
 






CougarX said:
Hasn't been wheeled yet, but I've only had it two weeks. I've only been in St. Louis for a few months so I don't know anyone or anywhere around here to wheel. When I'm back home in Kentucky is usually when I do my wheeling. I'll be back for christmas, and there's usually some crazy stuff that happens over that weekend, so I'm sure it'll see something soon here. :D


Still in St. Louis ?
 






Yep, here for another year and half living in Kirkwood.

No wheeling for me for a while until I get some Superlift parts I ordered. Last time I was home (Kentucky) I took it offroad and overcompressed the suspension and busted a CV and the front diff!! Come to find out the guy that owned the truck before me, that put on the lift, never put on the bumpstop extensions that came with the kit! I got everything fixed and back together but now I'm still waiting on the backordered Superlift brackets before I go offroad again. As soon as I get em, it'll see some action! I plan on going to Attica for the anniversary run and everytime I go to Kentucky I always manage to 'lose' the road :confused:
 






That in one of the nicest front bumpers I have seen for the 01+ explorers, the guy who made that should deffinatly put that in to production. All together really nice trac man!
 






Yeah, I definitely love the front bumper and that is the thing that most people point out about it. Not sure who made it because that was two owners ago but I sure wish I knew because I would have a similar one made for my 98! The bumper looks to be a cut up and bent length of c-channel steel beam.The flanges were cut off at the bends and new reinforcing flanges were welded on after it was bent. It is also gusseted and braced back to the frame. Pretty sure if I hit something it wouldn't hurt the bumper at all! Been meaning to take pictures of it because I've had several people ask about it but I haven't got around to it yet.
 






yeah i would love to have one of those on my 01 sport
 






hey I was considering doing something similar with my exhaust but was worried about melting the plastic trim. do you have any issues with that?
 






Mine hasn't melted or got too hot at all. By the time the exhaust makes it back that far it isn't that hot anymore. The exhaust hangers in the back are set up so that the tip has about a 1/4" of clearance all the way around, so it's not actually touching plastic, so that might have something to do with it too. Between this and the fact that it is split into two tailpipes (making each cooler) I don't have any problems at all.
 






you have an amazing looking truck there...
 






Thanks!

It'll look even better soon, I'm in the process of 3 stage polishing it. Black is awesome when it's clean and shiny!
 






sweet trac man love the "blackout look"
 






I'm normally not a fan of sporttracs, but that is a really nice truck. That clean black on black look can't be beat. Is that the exhaust that's exiting though the side of the rear bumper?
 






Thats a pretty slick st...have you though of losing the grey trim on the rockers?...so it makes it look like it sits higher up...
 






Another reason you have rubbing now vs before is you switched from a 10" wide rime to a 8" wide rim. So your tire is accually taller now with the 8" wide rim. If you look at BFS's web site it gives you a height and a tread width with a set rim width. Because the narrower the rime the narrower the tread width and the taller the tire. And the wider the rim the woder the tread width and the shorter the tire.
 






sorry to bump such an old post but you have one sick truck, sir. im jealous.
 






Hey, if you put the coilover kit on that thing, are you going to be selling the Superlift? I am interested if you are!

Brett
 



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No, I'll be keeping the Superlift brackets, just swapping the shocks for coilovers and getting rid of the torsion bars similar to the RCD kit.
 






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