'02 BlackTrac on 35s | 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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Oh yeah, isn't this the one you got off eBay? Cool looking truck? Was it worth it?

-Drew
 






I always thought that was a sexy truck. Now i'm positive. :)
 






Yeah, bought it off EBay. Been happy so far. Only had a couple problems that I had to fix. First off, the tires weren't balanced (at all!!) and it was out of alignment. But I've got this taken care of now. It still rides rough but I'm hoping the tires will wear back out somewhat well over the next couple months.

I also had to replace the slave cylinder for the clutch. It was expensive and came less then a week after the purchase but I racked it up as a fluke as most slaves last 100k miles or more. Can't really blame this on EBay.

For the price I paid and the mileage (only 24k miles), especially considering the $3-4k of existing upgrades, I couldn't be happier.
 












that's a good looking sport trac. the owner before you did a good job (well, besides keeping it aligned :p )
 






do you wheel it? or is it just a street queen for now ;)
 






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
 






hey i saw that thing on ebay! really nice and clean lookin truck
 






so how exactlly do you fit 35's with only a 4" superlift kit?
 






I don't know, cause I didn't do it, but it works.... :p

The back, lower edge of the front fender area was trimmed (no exterior sheet metal) and the front bumper was made to avoid any clearance issues.

I have minor rubbing at certain steering angles if I hit a bump, but thats it. No rubbing on chassis or suspension at full lock.

From the looks of it, the front torsion bars have been cranked a little bit, but no where near maxing out the CVs.

I can take some pictures of what exactly was trimmed this weekend if ya want.
 






wow that is a nice looking truck. i bet you turn many heads with that bad boy. post more pictures if you have any.
 






yea, these trucks are bad ass in the snow. i went through a foot and a half of snow with now problems! my truck is stock other than the 245/75/16 mtr's.
 






sent a p.m. let's get that thing in the mud!
 






NEW WHEELS AND TIRES!! BFG MT 35x12.5r15

I got new wheels and tires last night. The previous owner never properly balanced the tires or aligned the truck and the tires were worn so bad that they couldn't be balanced, even with 10oz of balancing beads!!! The truck rode horrible on the highway, you could see it shaking from inside! The bed vibrated up and down a good inch and a half and the steering wheel shook back and forth at anything over 45mph.

I bit the bullet and bought new tires. I loved the look of the mud tires and after reading several posts about them being more then usuable on the highway, I went ahead and got them. I chose to go with a new set of 15" wheels and tires. For the price of 16" tires to go on my existing rims, I could get new 15" rims and tires. I also wanted to change wheels, as the streetlocks that I had didn't allow wheel weights to be mounted on the outside lip. I chose the BFG MTs over the Goodyear MTRs because I liked the look of the tread and sidwall better, and also because they were $20 cheaper per tire.

I stayed with black steel rims, so cost was minimal. I went with 15x8 to reduce any clearance problems and 3.75 backspacing based on what most people on here with 15x8s are running. I was concerned at first after I read that some 15" wheels won't fit on a Sport Trac due to the larger rotors. The steel rims seem to have plenty of clearance all around, probably due to their thin profile compared to an aluminum rim.

Once I got the tires mounted and balanced, the ride difference was night and day. All the vibration and steering wheel shake was gone (which I was expecting). As a bonus, the truck rides 5 times better as well. The truck used to ride pretty rough over bumpy roads, especially sharp edges (pavement breaks, potholes, etc), far worse then I was used to in my Eddie Bauer. The new tires ride like I installed a new suspension. All the harshness is gone and the ride is almost comfortable. Its still not as easy riding as my Eddie, but its well within what I would expect with a Lift, TT, Shackles, and 35" tires.

I think the better ride is due to two things. First off, there is obviously a little more sidewall with 15" rims then there was with 16". I'm sure that helps some, but with a 35" tire on a 16" rim, sidewal flex shouldn't be a problem at all.
I think the biggest reason for the better ride is the load rating of the tires. The MTRs were load rating E whereas the BFGs are load rating C. I think "E" rated tires may be a bit too stiff for our vehicles, especially the light rear end of a Sport Trac. The far better ride was worth the price of the tires, regardless of balancing issues.

As for the tires themselves, I've only rode about 50 miles on them so far but I have no complaints at all. They are slightly louder then the MTRs were, but still not anywhere near annoying (I'm used to driving my V8 with a flowmaster and a turndown under the back seats). They handle as well as the MTRs did and the ride is a ton better, though i'm not sure if this is the fault of the MTRs of the load rating. I love how they look, I think they are more aggressive then the MTRs, especially the tread edge. They do rub slightly where the MTRs did not, but its nothing major, just a little plastic trimming. The plastic was already trimmed to fit the MTRs, but with a slightly different tire on slightly different backspacing, it rubs a couple places now.

Overall I'm very happy with the tires and highly recommend them to anyone. I'll get pics soon and keep updates on how they perform over the next few years.
 






the load rating on the tires will make a huge difference. a ranger came into the shop with load range E tires and it rode absolutely horrible. extremely rough. whatever load range the bfg mt's are still a better tire. :) u made a good choice. truck looks good. :thumbsup:
 






I hate you. Your ST is *****in and I love ST's!

Glad to see you got the wobbles fixed.

What are you gonna do with your old wheels/tires?

NICE PURCHASE AND TRUCK!!
 






I've heard a lot of good things about both the BFG MTs and the MTRs. I chose this MTs because they were cheaper and they look better.

I wasn't even prepared for the excellent ride quality the C rated tires would give me. I've purchased E load tires in the past and it was never that drastic of a difference (Bridgestone Dualer ATs and Cooper STs) but they weren't a very large tire either.

Anyway, I am very happy with my purchase, and it was well worth the price, just for the better ride.
 






410:

I'm gonna sell the old tires to a buddy of mine next week. If it falls through for any reason I'll let you know.

As far as the wheels, I'm going to sell them too, but have no buyer yet. They are all in good condition except for one that had paint starting to peel at one edge (black spray paint!!) Anyone want them? Make an offer. (They run around 400 for a new set in this size and style).
 



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they are fake beadlocks correct? (w/o going back and actualyl reading)

I dont think I need any tires soon, but I might know some people around here who do :)
I was surprised nobody else asked, normally when you say you removed a part the vultures start circling....
 






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