1992 4x4 prerunner build from stock

[Shagerty18]

Dropped off the explorer the other day at metalheadsfab in Menifee CA for an interior cage and fiberwerx dash install. I will add pictures as I get them.

 

[RangerX]

Cage before anything else? Nice! What’s the plan for suspension?

 

[Shagerty18]

Cage before anything else? Nice! What’s the plan for suspension?

Yeah, I wanted to start with the cage and build off that. It’s the biggest and most important step IMO that most people skip or do last. Gotta keep the fam safe! Suspension for the front will be D44 beams and radius arms from Threat Motorsports with a basic shock hoop setup to start with from either Giant or GFE. The rear is up in the air as of now. I would love to link it but I need to keep enough room in the back for two seats, so probably end up with a link killer setup or possibly a cantilever or mezzanine type setup. We shall see.

 

[Shagerty18]

Progress on the first door panel.

 

[Shagerty18]

Some progress pictures of the cage.

 

[410Fortune]

Very nice
Link killer works awesome and you could keep the shocks under the sheet metal with the cantilever… but if you are going full width Dana 44 beams up front you could do full width in the rear and that might give you room for outboard shocks…. Something to think about

That shop is building a wicked cool cage!
You keeping the 4.0? A4ld? Electric shift 4wd? Or are those all going away too?

Now is a good time to change your heater core if needed… thanks for sharing another gen 1, 4 door for the desert!!! They make excellent rigs 92 is a tank

 

[Shagerty18]

Very nice
Link killer works awesome and you could keep the shocks under the sheet metal with the cantilever… but if you are going full width Dana 44 beams up front you could do full width in the rear and that might give you room for outboard shocks…. Something to think about

That shop is building a wicked cool cage!
You keeping the 4.0? A4ld? Electric shift 4wd? Or are those all going away too?

Now is a good time to change your heater core if needed… thanks for sharing another gen 1, 4 door for the desert!!! They make excellent rigs 92 is a tank

I am throwing in a full size 8.8 under the rear so yes outboard shocks will definitely be an option and probably the better way to go. I am keeping the 4.0 until she decides to take a crap on me. A4ld for now as well. I’m not too familiar with the 4x4 set up yet but I know I’m putting manual hubs on so not sure about your electric shift question. If you have some insight on that I would greatly appreciate it!!!! Also I am running d44 ttb up front, just not sure yet if I want to get the beams modified to use stock pivot locations or a bracket setup like from GFE that allows me to use the unmodified ttbs.

 

[410Fortune]

The dana 35 and 44 ttb beams have like a 1” difference in pivot bolt Locations, 2/2” per side or so if I remember correctly
If possible I would modify the truck to accept the d44 beams I would not shorten the beams

I would however do a cut and turn and or move the lower ball joint out so you can avoid tall drop brackets and still run a 5-6” coil for lift

Right now your truck is electronic 4wd (pushbutton) you could get a bw1354 manual shift t case and shifter and install it, get rid of the buttons and cut a hole in the floor for the new t case shift lever, now you shift the t case w a lever. The bw1354m was used on rangers 91-2011 and explorers from 91-2004 we usually sell them complete w shifter and boots for around $500-800 depending on the year and miles. If you find them in the junk yard yourself they are under $100.
Same physical dimensions as your current 1354e so it’s a bolt in deal no changes to drivelines

 

[Shagerty18]

Right on man, thanks for all the info. What is the downside to keeping the electronic 4wd? I will mainly be in 2wd with the occasional 4wd needed.

For the d44 beams I will definitely not be using big drop down brackets. GFE makes a nice weld it yourself bracket that isn’t a big drop down mess. I will definitely be doing a cut and turn as well as lengthen on the beams to achieve about 6-7” wider per side than stock, and will do uniball pivots. Also custom radius arms on heims of course. And no coils, I will be doing coil overs with bypasses added later. The goal is to run 37’s but the rear will be my big limiting factor there. Probably have to lengthen the wheel base a few inches to be able to avoid the back door. We will cross that bridge when I get to it lol.

 

[410Fortune]

Downside is the shift
Motor may not give you 4wd when you need it the most, the system is prone to failure. Except 90% of the failures are in the motor itself and it can be removed w 4ea 10mm and then you can shift your t case by hand with plyers in an emergency

The manual shift… well it’s a lever

 

[410Fortune]

37s your gonna want to push the wheel as far forward as you can… 37s get into the firewall/body punch weld and hvac box on a Gen 1. Make your radius arms adjustable at the rear pivot I can usually push a wide ttb forward a full inch or more without effecting the steering linkage or beam pivots

I’m going to be building a Dana 44 ttb 2003
Sport trac so I’m real interested in this stuff. My 88 bii, my van and my plow truck all still rock the ttb

 

[Shagerty18]

Oh man that Sport Trac is going to be sweet! I was super close to building one of those instead of the explorer but couldn’t pass up the deal on the explorer.

It will definitely be a lot of work to clear 37’s but I’m hoping it all works out. We will see!

 

[Shagerty18]

Some updates

 

[Shagerty18]

Some progress pictures of the cage.

 

[Rick]

Right on man, thanks for all the info. What is the downside to keeping the electronic 4wd? I will mainly be in 2

You could remove the shift motor from an electric shift case and shift it by turning the shaft manually. McNeil Racing did that on their 4x4 Explorers since the electric transfercases were much more common. They had a cable with a knob on one end, and and adapter for the t-case shaft at the other end.