1993 Solid Axle Swap Navajo .. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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1993 Solid Axle Swap Navajo ..

Solid axle Navajo..

I did my Navajo in early 2001.

My chain of events was:

installed ARB in front d35.

Blew ARB up after using 2 times.

When ARB was pulled, and a open diff was installed, bearing caps on d35 pumpkin broke.

Decided enough was enough - I also had a Superlift 5.5" lift on it, and was breaking/bending brackets every few months.

Pull the navajo into the back of a local shop, and started cutting off the TTB components. We cut 6" off a 1979 Bronco D44, from the passenger side (long tube side). Sent axle to Dutchman for cutting down. Also bought 5x5.5" pattern axles for the rear 8.8, and upgraded to disk brakes at the same time.

Rear was running the Superlift SOA kit, which gives 5.5" of lift. Added 2" more lift by buying and installing Old Man EMU springs.

Pics are at http://navajo4x4.rockcrawler.com/solid

I moved them here: Dead Link Removed

I rolled the truck on to it's hood about 4 months after doing this, and sold it Diff Whack Daddy - who promptly installed it under his truck.
 



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Looks good. So what gears and tire sizes were you running in it? How well did it perform off road, did it live up to everything a SFA is suppose to?

Happy trails!!
 






It had Goodyear 35" MTR's on 15x8 chrome 3.5" backspace; and it didn't rub!

Gears was 4.88's; ARB in front, full detroit in the back.

Ran great. It would flex like a little monster!
 






Cool. I'll be going with the same size tires and wheels. I hope mine doesn't rub.

What kind of springs and shocks did you use on yours?

Happy trails!!
 






Josh, springs was superlift 5.5" for a ttb lift (I wouldn't do that again).

Shocks was rancho 9000's.. but which one's I don't remember.
 






Don't U Miss Her?

Tom,

I only saw your Navajo that time when we all camped in Death Valley with Andrew & Gretchen. Do you miss your Navajo? Do you regret selling her?
 






The only thing I miss is using it to scare the daylights out of the greenies in Berzekeley. I do miss that.

My sammie is making up for the rest. :) 225:1 crawl ratio in the tranny/xfer case makes it very, very nice for rockcrawling.
 






btw, some action shots are in the loscoyotes directory.
 






R there any Greenies in Bezerkeley?

Tom,

Suzanne and I were in Berkeley in '98 after visiting her relatives in Santa Rosa, and Berkeley appeared to be a yuppie school with little rich kids walking around. We didn't see a single Radical, although some of the homeless looked like they fried their brains on too much Acid in the '60s.

So, did anyone actually tell you that you were harming the planet with your Navajo? Did anyone actually come out and say this to your face?

I know in the North Bay area of Santa Rosa, plenty of kids tool around in restored Broncos and I've seen a Ranger there in town rolling around on 38s. So, it can't be all that Green up north...
 






Thomas, your rear brake conversion...did you keep the 8.8? What rotors did you use for five on 5.5?
 






ken, we have major greenies up here... they all go to berkley.... have you ever noticed how many smoke shops are up there? the best pizza though is from blondies... that place rocks.... the little rich kids at berkely are the greenies... mommy and daddy bought me this clean running bmw so i wouldnt pollute the earth like that big truck of yours... :rolleyes:
 






Jim,

That just shows you know more about all of this than I do when I just drive through town and check things out. My in-laws from Santa Rosa are very environment-aware just like my wife and I are, except, they drive Hondas and Toyotas, and my wife and I both drive lifted, American 4WD Iron!

Since we frequent Baja, California, we always remind them that a Clean Burning automobile won't get you down half of the tamest backcountry roads in Baja. You 'll end up leaving the hulk of plastic and sheetmetal behind for the locals to scavenge.

Do you ever notice that these rich Green kids still wear leather, walk on hard-wood floors in their homes, and fly around the world - contributing to greenhouse gasses just like our 4WD trucks? I always point these points out to people because they do tend to live with these double-standards. GRRRR! :mad:
 






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