1997 awd xlt

[james_c17]

First off my explorers home is in south carolina, near columbia. My names is james and she is "the sploder". My friends deemed her "The Sploder", not very creative, but it stuck and thats what we all call it. I have only had this for a few months, but my mom owned for a year or two before i did. It has the 5.0 (love the v8) and AWD, as for it being all wheel drive i have no complaints, ive only been stuck once and that is because a tractor had rutted it out.
I havent done anything to it really, ive taken the steps off, painted the trim and grill black, tinted the tail lights and park lights (yes they are still legal), i put camo along the bottom where the steps had left holes.
I plan to get some 31x10.5R15 All terrain tires before school starts. I want to get the windows tinted to about 5% all around. I am going to get new speakers and a head unit. I plan on putting some tweeters in and hooking up my MTX 12" subwoofer. I also want to put on some kind of cone filter or cold air intake kit, along with removing the secondary cats and adding a flowmaster with dump offs. Im also debating on removing the lower valence on the bumper...

Thanks for reading!
James

 

[james_c17]

some pics of the sploder flexin on my dads driveway ;]

Ive had it flexed more. Just havent had my camera. haha



I have added and 8.5 foot whip and restored the head light lenses since the pics were taken. new pics tomorrow!

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

lookin good james keep up good work

 

[james_c17]

thanks!

I finally am planning to get new tires right after school starts. They are 31x10.50 Mastercraft AT2.

im looking at getting a 2 inch shackle from copperhead fab, since thats about how much higher my front is than my rear since i did a little bit of a TT.

no pics of anything today, its been raining =[

 

[james_c17]

valence removed, and headlights restored

cb antenna mount. needs to be beefed up.

the fords in my drive way

finally some dirty pics!



my whip is leaning back.... thats why the mount needs to be beefed up. i installed my cobra 19 in the console today wear the coin holder/tissue thing was.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Uh oh, Explorer Junky is going to be all over this one...

 

[Glen4X4]

Love the camo touch up. Nice work you've done to the truck so far. From that pic it doesn't look like you've cranked on the bars much, usually the arms are facing downward more.

 

[james_c17]

one of the bolts is maxed out, which really is what limited me from cranking up more. Im thinking about ordering longer bolts from fastenal but as it sits now the front sits two inches higher than the back so ill probably go 1/2 an inch to an inch in the front with a 2 inch shackle. I want my truck to look good with the 31s im getting and not dwarf them.



But on another note, my fuel pump is on its last legs =[ and my ball joints are shot. Replacing all of that sunday!! its gonna be a long day.

New tires to come mid-september. and shackles in october.


thanks for all the comments!!

edit*** redid the armrest cover =] pics tomorrow

 

[james_c17]

Finally remembered a camera to actually get some pics of it off road! haha

last pic was from a while back. just found it on my computer. and thats not me in the red shirt, thats my little brother.

 

[Explorer Junky]

Uh oh, Explorer Junky is going to be all over this one...

What are you trying to say???? Is this a Camo comment??LOL

 

[james_c17]

Finally getting new tires tomorrow !! Im getting 31x10.5s' for the sploder, shes gonna be happy and she's gettin a front end alignment. It all came out to be 711 dollars. pics to come tomorrow.

 

[Joe Dirt]

What are you trying to say???? Is this a Camo comment??LOL

Post your truck... You're twins!

 

[james_c17]

and i thought i was trying to be different! haha

oh well, i like it

 

[james_c17]

new tires!!

good bit more ground clearance it looks like, and it rides so much better!!

31x10.50 BFG AT =]

it looks so much better now!

 

[Glen4X4]

Looks good man. Within a year you'll probably be thinking "these tires look to small" or "this truck isn't high enough" part of the addiction or "bug"

 

[james_c17]

im already looking into shackles.. hahaha
and exhaust hahaa.

 

[97xlt4.0]

Looks good with the BFGs!!

And yeah, you'll be thinking soon they aren't big enough...I know I am, with mine!

 

[james_c17]

well I've only driven the explorer once with her tires on her. She has a leaking passenger side axle seal. And the passenger side caliper is locked up. So tomorrow evening my dad and I are putting in a new seal, and front calipers and brakes.
shes becoming new, piece by piece

 

[james_c17]

well She is getting new exhaust on! ive had it straight piped W/ the front cats still on for about 2 weeks. I bought glass packs for it cause im tired of riding around town being weary of the police and a 150 dollar ticket. i will put pics up later.

 

[james_c17]

Well, I got the exhaust on and the glass packs sound amazing. Who ever said it sounds "ricey" is wrong!!
my phone camera sucks but here ya'll go.

I went and played at one of the few places around here left, that they havent started developing yet. Its somewhat of a clay pit, a few short trails around it, but the hills that surround the clay pit are pretty fun to climb, they are washed out and some are steep.