1st gen with 2nd gen front end

I've seen a few 1st gens around that have 2nd gen front ends on them. They were all trail rigs though, and I'm thinking about it for a street application (no glass fenders or anything like that). Is it a pretty straight forward thing to do? I have skills with a welder and other tools to do the job if a little fabrication were necessary.

 

[CDW6212R]

I guess I'll need to post some pictures of the front clips soon. More and more people are thinking about it. I am at a point where I need two 2nd gen. fenders, hood, and bumper to continue my 93/99 project.

The underlying front clips are significantly different. If the body is all that you want to change, then you need to cut the top half of the front clip from a 95-01 Explorer. From the cowl forward is different, the fenders and hood don't match the other years, and there are issues with the headlight bucket area, etc.

Before I decided to not keep my 93 front end on the 99 front clip I am swapping, the plan was to cut the front radiator support at the bottom of the headlight buckets, all the way accross. The side sections would be needed also, back up to the cowl where the top rear fender bolt is. Those sections will need to be cut off each vehicle, and graft the new clip to the old. Done corectly, the swap then becomes a bolt on. Good luck,

 

[SmoothKriminal]

Thanks for the reply man. The main reason I'm interested in this is the lack of suspension options for gen2's. The absolute lowest you can drop them is 2-2.5". If I had beams I could go 5+".

Do you see a reason why I could just completely take the gen 1 front end off, and slap on a gen 2? Without saving any parts from the gen1? I'm talking like put a whole new header panel on the frame rails, and go from there.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's why my comment started with a mention of pictures(worth 1000 words, etc.)

The front end body parts are a matched set, you have to use all of them. The bumper will need adapter brackets to reach the frame. The later frames are several inches longer, and the bumpers are more pointed in the center. You could try to cut and weld some of the later frame snouts, or make some kind of brackets.

The front clip(not body parts) is all one piece, part of a single body part, just like a unibody. You need the top portion of the front clip, all the way back to the back corners of the hood. The 1st gen. clip is too high to mount the 2nd gen. fenders and hood. Cut down the radiator support, down to the bottom of the headlight buckets, straight accross.

Get a look at the two front clips, and visualize that the 2nd gen. top front of the fenders are over three inches lower than the 91-94's. Good luck,

 

[SmoothKriminal]

I still dont see why you have to cut the gen1 header panel just below the headlights. Whats the reasoning behind not being able to just use a whole 2nd gen header panel? I'm not expecting it to bolt up or anything, I have the tools necessary to make my own bracketry and such.

Your definately right though man, some pics would definatley make things much clearer. I dont have a truck from each gen to compare.

 

[CDW6212R]

The radiators mount differently, as do all of the underhood components.

I am assuming you mean radiator support when you say header panel, yes? There is a header panel in the 2nd gen, whereas the 1st gen. just has separate headlight buckets which attach to the support. You need that header panel for all of the frontmost parts. The more of the later radiator support below the headlight buckets that you use, the more fabricating you would have to do to mount your engine bay parts to that lower section. This includes the radiator itself, they mount much differently.

This applies to the side section also, the reason I suggest that you try to include the upper section, is to achieve a perfect fit of the fenders, in relation to the hood. To graft the parts would be difficult, yes, but if done right, then the front end parts would be very easy to bolt on, and align. The magic will be in locating the radiator support(top section) at the proper height, and forward distance.

If you properly cut and mock up the parts, screwing them together, or spotwelding, you can test fit the fenders and hood to assure a proper alignment.

I have a few of the pictures of my 93 Limited without a fender and front end. Give me an email address, so that I can send them to you. Regards,

 

[MONMIX]

CDW is barking up the right tree.
I have put at least a half dozen core supports on Ford Explorers, and I can say with out hesitation there is more than a few diferances between first gen and second gen.

If you have welding, fabracating and MEASURING skills, it is quite possible.
Though hardly worth the time and effort in my personal opinion.

 

[SmoothKriminal]

So basically what you are saying is that a 1st gen radiator mounts in such a way that it will not go into a 2nd gen header panel? 1st Gens dont even have a header panel so to speak? Just a surround that the headlight buckets bolt to?

You can email me at my address below, and I can even host and post up the pics if you would like?

Scruber5o3@aemail4u.com

 

[CDW6212R]

They both have radiator supports, which is welded into the body. The 2nd gen. has a full width header panel which bolts to the front of the support. All front facia parts bolt to that.

On the 1st gen. there are two small fiberglass pieces, the size of one headlight. Those bolt to each side of the radiator support, and the grille attaches to that.

 

[XplorerKid]

Thanks for the reply man. The main reason I'm interested in this is the lack of suspension options for gen2's. The absolute lowest you can drop them is 2-2.5". If I had beams I could go 5+".

Do you see a reason why I could just completely take the gen 1 front end off, and slap on a gen 2? Without saving any parts from the gen1? I'm talking like put a whole new header panel on the frame rails, and go from there.

you an lower a 2nd gen aroudn 5"s, do a search, Draft, and i think boomin, both did it, plus im sure theres others, it involves swapping the toresion bar keys if i remember right....

 

[CDW6212R]

That extra drop does work for 2WD's. Some guys played with mounting the upper ball joint on the lower side of the control arm, etc. It limits travel greatly though.

 

[SmoothKriminal]

you an lower a 2nd gen aroudn 5"s, do a search, Draft, and i think boomin, both did it, plus im sure theres others, it involves swapping the toresion bar keys if i remember right....

Been there, done that, lifted it back up. lol. Theres absolutely no way to lower these suspensions more than a couple of inches and still have a tolerable ride. Not only that, but allignment is impossible after like 2.5" anyways.

 

[FROADER]

I would look at Rick's and do what he did. He had the fiberglass front end but he now has metal 2nd gen fenders.

 

[SmoothKriminal]

I would look at Rick's and do what he did. He had the fiberglass front end but he now has metal 2nd gen fenders.

oh wow, I always knew he had the front end, but not metal fenders. I'll have to check it out.

 

[CDW6212R]

Did you receive the three pictures that I sent you. The pictures which I have been taking are for documenting where everything goes, not necessarily for comparing differences. I have the 99 front clip cut off, and bare. To reinstall all of the parts, everything, will be a large task. When finished, it will have everything from the dash forward, from the 95-01 Explorers. Night,