2003 Explorer Sport XLT

Hello all my name is Frank from Orange County California and I've been visiting this forum for a couple of years now and have gotten a really good help on this site. I'm recently unemployed so I've been on here a lot more now and have been fixing things and doing some cheap mods to keep my sane in the mean time. My car is a 2003 Explorer Sport XLT, 4.0 SOHC 2wd. I bought my explorer in 09 for about 8k with only 42000 miles from the dealer. I have been in 2 fender benders since i got it, one was my fault the other wasn't so theres a couple of scratches on it but nothing too ugly. I really haven't done much to the car just a couple of body mods but will be putting on Ranchos RS5000 on all corners. I am going for the offroad look and have take it to some trails and actually manages pretty good, but had to get some good lights since I drive the backroads a lot in riverside county and san bernadino, where lights on road are pretty non existent.

The mods I have done are:
Tinted front windows to match rear and put wind deflectors
Paint all cladding Black
Painted the wheels Black
Install Kenwood head unit and speakers
Change all the interior lights and puddle lamps to LED's
Hunter grille guard (headlight guards came off because driver side got really bent in accident no. 2)
Installed Rugged Rigid HID fog lights to grille guard
BFG All-Terrains 265/75/16
Added EXPLORER lettering to the hood
Customized the rear Ford emblem to black
Black headlights and turn signals, but back to stock turn signals after one light broke after accident no.2 (back to black now after fixing)

Add a leaf and hybrid 4 dr leaf pick, 1.5 shackles and tt.
1.5 wheel spacers all around
2nd gen rear tow hook
expedition front tow hook


Heres some pics of different stages of my explorer, never took a stock one but they all pretty much look the same I know my cars nothing special compared to what some guys have done here but I'm proud of it so far, let me know what you honestly think and what I could do to improve it.

Earliest pic I had of it

After installing Grille Guard and black Headlights and corners

After accident no.2
Painted the wheels black and took off headlight guards and black turn signals

After installing Rugged Ridge HID

Installed Rancho rs5000 on all corners

Mine and My Dad's bone stock 98 Explorer XLT

 

[frankcal]

Yeah daily driver duties on it sucks up a lot of money, but its the only one and no money for another so its all good for now. I got some rugged ridge ones for cheap, but painted two of em black and changed out the reflector dish in the back for a spot beam. What kinda light bar do you have, i've been looking into them a bit. I'm looking for something like the bottom one but gonna get it to wrap around the bumper and little more beefier on the mounting spots.

 

[feared100]

ruffstuff 22inch led lightbar flood/spot combo(really just a flood) Amazing light output for $250.00!!! I love it

 

[frankcal]

that looks pretty good

 

[frankcal]

So plans on building a bumper fell through due to money and i picked up a brushguard really cheap on cl so just going with that for now. Have done other things on though. Added tow hooks I had forgotten I had in the attic and painted them red. Installed 3 rugged ridge hids on the brush guard. Also added another leaf to the leaf springs and got more lift off it so had to do tt to match. Changed the oil in the differential and took the opportunity to paint it red since it was rusting some on the side. Also riding around w/o the spare since I'm more local now. Other than that just routine maintenance and changing the lower the lower thermostat housing.

 

[frankcal]

Showing the lift from the rebuilt leaf springs and more TT. Makes me wish I had gotten a little bigger tires now.

Some shots out at lake matthews

 

[Dweeberman]

Awesome! Definitely loving the fact that you put the white letters facing outside (your tires that is lol)!

 

[frankcal]

thanks I was wanting to break up some of the black

 

[frankcal]

Got another comparison pic next to a second gen the other day. Not the best but shows the lift compared to stock, couple inches.

 

[feared100]

Looking good dude. I love the truck!!!!

 

[frankcal]

Thanks man I appreciate the compliment.
Its been a long work in process and im finally happy with how it sits. Just want to get some wheel spacers now since I just redid the wheel bearings. Other than that I'm happy with it for a while, to finally save up some serious money and get a locker and armor next year or so.

 

[frankcal]

Little update this afternoon. Installed 1 1/2 in spacers in the front to eliminate the rub at full lock, and they have worked BEAUTIFULLY. Also got new front brakes and finally bled the whole brake system. That made a huge difference in stopping, while bleeding there was a lot of air when doing the rears, not so much in the front. Also installed rancho shocks up front, the longer ones to help with the TT front end. The shocks combined with the spacers have helped the drive a lot, especially on turns and on dips.

Last update is just exterior, but made a huge difference. Finally got around to doing a full clay bar, polishing compound and turtle black wax treatment. Oh boy, that made the car shine and soooo smooth the to the touch.
Finally some pics for proof

 

[Mike's brother]

Nice looking rig, my friend. Definitely invest in that locker. Makes a huge difference. You'll love it.

 

[frankcal]

Thanks for the compliment, I like to think its coming along pretty nicely...slowly but surely. Definitely will be getting the locker when the job situation gets a little better. But have to take care of some maintenance first, which would be new master cylinder and inner tie rods then after that all the money is going on the spartan and install.

 

[Mike's brother]

Hey Frankcal ...

I didn't want to hijack the Sport pic thread, so I'm posting a pic of my old steps here. There's a little rust, but most of what you see on the brackets is my old rockers, still clinging on. Ahhh, the joys up the Northeast.

Overall:

And a close up on the brackets

If you want them, they're yours. Just PM me on where to send them, and I'll find out what it'll take to ship.

:exp:

 

[frankcal]

Pm sent, thanks again

 

[03Sport]

I figured I would actually check out your thread frankcal...It has come a long way in a little time. What type of brush guard do you have? I have been looking for one on CL and eBay but I'm not sure how interchangeable they are for different vehicles/brands.

 

[frankcal]

Thanks, yeah it has happened pretty quick after searching through this site, it gets addicting. I have a hunter brush guard off of ebay. I'm not too sure, but I don't think many other brushguards are interchangeable. Because of the way then line up and hug the body, but the best way would be to check em out in person. They may not line up perfectly, but would be a heck of a lot cheaper then new.

 

[03Sport]

I found the Hunter Brush Guard on eBay...it's going to be about $180 shipped. I think I will order it when I have the time/money. Thanks.

 

[frankcal]

That's not bad I think I paid over 200 for the one I got of eBay a while ago.

 

[frankcal]

Just finished installing some shackles on the rear to finally level out the height, well mostly, the front still is about an inch higher but im just gonna keep it like that for now because I dont feel like going to get an alignment any time soon since Ive been there like 5 times in the last month. The front sits at 38 1/2 inches from floor to top of wheel well and the back is 37 3/4. So its good for now. I went with shackles on ebay that I saw another member had gotten. The company is pro form fab, and they are made pretty hefty. I went with 1.5 inch ones just because I didnt wanna do the full 2. They cost me 44 and picked up some grade 8 hardware for 22 so not too bad.
Other updates on the list are replaced master cylinder, front brakes, rebuilt the front calipers, inner tie rods and got spacers put on the rear, and fuel filter change as well as bleeding the whole system which took me 2 days due to issues.

All repairs are mainly done now, the only thing left on my list is U-joints and regular maintenance and hopefully nothing else pops up so I can start saving up for other mods.

Anywho, here are the pics as always

Close up of how the shackles looks

Just all around shots of it poser flexing slightly. The funny thing is after drove off the rock my tires spun a bit and threw dirt all inside my car filling the seats, floors and dash all full of gritty sandy dirt.