yourabase
New Member
- Joined
- February 2, 2021
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Great Falls MT
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 04 Explorer Eddie Bauer
Hi everyone I’m kind of new to the forum and I was hoping to get information and opinions on all sorts of small subjects for my explorer. I do have to apologize ahead of time because I don’t know much about forum etiquette but I’ll do my best to conform.
I have a 2004 Eddie Bauer explorer and I want to make some big changes too it. My mother bought it as a family vehicle in 08 so I want to keep it with me as I practically grew up in it.
it’s got 4x4, a 4.6, a Compustar remote start. I put a flowmaster super 44 muffler on it and I’ve put subs in it as most young people do.
Plans
Suspension/Fitment
I want to lower it about 2 inches so I was wondering if there was alternate struts that could be used, coil overs that aren’t displayed to be compatible with the explorer, or if I’m gonna have to custom make some sort of way to put it on bags. (Which I don’t want to have to do)
I wanted to have a sort of muscle car type of wheel but most Steelies aren’t necessarily made to be 17s/18s I wanted to do American Racing’s ar172 baja, but those aren’t the size with the lug pattern needed
This where more opinions would come in; I need some wheel recommendations, I don’t like Moto Metals center cap and that seems to be the only company that makes wheels when I look haha.
Electrical
I ordered 2 ct sounds meso 15s each rms at 1500 watts. The block that I wanted to mount my amps on are gonna be behind the second row of seats sitting sort of slanted from the third row floor up to the back of the subs.
I need to know if there is any sort of removal of the third row seating/headrests in order to make a panel sit comfortably between the 2nd row seats and the sub boxes. Dc power has an alternator that pushes 370 amps at max that should be enough to power the subs at lower volumes
I have the intention of putting another batter in the back to not have to worry about drawing to much power from my main battery when playing at a higher volume. The alternator is labeled for a f150 4.6 from about the same year and I’m not finding much about if they are compatible. I figured so long as the belt assembly is the same it would be fine.
HP
I want to make more for it to be put simply
I’m shooting for 350-400 anything above that would just be a bonus. I make jokes to my dad about swapping a 5.0 or a 5.2 just to worry him but I know it isn’t necessarily the best decision being that the extent of my mechanical knowledge is when I helped rebuild a Chevy 3.4 in an auto tech class in high school about 4 years ago. Currently what I have mapped out is a kenne bell 2.1 supercharger kit and their recommended Dual Switch Chip Power add on. I haven’t done to much research into it but from what I understand it works with the 2v pi heads from Ford and I shouldn’t necessarily need too many aftermarket parts to withstand the pressure.
Transmission
The auto has served well but I really want to manual swap it, the part where I’m being difficult is that I want to keep the 4x4. From what I understand the f150 manual from I believe 98 to 03 should work but I am unaware of the performance ability said transmission has. I read somewhere that some did have a manual 3rd Gen but not too much information was posted. Would I have to cut a hole for the stick and the clutch too?
My tpms reciever also seems to be having problems because it takes a couple minutes of running before the notice pops up in the dash computer. The tpms have already been replaced so that can be ruled out
Sorry about the obnoxiously long post but any information/opinions would be greatly appreciated more than can be put into words
I have a 2004 Eddie Bauer explorer and I want to make some big changes too it. My mother bought it as a family vehicle in 08 so I want to keep it with me as I practically grew up in it.
it’s got 4x4, a 4.6, a Compustar remote start. I put a flowmaster super 44 muffler on it and I’ve put subs in it as most young people do.
Plans
Suspension/Fitment
I want to lower it about 2 inches so I was wondering if there was alternate struts that could be used, coil overs that aren’t displayed to be compatible with the explorer, or if I’m gonna have to custom make some sort of way to put it on bags. (Which I don’t want to have to do)
I wanted to have a sort of muscle car type of wheel but most Steelies aren’t necessarily made to be 17s/18s I wanted to do American Racing’s ar172 baja, but those aren’t the size with the lug pattern needed
This where more opinions would come in; I need some wheel recommendations, I don’t like Moto Metals center cap and that seems to be the only company that makes wheels when I look haha.
Electrical
I ordered 2 ct sounds meso 15s each rms at 1500 watts. The block that I wanted to mount my amps on are gonna be behind the second row of seats sitting sort of slanted from the third row floor up to the back of the subs.
I need to know if there is any sort of removal of the third row seating/headrests in order to make a panel sit comfortably between the 2nd row seats and the sub boxes. Dc power has an alternator that pushes 370 amps at max that should be enough to power the subs at lower volumes
I have the intention of putting another batter in the back to not have to worry about drawing to much power from my main battery when playing at a higher volume. The alternator is labeled for a f150 4.6 from about the same year and I’m not finding much about if they are compatible. I figured so long as the belt assembly is the same it would be fine.
HP
I want to make more for it to be put simply
I’m shooting for 350-400 anything above that would just be a bonus. I make jokes to my dad about swapping a 5.0 or a 5.2 just to worry him but I know it isn’t necessarily the best decision being that the extent of my mechanical knowledge is when I helped rebuild a Chevy 3.4 in an auto tech class in high school about 4 years ago. Currently what I have mapped out is a kenne bell 2.1 supercharger kit and their recommended Dual Switch Chip Power add on. I haven’t done to much research into it but from what I understand it works with the 2v pi heads from Ford and I shouldn’t necessarily need too many aftermarket parts to withstand the pressure.
Transmission
The auto has served well but I really want to manual swap it, the part where I’m being difficult is that I want to keep the 4x4. From what I understand the f150 manual from I believe 98 to 03 should work but I am unaware of the performance ability said transmission has. I read somewhere that some did have a manual 3rd Gen but not too much information was posted. Would I have to cut a hole for the stick and the clutch too?
My tpms reciever also seems to be having problems because it takes a couple minutes of running before the notice pops up in the dash computer. The tpms have already been replaced so that can be ruled out
Sorry about the obnoxiously long post but any information/opinions would be greatly appreciated more than can be put into words
