4" TT Has anybody out there ran this much?

[Florida98XLT4x4]

I understand that anything over 2" of TT is placing extra load and bad angle on the CV's but this is not a daily driver. It is an every other weekend or so trail runner and winter hunting rig. I was just wondering what the actual life span might be for my CV's. If I have to change them out after 20,000 miles, or 2,000 miles or 20 miles or what. I am trying to get a little extra ground clearance and fit my 33's as well. I don't care to change the CV's every so often but not every 500 miles lol. Thanks guys.

 

[410Fortune]

what about the ride?

with the t bars cranked up that far your ride height is now maxed out, which means you have no more down travel, it is all bump travel, it will ride and handle like crap, even on the trail

4" is going to wear out your CV's likely about 3 times as fast as normal....I am running about 2.5" and like you I dont care much about swapping out the CV's I already have a few extra's and it takes like an hour max...the cv's I have now on my 96 have 180K miles on them, they are starting to click... I run 33" tires

How do you feel about trimming fenders???

 

[Glen4X4]

its doubtful the torsion bar bolts will go that far but there is a thread that list information on replacing ones with bolts from Fastenal so that you can get more height.

 

[Florida98XLT4x4]

Not super worried about the ride. I live in central florida so most of the trails are soft sand and mud or a combo of both. I would really like the extra hieght ( even just an inch or two) because I keep hitting deep holes and end up pushing mud (not solid mud but the soupy stuff) with the front bumper. So every little bit will help. And yes I have done some trimming and the 33's fit as is with the 2" TT I already have. I am running the warrior shackles but also want the AAL without making it taller in the rear than the front. I'll probablly end up more like 3 1/2" TT ( then maybe more trimming and 35's? LOL). And I did find the thread that spoke about the proper bolt size to replace the factory bolts in case you run out of thread. I am sure it will ride like a logging truck but should function well enough. If I want a soft ride then I'll take a ride in my honda lol. That harsh of a ride though might not be good on the rest of the unseen parts hmm................ always something though.

 

[Glen4X4]

Something you may also want to consider if its in your budget would be to do a coilover conversion that may help the ride quality with increasing ride height on stock suspension.

 

[FROADER]

Is a body lift out of the question? Cheap and easy to do without having to worry about changing out CVs often. BTW, that thing isn't going to ride like a logging truck, it's going to ride like a pogo stick...

And yes I have done some trimming and the 33's fit as is with the 2" TT I already have.

If you already have the 33s on there, why do you want to go higher?

 

[Florida98XLT4x4]

I still get slight rubbing from the 33's and I really want the extra clearance. I am trying to do this on a budget since it's a "play toy". As far as the body lift I would love to but I am not confident enough in my mechanic skills to do it myself and I assume a shop would charge dearly for it. And if I can get it high enough to clear the 35's with some more trimming then I would like to do that too. I already have a set 35 mud rovers from my chevy pick that I sold and have been hanging on to them for nearly a year now.

 

[section525]

BL that shiz and be done with it. They're easier than you think. Do a 2" so you don't have to worry about all the extra stuff that goes with a 3".

 

[410Fortune]

sawzall is your friend
2" body lift would be ideal along with trimming for 35's and the type of wheeling you do you likely would not have to max out your cv's anymore either

 

[Paraphoe]

These guys are right. Do the body lift. I did a 3'' with minimal automotive experience. It's not as hard as some people make it out to seem. The 2'' will be even easier.

 

[Florida98XLT4x4]

What is the difference between the 2" and 3" lift ? I know I can do most of it except for the steering and radiator which might give me fits.

 

[Paraphoe]

I know one difference is that the 2'' doesn't require the steering extension.

 

[section525]

Right. I only did the 3" so I can't verify anything first-hand. But I've read that nothing needs to be extended or lowered. Plus the stock bumper brackets have enough adjustment to fill the 2" gap.

 

[410Fortune]

3" is too much, it stretches cables, it requires the stupid steering extension (unless you drill a new hole in steering shaft) it puts more strain on the steering intermediate shaft which wears out much faster, and well the 3" is do-able but the amount of extra crap that goes with it we have learned a 2" will do nicely... just trim a bit more metal to clear the tires

 

[Florida98XLT4x4]

OK then a couple of questions since you guys have me 1/2 talked into a 2"BL.
#1 Without going into super detail, does anybody know what would have to be lossened or unhooked or relocated with the 2" BL? I understand that the steering will be OK. What about the radiator, front grill, headlights, brake lines, shifter linkage, that sort of thing. Otherwise I'll be trying to jack the body up and eyeballing to see what's getting caught or binding.
#2 Which BL kit do you purchase for a 1998 XLT 4x4? I looked at summit racing products and they offer a 3" for the same year Ranger but not a 2". I guess I could call and ask them but would prefer to hear from someone who has done it.
Although maybe I don't care to sacrafice ride quality and stuff if I don't have to and can maybe do the 2" BL and increase to 3" on the suspension then I can have a full 5" and still have a decent ride with less wear on the drivetrain ( until I put the 35's on LOL).

 

[Glen4X4]

You will need the 2" kit for the first gen explorer 91-94.

 

[410Fortune]

there are MANY body lift install threads on this forum, very detailed

a body lift, 2" is very straight forward to install...it can go very smooth or it can take a week...it all depends on how prepared you are to lift one side of the body at a time and how prepared you are to fix a stuck bolt... body bolts can be a PITA I had to cut four of the cab mounts with a sawzall on my BII, that is no easy task. 1988 truck, finally doing the body mounts in 2008....can you say rust? It took about 5 blades hahaha but the good news is the two rear bed mounts were already broken when I got there yeah yeah not funny
I am sure there are ways, torches, grinders, the sawzall is what worked for me.
But the point is if you are prepared you can do this in a weekend no problem

the 2" lift will move the radiator up 2", your hoses will be fine. The fan simply blows on the radiator 2" down. You can fabricate a simple fan shroud or relocate yours.

they dont make a Gen II explorer kit, but they make one thats close
you will want to fabricate or have fabricated some bumper brackets if you are running factory bumpers I traded a 30 pack of Keystones to my friends brother who runs a CNC machine, emailed him the dimensions/drawings from this forum, and blamo! bumper brackets

check out some body lift threads, great info in there...

 

[Paraphoe]

Like 410 explained, the most difficult part is likely going to be the body bolts. My truck was 10 years old when I did mine. The front two bolts in the engine compartment took about 9-10 hours for me to free, not counting the overnight they sat soaking in PB Blaster. I had a sledge, torch, 2 cans of PB Blaster, and a breaker bar with a 4 foot pipe on it for leverage. I was literally 3-4 feet out from the truck and walking while pushing the pipe and these things wouldn't budge. Start soaking them weeks in advance and make your life a helluva lot easier.

Other than that, it's just going to be a process of jacking it up a bit, chocking it, and then walking around checking for anything that's stretching, binding, etc. Then lift it a little more and repeat. Do one side, then the other. Might have to pop brake lines out of plastic carrier clips in the engine compartment, etc. Small stuff like that.

Also, you might be fine on the 2'' lift, but be careful with your AC line. During my 3'', mine pulled up against my fan belt and I did not notice (observation fail). I drove it for a little bit until the belt cut through the line and cost me $200 or so for the replacement and recharge. So make sure all wires, hoses, etc. are cleared away from belts and moving parts or you might make an expensive mistake.

 

[Florida98XLT4x4]

Ok so here's the scoop: I called our local 4x4 shop about 30 miles away and they gave me a quote of $900 for a 3" Body Lift. Parts, labor, sales tax and all. After serious deliberation I think that I'll put about $300 a month back and in June I'll take it up there and let them do it professionally. Considering I already have the 35's and the TT done, Shakles in place and I'm just missing the Add-A-Leaf. If I install the AAL & level the front to match it I should have about 3"-3 1/2" of suspension lift, then 3" of BL for a solid 6" of lift and with the little trimming I have already done I should fit 35's just fine and only be out around a grand. Not too shabby. Now I just wonder how long the tranny will hold out......................... Thanks for all the input guys. It helped out a lot. Sometimes when you think you get kinda one-tracked and need the different points of view to freshen your ideas up.

 

[Paraphoe]

Dude.....save the money. It's not that hard. Seriously.