44" boggers

[Rick]

Oknut, post your invitation to the "Serious Explorations" forum on the message board. Start a new thread there to see who would be interested.

 

[Oknut]

Will do..

Thanks Rick

 

[Peter]

Unbelieveable Truck...I have never seen anything like it. I just put on new tires and I thought that my truck was badazz. One question though, when you reffer to the difficlultys of a stock, what do you mean when you say "high centered"? How does a lift eliminate that?

 

[Oknut]

Hey peter,

If your sick of being high centered, then you gotta create more room between the differential and the ground. So if you want bigger tires you need a lift - correct ?

From the bottom of my differential and the ground I have 16". try to measure a stock explorer.

It will also help if you get a new front end, that Dana 35 will get high centered anywhere you go.

 

[RU MAN]

I like how you put SLIGHTLY MODIFIED in your profile!!!
Nice truck man. I hope every works right.

 

[Oknut]

Thanks RU MAN,

Hopefully you will be able to do some more to your explorer. If you want some good ideas, and you wanna modify your truck a lot for little money, then send me an e-mail. I would be glad to help you.

Take care,

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Your truck looks AWSOME!!!

 

[Rick]

I was looking at the photos again. Just how long are those shackles?? They sure look looong. Did you think about using arched springs or are the too much $$$. I have a friend with 15" of lift on his Superduty, he used arched springs to get all of the lift.

 

[Oknut]

Thanks Paul,

Rick, Those springs are 4" lift springs, skyjacker softrides. so the spring over and the leafs give me about 10inches of lift. About half of the shackle will be cut off, those are ajustable shackles and when I find the right hole I will cut the rest off. The spring mounts on the axles are wider then the frame, so I have to widen the frame in the front and also in the rear the other reason why I had to lower the front down so far, was because the frame sits a lot higher in the front then it does in the rear. and you wanna have the spring mounts level.

I could lower it down a bit, but why do that when it's so fun to be big.

I have been thinking about getting a little bit smaller tires, maybe the 42" swampers, or the 39'5 bogger, what do you guys think about that ? For me to be road legal I will have to make some pretty heavy duty fender flares, unless I get smaller tires or I could get a dana 60 cut 4 inches off the right side and that way the spring mounts would match the frame. This project is comming along, and the only thing left is just the lose ends.

Thanks guys and all the best,
Oknut

 

[RFR2212]

Oknut, don't take this the wrong way....So hear me out....By all means, 44's on an explorer kick ass! But I look at and I think about the functionability of it. Sure, 330hp will definately help those boggers throw mud....But there is little to no articulation....Unless you nearly cut away all yer fenders....I'd say drop down to the 39in boggers.....I definatly keep boggers....I got em...I love em! I don't know whether you plan on making this street legal....but for offroad purpose, I'd go down in tire size to get some good flex.....Make sence? But remember...it still kicks ass!
Pete

 

[Rick]

I just saw the most monsterous Suburban I've ever seen. I could just about drive our VW Golf under this thing. It had a banner on it http://www.topths.com, but the link is lame, there's nothing there.

He had the website banner ON THE FRAME RAILS!! The frame rails sit about roof height for small cars. He didn't have any flares his tires stuck way out and his headlights were mounted at legal height so you've got these headlights way down low, with his parking lights lit up about three feet above them. An awesome sight for sure...

 

[Oknut]

I think you might be right, there is more clearence on the explorer then what it looks like. I don't even think the springs would flex enough to even rub. That's after I get the cut out fender flares, what i'm more concerned about is the tires sticking out to far.

Rick what size tires was this guy running ? And I wonder if we have the same laws, regarding the headlights. What is the legal bumper height there ? Mine right now is 46 inches.

 

[Rick]

They looked like 44s to me. I couldn't imagine this truck being any taller, it looked like he was sitting right up there with the drivers of bigrigs. I don't know the exact measurement for the headlight laws here, but I do know there is such a law on the books.

 

[Mat R]

Oknut,
I think the biggest size tire you can run in this state and still be legal is 38". I had a friend who had a 70s F-150 running them, and he said he was always getting pulled over so the cops could check his legality. You'll also have to add mud flaps to the front tires, which is one more thing they will nab you on.

You know I was thinking, don't you risk blowing an axle with only a Dana 44 in the front instead of a Dana 60. I mean I know the 44 is strong, but 330HP and huge tires is a lot for any axle to handle.

Mat

 

[Oknut]

Hi mat,

I'm looking for a dana 60 as we speak. it's a straight over conversion, peice of cake.

I have some friends here with the same size tire, they never get pulled over, but that might be because I live out in hickstown..

I'm gonna go with these tires for now and then get smaller tires later, guess I wouldn't be able to go bigger. now isn't that crazy ?

Take care,

[Edited by Oknut on 12-07-2000 at 11:42 PM]

 

[Oknut]

Hi guys,

Just did a lot of work on the old explorer today. Put the transmission on it. fabricated the cross member so that it would mount to the tranny, cut a farely big hole in the floor. and lifted it another 3 inches, so now it's got 19 inches of lift on it. Tomorrow i'm mounting the t-case and finishing some of the engine work, then all there's left to do is drivelines.

Hopefully everything will work

P.S. I took some pictures today.

 

[Oknut]

Okay guys I need your help.

I have been putting a lot of thought into this and what I have come up with is that I need smaller tires. I think i'm gonna go with the 39'5 swamper, it's only 15" wide, that will help me with the tires sticking out to far. And i'm gonna lower it 3-4 inches in the front and 2-3 inches in the rear.

What do you guys think about that ? should I go for the full out big boy look and not be able to do any trails, or should I go smaller and do all the trails ?

 

[riffman]

why not leave it at the spring height, just loose the body lift, and go with the 39's...this way, you can get better travel. or better yet, leave the body lift in and use the 39's for some even better travel. or EVEN Better yet!! go w\ the 1/4 elipticle system and get some seriously MEAN travel!! WOO HOO!! oh god...now you got me started! Dead Link Removed

have you test fit a pair of 39's yet?

 

[Oknut]

Merry Christmas,

I can't lose the body lift, I needed it to clear the aircleaner, headers and transmission. I can't leave the lift as is, because it's way to much. The pictures you have seen the explorer has 16" lift, as it sits right now it's got 19"'s. And I clear the 44's easy.

I can get a lot of travel because I have moved the front end forward about two inches. that way I don't have to worry about the rear fender wall in the front.

Well I wish you guys all a great holiday season and all the best for the new year.

Take care,
Oknut

 

[offroader_69_me]

WOW

well oknut i must say that is the BIGGEST Explorer I have ever seen, I once dreamed of 38's but thought now way not on an explorer, but know..... Well I guess I have to put in my 2 cents now, the 44's look AWESOME, but as you said it is either keep the tires and do just a few trails, or go down a size or two and just kick some major trail ASS! Either way that is an extremely nice ride, take care and keep us posted, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!