MickeySpiers
Elite Explorer
- Joined
- July 31, 2001
- Messages
- 139
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Littleton, Colorado
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1991 XLT
Last night after a short tow from Westminster to Littleton, I became the proud new owner of a '97 Limited with the 302, a missing front driveshaft and a completely shot front axle. Perfect project vehicle. If I hadn't promised it to the wife, it would be the perfect candidate for a solid axle swap... I digress. I've followed the 4406 swaps as carefully as I can, but have some questions for the guru's. This is definately my wifes vehicle, so I need to tune my project to her wants/needs, which is A: no shift lever (nuts) and B: please keep the fancy computer readouts correct. That said, I'd like to paraphrase my dilema:
Reading up on Aaron's extensive thread for the electric shift swap, as well as Jamie's manual shift swap, and Darren's electronics, I've got a good understanding of the parts needed. However, since I need a new front axle anyhow, I want to follow up on an idea posted in all three regarding the vaccuum disconnect front axle. I like the idea of shifting to 2wd, and having the front axle disconnect from the wheels. So, if I read correctly, I can pick up a '96 front axle from any 4wd Explorer, a GEM from a '96 4.0 4wd, plus all the '97 4406 (Jamie, your VSS swap was well documented, but I don't want to do it), gas tank, driveshaft and associated parts as specified by the pros in their respective how-to's, and have my 2wd and mechanically disconnected front wheels.
Right?
Next question regards the fancy computer in the Limiteds - has anybody (Aaron?) been able to figure a way to get the fuel consumption to match the newly swapped in fuel tank? Or has anyone else tried to tackle this? My understanding is that only the Limiteds had these computers, so you can't swap a part from the Sport that the fuel tank comes from.
Sorry if the answers to the above have been posted, I searched as well as I could but could easily have missed something.
Reading up on Aaron's extensive thread for the electric shift swap, as well as Jamie's manual shift swap, and Darren's electronics, I've got a good understanding of the parts needed. However, since I need a new front axle anyhow, I want to follow up on an idea posted in all three regarding the vaccuum disconnect front axle. I like the idea of shifting to 2wd, and having the front axle disconnect from the wheels. So, if I read correctly, I can pick up a '96 front axle from any 4wd Explorer, a GEM from a '96 4.0 4wd, plus all the '97 4406 (Jamie, your VSS swap was well documented, but I don't want to do it), gas tank, driveshaft and associated parts as specified by the pros in their respective how-to's, and have my 2wd and mechanically disconnected front wheels.
Right?
Next question regards the fancy computer in the Limiteds - has anybody (Aaron?) been able to figure a way to get the fuel consumption to match the newly swapped in fuel tank? Or has anyone else tried to tackle this? My understanding is that only the Limiteds had these computers, so you can't swap a part from the Sport that the fuel tank comes from.
Sorry if the answers to the above have been posted, I searched as well as I could but could easily have missed something.
