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99 Explorer SAS D30

Well I'm taking an early night off tonight from my SAS on my 99 explorer so I figure I'll start my write up on it...
My ride is a Cheery 99 Ex XLT leather interior all the bells and whistles

First off I'm doing a D30 for a few reasons...
1- Wanting to keep the ABS
2- Stock(ish) width
3- Wheel bolt pattern same
4- CHEEPER...


I know, "why not just do a 44 and get it done. Your gona wheel the thing"
Well Ya I'm gona wheel it but not that hard besides I like breaking stuff...lol...

Out back it's getting SOA, AAL, and a lincoln locker...
Gears will be (eventually) 4.56 or 4.10's will deside when the tires are bought, which will be desided on when the lift is in and I see what will look best 33's or 35's???
Springs are originally out of a YJ but thanks to Mike at Abby spring they are not stock;)
Steering is the box out of my old 91 Ex
Front drive shaft will be built at Abby spring (thanks again Mike)
All the work is being done by me with help from My good buddy Pete at Pete's little shop;) (Man I love plazma cutters and Hoists) Keep in mind that the shop is not a pro auto shop but rather a back yard shop. My buddy is a computor geek and I'm a licenced auto tech for 20+ years 12 of those with Ford
T case will be out of a 96 ranger electric shift (and yes you can control it with the 99 system if you have the neutral tow option installed) I know WHY???

Pix's will follow soon (I'm taking lots)

Monday Dec 3
Did some running around and gathered some more parts. Fabbed up the front spring hanger coppying Section's design but using 2x6 3/16 steel (little lighter and plenty strong... Springs dropped off at Abby Spring. Measured up stock hights of my Ex (damn I left the #'s at Petes I'll post later). Called the dude with the D30 "Oh man it's snowing and the powers out can't get it out, call me tomorrow." Mounted the spring hanger/front cross member Put the bumper back on and calles it a night.
10 am to 9 pm

Tuesday Dec 4
More running around picked up the springs and u bolts. Called the dude with the D30 again "Oh ya I'll be at the shop later call me in the afternoon" Fab up the front shackles. Calles Dude back, now the axle I was trying to get was a D30 out of a 95 ZJ with the better steering nuckles and all. "Ya man that D30 out of the 88 XJ is out and ready for you." Um no we agreed on an axle out of a 95 ZJ I need the ABS! "Oh my boss dosn't want to part that one out yet."
Ok plan "B" get a line on one out of a 96 XJ with ABS, but a 2 hr drive away Oh well,
Back to the shop I go and start cutting. Man that first cut is a killer on a very cherry 99 Ex, but I'm either crazy or stupid cuz I think it's fun...lol...
Man I love Plazma cutters and hoists
Long day 9 am to 1 am

Wed Dec 5
Run around getting Insurance on my pimp ride 2000 Malibu so I don't have to thumb around (it's 1/2 hr drive to Petes from my place) Head out to pick up the D30 Sweet shape came with front drive shaft and purdy new brakes $100 Sweet deal...
Back to shop and did a bit mor plazma cutting and grinding bit of painting.
Called it quits early looking after the kids tonight while the wife had an epicure party (oh joy)
10 am to 4:30 pm

Tomorrow we will see I'll post more later...

Cost list:
D30 $100
Braded flex lines $30 for the 3 of them new (sweet score)
Steel $100
T-case -$450 (sold a dude my 91 case and installed it he gave me his 96 ranger case, he needed a cable speedo auto shift case I didn't)
Springs and U-bolts, (worked at Abby spring for a year and Mike is a great guy) $30
Gear oil and brake fluid Free (don't ask)...
Paint, primer, grinding disk's $25
48 Kokanee's $*&^ (price restricted by Canadian Government)...lol...:ca:

So far I'm still in the red Cool

*Side note My 2000 Malibu is for sale if any one is interested This will be my Gear and tire money $4500 OBO*

Did I mention I want this driving by next Monday...lol...

Cheers Randy...
:exp::salute::thumbsup::ca::bdrunk::ttiwwp:
 



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Sounds like a plan.

I think you need to slow down though, you're running around like a madman -- which sometimes just leads to mistakes further down the road, or poor quality in the rush to get things finished. So relax a bit :D

(clean version of video :))

Dont forget to sleeve the steering gearbox holes! And plate the chassis around those sleeves! Or else rippy ripy rip the frame goes!
 






Thursday Dec 6

Re-did the front spring hanger I wasn't liking the way it was looking did a bunch more grinding man I'm starting to hate my grinder...lol...
Spent some time looking at the steering but that can't go on untill the springs are in...

Friday Dec 7

Got the front springs totally in and sitting on the axle made up the spring purches for the front axle and got the axle stripped of all the jeep coil spring stuff ya alot more grinding... turns out it's a high pinion D30 bonus score...:thumbsup:

Saturday Dec 8

Got the axle mounted under the springs and bolted up with the tires on it's about 8" higher that it was... Got the back done in about 2 hrs (loose fit for now still have to do an AAL and rear shackles as is it's about 3" shoe=rter than the front...

I'll get the pictures up soon...
 






BTW thanks IZ for the tip, I was planning on tubing and plating the box...
Any tips are welcome if anyone wants to chime in...
I've done SAS's before on other types of vehicles (toy's, chebby's, and other Ford's) just not on an explorer. I've read probably every write up on this and other boards but like I said any tips are welcome...
I took yesterday off (fire hall christmas party the night before ouch...lol...)
I'll go pick up my camera today and down load some pix's...
I'm back to work this week so It will have to wait for next weekend to get finnished up... I figure another two days and it will be done...
I am droping the drive shaft of with my buddy at Abby spring to get it made up...
I have huge amounts of drop in the front axle should flex really nice tho I'm not 100% sure I'm liking the front springs purdy flat when sitting with the vehicle weight on it I'll talk it over with Mike when I drop off the drive shaft see what he thinks...
 






Ok Some pix's...
 

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What the heck only 4 at a time allowed???
Ok some more...
 

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That 1st cut was the hardest...lol...
 

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i like it. how much lift you looking to get?
 






Looking like somewhere around 9"
I'm still thinking I'll redo the front springs Thinking there too flat...
 






Wow, a lift and plasma made short work of that IFS. Your making the rest of us with a sawzall and grinder jealous.

Looking forward to the end result!
 






Looking like somewhere around 9"
I'm still thinking I'll redo the front springs Thinking there too flat...

Flat as in the plane from eye-let to eye-let? Level springs = happy caster. Which = ****ty pinion angle. (generally)
 






Flat as in the plane from eye-let to eye-let? Level springs = happy caster. Which = ****ty pinion angle. (generally)

I believe he means flat as in not enough arch in the spring once the weight of the ex is on them.



Maybe you could look into the Waggy springs that many of the members on here use. Don't know if their width is different from what you already fabbed up, but you could at least look into it.
 






Ya it's load on the springs Mike said he will have me a new set by the weekend...
He's making a new primary spring out of a little thicker steel...:thumbsup:
 






Well she's done......
Ok well I drove her home tonight...SWEET
Still need to get her on the alignment rack at work and find out my caster so I can reweld my spring pads she tends to be a bit squirly over 70kms (45mph)
I'll have to post up some more pix's soon as I'm beat from a marathon weekend of working on her...
Got it done (drivable) in 8 hard days of working on it and it prolly cost less than $700 (no gears or tires yet tho it's on very small 31's...lol...)
If you count the freebee's and $$$ I made parting out my 91 Explorer I'm in it for a little more than $100 :D:exp::D unless beer counts in the price...lol...

Well I'm going to get some sleep I'l do a better write up with pix's soonly...
Cheers Randy flash J
 






Ok some pix's from my phone and still on the 31's
Later Randy...:exp:
 

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A couple of the steering box mods...
 

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Any of you seeing anything I might be missing???
 






Can you get a closeup of the shocks, I haven't seen many people keep the stock tower on there when going to a solid axle. Most go with the F250 or fab one up.

Looks good, I'm a little jealouse of how fast you got yours done..
 






Looking good, cant wait to see it with real tires on it.
 



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Ya the shocks were my buddies idea Used the stock upper mounts and a set of junkyard rear spring plates off a 2nd gen ex...
I'll try to get a pix's of it tomorrow... Seems to work well...
Cheers Randy...:exp:
 






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