99ex22's Elite Registry!

Here Is my 1999 XLT. She's all original except for the modifications Ive made, got 163,000 miles on her and is in pretty damn good shape. It was a one owner before me, they took really good care of it, never been hit, and the only scratch on it is on the roof from a tree branch I hit on the trail. The previous owners always had it maintained at their local Ford dealer so all the parts on it are Motorcraft parts. I am constantly changing it and working on it.

Modifications:
Custom Leaf Packs
War153's
TT
1" Body Lift
15x8 Crager Soft 8's
33x12.5R15 Cooper A/T's
Cat Back Magnaflow with 2 1/2" Pipe
Midland CB Radio
Smoked tail light's and 3rd brake light
Sylvania Silverstar Bulbs
Hella Comet 500 driving lights
KYB Monomax shocks
Trico Neoform Wipers
A pretty sweet Ford antenna
Clear corner lenses
Krylon Fusion on plastics
Billet Grille
10K pound tow hooks
Class 3 Tow Master Hidden Hitch
Smittybilt tow hook reciever
20% tinted windows
Mountaineer Grille
240W 3 Way Pioneer speakers
Transfer case skid
Gas tank skid
1997 explorer bumper
Grab handles on pillars
Painted pass airbag, vents, glove box black
Throttle cable mod
Brown wire mod

Here is a stock picture. Right around the time the addiction started taking place...
(dead links)

Here she is after Warrior shackles and TT...
(dead links)
Then I got my Soft 8's...
(dead links)
Then I got my 31's....
(dead links)
Then the ugly 3" Body Lift....

Then I went spring over axle in the rear and sloped body lift for a while...then shortly went back to the previous set up....


And then just recently I cut the 3" pucks down to 1" because I couldnt look at all the gaps and crap hanging down anymore that the 3" body lift created....along with the mountaineer grille. So my current set up is 1" Body lift, 2" TT and Warrior Shackles. Out of everything ive tried this is my favorite. I think my next mod now that im a couple inches lower will be a 4" deep by 40" or so roof rack made by rola and slap 4 hella 500"s up on a light bar.


Let me know what you guys think! and give me idea's of what I should do next! Any questions, just ask! Thanks,

-Russ

 

[Premier]

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/d60-88-9-spring-perch-p-253.html

awesome

 

[Rusty]

^thur it is! swat i got!

 

[99ex22]

smittybilt d ring in place of the hitch til I can find a real hidden hitch. That thing hung down too low. Trust me the bumper is sturdy! Ive put it to the test.

 

[97xlt4.0]

how hard was your hitch to put on/take off? I'm shopping for one, and debating if I want to pay somebody to put it on??

Thanks, your ride is lookin good!

 

[99ex22]

it's really easy. 4 bolts and it's out. 2 on top of the frame rails and 2 near the bumper. Im selling mine for 75.00 it's a class 3 Tow master made by hidden hitch if your interested. There is a photo on the previous page.

 

[97xlt4.0]

Yeah, I would def. be interested! Sounds like something I could do in the apartment parking lot and not get too much grief.

-Mike

 

[99ex22]

yeah only takes a few minutes. Let me know.

 

[storlied]

I wouldn't use that as a recovery point... think about it... if you can push the bumper around and use jacks to bend it .. how do you think it'll do trying to tow a vehicle, or the vehicle itself? Just becareful.. these bumpers aren't the best.. I've been in a couple accidents.. and while the bumpers did their job, they still crumpled... at least put some re-inforcements or something if you're gonna keep it that way.... I have a hidden hitch for sale, probably the one you had in the first place though... and it would hang a lil low with a bodylift..

 

[99ex22]

ive used my bumper as a recovery point multiple times and it hasnt budged. The first time I ever used it I was stuck on a trail that was dug out from at least 37" tires. Long story short a built jeep cherokee was yanking on my bumper so hard his front tires were bouncing off the ground. It's not going anywhere.

 

[Rusty]

yeah i've definately bent mine... that was towing a kia.. so i wouldn't trust it for much!

 

[99ex22]

maybe the older style is weaker because like I said ive used it multiple times and it looks like it's new lol. I may reinforce just in case but im still shopping for a hidden hitch..I like the ones where only the reciever is visible.

 

[99ex22]

So I went to the junk yard to check it out because they get new vehicles in every thursday and stumbled across a nice hidden hitch thats actually hidden. I ripped it off the explorer, took up to the counter, 25.00 and im out of the door.I then hit it with a few coats of black paint and bolted her on...
Painted

After 2 1/2 hours I finally got it on....

 

[Sbyrne97]

25 bucks is a steal....good job i saw me a few of those maybe i should go back

 

[99ex22]

yeah go back. These things retail at almost 200.00!

 

[Lacky01]

good find dude!

now theres no need to test the bumpers durability :

 

[99ex22]

haha thanks, im happy with this one. The old one on the previous page hung down too far for my liking

 

[storlied]

That's the same one I'm trying to sell, for a moment I didn't understand how you got it to line up n hide away with your bodylift. I think one day.. (if I can find somewhere that sells all the mounting hardware... I lost all mine.. ugh..) I'll put mine back on for better rear end protection... at least a little bit... but yeah dude.. Nice find.. I've used mine many times for getting unstuck or getting someone else unstuck.. no problems.

 

[99ex22]

yeah it's only a 1" body. luckily most everything has about 1" of adjustability in it so I got it to line up pretty good.

 

[Sbyrne97]

looking at your pics again and you seem to have a very nice under carriage.....haha did you paint it and wire wheel it?

 

[99ex22]

haha yeah I wire brushed it a while back and hit everything with a few coats off krylon black paint. It was very time consuming so now everytime I get it dirty I pressure wash it under there.