About a month ago I bought a 92 Explorer for the sole purpose of offraoding it. Vehicle cost was $300.
Here's the details; 1992 Ford Explorer, 4.0L V6, 4x4, automatic, four door, power windows/locks, burgandy, bone stock grocery getter. Dana 35 TTB front, 8.8 rear, 3.27 gears. This rig got rolled onto it's side (not top) about two years ago. The roof is smashed pretty bady on the drivers side, the left rear door is bent on top with no glass, flat spots in front fender and rear quater panel. The drivers door is perfect, I adjusted the left rear door to close correctly. No other damage on the vehicle ever. The drivers side rocker panel is completely rusted out. It drives great on the highway (took it to 70MPH, no problems) and has fairly new brakes. Autohubs are not working, otherwise it seems to be all good mechanically. Exhaust makes some noise due to some holes in it, but it passes IM. Even the interior is nice. I have a clear title in my name for it, the previous owners and thier son were still driving it most every day.
Here's what I know is going to happen; The roof will be cut from the B pillars back, the tops of the back doors will be cut off and glass removed to make half doors, the top half of the rear hatch will be cut off to make a tailgate, new bumpers front and rear with reciever mounts and pull points, rock sliders in place of the rocker panels. Dash, doorpanels, center console, remaining headliner and all seats (with vinyl covers) will stay, everything else interior will go. Floor and bed area will be rhinolined.
The burgandy paint will be sanded down and a navy blue/grey blue/dark grey/black camoflage will be rattlecanned on. I've already swapped out the front bumper, grille and headlight sorounds for a black set from my freinds 1990 Ranger. (His truck looks sharp with that chrome Ex front! Mine looks more badass.
)
A rollcage will definately be added, I like Msuperteks. I don't plan on daily driving it, but it needs to stay street legal to get to the trails and mall .
Where I am hanging up is how I should go about lifting it. I'd like to run about six inches of lift and an aggressive 35 inch tire for dirt/rocky trails, mud/marsh, gravel/rocky beaches. I have no problem cutting the fenders, but I don't want to run a body lift, with the lack of reinforcement from the roof. I do not want to run full width axles under it. I'd like to have a WMS around 58"s-60"s.
If I lift using the stock axles; SOA the rear, and likely a Skyjacker 6" kit in the front. (Skyjacker seems to be the recomendation) 4.56 or maybe 4.88 gears and carriers would need to put in, front and rear traction devices, Warn manuel hubs. If I can get the third members set up, I can do the rest of the work myself.
I am also consider a solid axle swap, based on cost, durablility, and improvement of the driveline as a whole. Rear will stay leaf sprung, and the front will likely be coil sprung/extended radius arm. Early Bronco axles (the whole suspension setup really) is appealing for it's simplicity and correct width, but I am weary of having a low pinion front axle. Full size axles (most likely a 5 lug D44/9 or maybe the HD D44/60 with 8 lug pattern from a late 70's F-250) would give me a high pinion, be stronger, but would have to be narrowed with shortend axleshafts aquired. It would make the Explorer easier to align and lift. With a front axle out of a full size my bolt pattern would change, the current rear axle would need new axleshafts with the new bolt pattern, or the whole rear axle changed completely with a narrowed fullsize one to match the front. (I'm leaning toward the latter)
I haven't ever done something like this, but I have been reading and researching for a long time and understand the processes pretty well. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and eager to start in on this Explorer. Half the reason for the rig is so I can learn this kind of stuff.
Anyway the pressing question; do I invest in the TTB as described, or go straight to a SAS? Cost is always an issue, but I have no problem spending money to do it right. Any thoughts, question and comments on anything I posted are welcome!
Here's the details; 1992 Ford Explorer, 4.0L V6, 4x4, automatic, four door, power windows/locks, burgandy, bone stock grocery getter. Dana 35 TTB front, 8.8 rear, 3.27 gears. This rig got rolled onto it's side (not top) about two years ago. The roof is smashed pretty bady on the drivers side, the left rear door is bent on top with no glass, flat spots in front fender and rear quater panel. The drivers door is perfect, I adjusted the left rear door to close correctly. No other damage on the vehicle ever. The drivers side rocker panel is completely rusted out. It drives great on the highway (took it to 70MPH, no problems) and has fairly new brakes. Autohubs are not working, otherwise it seems to be all good mechanically. Exhaust makes some noise due to some holes in it, but it passes IM. Even the interior is nice. I have a clear title in my name for it, the previous owners and thier son were still driving it most every day.
Here's what I know is going to happen; The roof will be cut from the B pillars back, the tops of the back doors will be cut off and glass removed to make half doors, the top half of the rear hatch will be cut off to make a tailgate, new bumpers front and rear with reciever mounts and pull points, rock sliders in place of the rocker panels. Dash, doorpanels, center console, remaining headliner and all seats (with vinyl covers) will stay, everything else interior will go. Floor and bed area will be rhinolined.
The burgandy paint will be sanded down and a navy blue/grey blue/dark grey/black camoflage will be rattlecanned on. I've already swapped out the front bumper, grille and headlight sorounds for a black set from my freinds 1990 Ranger. (His truck looks sharp with that chrome Ex front! Mine looks more badass.
) A rollcage will definately be added, I like Msuperteks. I don't plan on daily driving it, but it needs to stay street legal to get to the trails and mall
. Where I am hanging up is how I should go about lifting it. I'd like to run about six inches of lift and an aggressive 35 inch tire for dirt/rocky trails, mud/marsh, gravel/rocky beaches. I have no problem cutting the fenders, but I don't want to run a body lift, with the lack of reinforcement from the roof. I do not want to run full width axles under it. I'd like to have a WMS around 58"s-60"s.
If I lift using the stock axles; SOA the rear, and likely a Skyjacker 6" kit in the front. (Skyjacker seems to be the recomendation) 4.56 or maybe 4.88 gears and carriers would need to put in, front and rear traction devices, Warn manuel hubs. If I can get the third members set up, I can do the rest of the work myself.
I am also consider a solid axle swap, based on cost, durablility, and improvement of the driveline as a whole. Rear will stay leaf sprung, and the front will likely be coil sprung/extended radius arm. Early Bronco axles (the whole suspension setup really) is appealing for it's simplicity and correct width, but I am weary of having a low pinion front axle. Full size axles (most likely a 5 lug D44/9 or maybe the HD D44/60 with 8 lug pattern from a late 70's F-250) would give me a high pinion, be stronger, but would have to be narrowed with shortend axleshafts aquired. It would make the Explorer easier to align and lift. With a front axle out of a full size my bolt pattern would change, the current rear axle would need new axleshafts with the new bolt pattern, or the whole rear axle changed completely with a narrowed fullsize one to match the front. (I'm leaning toward the latter)
I haven't ever done something like this, but I have been reading and researching for a long time and understand the processes pretty well. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and eager to start in on this Explorer. Half the reason for the rig is so I can learn this kind of stuff.
Anyway the pressing question; do I invest in the TTB as described, or go straight to a SAS? Cost is always an issue, but I have no problem spending money to do it right. Any thoughts, question and comments on anything I posted are welcome!
