am i way off?..i aint clueless but i could use some input from you lift guys

[ExporeRanger]

like to start by saying thanks for comin to this thread, bare with me here..ahah anyway...i plan to lift my ex..its pretty much the daily driver and def. has a backseat to my big cj-7 project..but i cant let this machine go to waste..however bekuz of said project and the 200k+ miles on her i dont want to rush in and lay a buncha money down on some huge skyjacker lift when im not afraid to get dirty and fab a lil..so heres what im thinking (compiling all of the info i've gained from the site)

front lift- 2 inch polyurethane coil spring spacer from mako mfg. on ebay
rear lift- warrior shackle lift (1-1/2 or sumthin)
procomp AAL ( 1- 1/2 or so as well)
((this combo giving me about 2.5-3 inches in the rear im hoping, and about 1.5-2 in the front))

i've contimplated getting stock packages for the rear leaves, and sotck coils for up front too, to replace it to stock height first...maybe if its not enough ill do this after the other spacers and such..(i this also a good idea?)..

o and im summit is having a good deal on edelbrock IAS twin tube shocks, so i might replace all the stock ones with these..they are not lift shocks, just stock i believe..

any thoughts or suggestions on this?...am i dreaming..accurate? any better ideas? what have you done?!...im def looking for about a 2-3 in lift front and rear, NO BL!..please let me kno your thoughts ..tell me anything..call me a newb wutever...just say something lol i need all the input i can get..

o and im lookin to clear about 31/32 1150s on 15x8s with 3.75 in backspacing???!!!!.. i think imight ed up cutting up the fenders a bit..mostly bekuz i like the look, and itll keep from rubbing..

-- thanks so much to anyone who sais anything
-- chris

 

[Creager]

Everything you mentioned sounded about right. Personally i think you should skip the coil spacers and stock spring setup and go with 2" skyjacker lift springs. For $170 you can get the whole 2" lift (add-a-leafs and 2" lift coil springs), and an improved ride quaility... mainly because you are switching to a softer spring, the add-a-leafs are known to be stiff, warrior shackles are a 'smoother' alternative. You should clear 31s or a smaller 32 just fine.

My main concern is your gearing? what is it?

 

[sn0border88]

I would also go with a skyjacker 2" kit and some nice shocks, rs9000's or RSX's, or even bilsten's is your feeling rich. Dont bother wasting your money on the stock stuff if you just want to go to a 2" later anyways.

 

[LBarr2002]

I wrote a long reply to this but lost my connection, so here's the short version.

I agree with the 2" skyjacker springs, but get the springs by themselves instead of the kit. The kit costs $192 for springs and AAL. You can get the springs for like $120 and the pro comp AAL for $30, = $150 for the same stuff. The springs don't show up if you search for explorer, only ranger, or you can select them from the lift kit in the What the kit contains, or something like that.

 

[Creager]

From what i understand, the ProComp Add-A-leafs are also a little softer.

Gearing is what will make or break this

If you're 3.73, i say have at it

If 3.27 came stock, i would say save your money for a nice 6" skyjacker lift and 4.56 gears. Its only going to waste your money mechanically and gas-mileage wise running big tires with little gears. 3.27s + 31s/32s = 10-12 mils per gallon, and a blown tranny after xxxx miles.

 

[410Fortune]

with those 2" coils in there you may NOT be able to get it aligned without axle pivot drop brackets, just somehting to keep in mind. The Coil spacers would be WORSE.
If you go this route use the F-150 spring seats or the 2" springs, but dont be surprised with the 2" coils if the max camber shim cannot bring it back within spec (+ camber, also the TTBS worst nightmare, a TTB with + camber handles like junk)

Rough Country I think it is makes sotck is height axle pivot brackets with additional camber adjsutment built in.

 

[LBarr2002]

My truck was able to be aligned without different camber bushings w/ the 2" spacers...guess it just depends on what you got and the person who does the alignment (I've got the best in the business).

 

[ExporeRanger]

thanks a lot guys..i bought the coil spacer fo rmy truck..and i never put it on..the only reason im lookin to put em in the ex is to use em..like i said this is a daily driver pretty much..but has 200k+ miles on it..i dont kno its got the stock grears i gues for a 94 4x4..and im prolly gunna put 31 1150s on it..i will use the coil spacers if i can...and i wasnt sure wut yalls response was to the warrior sahckles and procomp AALs in the back?..

 

[Creager]

just use the shackles if you are going to use the coil spacers upfront. More then likely the spacers are only goin to level you out stock, same with the shackles... no true lift. But 31"s should fit fine.

if you look cloesly, you can probably see that your truck leans towards the driverside a tiny bit. This is due to ford's strategic placement of the gas tank. To offset this, you can swap the passenger side springs to the drivers side. I do this ever so often to keep my springs sagging evenly.

 

[ExporeRanger]

thanks for the tip on swappinthe springs..do you sugest swappin leafs with each other as well as coils?...also, do you suggest buying a set of stock coil and stock leaf springs befor i put the spacers in..bring me back to stock then gimme a true lift?

 

[Creager]

yes, and yes

 

[sn0border88]

I would swap the coils and leafs side to side, but dont buy new ones. You prolly only sagged an inch at most, why waster the extra 200~ on OEM stuff when you could just throw in a bl to bring it back, or just get a 4" kit.

 

[Creager]

new coils are $60 from rock auto

my stock ones sagged almost 2.5" after 150k miles... adding those spacers wouldnt even be leveling out stock.

 

[ExporeRanger]

thanks to both creager and sboboarder..problem is snooarder..i aint got that kind money for a 4inch..on a counta i gotta cj-7 project for real 4wheelin..the explorer is my daily pretty much..so im tryin to go cheap as posible..but i was thinkin maybe its a good idea to get the OEM parts..tho i don tkno the cost on the sotck coils and stock leafs..i dont hav too badda sag..but im lookin at jus over 200k..so i dont kno so much wut to do..hense the thread..any further ideas? or a final decision you should do?...prolly tryin to put like 31 1150s on it

 

[sn0border88]

I see lifts on these forums on sale all the time for what you would spend on OEM stuff and spacers, do it right the first time even if you have to save up. Its worth the wait if you get it done right.

 

[ExporeRanger]

yeah i kn the money do it right blah blah..but the thing is i got a jeep cj for serioues wheelin wher the serious money goes...thats why im lookin for a cheaper lift for the ex..just to pick her up off her a sag a lil..and giv it a mor agressive stance n all..not lookin to wheel too hard with it..thanks

 

[Rhett]

o and im summit is having a good deal on edelbrock IAS twin tube shocks, so i might replace all the stock ones with these..they are not lift shocks, just stock i believe..

I wouldn't get those. There are better shocks for a 1st gen for the same money (or less money) in my opinion. Rancho makes a nice shock for the 1-2-3" of lift you'll have. Also skyjacker used to, I assume they still do. In my opin. Edelbrocks aren't valved right for the TTB front/leaf rear we have.

 

['97 V8]

didnt gjarret bend those ias shocks on his first wheeling trip with them?

 

[Rhett]

I didn't hear about that. He might have, the IAS's are not well built for that kind of action imo. You could probably run them ok on your 2nd gen front end, and not get the hell rattled out of you, but don't even try them on a 1st gen. They'll help with body lean though.

 

[ExporeRanger]

so then wut shock r eyou sugggesting?