big ideas!

[privetryan89]

I'm a new member with big ideas for my '98 XLT. I've grown up with explorers and I bought one as my first vehicle. I've had this truck for about 2 years. I want to put bigger tires on it, maybe a lift, brush guard, and some off-road light. I wanted a CB and am about to install one that I bought from a friend. I'm still in high school and don't have alot of money. So if Anyone knows some cheap tricks, or where to get good, cheap parts leave me a post. Thanks guys. I'm glad their are guys that love explorers as nuch as I do.

 

[Dopler174]

Welcome to Explorer Forum!

 

[manaen]

Welcome to the forum!!

How cheap?

Torsion bar lift with shackles or an Add-A-Leaf will give you an extra 2" in suspension hieght for practically nothin. The most expensive part is the alignment, unless you do that yourself too.

You didn't mention what engine you have in your 98 ?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum!

 

[privetryan89]

Thanks for reading.

 

[privetryan89]

4.0l V-6

I have a 4.0L V-6. It was replaced and has about 45,000 miles on it now. The body has all kinds of dents and nicks in the paint. The interior was trashed but I redid it. It look New! I bought the truck off of my dads company and they treated it like crap. But you say the tortion bar and add a leaf could do the trick?

Very Nice Ride!!!!!

 

[manaen]

yes, do some searches on torsion twist, if it's 4wd you can safely add up to 2" to the front, and then put an AAL (Add A Leaf) and/or Shackles in the rear for 1.5" to 2" of lift each. If it's not 4x4 then you can go as high as the wheel alignment will permit.

I put both (AAL & Shackles) in the rear of mine since I really don't like the squatted rear look. right now I am sitting 34.5" (to the center fender) in the front and 35" in the back if my air shocks are not pumped up.

Shackles will run from $12 to $70 you can get the universal ones from autozone for $12

AAL- I think I paid $40 for mine (from Summit) they range from $40 to $100

The next cheapest thing for lift would be a body lift, if you are handy, go for it, but they can be tricky when you start running into problems. They are generally under $200. (thats my next step)

Since you have the 4.0 (I assume SOHC) there are many mods that you can do to add power. In fact there are many people on this board who have some of the fastest SOHC engines on the road. But for starters a better flowing exhaust and intake. Since you live in PA you cant go the route I went, I replaced my POS OEM muffler with a straight piece of pipe and that made a huge difference in power. I also ported and polished my throttle body and removed the vanes from the oem sep plate that made a big difference.

I would suggest you look through aldives "quest for 30" thread he mentions a lot of low cost enhancements that make the engine much more efficient.

Also check out the 5r55e rebuild diary in the transmission section. You will want to add the Ford upgrades and a shift kit, as well as an additional tranny cooler. Also change the tranny fluid and adjust the bands. The bands are a weak link in this tranny and keeping them adjusted properly is key.

Be careful this mod thing is an addiction. I got bit at an early age and it has cost me ever since.

Remember the Forum Search is your friend there is a wealth of wisdom out here that has been documented and recorded for all to use!!

 

[privetryan89]

Thanks alot for the help. IT's 2 late for me. I'm already addicted. Me and my old man do all our own work on our cars. I already had my old man rebuild part of my tranny since it was slipping. He's good at stuff like that. Turns out it was a blown gasket. Also the tranny coolent lines and the cooler have been replaced for better cooling (the fact is that it was leaking everywhere). I'm looking at putting on a Thrush or Cherry Bomb muffler. Your right, everyone is so helpful.

 

[aeaglenfitch]

manaen covered just about all of it.

intake and exhaust are 2 biggies.

flowmaster 50 suv is a very common muffler for the 4.0 but it looks like you have something else in mind.

as for intake i went with the volant. deffinatly not the cheapest option. but i've enjoyed it. when you look for an intake make sure it suits your needs. i went with volant because it's enclosed box design that's similar the OEM air box. i chose it because i love playing in the mud, the box keeps the filter safe and fairly clean unlike many kits where the fiilter is exposed.

if you dont want to drop $200ish on a good intake right now then i'd go with a k&n drop in filter and cut a larger hole in your air box. on the bottom half where it has it's TINY hole for air to come in just cut a large oval across that whole side. some advise against it. i never did it but i cant see how it could make things any worse. i'd look into it.

after that the next big step is flash programing not cheap... like $400 with a used programer. search some of these terms: sct, xcalibrator, tune, james henson, and chip. you'll find tons of info. make sure you have james henson do it. his site is www.hensonperformance.com you can also contact him on this forum. his user name is jah81592.


as for lift, like he said, torsion bar twist for the front and shackles/add a leaf(aal's) for the back is good and cheap. it will allow you to fit some 31's with no rubbing(for some people maybe a tiny tiny bit)

next option is a body lift. i think you can get up to 4 in. but the down side is frame exposure. many people dont like the look, but a small body lift to clear larger tires is always good. also with bigger body lifts you may have to extend brake lines and your drive shaft...

and i think your next option is a suspension lift which is like $1,800 i believe...


i just graduated from high school. class of '07. got my truck when i was like 17 and a half. i've been modding it ever since. be careful, it's a nasty addiction. also be careful, these things can be tippy... i just flipped mine on it's side for the first time a couple weeks ago... $3,500 in body damage... any ways there are a few of us young guys here. old guys too lol they're very helpful. there's an INCREDIBLE amount of information on this site, all kinds of how to's, free horsepower mods, and helpful people. good luck!


oh yeah, when it comes to finding parts here's my favorite way to get the best price. if you have a specific part in mind then find it on it's manufacturers web site and copy the product number then go here http://www.google.com/products paste the product number and search then arrange from lowest price to highest. you'll find your self saving a lot of money this way. also, a web site called www.fasterthanthem.com seems to always have the lowest prices, by a significant amount.

 

[privetryan89]

I see what you mean. Hey, If you are good with your hands you could probably do the body work youself. It will be alot cheaper. Body shops are a rip-off. I'm the class of '08 and I've been working on cars forever so it's to late for me.

 

[Kuma93]

Hello

 

[aeaglenfitch]

uh. hi? lol

yea well im just taking all my mounty party and putting them on a exp. sport to make a mounty sport. thats my next project

 

[privetryan89]

Hello right back at you. Your going to like this site. I find out new stuff everyday about my truck. Have fun.

 

[trevell407]

Yea I thought I was the only young guy on here too,
I just graduated class of '07.
im on my second explorer now,
traded my 98 sport in for a 00 xlt with 4 wheel drive.
The guys on here are really helpful but try to search something before you ask about it,
some of them get kinda pissed and tell you to look it up because its been covered hundreds of times.