Bushings and Lift Kit thoughts

[nitris]

So I just had to replace my front sway bar bushings because one was completely destroyed when the previous owner had it... and I want to tackle the sway bar links (at least thats what I think they are) the bones connected directly to the sway bar....what exactly will it improve as I can clearly see some play in the bushings.... I'm only willing to do all the easy bushings as for harder jobs Ill leave to my mechanic once I figure out a good 4 or 5.5 inch (inexpensive) lift kit to buy.

will these bushings fit?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C59ZMC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

also whats a good inexpensive lift kit, I don't like how the 91 sits so low compared to the newer trucks... I will be off road 30% of the time

 

[Anime]

Those should work for the link bushings, if you replaced the sway bar bushings with the blue/purple Moogs as well.

You may also want to replace the rear bushings as well, the firmer poly bushings can give better handling than worn out factory rubber.



There's no such thing as a good, inexpensive lift kit.

You can, however, restore the factory height and get a bit of lift by sticking big washers (1-1/4" I.D., 3 in. O.D.) under the front springs, you can stack a few of them to get an inch or so of lift. You can get Warrior Products WAR153 lift shackles for the rear which will lift it 1.5" or so, or get universal shackles at the parts store and use those, or make your own by drilling out some pieces of flat steel.

This is a good way to go on a budget since you get more height but can use the stock shocks and stock tire size. Once you get a big lift, big tires and low gears cost a lot to complete the look.

 

[nitris]

Thanks for the info... I'll order the bushings as I did replaced the sway bar bushings with moogs already.... it seems this kit has too many bushings
. I counted 4 sets total... if the top and bottoms are two pieces vs 1 piece... am I missing something?

As for the lift kits I saw a few online ranging from $650 to $850 since I'm new to this I'm not sure if these were decent inexpensive ones or straight garbage... they came in 4in and 5.5in kits

 

[Anime]

The bushing kit probably comes with those "extra" ones so it can fit more vehicles than just the Explorer, probably the Bronco II and a few other Fords. It's easier for Moog to just throw in 4 more bushings that let the kit work on several vehicles rather than having multiple kits, part numbers, etc.

$650 to $850 isn't cheap for a lift kit. You can get decent lift kits for that money, but unless you put larger tires on, you don't really get much from a suspension lift. Hence why it can be better/cheaper to just do a washer/spacer shackle lift.

If you plan on adding larger tires, you'll want lower gears to go with them, and gears are serious $$$ since you usually need to pay someone big bucks to install them.

If your vehicle has 3.73 gears in the rear diff, you could get a 2" lift kit and go to 31 x 10.50 tires. Some people have stuck 31's on the stock Explorer just with the washer/shackle lift, and either trimmed the fenders or lifted the body slightly for a little extra clearance.

Really depends where you want to go and what you want to spend. If you have the $$$ for a lift, tires, wheels, and gears, you can lift it 6 inches, get 33 inch tires, 4.56 gears, and have a vehicle that can handle most off-road terrain really well.


Also, keep in mind most "lift kits" are for 4WD's. There are lift kits for the 2WD Explorer (and similar 92-97 Ranger) but they are more along the lines of a "pre-runner" lift. The lifts work fine, they are just more expensive than a 4WD lift since pre-runners tend to be used for jumping and at higher speeds. The lifts for 4WD's generally assume you'll be using the vehicle at slower speeds crawling off-road.

If you don't already know, the 2WD has a "Twin I-beam" front suspension, which is different from the "Twin Traction Beam" or TTB front suspension of the 4WD Explorer/Ranger/Bronco II. If you try to use a 4WD lift kit on a 2WD front end, it's not going to fit.

 

[nitris]

The bushing kit probably comes with those "extra" ones so it can fit more vehicles than just the Explorer, probably the Bronco II and a few other Fords. It's easier for Moog to just throw in 4 more bushings that let the kit work on several vehicles rather than having multiple kits, part numbers, etc.

$650 to $850 isn't cheap for a lift kit. You can get decent lift kits for that money, but unless you put larger tires on, you don't really get much from a suspension lift. Hence why it can be better/cheaper to just do a washer/spacer shackle lift.

If you plan on adding larger tires, you'll want lower gears to go with them, and gears are serious $$$ since you usually need to pay someone big bucks to install them.

If your vehicle has 3.73 gears in the rear diff, you could get a 2" lift kit and go to 31 x 10.50 tires. Some people have stuck 31's on the stock Explorer just with the washer/shackle lift, and either trimmed the fenders or lifted the body slightly for a little extra clearance.

Really depends where you want to go and what you want to spend. If you have the $$$ for a lift, tires, wheels, and gears, you can lift it 6 inches, get 33 inch tires, 4.56 gears, and have a vehicle that can handle most off-road terrain really well.


Also, keep in mind most "lift kits" are for 4WD's. There are lift kits for the 2WD Explorer (and similar 92-97 Ranger) but they are more along the lines of a "pre-runner" lift. The lifts work fine, they are just more expensive than a 4WD lift since pre-runners tend to be used for jumping and at higher speeds. The lifts for 4WD's generally assume you'll be using the vehicle at slower speeds crawling off-road.

If you don't already know, the 2WD has a "Twin I-beam" front suspension, which is different from the "Twin Traction Beam" or TTB front suspension of the 4WD Explorer/Ranger/Bronco II. If you try to use a 4WD lift kit on a 2WD front end, it's not going to fit.

Really good info. ..thanks for the help

 

[nitris]

I took the suggestion on doing the rear as well, I just want to make sure this is the correct kit before purchasing. It dont seem to have the sway bar bushings included and when I searched on moogs site it came up blank... this is weird... anybody have the part number for this??
Thanks again for the help!

http://www.amazon.com/Moog-K80085-Rear-Endlink-Repair/dp/B000C55ZW6/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1427553577&vehicle=1991-54-663-656--9-11-7-3469--8-2--138-1-0&sr=1-1&ymm=1991%3Aford%3Aexplorer&keywords=rear+sway+bar+bushings

 

[Anime]

Moog may not offer the sway bar bushings for the rear, just those link bushings.

You could always just buy the Energy Suspension parts instead:


http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-4-5115G-Stabilizer-Front/dp/B000CN5CTE

http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-4-5116G-Stabilizer-615/dp/B004ALF60O