Clearing 35"s with no body lift | Page 6 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Clearing 35"s with no body lift

i got a spring over in the rear and the torsion bars cranked in the front on my 97 sport and it easily clears 31s. i could probably squeeze in the equivalents to 32's maybe 33's but perhaps with some fender trimming and shakels added to that you could get up there. i use mine for off road purposes so i don't really care to fit the biggest tire i can, but if your just using it on the pavement i wouldn't worry much about rubbing.
 



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What will need to be cut is basically a removal of your fenders. Running tt/shackles as well as 2" Body Lift, still needed to trim just to fit 33"s.

35's---not possible.
35s with no body lift trimmed corner of front fenders and it clears with no rubbing. 3" shackle lift an tightined stock torsion bars.got ramps on both corners in pic.

P_20180929_125808.jpg


P_20180929_130022.jpg
 












@Donaldsundstrom Pics please showing more detail of trim, also, show that area with steering wheel turned to where the corner tire tread comes closest to touching the trimmed area.

Thanks!
 


















Oh, I could see that with a 3 inch lift. Mine is just a one inch with no extension required. Thanks for clarifying.
 












Is this SAS in the front or still IFS? Got 35s and beadlocks sitting I wanna put on so bad.
thats Jefe's rig, iirc he has an SAS for 7" lift. However, for a bit, he was able to clear the 35s with 4" lift but TONS of trimming, imo not worth it... or Gerald had 35s on 4.5 lift, again lots of trimming

gerald quote: "I am basically going to rebuild another similar trail vehicle but with two major differences from Herc: this one is getting a suspension lift, and I am not going to 35" tires this time. I went pretty much everywhere on 33's before going to 35's. Without a suspension lift, when I went to 35" tires it did improve my clearance, but brought a host of problems I want to avoid this time: I had to cut sheetmetal in the front fenderwells to fit the tires and that invited rust into the body; my brakes went from very good to very mushy/spongy with those huge tires; I went through hubs faster than I could buy them; and I never could keep them balanced - they completely ruined my highway driving comfort… I figure a suspension lift with torsion bars removed will allow me to stay with 33" tires and still have better clearance on the trail than Herc with 35's."

just food for thought!
 






thats Jefe's rig, iirc he has an SAS for 7" lift. However, for a bit, he was able to clear the 35s with 4" lift but TONS of trimming, imo not worth it... or Gerald had 35s on 4.5 lift, again lots of trimming

gerald quote: "I am basically going to rebuild another similar trail vehicle but with two major differences from Herc: this one is getting a suspension lift, and I am not going to 35" tires this time. I went pretty much everywhere on 33's before going to 35's. Without a suspension lift, when I went to 35" tires it did improve my clearance, but brought a host of problems I want to avoid this time: I had to cut sheetmetal in the front fenderwells to fit the tires and that invited rust into the body; my brakes went from very good to very mushy/spongy with those huge tires; I went through hubs faster than I could buy them; and I never could keep them balanced - they completely ruined my highway driving comfort… I figure a suspension lift with torsion bars removed will allow me to stay with 33" tires and still have better clearance on the trail than Herc with 35's."

just food for thought!
Thanks for the info Dirt!
 












You also gotta factor a regear. 35s and any stock gearing is gonna be miserable.
 






You also gotta factor a regear. 35s and any stock gearing is gonna be miserable.
right! forgot about this!

v6 or 8?

v6- provably 4.88

v8

highway use- 4.56
weekend/towing/froading- 4.88

jmo
 






right! forgot about this!

v6 or 8?

v6- provably 4.88

v8

highway use- 4.56
weekend/towing/froading- 4.88

jmo
Yea I'm gonna hate regearing. It's the v8 awd. 97 mountaineer. Tow a heavy mobile detailing trailer a couple times a week
 






I wonder where Jefe's explorer is now, if it's even still around.
 






If the trailer is actually heavy I wouldn’t be lifting my tow vehicle.
 






If the trailer is actually heavy I wouldn’t be lifting my tow vehicle.
It's actually heavy. But I don't really have another vehicle to tow with.i have a mazdaspeed 6, a motorcycle, and the daily/offroad/tow mountaineer. Mazda is getting engine rebuilt and motorcycle isn't street legal yet

20220430_150753.jpg
 






I’d probably hold off on the 35’s then.
 









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