exploring for dummies

[1995xlt]

Hello, I have emailed several guys with trucks like mine. However the more I look at this site the more questions I have.

I keep seeing things explained too vaguely for me to get an understanding of.

K&N Drop in?

MAF?

MAF BOX?

I understand what Mass Air Flow is and I know where it attaches to the throttle body... The question is what are you doing to make improvements does it help the 95xlt V6 I have.

How much are we spending.

What's the best way to raise a 95 and where do you make the front adjustment to the tortion bar. If it's the tortion bar you adjust to add height. Doesn't that make the truck stiffer on the road. Shackles how do you install them?

What is TT!


I need someone who will go thru the process with me.

I need a 4 X Friend.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

i will be your 4x4 friend.

first off get a haynes or chilton's book for your truck and read it like the bible.

second a get a subscription to a 4x4 mag and read all of teh technicle articles even if it it doesnt applu to our brand or even an SUV.

TT is "torsion twist." our suspension is supended by the tension of a straight bar running with the direction ofthe frame. there is a straight bolt that adjustes teh tensionon that bar. it is located roughly below the driver and passenger seats. on for each side. it does stiffen the ride. if you have WD-40 and a .5" socket you can do this lift. this is a brief overview, use the search option to find more detailed descriptions.

the MAF is the mass airflow sensor. it is attached just behind the airfilter in the air tube going to the throttle body. it is the bottle neck in the air passage to the throttle body. a bigger MAF means more air, means more HP. your looking at over $250. again doa search for specifics.

K&N is a brand of airfilter tha replacesthe stock filter and it allows more into the Throttle body to give more ponies. I have a KKM it is apopular variatio of the K&N made specifically for our vehicles. do a search.

shackles can be installed using a couple of jacks and jack stands a good wrench and a matching socket. jack up the truck. take the tires off, put the jack stands on the frame and let the leaf springs sag to full extension, support them with a jack. unbolt the spring shackel and install the new one. it is fairl easy. just be safe and be sure you knwo what you are doing before you start.

you have tapped into a site with a wealth of info. do searches for any o the topics, if you still have questions just email me.

buchvilleman@yahoo.com

good luck,

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

please forgive all of the mispellings i am on a conference call at work and that looks plain sloppy.

also on price....ha ha ha... the skies the limit. once you get the bug you cant get rid of it.

 

[1995xlt]

Funny I'm at work too

Thanks for the info I'll be getting started on some things pretty soon so I'll be in touch!

 

[GJarrett]

Welcome to the site. I also have a new model Explorer and have done many of the things you are asking about to it. Click on "Gerald's Truck" in my signature line below and scroll down to the second post which is a sort of article where I wrote down many of my experiences with the mods I have done and give instructions and/or links on how to do them. It should answer many of your questions.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

Listen to Gerald.... learn from the experiences he has gone through.

Gerald, May be you can get 1995xlt to get in on the ARB front locker deal. its a bit too much dough for me. i plan on getting my wich soon so the locker is pretty much out of the question for a while.

 

[Dannyboy]

Originally posted by BUCHVILLEMAN
Listen to Gerald.... learn from the experiences he has gone through.

Perhaps 95 XLT needs to herculine something!!!!
OK I am beating a dead horse.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

I am beating a dead horse.

leave the man's horse alone, its gone through enough trauma

 

[1995xlt]

It's the man in the saddle going through trama.

My wallet is hemeraging from all the $ I need to spend. My brain is hemeraging from all the wonderful knowledge I am gaining.
My pride is hemeraging because I am so far behind you guys.

BUT...

I AM STILL ADDICTED TO THIS GROUP> I'VE FINALLY FOUND HOME!

THANKS

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

i feel an oprah moment coming on.



E HUG

 

[01EB5.0]

BTW: 1995xlt,
Above you were asking about MAF upgrades or whatnot. Our trucks do not have the MAF everyone else has. ours is comtained inside that bit round piece before the hose and can not be upgraded. If you would like more info on that let me know. Also for the torsion twist and schakles, visit this link:
http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/

after you get to that page click on projects and find the "lifted explorer" link

 

[1995xlt]

WE ARE ON THE WAY

GOT MY K&N FILTER

GOT MY EDDLEBROCK IAS SHOCKS

and a bunch of other stuff

THIS WILL BE A BUSY WEEKEND AT MY HOUSE

STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THE BEST WAY TO FIX THE

HOUSING

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

what housing is that?

i just realized that you are in Roanoke. i grew up in Va Beach Area. mostly norfolk and portsmouth. my tennis team used to play in Roanoke. Seems like it was called Roanoke Christian.

 

[1995xlt]

were are you now


I almost moved to VB

anyway the round housing/airbox on a 1995 xlt
lookin for ideas got a few of my own.

 

[01EB5.0]

1995XLT,
what are you thinking of doing in terms of the housing? I haven't done anything to mine, and am worried to. Let me know if and what you do.

 

[410Fortune]

here's some thoughts:

Is his 95 even torshoin beams up front?

What year did they do away with the TTB's and go to the IFS.
(sorry I'm a BII man, older trucks you know)

As for the "built in" MAS meter. That thing is nuts! The whole intake is nuts! I dont see any reason why it cant be upgraded, just get rid of it in favor of an earlier version. Get a custom intake tube, install a aftermarket 70mm MAS that has been calibrated for your 19# injectors, slap a KKM or K&N on it and do away with the entire stock intake setup.
Who know why Ford decided to wrap plastic all over that MAS and go with a cone filter, would be a nice setup if they didnt have that 2" dia plastic horn going into the fender, god thats got to be restricitve.
FYI I'm going by what I have seen in the junk yards.
If there is more to it then that, my apologies.

Oh and the torsion twist not only makes it ride stiffer, but it also reduced down travel to almost nil, that really screws up the off road ability I would think, less wheel travel does not seem like a prime way to do a suspension lift if you ask me, kinda defeats the purpose.
Of course who has $5K to swap in a D44 (sorry Rick)?

Doesnt anybody make a good quality lift for the IFS setup yet that would get some lift and more wheel travel yet?

Man if I ran a suspension company I would be working hardon that, there are so many damn people looking for one............

 

[Jason_25]

Originally posted by 410Fortune
here's some thoughts:

Is his 95 even torshoin beams up front?

What year did they do away with the TTB's and go to the IFS.
(sorry I'm a BII man, older trucks you know)

As for the "built in" MAS meter. That thing is nuts! The whole intake is nuts! I dont see any reason why it cant be upgraded, just get rid of it in favor of an earlier version. Get a custom intake tube, install a aftermarket 70mm MAS that has been calibrated for your 19# injectors, slap a KKM or K&N on it and do away with the entire stock intake setup.
Who know why Ford decided to wrap plastic all over that MAS and go with a cone filter, would be a nice setup if they didnt have that 2" dia plastic horn going into the fender, god thats got to be restricitve.
FYI I'm going by what I have seen in the junk yards.
If there is more to it then that, my apologies.

Oh and the torsion twist not only makes it ride stiffer, but it also reduced down travel to almost nil, that really screws up the off road ability I would think, less wheel travel does not seem like a prime way to do a suspension lift if you ask me, kinda defeats the purpose.
Of course who has $5K to swap in a D44 (sorry Rick)?

Doesnt anybody make a good quality lift for the IFS setup yet that would get some lift and more wheel travel yet?

Man if I ran a suspension company I would be working hardon that, there are so many damn people looking for one............

Hi.
I have a 88 BII also in addition to my explorer. I like it alot.

Anyway, I took my intake out and opened the hole up all the way to about 4.5-5 inches or so and I noticed a considerable power increase, sounds better too. This setup works best for me because it is high-flow, with the only restriction being the MAF itself and the TB. Plus, it draws cool air in from the fender.

Also, a quality long-travel suspension lift is in the works. It is discussed here
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=245330&t=7654#post245330

Jason

 

[01EB5.0]

410fortune,
Yes the 95+ explorers all have torsion bars.

Also it is not possable to upgrade the MAF. The hole is already fairly large (as large as the hole on the cone shaped air filter) The wires do not just "clip in" they are permanent into the housing. i have not heard of anyone ever removing that housing.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

1995xlt,
im in North Florida now. in the middle of sweet nowhere. i just moved from portsmouth in the churland area. its right on the tother side of the downtown tunnel. my mom lives in the pembroke area off of independence Blvd. Where are you at in VB? i spent all of my time at croatan beach surfing. are you new to the area? there arent too many good spots to go wheeling but you can drop down to the outerbanks and drive all over the sand there.

you can a get bigger MAS. i know folks who have them and claim decent improvements. as far as the housing i dont know. let em do some research. i have a stock one beside the KKM.

 

[01EB5.0]

I think you guys must be confused. You can get a bigger throttle body on a 95. not a bigger MAS. they are 2 totally different things. If you could geta bigger MAS I would have one. Look in the upper half of your airbox. your MAS is in there. The hole is as large as the hole on the air filter. if you were able to geta bigger MAS the hole on the air filter would still be smaller. Most guys don't realize that the 95 and 96 trucks have round air filters and everyone thinks I don't know what I am talking about. Go take a look.