How can I increase my ground clearance?

[slarph]

This weekend I took my '96 XLT off the road and on to the beach for the first time. As expected, the truck did just fine, but on this rocky, heavily rutted beach, I would feel more comfortable with a few more inches of ground clearance. Unfortunately, I am new to offroading in this truck and I know nothing about my options.

I'm looking for something cheap and easy, if there is anything.

Any thoughs would be wildly appreciated.

CPW
Boston

 

[explorer4x493]

First of all welcome to the site.

What you might be looking for is a torsion twist. Try searching Torsion Bar 101.

Maybe Warrior shackles that just lift your leaf springs in the rear. www.warriorshackles.com. #153 is what you need.

Add a leaf spring. (AAL)

These all involve using the torsion twist as i stated above.

Just use the search feature above and it's that easy. Good luck.

 

[Texplorer]

Really the only thing that gives you ground clearance are bigger tires. And in order to fit bigger tires you need more lift. Shackles will give you lift but no better ground clearance. A lift will give you better ground clearance in the middle i.e. breakover point and better approach and departure angles. Welcome to the site.

 

[eaadams]

just replying to get onto the e-mail list for this post as I'm the same.

What is a trotion twist? what does it do?

What is a leaf spring?

What is a shackle?

So a lift will lift the car up a few inches completley while the other stuff lifts just part? What do you do when you put a bunch of c r @ p in the car and it gets it all compressed down what is the solution for that?

 

[reichhartkg]

Tortion Twist - 2nd generation Explorers (96+) have steel bars instead of coil or leaf springs on the front wheels. These run from about mid-way back to the control arms on each of the fron wheels. At the back of the torsion bars, there's a vertical bolt. By tightening this bolt, you twist the bars up, therefore lifting the front of the Explorer. By losening the bolts, you lower the front.

Leaf Springs - what attach your rear axle to your frame. They're arched with the ends higher than the middle.

Shackles - what hold the back of your leaf springs to the frame. By getting larger shackles, you lift the rear of the explorer. Stock shackles are 5.5" from hole to hole. if you get shackles that are 9.5", they are 4" longer, thereby giving you 2" of lift on the back. You only get half the lift because only one end of the leaf springs is lifted.

 

[reichhartkg]

Originally posted by eaadams
What do you do when you put a bunch of c r @ p in the car and it gets it all compressed down what is the solution for that?

Get stronger springs or add-a-leaf.

 

[jimbo74]

the suspension will not compress enough to do any type of negative lifting to your truck when loaded down..... leaf springs are what hold your rear axle under your truck preventing side to side movement, and also suspending hte axle in place... if you through lifted leafs, it will essentially push the frame/body away from the axle..... the only way to get ground clearance is bigger tires.... the problem therein lies that bigger tires will hit the body, and you must lift it to prevent that hit as tires will fit, but they may prevent you from trying to turn, etc....... you cant do a torsion twist b/c that suspension system didnt debut on explorers until 95, however, you can do a coil lift....

 

[eaadams]

so if you have a 2nd gen X then your best initial thing is a tortion twist.

for me with a 93 X then I need to think of a lift (body or suspension) then tires for more clearance. The choice b/t body vs suspension lift is 1st money then that suspension adds what more than a body lift?

Tires will run $1K w/ new rims, tires, and allignment?

What is stock clearance on a 1st gen X vs that of like a 4runner? Any website have a nice chart?

 

[jimbo74]

a body lift will only leave the body higher than the tires... a suspension lift will allow the same clearance, but will physically move the axle away from the frame/body..... this will essentially tuck the frame up out of the way more and allow increased suspension travel... whereas a bl will not..... torsion twist is only for 95+ ...there is no charts... but you can probably hunt down old specs from car and driver magazine

 

[eaadams]

body lift = doesn't help unless you get bigger tires which would add more clearance

suspension lift = more clearance (ie travel for tires) and can keep old tires?

which will help when the car is loaded full of gear and is riding low. I assume both would help some but stronger shocks to keep the weel well open would be a better bet?

stronger springs = suspension lift?
add-a-leaf = body lift?

 

[jimbo74]

aal will decrease amount of spring sag when compressing

a suspension lift will move the suspension from frame/body allowing less to possible hang up on obstacles...

tires are the only way to get ground clearance....

 

[Munan]

I am planning to have a ford explorer sport 2013. But the only thing that is confusing me in reaching a final decision, is its ground clearance of 7.6" which is lower enough to keep up with my pattern of off-road drive in mountainous range and rocky roads. If any one have an idea to increase ground clearance of explorer sport 2013 up to 8.6 inches without compromising its quality ride?