How can i lower my X with little or no cash

[raistlin185]

Hi all, I am in need of a cheap way of lowering my X. I have somewhere around 200 $ set aside to lower it, is that enough or should I hold off? I really would like to lower it before the end of summer and classes start up again. Taking night classes suck by the way. I'm looking for a 3 inch lowering in the front and 4-5 inches in the back. thx alot, and I might try the torsion bar thing. I have access to very cheap wheel alignment, somewhere around 4 dollars a wheel. I just need detailed instructions so I don't make a horrendous mistake. This vehicle is also a daily driver. Thanks alot.

 

[Texplorer]

This should tell you everything you need to know about the torsion bars. Since your 4wd you are limited in how much you can drop it in front. You can get 3" drop blocks for the rear. Welcome to the site.

Dead Link Removed

 

[X~FACTOR]

I don't recommend going more than 2" drop front and back if its going to be your daily driver. For $200 you have plenty enough since you have the allignment for cheap.

Here's my guesstimate:

To drop the front: $0.00
To drop the back: $25 for universal drop blocks
Alignment: $16 @ $4 per wheel?!?
New sets of shocks: $100 @ $25 per Gabriel VST shock (you install)
Bump Stop: $0.00 (cut 1/3" off on all four)
Shorter end links: $15 (optional)

Your drive afterward: PRICELESS
(sorry, can't resist it. )

 

[boominXplorer]

the reason you cant lower it so much in the front is because of the ball joints. not the 4x4.

 

[raistlin185]

Hey, what size socket wrench did you use, the 1/2 fits but its too wide to fit between the screw and the box around it, I'm not strong enough to use a open ended wrench, also, what defines a crank? People crank 3x or 6x, is that a full 360degree turn? :frustrate

 

[raistlin185]

I mean when I am adjusting the torsion bar, also, does clock-wise or counter-clock-wise lower it?

 

[aldive]

Loosen to Lower......

 

[Texplorer]

Originally posted by boominXplorer
the reason you cant lower it so much in the front is because of the ball joints. not the 4x4.

If you have 4x4 you are limited to the front drop because of your CV joints. If you lower more than 2" it put the CV at a steeper angle and wears them out a lot quicker.

 

[Yomie]

Originally posted by Texplorer
If you have 4x4 you are limited to the front drop because of your CV joints. If you lower more than 2" it put the CV at a steeper angle and wears them out a lot quicker.

Not true, i had over 4" of drop up front and i am 4x4, no problems ever experienced.

Alignment: $16 @ $4 per wheel?!?

And i would love to know where you get your alignments

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by X-factor
[B
Alignment: $16 @ $4 per wheel?!?)[/SIZE] [/B]

What kind of alignment does one get for $8 - the front only need alignment.

 

[96explorer]

since this thread is bout lowering and i wanna lower mine......im gonna jump in and ask some questions....now i know they dont make a lowering kit for the explorer...(i have a 96 eddie bauer 2wd)....but i would like to lower it 3-4" in tha front and 4-5 in tha back......what would be the best way to go bout this without losing tha ride...new to this site so...any help would be appriciated

 

[Texplorer]

Originally posted by Yomie
Not true, i had over 4" of drop up front and i am 4x4, no problems ever experienced.

So why is the general accepted rule not to go up or down more than 2"?

Here are some other threads that might help you guys that are dropping your Explorers.

Dead Link Removed

http://www.fordexplorer.net/viewtopic.php?t=687

 

[Yomie]

I dno't know, but i can tell you from experience. On a stock explorer the CV's are already angled down, when i lowered 2" the CV were pretty much horizontal, when i wen't down 4" my CV angles were at the same angles as they are now with a 2" TT(just going up and not down), at 4" they are not excessive in any way.

To go down any more than 3" in the rear you are going to have to remove your bumpstops, at about 4.5" you are going to be sitting on your frame. To go down that far in the rear you will need to c-notch, if you wan't your ride to be halfway decent in the rear. I can tell you that if you go more than 2" in the front there will be no way to get a decent ride out of the tortion bars. You can even ask JamesT

 

[X~FACTOR]

Originally posted by Yomie
I can tell you that if you go more than 2" in the front there will be no way to get a decent ride out of the tortion bars.

I somewhat agree with Yomie. I lowered mine 2 1/2" and it was okay but annoying to the spouse . I just recently raised it 1/4" up and it was a BIG improvement. Imagine at 2"...

 

[96explorer]

thanks for the input...im gonna go for tha 2" then see how it goes from there....i jus dont know if the 2" will look lowered. i might go with bags..still undecided.

 

[X~FACTOR]

Check here for camparison of a 2" drop.

 

[etc]

Im gonna jump in here and steal a little of your thread.

I'm also gonna lower my ex('96 xlt) 2 inche's front/back, chaning my sway bars, and putting in new shocks. Does the order of it matter at all? My logic tells me to change the sway bars and shocks first, then put in the blocks and finally do the TT to even out the front. Does this sound about right? Also one other question, how much space should there be between the bump stop and the lower control arm? I have a feeling my shocks are really really gone because there's only about one inch of space in the front, or could that be something else?

 

[X~FACTOR]

It really does not matter but since all these aren't major work, you could do all of these in less than a day. So, which one you do first is irrelevant.

In regards to the shocks, the height of the suspension does not rest on them, so it doesn't matter.

I cut 1/3" off the bump stop on all four corners and I rarely bottom out.

 

[etc]

When buying the Gabriels VST's, is threre two versions, like one for lowered trucks or only one kind?

 

[X~FACTOR]

Only one version for Gabriels. There is only one company that makes shocks that are designed for lowered Explorer- Edelbrock IAS.