how do u put a suspension lift on a 97 explore

[tough ford man]

hi, i just bought a 97 explorer 4x4 4 door to haul my kids in for winter time but ive always had lifts on my trucks and cant find one for this year. Does anyone know were i can find one or how to make ur own for cheap? I want to b able to run 33-36s if possable. Any help would b nice. Thanks.

 

[scx89]

body lift or tt. A search would have answered that but welcome.

 

[lounge lizard]

welcome to the site!

there are plenty of threads on this question that may give you the answer you are looking for with little or no effort.

anywhere from a body lift (which is the easiest but will only fit you with 33" tires)

to adding to that a torsion twist and rear lift shackles (get you into the 35" tires maybe)

to a solid axle swap and a spring over axle in the back (which could get you into the 36" tires)

good luck with the search in which way you may want to go with your explorer!

 

[tough ford man]

thanks, im new at this and have no idea wat im doin when it comes to fords, do u kno a good website to get these parts from?

 

[JohnnyO]

The only true suspension lift kits for a 97-01 Explorer are from Superlift, it costs about $2000, and the hi-zoot Dixon Bros. desert race setup that costs $4000+ and replaces pretty much the whole front end outside of the differential. And because it's wider you will need flared fiberglass fenders and paint, so add that to the tab.
The late-model Explorer/Ranger front end is not happy with tires larger than 33". Any bigger and it will shred wheel bearings, CV joints, and tie rod ends real quick if you actually off-road it, unless you drop major coin on the aforementioned Dixon Bros. setup.

"But I could put in a solid front axle for less money than the Dixon Bros. setup."
Yes. This is true.

Most all of the 4x4 mail order places will have the Superlift kit, Warrior rear shackles (p/n WAR-153), and bodylifts. Dixon Bros. comes from Dixon Bros.

 

[tough ford man]

thanks, ill check it all out.
Sounds harder then wat i thought

 

[JohnnyO]

thanks, ill check it all out.
Sounds harder then wat i thought

The basic rule on late-model Rangers and Explorers is that they are cheap to lift a little and expensive to lift a lot.

A torsion twist and Warrior shackles will fit 32's or a narrow 33. Total cost, about $100-$150 for install and a front end alignment.
Add a body lift to that, about $250 plus install (unless you can do it yourself) and you can fit the common 33x12.50-15 on a 15x8 wheel with 3.75" backspace.
Or you can spend more than double that for the Superlift kit which will also fit 33's but does have the advantage of getting you some extra ground clearance for the frame. Frankly if it were me and I had the money for it I would go that route because I'm not a fan of body lifts.

 

[tough ford man]

do they have the parts i need on the parts tab?

 

[1Aauto]

welcome to the site