i want to put a few mods for now in to my explorer

[CDW6212R]

Two thoughts I have to add; the difference between 3rd gear and 4th gear in the AOD's(all of them), is a 3:2 ratio. If you were doing 6000 RPM in 3rd gear, the theoretical new 4th gear RPM would be 4000 RPM. That is a massive gear ratio change. That is the newer five speeds best feature, they have a much better ratio spread. The 5R55E has an absolutely wonderful close ratio gear spread.

Secondly, I bet your wheel/tire combination is really heavy, like my 72 pound combo. At those speeds, it takes more power to accelerate than with stock 55 pound wheel/tires.

Can you swap a lighter set of wheels on it for testing?

BTW, when you get to making serious power/modifications, you might consider a better torque converter. A company called Eagle..., makes what sounds like a good performance 4R70W converter, for $565. Good luck,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

i have lighter tires but they are bald, so i dont really want to mess with them

 

[BeauJ]

i have lighter tires but they are bald, so i dont really want to mess with them

Believe me, when I took my 20s off and put my stock ones back on, I could tell a huge difference in acceleration.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

did you also notice a difference in top speed?

well what im thinking is... since i might be getting some 17" racing wheels for my Escort (something with the mounts like a wire wheel) i was thinking maybe i could get an adapter for the explorer so that i could mount those wheels on the Explorer when i feel like racing. the Explorer would sit very low if i do that (would also need to reprogram the chip every time i switch the rims off)

but with the time being im working with 22's

 

[BeauJ]

Not really top speed, but acceleration was like nite and day without them.

 

[CDW6212R]

My suggestion is for testing, to confirm that the wheel/tire rotating mass is affecting the top speed, and acceleration.

If you see a big difference, maybe for you it would be worth it to find a lighter combination. Take a scale outside and weigh one of the old wheel and tires, and one of the 20's from the truck. If the difference is less than five pounds, than it shouldn't make much difference.

I went to SC to tow my 99 donor vehicle back home, and I swapped my first set back on, because I knew they would be better for towing. Those 17x8 Cobra wheels were 14 pounds lighter than my 18's. I swapped them back after a day or so, and a last 1320 test run. Regards,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

factory wheels were 35lbs, the ones i have are 40ish, the 22's are like 72lbs

 

[CDW6212R]

I am talking about the wheel/tire combination, not one or the other. Surely your 22" wheels do not weigh 72 pounds by themselves?

My 18" tires are evidently about 40 pounds each. I was expecting that, but I was led to believe that my 18" wheels would be in the 25 pound range. They are closer to 32 pounds, which is really too much for just a wheel.

I believe that the wheel/tire combination should be kept at least under 60 pounds for an Explorer. Over that will seriously hurt performance. My acceleration, braking, and fuel mileage are noticeably worse than what I had with 58.5 pound 17's. Regards,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

i weighed all my rims, and thats what i came up with (weighed with wheel and tire)

 

[spindlecone]

Fill your tires with helium, than they will wgt nothing

 

[CDW6212R]

Okay, so you have the same handicap as I do. For performance, you would be happier with a combination that is under 58-60 pounds.

I looked for an opportunity tonight to run mine up to 100mph. I had a stretch where I did hit 100 before getting close to catching two other vehicles. It was five lanes wide, and slightly downhill. It took a long time to reach 100, I am used to my 91 Mark VII with an HO engine. I didn't feel any cutting out, vibration, or a limit of any kind at 100. That's just where I decided to let off, when it went past 100 or so.

Every vehicle has it's own quirks, or personality. If you have a good set of smaller (lighter) wheels, I'd try those out to fairly compare to the 20's. I don't think that there is anything wrong with your Explorer. Just go over the tune up items, and continue with your plans. Regards,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

i might swap the rims out on wednesday and take it out for some "spins"

i heard helium in tires is good, less chance of air leaks. kind of a crazy thought though.

p.s. how many ft.lbs. are the rims supposed to be torqued down?

 

[CDW6212R]

85 to 95 lbs.ft. Retorque them after a first drive. Good luck,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

really? ive been over torquing them, i did 110lbs. good to know, ill stick with 95 so i dont strip the threads or the nuts (which are showing lots of use)

 

[CDW6212R]

Do wipe a touch(drop or two worth) of anti seize on the studs. I use just enough so that the threads never show corrosion, and the lug nuts turn easily. If you aren't familier with Permatex anti-seize, be careful to not smear it on anything. It is extremely messy(fingers, clothes, etc.), and never dries out. Regards,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

so a mustang 5.0 superchager isnt a bolt up for a 5.0 explorer?

http://www.proficientperformance.co...&Store_Code=powerdyne&Product_Code=K10173-202

the motor looks the same on the top, would i just need have a mounting bracket fabed?

p.s. which superchager should i go with? i was thinking the powerdyne, but im not sure of its max boost.

 

[96Saleen]

trust me, it is not the same as the mustang...i bought the ford racing version of the powerdyne. it is the same exact kit and much cheaper...

 

[Saleen_SR71]

well iwas lookin at the XB-1A, the SC alone (cheapest i found) was in the low $2000's

 

[CDW6212R]

Those superchargers are the easiest to mount to an Explorer, and boost the top RPM range of power. The postive displacement superchargers are the type that most Explorers could benefit from more, but they are harder to mount. The EE supercharger doesn't add enough power to satisfy most people that want a supercharger. They cost a ton, and have no further potential, beyond the 75HP. I have a new KB2200 which I will eventually mount on mine. Good luck,

 

[Saleen_SR71]

Well im bringing this topic back...

I called the powerdyne company and the guy i spoke to said that hes not sure if the XB bolts up to the same mount as the BD and he didnt want to make an assumption.

I was considering an STS turbo but after talking to a dealer, he confused me. Im not too sure about the #'s he gave me, but I think he said 800-1,200 for labor, plus the price for the kit but im not too sure. He was talking in single/double digit form, like "well it will cost from 8 to 12, but for minimum i would say 6" and stuff like that.

I think Ill go down to the shop since Fremont isnt that far plus I wanted to see how much it would cost to rebuild my engine with better internals.

I want to get something big done performance wise this year. might just redo the motor and hold off on the supercharger, but i really want some sorta forced induction