is it worth it?

[exsport1211]

i drive an 02 sport 4wd auto with 70k on the clock.after being on this forum for a decent amount of time im begining to wonder if the lift and tires will be worth it in the end.after all the mods and money will i be happy or want to trade it like a few on this forum have.ive heard the 01-03 sport can be fairly reliable trucks but i also have seen some of the problems.mainly the transmission is my biggest worry.i have a feeling some one is going to say buy somethin else for a dd and mod the ex. ive shackled and tt mine and replaced the shocks which was one of the best improvements ive done so far. ive owned a 95 bronco, 89 bronco 2 95 and a 95 ranger so im not that new to ford or the ranger based vehicle

 

[fixxxer]

Now, I'm not as familiar with the Sport or Sport-Trac and their issues but I've seen a lot of postings about the rear wheel bearings on the full-size 02,03 Explorers going bad and that you need a hd hydraulic press to remove/reinstall the bearings. possible issues with the CV joints as well.
Adding larger wheels/tires will add strain to an already weak/problematic area. (No, you only said lift and tires. I just assumed ) Are you upgrading because you need it for trails you want to go on or are you doing it just because...?

 

[volver]

Depends on your personal preference.


I Like my explorer. Why? Its easy to work on because its a truck. It works in any weather. It halls lots of crap. It has 5 seats. It has V8 power. Luxury interior.


Its easy to Mod. I added springs in rear and TT up front. Changed alignment to be more sporty. Made a custom intake. Removed half of the exhaust. Added 500 watts of light. Did some painting.
After all this I like it even more. Preforms better. Operates how I like.


If I had money in the bank equal to the value of my explorer what car would I buy? What car would a buy for 5000 dollars? I would by an explorer for 3000 and than put 2000 into repairs and mods.

 

[exsport1211]

i want the wheels and tires for the trails. i love offroading but i just have my doubts about the v6 drivetrain. if mine had a 5.0 i woudnt doubt a thing my bronco had one and ti was bullet proof.. the auto tranny was beasty as well i trusted that truck.

 

[volver]

Put a 302 and 4r70w in your sport. More power and better drive train. might be abel to do it for the same price as rims and tires maybe a littel more.

 

[exsport1211]

thats a good point. a good rig isnt bought its built.so i should buy a v8 explorer and use it for parts.ill have to think about that one. bc thats a lot of work and i doubt id sell it after that.

 

[exsport1211]

well ijust got off the phone witha local shop that recommended transmission kit for my sport instead of a full swap. do you guys think a transmission kit would be a good option to keep my truck on the road

 

[volver]

Every thing is going to wear out at some point. If you don't like to work on your explorer sell it and get an SVT Raptor. It is probably more capable than your explorer will ever be.

 

[RangRayy]

"With the proper gearing, T-case and transmission set up, you don't need a ton of horse power to off road. The 4.0 will give you plenty of power. The street guys mentality of having tons of horsepower does not cross over to the off road crawling world. They just don't get it.

4.10's are nice for 31" but for 33" 4.56 is better, for 35" to 37" 4.88 works, etc...

Manual trans & manual T-case will out live the automatics off roading.
These are your power mods."
-gmanpaint

that sums it up pretty much for ya...