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j602's 2wd Beast

My name's Josh and I live in Dothan, Alabama. I've owned the truck since November, 2003. It's a 1992 Ford Explorer XLT 2WD. I started with basic upgrades and modifications like new paint, clear corners, tires, and wheels. It then turned into a constant work in progress resulting in what it is now.

It's curent state:
25390sas10.jpg


Specs-

Exterior:

Black metallic paint
Longtek brush guard
35x12.5" Dunlop Mud Rovers
15x8 Rock Crawler 97's
Sylvania Silverstar 9004 headlight bulbs
Clear corners
SRB 6" fogs
Taillight guards
Removed front valence/license plate holder
Custom shorty antenna
4' fiberglass CB antenna with custom mount on T/L guard
Herc'd door jambs
Bedliner'd rockers
Cut front bumper, bedlinered both
Painted grille
Tint
Curt Class III hidden hitch

Interior:

All-Weather floor mats
Leather steering wheel cover
Pioneer DEH-6500 head unit
Infinity Reference 5x7's in doors
(2) Infinity Reference 10's in a sealed enclosure
LA 1000W Amp
Uniden PRO538W CB

Suspension:
Front -
Custom SAS with HP Dana 30 from a Jeep YJ set up for spring over axle
BTF YJ SOA perches
Pro Comp 2.5" lifted YJ springs
BTF shackles
Warrior spring and shackle hangers
Custom hanger mounts
F-250 shock towers
Rancho RS5000's
Rough Country drop pitman arm
BTF crossover steering bracket with DOM links and heim joints
2" Slanted Body Lift

Rear -
Spring over axle with weld on perches
Warrior shackles
2" Tapered Blocks
Pro Comp ES3000 shocks on swaybar brackets
Homemade swaybar extensions
Relocated brake line with custom bracket


Drivetrain:

4wd transmission swap with electric transfer case that is now manual
KKM open element filter
Flowmaster Cat-back with Original 40 Series swapped in
Single Magnaflow high flow cat
Summit Manual Cutout after Y pipe
EGR delete
Motive 4.56 gears w/ Mobil 1 synthetic gear lube
Powertrax No-Slip locker
Skyjacker SS brake lines


What it was:
25390ex01.jpg

Then...
25390ex4.jpg

Then...
25390ex14.jpg

Then...
25390bumper4.jpg
 
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He had to drill them because he used some super thick steel (angle, so it curved around the frame) to brace the frame. You'll definitely have to drill it, because the 2nd gen was never meant to have a steering box.
 



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What i couldnt find in any of the threads..or maybe im blind, is how do i go about connecting the steering shaft to the box. I'll be using a ford box btw.
 






That's what I'm unsure of as well. Are you using a 1st gen box(same one as most big Ford trucks, etc) or one from a 78-79? Once you decide which one you'll use, you should PM others that have used that one and see what they did. Post up what you find out because I'm be doing a leaf sprung SAS pretty soon too (21robbie21).
 






mynameisaric said:
So how much do you enjoy the fact that your 2wd explorer got a solid front axle before bmxking?

Bahahaha
 






steering box will be my biggest issue, and i dont even think it will end up being that bad. i could probably SAS this summer if i wanted to, but i'm going bmxkings route and doing it right the first time, so it will just be longer, but i'll love myself for it in the end. besides. i just put $650 into my front end. i'm going to get good use out of it before i tear it out. and if everyone has solid axles, people will think that explorers are incapable of wheeling in stock condition.
 






Got the crossover steering in, along with the axle that it came on. The drag link is 1.5" DOM with heims and the tie rod is 1" DOM with heims. The bracket is custom built by BTF out 1/4" plate, and bolts to the spindle. We had to drill out the pitman arm and opposite spindle to accept the bolts for the heims. The new axle has 4.10's and welded spiders in it, which I'll probably swap later on for a 4.56's and a LS. The new steering turned out great. The caster is correct, no bump steer, and it handles beautifully.

The new axle waiting to go in.
newaxle.JPG


We had to take the driver side spindle off the old to put on the new.
spindleoff.JPG


Old axle out.
axleout.JPG


New axle in.
newaxlein1.JPG

newaxle1.JPG


A little driveway flex.
newaxle2.JPG
 
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:cool: So when is it going to be 4wd?
 






Sweeet. Now get a driveshaft in thier and show us what it can do.
 






he needs more than a driveshaft. (but hes closer to 4wd than i am now.)
 






is the new axle still a d30? hows that front hanger holdin up?
 






When this tranny dies it goes 4wd. I just put the current one in not too long ago. No sense in pulling it out.

The new axle is a D30 as well, and the front crossmember/hanger has held up perfectly. I've beat on it tons and it has never given any sign of failure.

I wheel plenty like it is now. The locker helps alot, and makes it very capable.
 






oh yeah..forgot about the tranny part and t-case.
 






j602 said:
I wheel plenty like it is now. The locker helps alot, and makes it very capable.
I would have never believed you until I tryed it with mine. I have 2lo which helps out a lot with the stick shift, and being able to crawl through stuff, but a locked 2wd on 35+ is much more capable than I'd ever expect. :cool:
 






Fawkin' yeah.
 






Can't you just put a different output/tailshaft in your current tranny and get a t-case and adapter?
 












Haha, funny you should ask. To answer, almost. I was on the way home from Tallahassee on the freeway and it started to smoke and slip in and out of neutral. Turns out I lost a ton of fluid, but I had just put a quart in that morning. Well, I put 5 quarts in a drove it home. It's acting funny, but not dead yet. I got a new toy, so I'm not too worried about getting 4wd in this POS. The new pile is a '79 Chevy Luv. Runs like a champ, and is absolutely unstoppable.
 

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looks like you lost your spare along with everything else in the bed haha
 






does that little rig have a solid front axle or is it even 4wd ??
 



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your alabama roots are showing with that rig. haha
 






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