JMan689's Trail X

Alright, as some of you know I bought this X off of glfredick back in fall, honestly i can say out of my 3 Ford trucks this has been the best buy.

My name is James but i go by Jay or J (yeah we are lazy) or J Bird or whatever else people can come up with.
Live in the suburb of Chicago known as Downers Grove

email - jraylemko89@comcast.net or machinehead689@yahoo.com
AIM - MachineHead689
Car Domains - see links in sig

Onto the truck.

Year: 1992 XLT
Engine: Stock 4.0
Transmission: Rebuilt A4LD
Transfer Case: BW 1354 crawl under and turn it yourself
Front Suspension: 1977 F150 Coils, 2006 Dodge 1 ton 4x4 Shocks, sway bar quick disconnects
Rear Suspension: BDS long add-a-leaf springs, 6" lift Ranger shocks, overload springs removed, heavy duty shackles
Front Axle: Dana 35 with 4:10 gears
Rear Axle: Ford 8.8 with 4:10 gears
Communications: Cobra CB, antenna wired through hatch
Wheels: 33x12.5R15 Pro-Comp Xterrains on 15x8 Black Cragar Soft Series 8
Exterior: Orange & Black paint, Snorkel, custom bumpers with heavy duty D-rings
Interior: Recaro bucket seats, Trans temp gauge
Audio: Pioneer headunit
Future Mods: Full cage, onboard air, new/cleaned up interior, tweak the front bumper for a fuller brush/grille guard, add in a stock grill, light bar, Winch, D60s, 38" tires, lockers front and rear, rebuilt 4.0 or v8 swap
Misc: Front brake lines from a Super Duty, motorhome cooler hooked in line with the stock trans cooler

 

[Burns]

Looks like all the first gen guys are painting all there trucks bright colors lol

 

[JMan689]

Looks like all the first gen guys are painting all there trucks bright colors lol

Hmmm.... who else can we sucker in?

 

[glfredrick]

I was just surfing for pics of what you've done to my old truck and found this thread. Looking good...

About the flex pipe for the air inlet -- I used RV poop pipe. Get if in a 10' length at any RV dealer for about $10. I figured that if it holds up to camp poop, it would take care of air-handling duties, and it is super cheap to replace if it ever cracks. So far it looks like it has FAR exceeded any expectation I had for it. I'll be using more for future projects.

The RV stores also have all the various connectors for that flex tube, so it is a real simple install. Just hole-saw your airbox and glue in a connector.

Like the "arrest me" orange. Truck needed paint.

I built both bumpers also. They're both made from structural box steel, cut and welded into the shapes you see. Up front, I trimmed the factory frame rails way back, and welded on the uprights to hold the bumper. The curved nerf bars on each end protect the corners of the fenders and also make it real easy to use a tow strap if need be. Just pass the strap through the D-ring, and hook a loop over the nerf. Works good. The rear bumper also has nerfs for the rear fenders that attach to the frame rails behind the rear tires. They help solidify the bumper against trees and rocks, plus keep the back glass in place (if you look at the lower orange photo, you'll still see the marks where I took out the back glass once time before I added the nerfs).

 

[JMan689]

Alllllright so i've pretty much decided on using the Lightning as my tow pig for now so that means i'll be able to actually start some stuff on the 92.

For now i'm thinking a manual t-case, redo interior and cage it. Also will have mounts for the hi-lift, tools, spare etc etc. Start collecting parts for SAS, you know the drill. Oh, and rebuild motor (doesn't need it yet but this way i can break it in while it's still streetable)

Now i need some input from you guys.

First A, how strong is the BW 1354. I'd like to do a Np203/205 doubler setup but i wouldn't do that until the axle swap. (only want to make custom driveshafts once)

First B, anyone make doublers for the BW?

Second, when i do the SAS i'd like to have alot of flex and run 38s. Would i be ok to leave the body lift or no?

Third, (this is mainly for Guy), do you think my rebuilt A4LD would hold up to a built 4.0?

Fourth, would a 7k trailer be enough to for a caged X with 1 ton axles?

 

[glfredrick]

Alllllright so i've pretty much decided on using the Lightning as my tow pig for now so that means i'll be able to actually start some stuff on the 92.

For now i'm thinking a manual t-case, redo interior and cage it. Also will have mounts for the hi-lift, tools, spare etc etc. Start collecting parts for SAS, you know the drill. Oh, and rebuild motor (doesn't need it yet but this way i can break it in while it's still streetable)

Manual t-cases have no strength advantage over electric ones. Its up to you, but I'd spend the money somewhere else and just make a small driveshaft to turn the electronic one from inside the cab. Use 1/4" socket set parts.

SAS is fine... I'm doing my own on the Ranger right now. Check my thread for info. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155102

Never bad to rebuild an engine with that many miles, except that it will probably need a lot of work once you get in there. (I did run Amsoil sythetic for most of the time I had the truck, but it already had 100K+ when I got it.)

Now i need some input from you guys.

First A, how strong is the BW 1354. I'd like to do a Np203/205 doubler setup but i wouldn't do that until the axle swap. (only want to make custom driveshafts once)

The 1354 is a really good transfer case, actually. They hardly ever break, they are light weight, and dependable, plus relatively cheap.

A guy named Duffy makes a doubler for them also. Check on Pirate.

You'd have some problems with a 205/205 setup. Difficult to make it all fit your scenario without custom parts.

First B, anyone make doublers for the BW?

See above...

Second, when i do the SAS i'd like to have alot of flex and run 38s. Would i be ok to leave the body lift or no?

You would probably need it, unless you go tall on the suspension. I'm looking at 4" on the Ranger, and I have no fenders and no bed to deal with. On an Explorer, you'd need at least 8" lift, and that isn't great for hard trail use.

Third, (this is mainly for Guy), do you think my rebuilt A4LD would hold up to a built 4.0?

If it is rebuilt well, it would take it. I've decided to go the C4 route myself. My new 4.0 is built and should be rather snotty. I talked to the builder over the weekend, and he said that it will take care of business -- probably 100+ hp over stock the way it is set up right now.

Fourth, would a 7k trailer be enough to for a caged X with 1 ton axles?

Yup. Just get one with brakes on both axles. That Explorer won't go more than 5K or so, even loaded with a cage. If you can, especially pulling with the Lightning, get a goose-neck trailer. WORLD of difference, and a half-ton truck will handle it easy compared to a ball hitch version.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

nice lookin explorers u got there

 

[JMan689]

nice lookin explorers u got there

Thanks Sam.

Manual t-cases have no strength advantage over electric ones. Its up to you, but I'd spend the money somewhere else and just make a small driveshaft to turn the electronic one from inside the cab. Use 1/4" socket set parts.

You would probably need it, unless you go tall on the suspension. I'm looking at 4" on the Ranger, and I have no fenders and no bed to deal with. On an Explorer, you'd need at least 8" lift, and that isn't great for hard trail use.

If it is rebuilt well, it would take it. I've decided to go the C4 route myself.

Alright, i just can't think of how i'd be able to make the shifter spin or turn whatever you want to call it. If it was setup like a transmission it'd be 10 times easier.

So basically get some lower lift coils that are super soft like the ones on there now?

Thats the thing, i was hoping you had the A4LD thats in the 92 rebuilt so you'd be able to give some input on if it could take it. If not i'll go the C4 route.

 

[glfredrick]

Spring rates need to be set up for the axle type that they are used with.

The current springs are 1977 Ford F150. They would work out well with a straight axle -- and be much stiffer that way than with the TTB.

They are probably around 350 pound springs. Standard Explorer TTB springs are closer to 550 pounds. Jeep Wranger springs run to as low as 200 pounds.

They feel really soft on the TTB because of the leverage. On a straight axle, they would act differently.

The transmission was tuned up some when I put it in, but not completely rebuilt. I made sure that the governor valve was working, swapped out the valve body for one I had modified earlier (shift point mods), and replaced the seals in the L/R acuator. I wouldn't run a ton of horsepower through it.

The problem with all A4LD/4R/5R55E series transmissions that Ford uses is that they are built on the old C3 platform, which was originally designed to run behind a 4 cyl. motor in a Pinto. They just can't deal with high hp or towing very well at all.

A C4 on the other hand, can take 300 hp or more stock and more with mods. What you will lack, however, is OD. Make sure you can live with that before making the swap.

If you are considering the C4 swap, I have all the parts needed except a torque converter. I have the proper bell housing, and adaptor and shaft for the end of the transmission, plus a good C4 core that you could use to rebuild. Let me know if you might be interested in purchasing these parts. They are rather hard to find... Took me over a year, and then I came up with two sets.

 

[JMan689]

If you are considering the C4 swap, I have all the parts needed except a torque converter. I have the proper bell housing, and adaptor and shaft for the end of the transmission, plus a good C4 core that you could use to rebuild. Let me know if you might be interested in purchasing these parts. They are rather hard to find... Took me over a year, and then I came up with two sets.

Yes, thats seeming the way to go. Going to rebuild the 4.0 soon so i can break in the motor on the street and not worry about beating on it, but horsepower isn't what i'm after, its torque. (Anyone that knows how to make a torquey 4.0 input would be of great help.) I found an old thread about slapping a Eaton M62 on the 4.0 which just sounds like added fun. But aside from that i'm not sure if i should go ahead and swap in a C4 while the motor is out and throw a NP205 under it with a custom driveshaft till i have everything for a SAS or just leave the A4LD and play around with the 1354 and just do the trans/tcase swap when i do axles.

 

[JMan689]

Went out last week after we got hit with the hurricane rains and drove through some flooded out areas. This has got to be my favorite picture.

 

[robmurt04]

Hey, have any more/better pictures of it painted orange? I'm stuck between orange & lime green. Have burn's truck to compare the lime green but have yet to find an orange ex. Thanks. And I must say, thats one sexy ex you got there.

 

[JMan689]

Hey, have any more/better pictures of it painted orange? I'm stuck between orange & lime green. Have burn's truck to compare the lime green but have yet to find an orange ex. Thanks. And I must say, thats one sexy ex you got there.

 

[JMan689]

Well look what showed up in my garage last sunday