Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
1. Is it ok to drive with the 4x4 hubs locked in. 75mph max speed.
2. Best 4.0 ohv rebuild parts cam,heads,headers,exhaust, rollers,lifters.
3. Running pro comp 33x12.5 anyone have opinions on tires. need new soon
4. Light bar or off road lights. With good stable mounts.
5. Transmission cooler for new A4LD.
6. Removing old style belt fan. Best efan replacement.
I would not recommend going over 45 Mph in 4x4 ,
I have Ran the Pro Comp AT on mine for DD usage and they did well ,
YES on the Transmission cooler , You can get a junk yard stocker and add it next to the front stocker and it will add a little extra fluid and Cooling area , I have dual Stock Trans fluid Coolers ! .
.. You will only need a Short Piece of Hose to connect the 2nd cooler , Can see better in this pic ! ..
, Can't really offer much on the other info , but sure others will chime in ! .
I drive with my hubs locked occasionally to 55mph, but never at that sped in 4H or 4L. I need to dig into user manual I have to specific and true, but IIRC, Bruce is correct.
Being a manual tranny truck, I can't comment on A4LD, but I would expect that you realistically can't over cool your tranny with 2 stock sized coolers.
For an Efan, I use a Derale brand pusher with a pin mounted thermocouple in the radiator set at 185 degrees. I t works for me, but I live in the north and rarely exceed 75 degrees in the summer and often deal with well below freezing temps in the winter. Further, I have a medium sized oil cooler under the radiator with dual oil filters set in the grill for better cooling of the engine.
Lights, I have cheap H3 off road fog lights converted with Kensun HID elements, and Ansa LED driving lights. Both mounted right on the stock bumper. Perhaps not the most off road like setup, but it throws a lot of light when I hit trails and when I travel at night in the winter.
Your question about rebuilding parts is likely to be the most controversial as the OHV engine has little support for power increase and it can be expensive to get very small amounts of increase. Many have found it easier and cheaper to retrofit an Expo V8, tranny and t-case in place of the stock V6. You're best off doing some searching and lurking in the other sub sections of this forum for options and details. A couple hours will yield a lot of info, particularly if you have a budget and a direction you want to go forward on. The Ranger Station has a good tech library with most of the common parts available to hop up the engine. Our engine is torquey and pulls well down low, so lower gears in the axles, along with a decent exhaust and a well maintained and tuned engine will take you farther than you think.
1. Is it ok to drive with the 4x4 hubs locked in. 75mph max speed.
2. Best 4.0 ohv rebuild parts cam,heads,headers,exhaust, rollers,lifters.
3. Running pro comp 33x12.5 anyone have opinions on tires. need new soon
4. Light bar or off road lights. With good stable mounts.
5. Transmission cooler for new A4LD.
6. Removing old style belt fan. Best efan replacement.
Hubs can be left locked in for a while at whatever speed, but in 2WD, and I believe Ford recommends something like under 50 miles.
Trans cooler - I have an inexpensive Hayden cooler hooked up inline with my stock cooler and it works great. During the winter I bypass the Hayden and run the stock one alone so that the trans reaches proper operating temperature.
I would recommend keeping the belt driven fan, personally. It is reliable and does not sap much power. E-fans can be a major hassle to get hooked up and running reliably, especially when you are trying to install a high-draw unit like the 3.8 Taurus/MKVIII fan. The reliability and peace of mind of the stock fan outweigh the small horsepower benefit of an e-fan in my opinion. YMMV.
