Lift Body off frame 99 Explorer

[nimblemotors]

A search didn't reveal much on how to go about this.

I have a 99 4-door eddie baur 5.0 that I am planning to shorten and put on a 99 2-door chassis.

My $100 99 2-door has no engine trans and would cost $400 to register again from fees and penalties,
and has already had a lot of parts removed, so what might seem easier to swap 5.0 motor into it isn't a good plan, and it also requires california engine swap inspection paperwork, which the body mod plan doesn't require,
the $150 4-door already has current registration. Just saying up front, so you don't tell me to just swap motors. The shortened 4-door looks more interesting and has the short front door which I prefer.

 

[CDW6212R]

I wish you luck, and it's an interesting idea. Given that suggested plan, I would mix the 99 Sport rear clip with the 99 V8 front clip. Cutting the rear doors in half would add much more difficulty, and that door glass would have to be fixed(if they could be cut in half(they are tempered)).

The cutting of both bodies is the major work you are including. My opinion, keep it to just that, and use the two Sport doors, cut the bodies in the middle of the front seats, side to side.

Sectioning the sheet metal anywhere that has multiple layers of sheets is very difficult, and results in a weaker structure. These are full steel frame vehicles, so the chassis is still intact. That means that you are only weakening the upper body protection for impacts above the frame. Clipping a body sometimes can be done without introducing new rust potential. But that's when no multiple sheet metal layers are cut. Leaving interior sheet metal bare can lead to issues down the road, how long is about where the vehicle lives. Have fun with the project and learning new skills. Regards,

 

[nimblemotors]

Yeah, did think of using the 2 door backend, but I do like the shorter front doors of the 4 door. I use the explorer to tow cars mostly and haul stuff, and I always have to manuever in tight spaces, so a shorter door helps along with the shorter wheelbase. What I'm thinking now is to use the 4-door on the drivers side and just eliminate the rear door,
and use the 2-door side on the passenger side, so passengers can get in the back easily from that side.
I am also thinking of making it a panel anyway, so no windows at all in back.

Here is a 'how to' link I found on removing the body from an Expedition,
http://www.denlorstools.com/autoblog/2009/01/expedition-cylinder-head-removal-body-off/

This guy removes the body to work on the cylinder heads.

Is the Explorer going to be the same? I know from my experience that there is always 'gotchas' on this kind of thing,
which is why I ask. I understand the general approach, but is there some hidden ground strap, or complicated fuel filler issue that I can avoid by asking how others have done it?

 

[albi1cnobi1]

I wish you luck, and it's an interesting idea. Given that suggested plan, I would mix the 99 Sport rear clip with the 99 V8 front clip. Cutting the rear doors in half would add much more difficulty, and that door glass would have to be fixed(if they could be cut in half(they are tempered)).

The cutting of both bodies is the major work you are including. My opinion, keep it to just that, and use the two Sport doors, cut the bodies in the middle of the front seats, side to side.

Sectioning the sheet metal anywhere that has multiple layers of sheets is very difficult, and results in a weaker structure. These are full steel frame vehicles, so the chassis is still intact. That means that you are only weakening the upper body protection for impacts above the frame. Clipping a body sometimes can be done without introducing new rust potential. But that's when no multiple sheet metal layers are cut. Leaving interior sheet metal bare can lead to issues down the road, how long is about where the vehicle lives. Have fun with the project and learning new skills. Regards,

There was a thread a while back where a guy took 2 different 4 door ex's and spliced them together between the doors. I can't remember his name but if the OP could find that thread it would probably be useful. You've been around here for a while Don, do you remember that?

 

[WormsExplorer]

I really want to see how this turns out.

 

[CDW6212R]

There was a thread a while back where a guy took 2 different 4 door ex's and spliced them together between the doors. I can't remember his name but if the OP could find that thread it would probably be useful. You've been around here for a while Don, do you remember that?

Well I reconstructed my 99 using my old 93 Limited. But that was cutting the floor ahead of the "B" pillar, and at the base of the "A" pillars. That thread is the link in my signature.

The back frame section is different between your two trucks, which makes swapping the bodies difficult. It sounds like you will be having to cut the frame of the 4dr to use that V8 chassis, and fit a shorter body onto it. Doing that, cutting the body where the rear doors are at would be the easiest way to make it all match the frame(the body mounts are near the front of the wheel wells).

If you do cut the frame, that would be an interesting and rare thing to do with these trucks.

 

[nimblemotors]

How different is the back frame of the 2-door? I know they are different with the gas tank location, but if I use the 2 door body back, isn't that going to mount to the 2 door frame? The front of the frames are the same, right, so the 4 door body should mount to the 2 door frame in front?

I have considered just shortening the 4-door frame and body to make it even shorter than a 2-door which would be even better for my purposes, but I thought that would be harder to do and cutting the frame and rewelding it prone to error in something structural. (I note that I have a 2-door Rav4 convertible which is very short 'truck' with the top down, but it can't tow anything..)

Do you have any tips on removing the body from the frame? The 4-door is a complete running car and I want to leave as much intact.

 

[Turdle]

The narrow rear window is going to stay stationary and not open? Cutting the glass is one thing but the door internals are going to get real tricky if you want that window to open.

 

[CDW6212R]

How different is the back frame of the 2-door? I know they are different with the gas tank location, but if I use the 2 door body back, isn't that going to mount to the 2 door frame? The front of the frames are the same, rig
...
.

From the original post it sounded like the running 4dr chassis was the plan to use. So I'm unclear about what the Sport chassis/frame is for?

The VIN is primarily connected with the front clip, the windshield VIN tag. But the VIN is also imprinted in the frame in at least two places(ahead of the rear wheels for sure), and there's a tag on the radiator support. California laws are stupid on many levels of logic, but you still have to work with them. That's probably the real reason behind this kind of project.

The 2dr body has the front three pairs of body mounts in common with the 4dr, and the rear two also. I'm not sure about the other pair near the rear wheels, I'll bet they are the same distance apart though(side to side). It's the distance front to back which will differ between the other mounts, to those. If the #3 to #4 mounts difference matches, then it should be easier to remove body between the #4 and #5 mounts. I'll bet some will have to be removed in two sections, some on either side of the #4 mounting points.

 

[nimblemotors]

The narrow rear window is going to stay stationary and not open? Cutting the glass is one thing but the door internals are going to get real tricky if you want that window to open.

It would not open. The plan is to actually eliminate the small door (as a door) on the drivers side, and put the 2-door door on the passenger side.