long travel suspension on a 98 2dr ex sport

[xploder98]

I'm wantin to get a long travel suspension on the front of the ex (I already have plans for the back). I'm not sure what to do on this one. I'm definately keepin ifs. Droppin 3k on some arms isn't gonna happen, outta the budget. My uncle owns some what of his own fab shop, (Only work on family and friend vehicles, quads buggies, etc...)) We've built everything from buggys to sandrails to broncos. Everytime we converted suspension to long travel (on all vehicles) we always made our own a arms. But I've never built them for this complicated of a suspension. We aren't sloppy at the shop at all, everything we builds always square and precise, but should I not chance it? We can definately come within 50ths of an inch or more. We've built them for plenty of buggies and sandrails, an vw's and a bronco or 2. the only things stoppin me are that this is my daily driver and it is on asphault a lot of the time. I'd hate for a small measurement error to come back and bite me in the ass when I'm on the freeway doin 80 :O any words from the wise? Much appreciated

 

[mounty71]

What's so complicated about the Explorer's suspension that makes it different from what you've built in the past? Unless you weren't paying attention to proper suspension geometry with those, which hopefully you were, I don't think a kit for the explorer should be much different.

What are your plans for the back? It seems like it's always a little tricky to get the rear end to work well on these trucks.

 

[xploder98]

For now I just wanna swap in a stronger axle, stronger dif (posi of course), 68" chevy leafs over head with flipped shackles (those I'll make). By the time I've got it apart and everything ready to go I'll probably just link it. Longer arms, cut the floor next to the wheel wells inside the back for the shocks and shackles

 

[xploder98]

And yes, I'm VERY well aware of suspension Geometry. God help the people I built for if I hadn't

 

[mounty71]

You know you can't flip the shackles on an Explorer like you can on a Ranger or many other trucks, unless you move the leaf springs outside the frame. I have actually been thinking about that for a while though. I think if you stuck a wider axle under it, moved the leaf springs outside the frame, use a shackle hanger that will allow you to flip the shackle like you said so that you can use a more arched spring-under leaf pack, and then mounted shocks above the leaf springs, you would have a cool rear setup that would be much more stable as well. Sounds like a lot of work but I hope to be able to do that someday.

 

[xploder98]

That's the plan, when I swap out the axle for a stronger one its also gonna be wider, to compensate for the width gain on the front and enable me to go with the rear set up I want. I know its a hefty lil project, but this explorer sat for almost 4 years without being touched, she's dyin for some lovin

 

[mounty71]

And keep it spring-under. Your leaf springs will go into negative arch way too early if sprung-over.