Moderate Lift, Maximum Tires, & Minimum Cost

[XLTime]

NOTE: I hadn't had responses on this thread for three days so I started another one, so now there are two similar threads. Both have good info, but if you don't want to read both, here is the link for the other thread:

[EDIT: I just merged both threads into this one. Hope that helps.] - Gerald

Alright, I have searched the threads to plan for doing a lift and bigger tires and here is what I have come up with for a 91-94 Explorer (mine is a 92):

Shackles and Coils Spacers gains 2 inches (Cost ~ $100)

Body Lift gains 2-3 inches (Cost ~ $100)

Total lift of 4 or 5 inches.

So for tires, 32x12.5 should be no problem. Maybe even 33x12.5 even on stock rims.

I have 3.73 gears so 32 or 33 is probably max.

Question 1: Does this sound right? If so, this seems like a great way to get inexpensive lift and room for bigger tires.

Question 2: How are some guys with 4 inches of lift getting 33x12.5 easily and even fitting 35x12.5? What is the secret here? What kind of rims? Are they doing other modifications to get the 33s or 35s to fit?

 

[BislamJoe]

4" of suspension lift, fiberglass prerunner fenders, 35's will fit. Not the cheapest mod, but gives you the clearance you need, and keeps your COG lower.

 

[XLTime]

So pretty much anybody with an Explorer can get 4 inches of lift with the combination of 2 inches from shackles along with coil spacers (91-94) or Torsion Twist (95-present) and then a 2" body lift? For about $200?

And then 32x11.50 (or maybe even 33x12.50) tires will work on the factory rims?

Why doesn't everybody do at least this much modifying? Are there some drawbacks that I am missing?

 

[ChuckyD]

Im pretty sure that when you get to a 32 you need to get a wider rim... 15x8

 

[XLTime]

I miss my 38X15.50 Ground Hawgs! I think I need some 35's!

I like my Explorer, but I miss my Bronco (460 with 38.5's) and my F150 (351 with 35's). I am hoping to get some recommendations to get the Explorer some altitude.

I really want to get some clearance & height on my 92 XLT 4x4. I just got the truck, so I went from stock tires to 30x9.5 with 17/32 treads. This is better, but after looking through tons of posts and pics of different peoples trucks, I wish I had gone bigger. I am really leaning toward 35's (I have 3.73 gears).

If you were in my shoes, and you wanted to go bigger without breaking the bank, what would you do? I am not sure of the best way to get to 33's or 35's (using body and/or suspension lifts, new wheels with different offset, etc.) without messing with the body work. I won't be doing major offroading (this is my daily driver), so a bit of rubbing on the inside is no big deal.

Any recommendations would really help (even if you think getting big may have some drawbacks).

Also, as soon as I figure out how, I will post a pic of the Bronco (it was awesome - it sounded like a jet boat; the neighbors may not have liked it, but when our newborn rode in it, it rumbled him right to sleep!)

Here is a try on the Bronco image:

 

[Dannyboy]

Greeting WI native, It appears several of WI BOYS are hear suddenly, this is great. Well I fit 35s with a 3" body lift and a 5.5-6" suspension lift. I still had to beat the back of the fenders to make it all work and stay out of rubbing. Honestly the best way to do this is throw a solid axle(dana 44) and a spring over in the rear plus some blocks. It would be the easiest thing you could do starting from scratch. So where are ya from?

 

[XLTime]

East of Stevens Point about 30 minutes in Iola. Ever been to the Iola Car Show?

I will do some searches on the Dana 44 and try to read up on that.

What approach would you use in the front?

Also, did you beat the edge of the fender (which would be visible if you didn't have running boards), or inside the wheel well?

Also, do you do all your own work or do you know of good shops (gears, axle swap, etc)?

 

[Dannyboy]

My crazy buddy Matt(see pic) and I do almost all of my work. Right now my boards are off and I grinded and pounded the piss out of my fenders. They will be LineX'd and then the boards will be reinforced with steel beams and put back on. Matt set up the gears, as well as I buy several products from this board. I mentioned a solid axle because when that is all done I belive it is like a 7 or 8" lift for the front. I still have the TTB and have 4" trailmaster brackets, no extended radius arms, and 4" skyjacker springs with 1.5" coil spacers. If I were to keep the TTB and do it all again I would buy a 6" skyjacker with Extended Radius arms, steering stabilizer, everything right away.

 

[Dannyboy]

oops, forgot this last time

 

[XLTime]

Dannyboy, I don't think you should call him your crazy buddy Matt, I would just go with Crazy Matt! Nice snorkel.

Does anyone else have recommendations on the best/lease expensive way to get to 35s? So far, I like this idea ALOT.

I read as many threads I can find but none really gave any how-to on putting the dana 44 solid in the back.

How would I go about doing this? What kind of expense?

Does it make permanent modifications to the frame so that I could never put the original set-up back on (I don't think I ever would, but its good to know)?

I read a thread that talked about a Ford 9" in the rear. How would this compare to the Dana 44?

How much would the 6" Skyjacker and everything for the front cost?

What about wheels and bolt-patterns on the front and back? Can you use the original 5 bolt with a Dana 44?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Jason_25]

The reason you haven't found any threads on having a D44 in the rear is because it's weaker than the factory rear axle which is an 8.8. From what I hear, it is very strong, and if you're going with just 35's, the 8.8 rear should work well for you.

 

[TarHeel085]

yeah you could do a combo, this kid at my school has Todd Edgertons '93 Sport (look under featured explorers) and its got extended flares, 5.5 superlift, and 3 inch body, plus some spacers and shackles. hes runnin some 35's on it. btw, the bronco is SOOO phat!!!

 

[CoryL]

The height of a tire has nothing to do with the width of the rim.

You can safely run a 12.5" wide tire on a stock 7" wide rim. Guys do this on their pre-runners and race trucks all the time.

The advantages of it are that you are less likely to blow a bead and it offers better rim protection.

The disadvantages are that you have a poor footprint and to get it to wear well on the road you must air it down to a lower psi.

A 32x11.5 will have no problems on a stock 15x7.

 

[Dannyboy]

I think the 6" jacker was like $600 or so for Ryan1 up in the cities, email him to find out. Also, go big right away, I dont like seeing you asking about shackles and spacers on another thread, and then talking here about running some meats, I mean c'mon do you really want to hit the trails like this
XLTime Dannyboy

 

[XLTime]

Well I think for the short term, that seems like the way to go. I can use existing rims and do the work myself. Thanks for the help. Maybe I can get it done by the end of the year.

I really want 35's but that means alot more work and money. I guess that will have to wait.

So my plan is 3" Body Lift, shackles & F150 coil spacers. Then down the road, if I want to go to 35's, I do the SOA in the back and new coils, etc. up front. Does this sound good?

For the body lift, I was going to get the PA 3" from 4wheelparts. Does that come with the steering extension and anything else that is needed?

 

[XLTime]

Dannyboy-

I thought the other thread had died (sorry for the confusion) so I started this one. But here is what I just wrote there (before I read your last post!!!):

Well I think for the short term, that seems like the way to go. I can use existing rims and do the work myself. Thanks for the help. Maybe I can get it done by the end of the year.

I really want 35's but that means alot more work and money. I guess that will have to wait.

So my plan is 3" Body Lift, shackles & F150 coil spacers. Then down the road, if I want to go to 35's, I do the SOA in the back and new coils, etc. up front. Does this sound good?

For the body lift, I was going to get the PA 3" from 4wheelparts. Does that come with the steering extension and anything else that is needed?

HOWEVER, I just read your follow-up on going with 35's so now I am at a loss. I just am thinking I will need new rims, the front suspension, and trying to do the SOA by myself on my daily driver!

I am really unsure of what to do now.

 

[Dannyboy]

Mines a daily driver as well, but I am putting in my 4.56 gears tomorrow. The 3.73 are ok but not realistic, tons of torque converter kicking in, bad mileage, not enough power. I think what you are gonna do sounds like a plan. I only reccommend the 3" body lift if and only if you want to go really big, like me down the road. Cause they are a ***** to get out of there, as much as to put in. This is one mod that is there on mine and will stay. Had I never put this in, I may be happy on a 6" suspension lift and 33's. Other good starter lifts are the skyjacker 2" which is an add a leaf and a new set of coils, alignment needed, new shocks reccommended. It is a breeze to install, you could still run shackles in the rear to bring that up a little more, and fit 32's on a stock rim if you ran like a 3/4 to 1" spacer of some sort right away and would also need some big ass work to get it aligned, but then it would be a 3" job for tons less hassle than putting in the body lift.
but like I said, if you want to go huge eventually, may as well start with the body lift.

 

[XLTime]

Dannyboy,

On your Spring Over Conversion 101 thread, you have a picture of your SOA. If you didn't have a 3" body lift, could you use a block and a really long square U bolt ("square-bolt") to get room for 35's?

If so, is there anyway to use the stock front end and get 8" or 9" of suspension lift?

Otherwise, I might as well get the 3" PA and get to work (does the 3" PA from 4wheelparts for $90 come with the steering extension and everything you need?)!

 

[GJarrett]

I noticed the other thread and your edit on the first post now so I will help you and merge these two so everything will be on one thread.

Yes the PA body lift will have the extension and what you need. I read on the other thread that you don't care about minor rub so you'll be fine with your plan and can go with 33's, then up to 35's in the future when you can afford it.

The only thing I would suggest that you consider is that if money is an issue (which it seems to be and is why you are considering going cheap lift first with 33's as an interim step but really want 35's) is that you hold off awhile and do it all the first time. A full set of decent 33's will not be cheap and if you get the funds for the rest of your buildup and then go to 35's, you just wasted money buying those five 33's, right?

If this is a long term project though and it will be over a year before you can continue building, then I think you have a good plan, because 33's perform very satisfactorily on an Explorer. There are some very impressive and heavily modified Explorers running 33's. It is only in the last year that some have started putting 35's on and at this point in time there are still very few that actually have them on. You can be quite satisfied with the 33's for a long time.

 

[XLTime]

Thanks for merging the threads.

Has anyone gotten 8 or 9 inches of lift without the body lift by doing the rear SOA and using a 3" block (or maybe different springs)? If so, how could you lift the front to get 8 or 9 inches total?