More wheel travel!

[J91FORD]

Im looking for more wheel travel for my 91. I have the 5.5" superlift. can anyone tell me how i can get more wheel travel out of my truck what about longer coil springs? Or longer shocks? what kind of shocks? Or the ranger main leaf in the rear? Which im confused on.

Im not to worried about the highway performance im more concerned about the offroad performance. Any help would be great thanks

 

[JAY]

Check out the post titled "front end help" in this section for ideas on the front. As for the rear, if you have the spring over, your shock location is probibly limiting you travel already. My tires rub the inner fender well befor the shocks fully compress, but they extend fully befor the springs max out, but not by much.

The ranger spring mod is argueably one of the best ways to help the rear and still have good road maners. This will definately make your rear shocks too short. Other ways to help the rear are the colapsable shackels (I don't think anybody has done this yet)or a buggy spring set-up (which will kill road maners). Both of these will require longer shocks as well

 

[J91FORD]

colapsable shackels?? what are they?

buggy spring ??

If you could explane this it would be great! thanks for you help

 

[JAY]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause confision.
A colapsable shackle is just that. When you are driving down the trail the shackle is in its colapsed position, and it will only be as long as stock one (or about as long). When you start manuvering over things and the wheel drops away from the truck, the shackle will extend as the spring reaches its maximum down travel allowing a few more inches than the spring alone would.

A buggy spring is basically the same concept just using a different technique. Rather than having a colapsable shackle, you use about a quater length of leaf spring bolted to the under side of the frame. Than you attach the shackle to the new peice of spring rather than the frame (like factory). The buggy spring acts the same as the colapsable from here on, it restsagainst the frame until extreme droop is needed.

 

[J91FORD]

Can you tell me where i can get a set of colapsable shackles? And How much are they?

Thanks for all your help it is well Appreciated.

Because the are just as long as stock ones my truck will sit at the same hight as it is now right?

 

[GJarrett]

Collapsable Shackle

Jay's talking about a Revolver Shackle. It's made for J**ps, but one of the sizes should in theory work on an Explorer. I do not think any of us have tried it yet. The Explorer is a much heavier vehicle than a YJ and there's a question about whether it would hold up or not.

 

[JAY]

I would would talk to Rick about the Ranger spring mod. In my opinion, that is the best way to go for over all performance. It allows the truck to be drivable yet functional for the trail also.

As for the shackles, like Gerald mentioned, the Revolver is the best known. It probibly performs the best also. It not only extends but also twists to keep the springs from binding. There are also several other manufactures who make shackles that just colaps, but not twist. I had my buddy weld me up a set at his shop. I never installed them though, so I can't comment on how well they would actually work. Gerald is also right about having to use a Jeep version. I can't remember the correct application, but it was for a CJ.

 

[Char]

J91FORD, as far as the Ranger main leaf spring, that's the mod we have on ours and it has worked out well. You still use all the Explorer springs, but you add the main spring from the Ranger. You (have someone) cut the eyes off the Explorer leaf spring and then the Ranger spring is your main spring. If you have further questions. I'll have Rick answer because I know the generalities and he knows the specifics.

 

[J91FORD]

hmmmm...

there is that band the holds the three (i think) leafs together Did you have to get a larger band to fit around four leafs?

 

[Char]

There is no more band. There is simply a U-bolt keeping them from flopping around from side to side.

 

[J91FORD]

ohhhh i see thank you

 

[Eagle]

Sorry it took me so long to post. Here is what I am going to put on the beast.

http://www.eagle.rockcrawler.com/Revolver1.jpg

http://www.eagle.rockcrawler.com/Revolver2.jpg

http://www.eagle.rockcrawler.com/RevolverRamp2.jpg



[Edited by GJarrett on 06-24-2000 at 11:54 AM]

 

[J91FORD]

i dont see not picture all i see is a box with a red "x"

 

[GJarrett]

Eagle keep us posted

I looked into your post and don't know why your links didn't work; they should have. I see you are planning on trying the Revolvers. To my knowledge you will be the first Explorer to try them.

Keep us posted on your project and when you get them installed please start a new thread in this forum such as "Revolvers installed" or something like that to tell us how it worked out!

PS/ since the img tag didn't work I am going to edit your post and take out the img tags to leave the links for others to see so they can go to those links and see the pics. The img and url tags get a forbidden message from the rockcrawler site, so it's on their end. You'll have to copy the link and paste it to your IE address line to manually go to rockcrawler's site to see the pics. I could get the first and third link to work but not the second one. Hope this helps you guys.


[Edited by GJarrett on 06-24-2000 at 11:56 AM]