Please help

[Cameron]

sirscrot

I think you need to ask yourself why you should get a suspension lift. If that’s not a good enough reason for your father, well it is his truck. I would save that money, and put it towards your own Explorer. Then, you don't need to justify to your father or anyone else for that mater, why you want a lift!

Or, do a search on this site for information about suspension lifts. There are many experienced shade tree mechanics on this site. Take advantage of the huge knowledge base that Rick has assembled here. Do a lot of homework so you can make an educated argument to your father and try to sway his opinion. Or maybe just make him an offer for his Explorer!
Good luck.


My $0.02

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'97 Sport 4X4

 

[leebo]

Got some bad news for ya there sir, it will kill the warranty on any parts affected by the lift(such as the drivetrain). But if you get it installed by a pro shop they most often will give you some sort of warranty on their work. It just depends. There is more bad news. If you use it as an everyday driver lifting it makes it a bit more prone to rollover. So you might want to think about that. Some good news though is that he's dead wrong about the resale value. Most often it adds to the value. I see adds in the paper all the time selling lifted trucks three thousand over blue book, and most often the get it. Even in the blue book theres a place that adds to the value for oversized offroad tires. Hope this helps and good luck there sir

 

[NoBoundaries]

I can help you...

Go to "Explorer FAQ" and look under advice for 16 year olds....That should be a big help... After you do that, come back here and read the rest of this...


I'm figuring that you are not the one paying for this vehicle and that your father is the one. I'll tell you that if you do end up doing all this, your father will be more than happy to give the payments to you. The advice given on the Explorer FAQ is good, even though it's not what you want to hear. I drove my dad's Explorer in high school and I now own it for the most part. Owning it intails that I have to pay for everything. Everything that goes wrong and needs to be fixed costs money. Now I had a special situation. I was a DJ thoughout high school and I still am to this day and I needed something to haul my equipment. One thing about DJing is that for a high schooler, I made a good amount of money and was able to pay for whatever I needed with a good amount left over, and this was working just one job a month which I usually had more than. I made in three hours what my friends made in one month. Most kids did not and do not have this resource, you would have to work everyday of the week (taking time away from school work) and barely break even. What I'm trying to tell you is that you shouldn't do anything that you can't afford, and the truth is, you can't afford it on your own. I was lucky, I had a job that took up little time and effort, and I'm not telling you to go out and become a DJ, that would be dumb. What I am saying is, eventhough your Dad is funding this vehicle and your sitting on a stash of money that you don't have anything to spend on, things will change. If you were my kid and said that you wanted to lift it and do all of that which you want, I would tell you good, than you can pay for the insurance and monthly payments. You may think that you have all the resources that you need (Exporer, money in the bank) but the truth is, things change and they will not be enough, beleive me, just wait until you get to college, then you'll see how much you have in the bank. You'll probably end up trying to pawn that lift within the first three months! The only thing you can and should do is maybe ask for larger tires, you can probably fit 31's on a stock truck, and yes, it will most likely void the warranty, your dad is right. Take some of the money you have and invest it, that's the best advice I can give you, so by the time your done with school and you have a career, that money has grown. You can continue to let it grow or take it out and lift your truck and do ten times as many mods as you had originally planned. I know you may be thinking, "What does this guy know?," but the reality is that I was in the exact same position as you. You prabably think I'm some old fart who doesn't know a thing. Well I am a freshman in college, although I must say I am very mature for my age. I had the same delusions of grandure as you, you just need to be more patient. Be happy that you even have a nice new Ford Explorer, some teenagers in this world would give anything for even a Pinto. I'm also thinking that you want this lift because you think it would look cool. Don't worry about looking cool, beleive me. The people you know in high school will mean very little to you down the road. Forget all the pathetic popularity contests and what not, you will be more likely to earn their respecting 20 years from now then you have right now (The Millionaire Next Door). In high school I was a DJ and drove a nice Explorer that everyone loved, but it means nothing now, and it shouldn't of then. The best thing I can tell you is, don't rush life because it was never meant to be rushed. Be happy with what you have and with who you are now. When yo try to follow the crowd and do other things to "rush life," you'll only find yourself unhappy. The only person you can please is yourself, you can push the issue and spend the rest of your life trying to be happy or you can slow down and say "Hey, life's not that bad the way it is." People respect you for who you are, not what you have (Especially if you have a 98 Explorer with a 4 inch lift) and if you think that's wrong, than your confused about what respect truly is. If your living life for other people, than whose life are you living? I'm not sure if your motive is to have an offroad truck or the cute girl in your English class but I'm going to end my disertation on high schoolers with Explorers now, I could go on, but I won't. I hope that you take this advice and the advice offered on the FAQ to heart. I want you to know I'm not picking on you or mocking your decision, just giving you my 2 cents.

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Tim Y.
1996 Ford Explorer

 

[Kyle K.]

Hey Sir, i am 23 and i hear your plee. First off yeah it's dad's truck, but do you really want to lift it to go 4wheelin? if so get your dad interested in wheelin too, use it as a bonding thing i don't know how close y'all are but i enjoyed wheelin with my dad when he was here and enjoy it with my father in law too. if he sees the fun in it he will drop the redneck argument, also it is true that it voids the warranty ONLY if they can prove that the lift caused the problem. that is a fact you can search it here on the site. if you don't want it for wheelin but for looking cool, then you may be pushing your luck on the 4" deal, but maybe you could talk him into the 1.5" crank and rear shackle or adda a leaf? just a little more height and slightly larger tires. that wins cool points too, if that is the max you can get out of dad then you can add all the cool gear that comes after, brushgaurd, custom rims, roof rack, winch, shocks, custom bumpers, whatever. as far as the winning cool points to impress freinds i am going to assume you are smarter than that and you want cool for you, as in what you personally think makes your ride cool. i don't do mods now or in high school for other people i did them cause i liked them. i did drive a bit less responsibly AS WE ALL DID when younger and learning that we were human and not indistructable race drivers. i had THE BIGGEST truck at my high school, a 1/2 ton dodge with 9" lift and a healthy 318 v8 and 38" tires, i parked in the front cause they all let me but i got there cause my job brought in at least $1000 a month, after school and weekends, if you have it to spend a pro install with some kind of work guarantee covers dads structural integrity argument, and the resale value will probably go up, just a little harder to find a buyer, so learn everything about the lift get a trailmaster info package on that specific lift and see if you can get something showing that the warranty only voids if the lift is proven to cause the problem, show him the money, ask him how many rednecks he knows with brand new explorers, and take him wheeling, it is so much fun for family togetherness, it really is, oh and if you do talk him into it without the pro install thing there is a 50/50 chance installing it together will be either a bonding thing or a chance to hate each other forever depending on how mechanically inclined you BOTH are. if dad ain't and you are ... accept his help but don't ask for it, lots of cussing involved in working under a truck. good luck and let us know what he decides.

dodger

 

[sirscrot]

Please don't write me off as a little brat. I am a senior in high school and I have 98 Ford Explorer Sport 4wd. My father owns it but I drive it primarily. I want the Trailmaster suspension lift but he will not let me get it even if I pay for it because he says it will cancel the warranty, hurt the structural integrity, unpractical, hurt resale value, and I will look like a redneck. Could you please help me come up with reasons to get it to be able to convince him. Is any of the reasons he said, true? Please help me, and I thank you for your advice and time.

 

[mrjones98e]

Look I am eighteen and yes my dad bought 98 eddie bauer for me when I graduated. I looked at the four inch that was coming out and my dad said dont put another cent into the truck . but as I was looking the four inch just lets you put a thirty three and a half on the truck. do the torsion bars and the shackles , I run thrirty two inch buck shot maxxis mudders on my truck and it looks great, my dad told me not to but when he saw it he loved it and is glad I did it now. I have a manik brush gaurd and go rhino taillight gaurds with hella black majik lights on the front with the two and a half inch lift and tires. it depends on the shackles how much lift you get. I changed from a f code torsion bar to a b and used auto zone 8.5 inch shackles I had 5.5 inch shackles . to see how much raise you actually get measure from the fender wells. If you want to see what my truck looks like go to the warrior shackles part of suspension questions and look at jeff seals truck , except imagine white and tan flares. it is a very good and economical lift the bars I got used and only paid $50. good luck on swaying your dad , maybe just do a little bit at a time and he want notice it.

 

[dave zavetsky]

Hey SIR....

Keep in mind that parents have been disagreeing with their kids as long as there has been parents and kids......Not long ago, the kid would ask "Can I get that new Elvis Presley album?" Dad would say...."That's nothing but noise!"......

Point is, it all depends on who owns the truck.....If Dad is making the payment, sit back and chill, confident in knowing that you have a nice ride to drive around.....I didint have my onw car til I was in the last half of my Senior year in high school...and it was a 6 year old Plymouth Horizon.....

If you can get him involved with offroading (I'm assuming you want the lift so you have an advantage offroad, right?), you will be able to eventually sway him to bigger tires and maybe a lift......extra clearance is a great thing to have off road! And bigger tires mean more traction, etc......Usually, to get much bigger tires, you need the lift....The lift/tires WILL affect warranty coverage on things like drivetrain/transfer case and tranny...all very expensive things to fix......the lift WILL take its toll on these componants and wear them out quicker than normal, hence the warranty issue.....
But these are things that you need to balance within the bigger picture....List out all the pro's and cons of a lift and tires and examine your motives......If you can justufy it to yourself in a way that isn't just "It'll look cool", then with time I am sure you can convice Dad....

If you are looking just to have the "baddest" truck in school (which I don't think you are, else why would you be asking for our feedback), don't bother......Fashions change so fast it aint funny.......When I was in jr. high (oh so many years ago), tall trucks were the hot ticket......a couple years later, older mustangs and camaros.....by the end of my high school career, the trend was for customized mini trucks and hopped up import econoboxes......

Basically, the trend follows the people who are in the cliques....it aint worth trying to keep up....

Now, I love taller trucks...dont get me wrong...Just keep in mind that you need to be able to justify the money and other risks involved......Dad is looking out not just for you, but for his investment as well.

My advice is to wait a bit and let the warranty work a while......a couple years isn't long to wait when so much potential money is at stake......Maybe by then you can just buy it off your Dad or buy another for yourself.....You really are lucky to have a Dad who trusts you enough to let you drive such a brand new EXPENSIVE sport ute.......A lot of us old timers would like to be driving one that new!

Good luck, and I really do feel for you!

 

[Big Bear Bob]

So adding a TT and shackles will kill a warrenty on the engine tranny and transfer case?

 

[BonesDT]

does anything kill the warranty on the engine? can they argue that big tires and inapproiate diff gears put too much stress on the actual engine if there is a problem? i know its true for the diff and the tranny.

some one brought up insurance. lifts and/or tires dont raise insurance, do they????

im confused, i never saw the original post. is it just me?

no one ever mentioned a bodylift. its only $100 plus you could do TT/shackles too. im guessing that doesnt void warranty, but the tires that come hand in hand do. since i havnt seen the original post im guessing that you said something about having a couple of G's saved and wanting to do a suspension lift. do the body lift, TT/shackles, and fit 32's or 33's on your factory rims and diff gears. this should cost you less than $1000, leaving you with the rest of your money to ensure dad that you will pay damages/problems/unwarrantied parts/gas/etc. a suspension lift combined with the bigger tires your going to want, new rims to accomodate tires, new diff gears, and more damages and problems will cost you thousands of dollars more leaving you with little or no money for problems to occur.

im 23 and ive saved up about $5000 to put lifts and tires on. but im going back to school soon, and i wont have a job again till next may probably. with all that money to spend on my car, im even getting nervous about performing the lifts. it seems like a very smart idea to have LOTS of money ready to do this to account for problems and damages.

im in a very similar position. im not going to fool myself or anyone else here. i am also doing this mostly for looks since ive never wheeled in my life. but hey, dont get me wrong. if i put 3-4 G's in my truck, i WILL go out on the trails once in a while and show people how we do it in the Bronx!