Project Expo SAS long travel? | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Project Expo SAS long travel?

I'm partial to the SAS and 6" of lift is my ideal as of right now so that should give me a good amount of uptravel with plenty of down. I'd go with the Dixon bros kit if it wasn't for the fact I'm trying to make a "bullet proof" truck. I want to beat the hell out of it and drive it home.
 



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I have realized that there is no such thing as a "bulletproof " rig. When you want a multi-purpose vehicle, you need to compromise. SAS works great for me because I wanted it to be drivable in the street, go fast, and rock crawl. I chose rock crawling as the one thing I wanted it to excel at, and do the other stuff OK. Turns out, it runs down the highway very well, and goes fast in light whoops and Sandy washes okay. Those ultra-4 type buggies are mid or rear engine so there is nothing to inhibit a straight axle from up travel. If you are planning on spending $20000 on suspension parts (my front axle, arms, locker, shocks, etc., cost me roughly $14000), you might as well go with something that is known to work, like Mounty suggested.
 












I'm looking for a good trail truck that's okay at everything else, doesn't have to be the best. That being said would it be better to rebuild the 1977 bronco dana 44 I got

20160301_135745_zpspinvvl0j.jpg


Or I could get this dana 60 out of an early 2000s f250 for cheap. Which would be better?

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Well a 60 is stronger and I'm guessing a lot wider than the 44, so think about what you'd need to do in the back to match it.
 






If you're doing desert stuff with high speed whoops and jumps and very little rock crawling, a trussed, gussetted and sleeved D30 would probably work just fine. And truss the 8.8 to match.
 






So the one ton would go to waste, gotcha. Rebuild the 44, 14 inch coilovers and shocks all the way around are what I need to buy now.
 






Ttb
 






^That's my plan for getting an all-around wheeler and desert truck.
 






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Quick update on the build. Summit all aluminum radiator installed, engine cage built, fenders reinstalled and cut, bumper started, and my ac broke. Fun stuff.
 






Slow progress is still progress. I ended up getting a deal on a 14 bolt and a dodge dana 60 so I'm acquiring parts to put those in now. The parts for the 14 bolt (ruffstuff 14 bolt swap kit and disc brake kit, also a Heim steering kit) are shipping now and I'm looking into parts for the 60. I'm thinking 3 link with 16 or 18 inch coilovers. 4 link would have troubles clearing and radius arms limit flex
 






Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Are you going to build a new cross member for the 3rd link? I had a time trying to find space to mount it
 






I'll figure it out for sure when I pull the IFS out, but I was just going to do a passenger side frame mount
 






Ahh I assumed driversside
 






It might be driver's side, it just depends on clearance. Thinking about it now, it will probably have to be driver's side because the axle side panhard mount will be on the passenger side. Does anyone have any info about putting a first gen explorer steering box on a second gen? How the power steering lines hook up and such?
 






I've done it, it's tight, do you have a 4L or 5L?
 






I will be tackling that later this year. I contacted Brian1 and got a set of his frame plates and spacers that he used with a 1st gen steering box on a 2nd gen 5.0 SAS. Places it basically where the oil filter is.
 






It's a 4.0 sohc. Thinking about a 5.4 or 300 swap if it ever blows up. Axle parts should be delivered tomorrow :D
 






I believe the 4L doesn't have to worry about relocating the oil filter, just the 5L
 



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Kind of been slacking on the build, been busy with work and school. Should start soon though. Some design changes since the original plan;

14 bolt rear end with disc brake swap
Dodge dana 60 front axle. I'm broke and it came with the rear end.
Both axles have 4.10 gear currently and i have a set of 17 inch dodge rims with 35s for now.
nTh9LNb.jpg
 






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