Project Vehicle - 1998 Explorer Limited

[gmanpaint]

That used tail housing and shaft would work, but you have to gut the trans, to install the shaft.

Personally, if I am gutting a trans to work on the output shaft, it is getting rebuilt with a master kit. That kit alone is around $2-300. Shops will vary greatly in price for labor, if outsourced.

 

[CDW6212R]

Be careful about buying most individual used transmission parts. You want to know how many miles are on the parts, and trusting the seller is critical. Some parts it doesn't matter, like that tail housing piece, but the output shaft you still would want to know. That shaft is a fairly solid trust forever item, but you want it to come from a good seller still.

You need to rebuild the trans if it comes out for any reason, most of any shops cost is that R&R labor. Have it bench built by a local shop you can trust, the cost should be very reasonable compared to taking them the complete vehicle.

Most rebuild parts for the strong 4R70W are about $250, which includes all solenoids and accumulators. The converter you just need a good solid brand part. If you buy another trans(4WD), get at least a 98, the mechanical diode is worth the upgrade to get.

 

[nimblemotors]

I would not waste the time on the AWD, and go with the true 4x4 setup, in which case, I think I'd just buy a 4.0 4x4, as they are cheap,
and then I would find a 2-door. but that is just me. you do what you want, but if time is an issue..
The rwd 5.0's drivetrain are in demand to hotrodders, so can get better than scrap prices for them.

I just returned from baja, and saw a lot of bronco II's still driving around, and that has me thinking about them again...if you don't have engine swap rules in GA like in CA, might be something to consider.

 

[BruceExploder]

I would not waste the time on the AWD, and go with the true 4x4 setup, in which case, I think I'd just buy a 4.0 4x4, as they are cheap,
and then I would find a 2-door. but that is just me. you do what you want, but if time is an issue..
The rwd 5.0's drivetrain are in demand to hotrodders, so can get better than scrap prices for them.

I just returned from baja, and saw a lot of bronco II's still driving around, and that has me thinking about them again...if you don't have engine swap rules in GA like in CA, might be something to consider.

The 4.0l is a crapshoot on wether you can find one without the timing chain issue or a 5r55e that's not toast. I am in the same boat and would rather do the work required to change it to 4x4 with the strongest drivetrain

 

[tripog]

If you do make it a 4WD or AWD, when you buy the spindles, get those from a later model that has the 12" rotors. The only change needed to get the 1" larger rotor, is that spindle, and the rotor. Those began in the 2001 Sport and Sport Trac, never in the 2nd gen 4dr. The Rangers have them too, I forgot when that began, but until 2011. The 2001-2003 Sport, and 2001-2005 Sport Trac have them. The brakes are the same between 2WD and AWD/4WD 2nd gens, that later rotor version uses a different caliper which is not needed, not special at all. So keep your calipers in any case, replace the hoses for new.

The only difference in those spindles is the caliper bolt hole locations, they are outboard 1/2" farther.

View attachment 167335

View attachment 167336

Do these have larger pads and calipers as well?

 

[CDW6212R]

Do these have larger pads and calipers as well?

No, the calipers and pads are comparable in size, so there's nothing to gain by them. I recall seeing them listed for trucks with or without phenolic caliper pistons. So I wouldn't want to risk ending up with those anyway, steel pistons are better in most conditions.

 

[tripog]

No, the calipers and pads are comparable in size, so there's nothing to gain by them. I recall seeing them listed for trucks with or without phenolic caliper pistons. So I wouldn't want to risk ending up with those anyway, steel pistons are better in most conditions.

yeah thats what i thought i read so to me it doesn't really seem like that much of a worth while upgrade. if the clamping force is the same because of the same size pad and caliper i dont see a benefit of running a slightly larger heavier rotor. maybe it can get rid of heat a little better but for the money i bet most people would be better off just buying a little bit better grade pads and rotors or flushing the brake fluid a little more often.
fwiw it caught my eye because it would be cool if there was a larger caliper that could be paired with the larger rotor

 

[CDW6212R]

yeah thats what i thought i read so to me it doesn't really seem like that much of a worth while upgrade. if the clamping force is the same because of the same size pad and caliper i dont see a benefit of running a slightly larger heavier rotor. maybe it can get rid of heat a little better but for the money i bet most people would be better off just buying a little bit better grade pads and rotors or flushing the brake fluid a little more often.
fwiw it caught my eye because it would be cool if there was a larger caliper that could be paired with the larger rotor

True, the gain is in thermal capacity. If a driver is easy on brakes, the original brakes are fine. I needed the gain for delivering mail. The stock brakes with the best rotors and pads do okay for me, but you have to be mindful of how much pad is left. You don't want to have a pad come apart and eat a rotor, which is kind of common with cheap pads and people who are hard on brakes. In that least picture I posted, the bottom rotor shown is a cryogenically treated version they were about $150 for the pair from Tire Rack in 2008ish.

 

[tripog]

True, the gain is in thermal capacity. If a driver is easy on brakes, the original brakes are fine. I needed the gain for delivering mail. The stock brakes with the best rotors and pads do okay for me, but you have to be mindful of how much pad is left. You don't want to have a pad come apart and eat a rotor, which is kind of common with cheap pads and people who are hard on brakes. In that least picture I posted, the bottom rotor shown is a cryogenically treated version they were about $150 for the pair from Tire Rack in 2008ish.

you deliver mail? did you just buy my rack and pinion?

 

[CDW6212R]

you deliver mail? did you just buy my rack and pinion?

No, my truck is doing fine recently, knock on wood.

 

[tripog]

No, my truck is doing fine recently, knock on wood.

ah small world, another mail carrier bought a motorcraft rack and pinion from me on ebay in December or January.

 

[CDW6212R]

ah small world, another mail carrier bought a motorcraft rack and pinion from me on ebay in December or January.

The racks are getting old now. I checked the price for a rebuilt unit at Ford two years ago, and they were only $175 then. I meant to buy a couple, but I needed a core, so I was planning to swap them one at a time. Unfortunately about three months later Ford had changed suppliers, the new pricing is now close to $450 with a core, they are shipped from a more distant source too. Rock Auto is the best deal I recall, about $250 plus a core. I'm not in a rush at that price either.

 

[tripog]

yep i got mine on amazon sold and shipped by amazon for 50(after i bought it the price went up to like 450 or something, 523 now!) and was going to use it but decided to just buy a parts truck so i listed it on ebay. the guy who bought it was nice and was just thrilled to save so money and get a genuine ford part for cheap. i didnt make much money on the deal after fees and shipping but whatever im just glad it didnt go to a truck that would be sitting in a junk yard at the end of the year.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well done.

 

[GLOCKer]

UGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

About a week or two ago my driver door stopped working properly. One of the things I did very shortly after after striping the interior for a deep clean was rebuild the driver door. It needed a new interior handle, exterior handle, latch mechanism, and lock actuator.

I took off the door panel today to locate the source of an older rattling sound (it started after I got stuck in mud, had a tantrum, and slammed the door shut) and diagnose the door not working again. The door would only lock off the key and it would only unlock off the key and interior door handle. Once I had the interior door panel off I could tell the rattling sound was coming from the window channel. The door lock actuator seems to be the culprit of my other problem. I can hear the motor going in it but nothing happens; I'm thinking stripped gears.

I bought the door lock actuator new in May 2018. I was a bit angry that I didn't get a full year out of it and went online to see if I could figure out where I ordered it from. I hit the 1A Auto website first and asked in their live-chat if they could see my order history. Sure enough I had ordered it from there! The gentleman on the other side of the chat asked me if I needed to order another one and I said no, this one was broken. I was literally thinking of how to word what I was going to say next (I was VERY angry that I was going to have to buy another lock actuator and go through the PITA of replacing it and I was going to excoriate 1A Auto) when he came back with, "I'll get another one out to you!"

While it doesn't get me around having to go though the major pain in the ass that replacing the lock actuator is, it certainly takes the sting out of the whole situation. When I asked if I could pay extra for a better example, he told me that really, they are all of the same or close to same quality. This will probably be a continuous battle.

 

[toypaseo]

While it doesn't get me around having to go though the major pain in the ass that replacing the lock actuator is, it certainly takes the sting out of the whole situation. When I asked if I could pay extra for a better example, he told me that really, they are all of the same or close to same quality. This will probably be a continuous battle.

This is why I took mine off auto-lock. I already replaced my passenger rear with a junkyard unit. I figured there is no reason to make the actuators lock when starting to drive. If I wanted to lock the doors, I'll push the switch.

 

[koda2000]

@GLOCKer - Why was replacing the lock actuator such a major PITA? I've changed them in the past and other than having to remove the door panel, replacing the actuator was not hard at all. I punched out the center of the rivet, drilled the head off and it was free. Then I unplugged the wire and unhooked the actuator from the latch (a squirt of WD40 made getting the rod out of the plastic bushing easy). When I installed the new one I replaced the rivet with 1/4x20 grade 8 bolt and a nyloc nut. Done. Some people prefer to leave the mounting bracket attached to the door, but that seemed like a good way to slice a finger open.

I did find that replacing a lock actuator in a rear door is a PITA because I had to remove the door latch to unhook it.

The rattling in the door is because the lower window channel is spot welded to the small tab that holds it to the door (where the bolt goes). The spot welds can easily break if the door is slammed. I repaired one by grinding off the spot welds, drilling small holes and installing two tiny sheet metal screws where the welds were. The screw heads did not interfere with the glass. That was 5 years ago and it hasn't broken again (I don't slam my doors when I get angry. I just swear a lot).

 

[CDW6212R]

I would suggest that aftermarket actuator isn't very good versus OEM, or else there is some binding of the linkage to it, which will wear them out fast. Before attaching the actuator, operate all of the linkage from the inside and outside handle. Be sure everything moves rather easily, before bolting the actuator down.

I need actuators for my 98 also, and I think they are original. They both work most of the time, but they sometimes don't or get frozen in cold weather. I'm waiting to install new ones, until I stop delivering mail with the truck, which accelerates the wear a lot.

 

[gmanpaint]

Get a few stock ones from the salvage yard. If the gears aren't stripped on them, use em.

Personally, I would rather have the used Ford actuators, then these cheapo overseas replacements. Just my simpleton O2 here.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, the actuators and window motors are two items I much prefer the OEM units.