Relocating Leafsprings and U-Bolts

[merrick53]

okay, so on my 93 explorer, the leaf springs lie below the axle. i had an idea to take off the whole afle and put the leaf springs above the axle for a sort of self done lift in the back and screw down the u-bolts the opposite way. i know the back end might be higher than the front, but hell its worth a look and a try, plus i could buy new coil springs and shcoks for the front end to even it out at some point. just wondering if you think this is a good idea or if i should screw it and just buy the lift kit instead.

 

[Lt.Jim]

Do a search for spring over axle or SOA and you will find alot of info on this lift. Sorry to burst your bubble but you were not the first to think of this lift. You will gain about 5 to 6 inches of lift with this. That is alot of slope from back to front. Would look goofy imo. It's your rig though so do what you want. Good luck with it and post pics when your done.

 

[CodePoet]

What Jim said. Also you'll never be able to lift the front that much without drop brackets. If you were to just put coils in the front your tires would look like this \ / and you would never be able to get it back in alignment. Not to mention your steering would be screwed up. The rear's on these are really easy and cheap to lift...it's the front that always blows the budget haha

 

[merrick53]

yeah i know the back would look jacked up in the back and im looking for drop brackets right now to buy. my friend hooked me up with coils from a 4 inch lift kit he had tons of missing parts from and i have an extra pair of hydro shocks lying around my garage somewhere, but i probably wont be doing this leafover for a good 2-3 weeks untill the brackets come in

 

[CodePoet]

Also may need a drop pitman arm...not 100% sure if a 4" lift requires one but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

 

[DeRocha]

Just a few quick observations

• a SOA (spring over axle) will require you to re-locate (weld) the mounting perches on the axle tubes to correct the pinion angle.
• The drop down bracketry that comes in various kits (SkyJacker, Superlift, James Duff etc) orient the twin tracktion beams (TTB) in the correct geometry. Without them you will not be able to align your vehicle which will make handling a nightmare and stress out the ball joints, bearings and steering components.
• A drop pitman arm while not required is recommended to prevent bump steer which can make driving a lifted truck a constant 2 hands on the wheel battle.
• Massachusetts lift laws only allow an 1st Gen Explorer to be lifted 4.5".

The formula is Wheel base x track width / 2200 (+1" for variance) so my calc (for a 4 door) is 111.9 x 70.2 / 2200 = 3.57+1 = 4.57"... I cannot imagine getting pulled over for a height violation unless it was grossly obvious. In Aug 05' I had called a local spring shop to have spring perches welded on for a SOA 6" lift. The manager cautioned me saying enforcement of the lift law all depends on the town you live in. If the local police don't enforce it your fine...But if they do you could be in for some $$ trying to get your vehicle legal again. I decided against the 6" lift and bought a 4" Skyjacker II kit.

 

[merrick53]

yeah i know all the wheel base calculations and i came up wit hthe same thing you did at 4.57. my town rarely enforces any lifts cuz i live on cape cod and jeeps with huge lifts are everywhere and no one minds. my buddy has a rubicon with an 8 inch lift and 37's. but i have new 4 inch coils and shocks, im just waiting on the drop bracket and yes i am getting a pitman arm just to make sure.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

there are also the 5.5, 6, and 8 in skyjacker lifts for the first gen.

 

[merrick53]

all of these mods are for my brother, he gets the car after im done with it this summer, cuz im saving up to buy a jeep wrangler or a ford f-350 dooley and mod ify that like a mother

 

[CodePoet]

I'd keep and build the explorer. Seems to me like the aftermarket companies think jeep lifts are made of gold and the f350 is too wide for trails...but hey, as long as your having fun that's all that matters.

 

[merrick53]

yeah they make al the jeep lifts seem incredible, but yes i am keeping the explorer, its just gunna be my brothers for the time being till he gets a new car them im gunna mod it up and use it as my weekend warrior. the f350 i know cant hit the trails, i wanna use it for my landscaping job becuase i have a 98 s10 right now, which doesnt really get the job done. but the jeep is a working process right now and i should have it by the end of the summer and should have the lift and new tires and wheels before the winter ends next year.

 

[CodePoet]

That's cool. So you already have the jeep? After you get the f350, get a gooseneck trailor, you could use it for your landscaping and even more importantly...towing the jeep AND the explorer to the trails

 

[DeRocha]

yeah i know all the wheel base calculations and i came up wit hthe same thing you did at 4.57. my town rarely enforces any lifts cuz i live on cape cod and jeeps with huge lifts are everywhere and no one minds. my buddy has a rubicon with an 8 inch lift and 37's. but i have new 4 inch coils and shocks, im just waiting on the drop bracket and yes i am getting a pitman arm just to make sure.

That's cool... Where on the Cape do you Wheel? I know about the CCNS (cape code national sea shore) but that is just beach driving.. All those lifted rigs must be going somewhere...

 

[CodePoet]

All those lifted rigs must be going somewhere...

The mall...to "flex" on the curbs LOL

 

[merrick53]

haha yeah i know thats what im using the f350 landscaping. theres tons of places on the cape to wheel. CCNS you need a sticker but you cant do anything really the ep is everywhere and its just for the pleasureable looks. the cape has probably one of the best trails in new englad i hit up the mashpee pits all the time and they have bonfires are there everynight, though very illegal the cops dont care and it seems hard for them to get out there beacuse of very tough terrain. theres also the sandwich powerlines and cotuit highgrounds, very, muddy and good trails. the jeep i dont have yet, im working on rasin the money for it now but i should have it by the end of the summer and trust me that thing is gunna be a MONSTER