unometooo
Member
- Joined
- August 2, 2012
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Stockbridge, GA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1992 Explorer XLT
Slow Motion Project 92 4wd Conversion and More
So, lets start in the beginning. A few years back when I was rather poor (not much has change) my wife was driving her Accord home. A rabid insane deer jumped in front of her and she wrapped her Accord around a telephone pole. She was ok other than a few bruises from the air bags and the rabid deer lived to terrorize other motorist another day. A friend of mine had a 92 Explorer sitting behind his garage that had literally been sitting two years.
This is what I started with
The Ex didn't have much going for it other than the trans was rebuilt about a year before it was parked. It had no back brakes (explains the front end damage), no air conditioning and the power windows wouldn't roll up and down. I threw the mustang wheels and tires on it because the ones that were on it were bald and dry rotted. I'm not complaining because it was free and it passed Georgia emissions after sitting two years with two year old gas.
Back brakes: I tracked the problem down to a bad valve under the driver side floor board and replaced it. Pow, back brakes fixed.
Windows not working: Thanks to this forum, I was able to replace all the window motor bushings and what do you know? Windows roll up and down.
Air Conditioning: Spent lots of money on Rock Auto and replace every single piece of the A/C system with 94 Ex parts. Condenser, Dryer, Hoses, Compressor, Evaporator, etc, etc, thanks to this forum again. Nice and Cold A/C!
So at this point I have and Ex with windows that work, A/C that works, and brakes that work. Now I want wheels, tires, and a fixed front end. I make my way to the local bone yard and pick up a few things and start tearing down the front end.
Now, its time to put it back together.
Starting to look pretty decent, but if you notice the front wheel on the ds is cambered way out on the bottom. My son had recently ran it off the road and bent something bad because it took a 3 degree camber bushing to straighten out the wheel. I check with an alignment shop and they told me the spindle was bent or the I-Beam. Now is when the real fun starts, I figure I can go ahead and drop the twin I-beams and put in a 4wd front end. I start checking the forums and everyone say, its not worth it or impossible, but I did find where someone did it. Saturday morning I went an hour away and picked up a D35 out of a 94 4.0 Ranger with 3.73's. Drove home with it in tow on my trailer.
Tear down time again!
out with the old
in with the newer
So, after running down the parts and about four hours in the garage, I had managed to drop the old axles out and slap in my new D35. Quick test drive revealed bad wheel bearing and poor alignment. Went to the parts store first thing this morning picked up the bearing, slapped them in and dialed the alignment in pretty dang good with a tape measure. Went to the car wash and washed the blue of the new tires, and going to the alignment shop first thing in the morning. Still have a long way to go. The yard that I sourced the axle from has a manual ranger transfer case and he is going to hold if for me until I can pick it up next weekend.
Here is what is left to do and I will do my best to share the rest of the project with you, but it will take some time.
Install 4wd tranny and transfer case
Source and install 3.73 rear end
Source and install bush guard
Paint
Way, way down the road, source and install 5.0
Wanted to give credit to member/moderator MrQ for great write up on the 4wd conversion and his thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292320
Thanks for tuning in and a big giant thank you to this forum for all this great info.
So, lets start in the beginning. A few years back when I was rather poor (not much has change) my wife was driving her Accord home. A rabid insane deer jumped in front of her and she wrapped her Accord around a telephone pole. She was ok other than a few bruises from the air bags and the rabid deer lived to terrorize other motorist another day. A friend of mine had a 92 Explorer sitting behind his garage that had literally been sitting two years.
This is what I started with
The Ex didn't have much going for it other than the trans was rebuilt about a year before it was parked. It had no back brakes (explains the front end damage), no air conditioning and the power windows wouldn't roll up and down. I threw the mustang wheels and tires on it because the ones that were on it were bald and dry rotted. I'm not complaining because it was free and it passed Georgia emissions after sitting two years with two year old gas.
Back brakes: I tracked the problem down to a bad valve under the driver side floor board and replaced it. Pow, back brakes fixed.
Windows not working: Thanks to this forum, I was able to replace all the window motor bushings and what do you know? Windows roll up and down.
Air Conditioning: Spent lots of money on Rock Auto and replace every single piece of the A/C system with 94 Ex parts. Condenser, Dryer, Hoses, Compressor, Evaporator, etc, etc, thanks to this forum again. Nice and Cold A/C!
So at this point I have and Ex with windows that work, A/C that works, and brakes that work. Now I want wheels, tires, and a fixed front end. I make my way to the local bone yard and pick up a few things and start tearing down the front end.
Now, its time to put it back together.
Starting to look pretty decent, but if you notice the front wheel on the ds is cambered way out on the bottom. My son had recently ran it off the road and bent something bad because it took a 3 degree camber bushing to straighten out the wheel. I check with an alignment shop and they told me the spindle was bent or the I-Beam. Now is when the real fun starts, I figure I can go ahead and drop the twin I-beams and put in a 4wd front end. I start checking the forums and everyone say, its not worth it or impossible, but I did find where someone did it. Saturday morning I went an hour away and picked up a D35 out of a 94 4.0 Ranger with 3.73's. Drove home with it in tow on my trailer.
Tear down time again!
out with the old
in with the newer
So, after running down the parts and about four hours in the garage, I had managed to drop the old axles out and slap in my new D35. Quick test drive revealed bad wheel bearing and poor alignment. Went to the parts store first thing this morning picked up the bearing, slapped them in and dialed the alignment in pretty dang good with a tape measure. Went to the car wash and washed the blue of the new tires, and going to the alignment shop first thing in the morning. Still have a long way to go. The yard that I sourced the axle from has a manual ranger transfer case and he is going to hold if for me until I can pick it up next weekend.
Here is what is left to do and I will do my best to share the rest of the project with you, but it will take some time.
Install 4wd tranny and transfer case
Source and install 3.73 rear end
Source and install bush guard
Paint
Way, way down the road, source and install 5.0
Wanted to give credit to member/moderator MrQ for great write up on the 4wd conversion and his thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292320
Thanks for tuning in and a big giant thank you to this forum for all this great info.
