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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
If you are doing leafs in the front I would suggest getting some flat top knuckles from a Jeep or Chevy D44 and doing x-over steering or hi-steer and at the same time convert over to disc brakes.
subscribing, just to see where the transformation takes my old truck . Good luck. I would love to help but I have now purchased a home in NJ. I'm not as close anymore
Did the front end begin to give you trouble? Why did you decide to go solid? I know you had just finished putting a 5.5 Superlift on there.
you moved to NJ? That blows, the front end is fine I just scored a d44 for like 50 bucks so I couldnt pass on that. It will be a long time in the making, but other than that everything is goin good. BTW, your flowmaster system rusted off going down 113.
I believe there is a lifetime warranty on that system. It was stainless. It was the Force II cat-back system. I think I got it from Jegs a few years ago.
Had to move to NJ for work and the fiance. I'm just across the bridge though in Marlton. If you ever think owning a vehicle is expensive, try purchasing and renovating an entire home.
lifetime warranty? Details man, details. Its definatly NOT stainless, its rusted to hell, any info would be great. I havent replaced it yet, im enjoying the sounds of running straight from the cat to much.
look up the force II cat back system from Flowmaster and find the specs. I've been wrong before.. I'm out of the office all week on business otherwise I'd be near my filing cabinet( (with original receipt, I think) and if I call home my fiance would have no luck finding it.
Just to save you some time, Flowmasters aren't stainless and don't have a lifetime warrenty on corrosion...thats why they're $140 and Borlas are $500. Mine lasted 4 years and needs to be replaced too.
Just to throw this out, everything minus the housing is for sale, just shoot me an offer. Updated prices, local place is quotin me 75 for sandblasting housing and knuckles, rad arms and hubs, Sound like a fair price? If it ends up being mroe I may just buy a HF media blaster. Currently depating over 4.56's/4.88's and leaf spring setup vs coils. I know coils are more desirable but for my use leafs will work good, and they require less work and time (read- money) Anyone got some input?
4.88s so you have the option to move up in tire size (we always want to go bigger )
Coils because they are the next best thing to C/O's. I personally prefer coil springs, but I have to admit there are quite a few very nicely done leaf sprung SAS's (034x4, Yomie, etc)
Its easy to debate either way. THe choice is yours.
4.88 gears without a doubt.
My friend chris (guy that helped with your lift for a few mins) has access to a sandblaster, I will ask him about using it.
Save up for an Ox locker for the front, Micah Ross (my Legends-class-competing-Bronco-modifying-nut-of-a-coworker who's selling me his '72 D44) has had his Ox in THREE different axles over 7 years and never broken it. He's snapped axleshafts, pinions and u-joints, but the locker still works flawlessly... that's all the advertising I need to buy one, lol. He's never broken his rear Detroit either, come to think of it...
I'm gonna take the same route as you with the flipped steering instead of flat top knuckles to save grief, plus the chromoly front shafts with 710 series heavy duty U-joints. I'm still bent on running 5x5.5 adapters on my rear axle though so we can see who breaks what first, haha. Can't wait til we've got these two pigs done and we hit the RTI for the first time to see who's flexs better: your leafs or my coils!
Ahhh, few more months and then we can begin the monster swaps!!!! (Rookie, have I mentioned lately just HOW GLAD I am that you're back in PA?? )
sorry, but unless I win the lotto there is no way in hell its gonna be done in a few months. Even with my shop discount on stuff it will be a long time, hopefully by winter of this year. Ive decided on 4.88's and detriot rear, maybe detriot front if I can afford it. AS for the 5 on 5.5 deal, ive seen talk about using d30 stuff to keep the 4.5 bolt pattern with the d44.
So if its possible, and I wouldnt have to sacrifice to much strength to run the d30 stuff I guess it wouldnt be bad. I have all the d30 parts I could ever possibly want, so thats not a problem. As for the dodge stuff, anyone hear of them, can you run hubs with em?
Basically im planning on cutting every corner possible to get this done ASAP, then replacing things as I go and get the money. Note, it wouldnt be a ****ty job, just skipping on things like gears, locker, driveshaft, cromo's ect that wouldnt matter unless I wheel it.
A strange turn of events has things looking better and better all the time. I may just get this done by Crozet I finished grinding of the wedges and coil mounts friday night, im working on cleaning up the tubes with a flap disk, gonna sandblast everything else.
Should be sandblasted and ready for paint by this time next weekend. Prolly gonna paint it with that POR-15 rustproof paint or some bedliner, which I have tons of at work. Black with a blue diff gaurd and outers, caus I feel like it. ::flipoff::
As for leaf springs, anyone know how to figure out a good leaf to use, and a formula to figure out how to determine the ride height. Ive been thinking of either f 2-350 leafs , but fear they would be to stiff. So I also thought of rear XJ lift leafs for 6" or so of lift. YJ leafs are too short for my linking, so I dont want to use them. I could also go the big bucks way of custom Deavers or Nationals, but I dont want to spend that.
. Good luck. I would love to help but I have now purchased a home in NJ. I'm not as close anymore 
)
I personally prefer coil springs, but I have to admit there are quite a few very nicely done leaf sprung SAS's (034x4, Yomie, etc)
