So which one do I build

I have a question and hope this is the right place....so as we know I have a 94 XLT and a 2000 XLT,5.0,AWD.The question is simple,which one do I keep as a daily driver and which one goes in the dirt.

The 94 is mint and is the most reliable as I have spent a ton of money on maintenance.TTB and POS tranny.3.73 L/S

The 2000 is a nice ride but it has a ton of miles and has not had a 10th of the work done on it.IFS and bulletproof 5.0 and tranny.3.55 open.

My idea of offroading is a trip to Moab,Elephant hill is about as wild as I will get,I don't believe in tearing my stuff up.2-3 inch lift,31's with a locker and front L/S,3.73's or 4.10's. along with a winch bumper and winch.

I am at a crossroad,I have a line on a manual shift BW 1354 and a BW 4406,I can do one or the other and it will cost me big bucks to replace the A4LD when it goes out wheeling.I feel it will last a long time as a daily driver as I only put 3-4000 miles a year on it.

The 2000 already will need a front diff so I will just get one with the gears I want and re gear the rear.So lets hear it,what would you do.

 

[rhauf]

Well, I think it depends a little on what kind of wheelin' you like to do.. if you want to sling a lot of mud, or fly up steep hill climbs, drift, or other high speed stuff, i'd lean towards the 2000 since it has a v-8.

for trail riding and such (like it sounds like your interested in) i'd go with the 94 hands down.. and here is why.

1. the '94 has a steering gear box.. much stronger than the '00's rack and pinion steering.

2. the '94 has better suspension. leaf and coil combo is far superior to torsion bar A arm junk for off-road use.

3. the '94 has a much, much stronger front axle than the '00. don't underestimate TTB, it can take a lot of abuse and holds up as well as any solid dana 35. (it also has many advantages over a solid dana 35 which i wont get into here unless you ask)

As for the A4LD trans in the '94, You can get them rebuilt for around $700 (at least around here you can) and if you run them with a good trans cooler, and change the fluid once in a while, they can be a good reliable trans. oh, and keep them out of OD while cruising around town.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

nice explorers u got there

 

[69Explorer69]

yea i see where you are coming from safn..i have a 94 XLT mint cond and i have a chance to trade it for a stock 2nd gen Explorer,which i am starting to like so i am kinda of in the same boat.I dunno to keep my 94 or get the 2 gen...I wanna do both but my wife will have me 6ft under if i do that...

But i have heard alot off good things about the 1st gen X's but i like the body style of the 2nd gen style..Wish i could have both

 

[safn1949]

I ended up with the 2000 because I bought it with my girl....who left and left me the truck.....and owing her $1500.

Gotta have a sense of humor,the 2000 is actually my beater and I never wanted 2 of them but there they are.Thanks for the input rhauf,I know IFS is a lot weaker but I worry about the tranny in the 94.It has the towing package and a trans cooler and has been flawless until this winter.

We had a -25 F day and I got the famous 1-2 flair shift,I should have let it warm up a bit more and it only did it once so far.My understanding is the 94 tranny is also the most updated of the bunch but not perfect.

And man that 5.0 is a hoot to drive.:

nice explorers u got there

Thanks Sam.

 

[rhauf]

I ended up with the 2000 because I bought it with my girl....who left and left me the truck.....and owing her $1500.

Gotta have a sense of humor,the 2000 is actually my beater and I never wanted 2 of them but there they are.Thanks for the input rhauf,I know IFS is a lot weaker but I worry about the tranny in the 94.It has the towing package and a trans cooler and has been flawless until this winter.

We had a -25 F day and I got the famous 1-2 flair shift,I should have let it warm up a bit more and it only did it once so far.My understanding is the 94 tranny is also the most updated of the bunch but not perfect.

And man that 5.0 is a hoot to drive.:

Thanks Sam.

Well, sounds like you have your mind made up then.
FWIW i got 215k out of my 93's original transmission. and the replacement trans came to $1100 after my upgrades which the trans shop said would make it pretty much bulletproof (shift kit, upgraded clutches and bands etc)

when you get tired of replacing IFS axles and stuff, you can always swap a conventional solid axle into it, right? then again, if you dont go crazy on tire size the ifs might hold up just fine

 

[safn1949]

Nope...I will build with the 94,it does have a hell of a suspension.I will just run the 2000 for a couple of years as a daily driver,it really is a nicer ride for that use.What the heck,I can afford a tranny rebuild.