Travis Brown
Elite Explorer
- Joined
- February 19, 2020
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 37
- Location
- California
- City, State
- California
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2006 Ford Explorer XLT
Hey guys, I've been meaning to post on this for a while. Last summer, I decided to go all in on upgrading the off-road capability of my Explorer, with a goal of seeing what the Explorer might have been if Ford had decided to compete with the Wrangler and 4Runner 15 year before the Bronco was released. First on the chopping block was the independent rear suspension, which as you guys know, is pretty hard to lift and has pretty bad articulation anyway. So it was time for a solid rear axle swap. I haven't seen anyone else do this on a 4th gen, so I was definitely starting from scratch. Ultimately, I plan to get something with similar size and performance to a modern Bronco.
Note: The following mod is not for the faint of heart. Special shoutout to Ronin8002's coilover conversion thread Ronin8002's 4th Gen custom coilover conversion for giving me courage that I could do this and not die driving the vehicle afterwards.
Axle
I was looking for an axle that matched the 5x114.3 lug pattern of the front so I didn't have to have to deal with 2 sets wheels (front and rear). I also wanted something that would bolt up to the factory drive shaft. A Ford 8.8 out of a 1st or 2nd gen Explorer or Ranger was an obvious choice since they're easy to find in junkyards and pretty well respected for their toughness. There are two main issues
1) Older Explorer axles are about 6 inches narrower than the 3rd and 4th gen IRS (59" vs 65"). See here: Ford 8.8-Inch Rear Axle History & Specs - The Ranger Station This obviously wouldn't look good, perform well, or fit well under out 4th gen bodies.
2) More importantly older Explorers have off-center drivelines which would interfere with the gas tank on the 4th gen.
Another option is a Mustang axle, since '05-'14 used a center-drive 8.8s with a 65.5" width. Unfortunately, the Mustang axle tubes are much smaller (3" vs 3.25") and I didn't trust their strength. So the obvious answer was to use Mustang axle shafts with an extended Explorer axle and diff
^ Donor axle from 2nd gen explorer
^ Mustang axle shafts right, Explorer on the left
^ Extended Explorer axle
Frame
As everyone here knows, the 4th gen frames with their axle-through-frame design are a major headache for any serious off road mods.
^ Big chunk of frame right in the way of the axle
Thankfully, there's ample space between the top side of the frame and the body, which opens up the possibility of re-routing the frame.
^ Cutting off IRS attachment points and marking cut lines for the frame. I also cut out the cross member which served as the attachment point for the LCAs and differential.
^ Upper frame reinforcement welded in prior to cutting
^ Rerouted frame. I wish the welds had turned out better, but the fitup was really hard to get right.
^ Lots of space under there now!
Note: The following mod is not for the faint of heart. Special shoutout to Ronin8002's coilover conversion thread Ronin8002's 4th Gen custom coilover conversion for giving me courage that I could do this and not die driving the vehicle afterwards.
Axle
I was looking for an axle that matched the 5x114.3 lug pattern of the front so I didn't have to have to deal with 2 sets wheels (front and rear). I also wanted something that would bolt up to the factory drive shaft. A Ford 8.8 out of a 1st or 2nd gen Explorer or Ranger was an obvious choice since they're easy to find in junkyards and pretty well respected for their toughness. There are two main issues
1) Older Explorer axles are about 6 inches narrower than the 3rd and 4th gen IRS (59" vs 65"). See here: Ford 8.8-Inch Rear Axle History & Specs - The Ranger Station This obviously wouldn't look good, perform well, or fit well under out 4th gen bodies.
2) More importantly older Explorers have off-center drivelines which would interfere with the gas tank on the 4th gen.
Another option is a Mustang axle, since '05-'14 used a center-drive 8.8s with a 65.5" width. Unfortunately, the Mustang axle tubes are much smaller (3" vs 3.25") and I didn't trust their strength. So the obvious answer was to use Mustang axle shafts with an extended Explorer axle and diff
^ Donor axle from 2nd gen explorer
^ Mustang axle shafts right, Explorer on the left
^ Extended Explorer axle
Frame
As everyone here knows, the 4th gen frames with their axle-through-frame design are a major headache for any serious off road mods.
^ Big chunk of frame right in the way of the axle
Thankfully, there's ample space between the top side of the frame and the body, which opens up the possibility of re-routing the frame.
^ Cutting off IRS attachment points and marking cut lines for the frame. I also cut out the cross member which served as the attachment point for the LCAs and differential.
^ Upper frame reinforcement welded in prior to cutting
^ Rerouted frame. I wish the welds had turned out better, but the fitup was really hard to get right.
^ Lots of space under there now!