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Spring Over conversion 101

Dannyboy

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Elite Explorer
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City, State
43°48′48″N 91°13′59″W
Year, Model & Trim Level
91 4 do'
I am looking for everyone's successes on Spring over axle conversions. I have heard Superlift makes there own kit but it is like $130 and you could do your own for like $12(Dannyboy likes this price) plus some welding. I have also heard that you can mount the springs on top or at the bottom of the axle. One way you can use the stock length. Does the other help travel?
Also you dont need to extend brake lines? even with a lot of flex?
Thanks
Dan
This is the new update, it has its own post also but I figure I will put it at the top as a labor reference.

OK well since I named this post spring over conversions 101 I wanted to have a thread that would walk someone thru doing this. I finished mine a few hours ago and let me say this is the sweetest way to gain 5" wether your ex is new school or old school. Look to me or Stadx2's rig to see how well it worked with the 4" front kit.
Here is a SOA conversion walk through. Like I said before. I only bought spring perches, shocks(Rancho 2.5" lift) and square Ubolts and it worked like a charm.
Here's what we did (and I say we cause I dont know poop and wanted to learn so I took an experienced lift guy and we figured it out on our own) It was easy given the right tools.
First I took off the shocks
Next I took off the sway bar and junked it
Thirdly We jacked the truck up and blocked it from the frame.
I then Worked the leaves out of each of the four positions. The rears came easy and each front developed a task so they both had to be cut at some point and punched out ( this could be because my truck saw 8 Wisconsin winters) Then I grinded off the old ubolts. Way easier and didnt need them. Through this whole step I put a floor jack under the diffy to hold it.
I grinded the new perches to fit snug, and lined them up exactly over the perches to "guess" the axle angle with some intelligence.
Refastend the leafs above the axle.
Put the existing shock mounts at the bottom of this stack like stock and assembled. The only difference is that the ubolts go side to side instead of front to back. Tighten this down making sure that all is lined up (drive shaft angle, axles evenly under springs)
TIghten this all up and then go to the brakes
I chose to remove driver's side bump stop which had brake line attached on the top, this bracket was bent to accomodate.
Also the emergency brake cable was ground out of the furthest back point and also rerouted to below the second to last point.
This all took very little time and the only thing I could not have handled being a novice was to get the stinking bolts out of the front of the leafs, the bushings more or less threaded the bolts, them mechanical stuff is all elementary. The other stuff took patience and muscle. Dont be afraid to pry apart the front mounts, they will clench back together.
Hey use this for a reference, if anything.
 



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Originally posted by Dannyboy
Now I am confused Extended brake lines or no???

Most likely not needed. I replaced mine because it was being stretched by the flex. However, I have a Navajo. Explorers (esp. 4 dr) may have a longer rear brake line. Try the SOA first and see...
 






I have a 91 4dr, with about 6.5 inches of lift. I needed to replace the brakeline, it was taught while the truck was level, let alone when it was flexing. I would go ahead and do it just to make sure. Of course, if you are going with a smaller lift, Like 2-1/2 - 3-1/2", then you probably won't need it.
 












I originally had the superlift spring over perches, which both broke. I replaced them with anti-wrap perches from www.mountainoffroad.com I had these welded on, and have not had any problems with them. These perches do not come with shock mounts, however, so you will have to weld on some of those as well. Mountain Offroad sells those as well.
 






Mudd,

Did you get M.O.R.E. lower shock mounts too?
 






Yep, I got these ones:

Dead Link Removed

but I wish I had gotten these ones, they look like they would be much better for flex.

Dead Link Removed
 






HI there,

I don't see why you would need new brake lines in the rear. I have 16 inches of lift and I kept the stock brake lines. no problem what so ever when flexing.

All you do is rerout it a little bit and I made a little bracket that I welded from the top of my pumkin, so I can flew without the brake line extending.

If you wanna a picture of my setup in the rear, send me an e-mail and I'll be happy to send you one.

Mudd***** - How could he be going with a smaller lift when he's doing a spring over, that's 5.5 inchesof lift.. just wondering

Take care,
Knut

P.S. the superlift spring over kit works pretty good, all you do is take the leafs of in the rear and the superlift bracket fits right inside your old perches, that way you don't have to worry about welding new perches to your axle and you don't have to worry about your drivelione angle. If you haven't asked this question yet, do I need to lengthen my rear driveline, I would say no.. And
 






Originally posted by Oknut
Mudd***** - How could he be going with a smaller lift when he's doing a spring over, that's 5.5 inchesof lift.. just wondering

I don't know, he could mount the leafs upside down or something :p
 






Mudd,

Guess that could be posible, 80)... I wonder what kinda lift he would have then, maybe less then what he started with..

Take care,
 






SO where will I mount the shocks? I have heard that you can leave them and go stock length or lower them and go longer. In all honesty It is my daily driver and 90% of the miles are on the road. Either way I will have some badass clearance but is there one way better than the other that will handle better(especially body roll)
 






Personally, I don't like my lower shock mounts below the axle tube. Kinda goes against the whole concept of lifting the truck if you're going to be smacking 'em on everything.

I talked to a Jeeper with an Explorer 8.8 who said just weld bolts to the center of the axle tube at the proper angle. This sounded rather hoakey so I went to have a look. It's a very basic setup but it looked solid. So, off to my fab guy I go...
 












Not really related to SOA but Mountain offroads upper front shock mounts is a pretty cool idea. Looks like this would work for explorers with the stud but the other end would have to be converted also. Dead Link Removed
 






The other end is already loop (eye) style.

I emailed M.O.R.E. about these and the stud dia. is much larger on these than on Explorer shocks. You'd have to drill out the stud hole in the upper shock mount.
 






hrmm for some reason i think 95+ is different. just have to get these made with a smaller dia stud. by the way what is the dia?

kinda small pic but...

tmranger.jpg
 






Just curious...

So you get 5.5 inches in the rear with a SOA conversion.

What about the front on a 95 + X?
 



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Ive been told that superlift 4" ranger kit is the best for 95+. bolts right on .you could further level it out to 5" by adjusting the torsion bars. the rear either with SOA as described here or get skyjacker 4" springs for SUA. also need new rear shocks for SUA.

hope that gives you an idea
 






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