Stadx2's 98 Explorer w/Ranger Superlift Pics

[stadx2]

Hi All,

Just wanted to show you a few pics of my truck getting the lift put on.

This is obviously a before pic.

DO NOT TRY TO UNLOAD YOUR TORSION BARS THIS WAY! VERY DANGEROUS! I have a gear puller that I would have normally used, but it had dissappered on me for the moment.
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For all you wondering what a 98-01 torsion bar mount looks like.
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This is what Superlift's torsion bar drop down brackets look like. Note how it does'nt drop the transmission crossmember down like Trailmaster's does.
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Here is my "vaporware" gear puller removing the front hubs.

This is the front end completely stripped...... eek!

These are the lower control arm drop down brackets being installed.

This pic shows a good reason to go with a Superlift kit if you have a V8. One of the catalyitic converters hangs down quite a ways and would possibly get in the way of the drop down bracket on a Trailmaster kit because it uses taller or differently shaped bracketry. Where the Superlift's is shaped in a way to clear the converter.

Here is the steering knuckle completely installed.

This is reloading the torsion bars the correct way.

Lift 50% done.
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Anybody installing a lift a V8 Explorer will have to contend with either extending this anti-axle-wrap-up bar or lowering the brackets. For now, mine are not installed because I hav'nt figured out what I want to do with them.
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I used Superlift's spring-over-axle conversion for 91-94 Explorers in the back. Their axle perches have shock mounts welded to them which need to be ground off because they get in the way of the beefed up 95 and up sway bars. I ended up using the factory mounts instead.
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After the axle is in its new home, you can see how much longer the anti-wrap-up bars need to be. (the factory shock mount is only temporarly on the top of the leaf springs just to hold things together until I get my different U-bolts).
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This is what the finished product looks like in the rear after I got the new "square"-bolts(they wrap around the leaf spring not the axle). Note; your brake line bracket needs to be just simply bent down a bit to have the proper length at full droop. This set up also allows you to use your factory length shocks.
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Lift 90% finished. Looks a little goofy with P235s though!
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Keep looking in the before and after threads to see it what it will look like with 33s and whatever else.

See ya!,
Darren

-----------------------------------------------------------
98 Explorer Limited V8

-Front 4 inch Superlift(Ranger)+1 inch Torsion Twist
-Rear 5.5 inch Superlift SOA
-KKM Air Intake

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

that is tight!

 

[RobbieJ]

That looks sweet! Exactly what lift did use and what extra parts did you need. My mom has a 98 v8 EB and I thinks we just may have lift it. Now all you need is a 3" body lift and you should be able to clear 35's no poblem. he he Robbie

 

[soupbone]

Looks good! So you have 5" front and 5.5" rear. Didnt know you could do torsion twist & the superlift 4".

So with the SOA you used your same leaf pack and shocks. how would that work with a Sport with the mono leaf? Id think one would need new leaves no?

Whats the part #s for all this stuff? Even though I cant afford it right now :-/

 

[mrboyle]

I'd recomend making a set of brackets that extend the mounting points. I would avoid trying to extend the bars and reattaching them to the stock brackets. Dooing so will cause the suspension to bind. By maintaining the current length of the bars and extending the mounting points upward the bars will function as intended w/o affecting the suspension movement.

 

[RobbieJ]

you should make some didconnects for the bars. They look like they would limit travel. Robbie

 

[yob_yeknom]

sweeeeeet

Ooh. Aah! Grunt, grunt, grunt!! (like Tim Taylor) That looks awesome!
So how long did it take and how much did it set your wallet back? This may need to go into my planned future modifications...

 

[rpenner54]

Pretty dang sweet instructions. I am gonna sticky this thread for all to see!

Good job dude!

 

[Rick]

Very cool. Congrats on lifting your late model!

 

[stadx2]

This lift took me about about a week and a day (all by myself) to get this far. This Superlift Kit (part#s 9630,9631,9632)(just the front) is $1363 w/shocks after shipping, the rear SOA kit is $140, and Superlift's square U-bolts are about $40. My front driveshaft had to be modified and is taking forever. As soon as I get my driveshaft back, I'll get my wheels and tires and probably a 2 inch body lift for a little more clearence. I need to drive it to 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers Store in Aruora so I can choose the tires I want by placing them next to the truck. Since I have AWD, I can't drive it too much without a front driveshaft. I'll post more pics of this goofy driveshaft when I get it installed. This driveshaft mod is critical on all 97 and up V6 and V8 Explorers.

Darren
Littleton, CO
____________________________________________
98 Explorer Limited V8

-Front 4 inch Superlift(Ranger)+1 inch Torsion Twist
-Rear 5.5 inch Superlift SOA
-KKM Air Intake

 

[Jefe]

Very nice. Hmm. . .Now where can I find a couple thousand dollars.

 

[RobbieJ]

so are you going with 33 or 35?

 

[F'in Bob]

Hey Darren, where abouts in Littleton do you live? I'd like to see your truck...

 

[95ExplorerLtd]

Looks great! Its nice to see a lifted Limited Keep up the good work.

 

[CougarX]

Hey, nice truck. Did you have to modify the kit any or did it bolt right up? How much is the driveshaft mod costing? Are you going to regear or do you think the torque of the 5.0 will be sufficient?

If I lift mine I'll probably torsion/shackle lift it first (if I can trick the air-ride) and put 32s on it.

Good luck on the truck and make sure to post pics when you're done.

 

[stadx2]

The front portion of the kit bolts right on. The back also bolted right on with the exception of grinding off the shock mounts on the Superlift axle pearches.
My front drive shaft on the other hand gets a little a tricky, Like Djohnson did, My driveline shop had to fab a bracket that would convert the 6 bolt pattern on the transfer case to a 4 bolt pattern to accept a normal U-joint yoke. After that, they can make any drive shaft configuration they need, in my case, a double carden with a slip yoke on the other end of the shaft. Still waiting for that shaft though.........
I just got my 33s on today, and it seems just as driveable as it was stock. I really won't have a definitive answer for you until I take it into the mountains and have my front shaft installed. (I have 3.73s by the way)
I really need that 2 inch body lift now! I can't turn my front wheels lock to lock the way it is without the tires hitting my factory running boards (no good).
One more thing. Reguarding my shocks, the rear ones that come with the lift are way too long because they are designed for the Ranger with the axle already underneth the springs with additional blocks and/or add-a-leafs. The Superlift front shocks I thought were too short and did'nt let the front suspension articulate enough. The front shocks, at full extention, would not allow the A-arms to entend down enough to get more then 0 degrees of CV angle, where as the factory setup would allow at least 30 degrees. After measuring the fully extended shock lengths I needed, 4Wheel Parts Wholesalers were kind enough to let me return these Superlift shocks for credit, in exchange ended up getting Rancho's RS9000 shocks all the way around. The front shocks had to be mounted upside-down so that the shock would clear the CV axles. Additionally, I had to cut off the bolt hoop and weld on a bolt stud to the top of the shock to accomidate the factory mounting. This worked out pretty slick.
I'll have some new pictures very soon w/the 33s, new shocks, and body lift.

Darren
Littleton, CO
____________________________________________
98 Explorer Limited V8

-Front 4 inch Superlift(Ranger)+1 inch Torsion Twist
-Rear 5.5 inch Superlift SOA
-15x10 Eagle 589s
-33x12.50 Goodyear Wrangler MT-Rs
-KKM Air Intake

 

[jimbo74]

sweet. good ingenuity using a ranger kit. kind of don't dig the lowrider hydro look though...j/k I know it is only till you get bigger tires

 

[drmoore71]

that truck looks awesome already. i can't wait to see the finished project! hurry and get some pics up of the new tires. did you get new rims, too? or are you planning to keep the factory look of the oem rims?

 

[2001ExpSport]

YA YA YA!!! There ya go!!! Looks badd a$$!!!

 

[felsmann]

Shaft

Did you ever get your shaft back? How is it? Any vibrations?