I haven't got any experience in lifting Explorers, my 4.0 SOHC Experience came from my 2001 Ford Ranger with the factory offroad package which came out before FX4. As for the 4.0 engines, I think it would have to do with your gearing. My 4.0 with 4.10 gears turned a set of 33x10.5x15 BF Goodrich All Terrain's pretty well, but Explorers came with either 4.10's or 3.73 gears. The 3.73 ratio would probably make your Explorer slower than pouring molasses in winter time, and both gears with those tires will throw off your speedo. to find out for sure, you'll need to verify your axle ratio. This can be done via decoding the tag that may or may not be still attached to your rear differential cover by one of the bolts, otherwise the sticker on the driver's door area for the cabin should tell you an axle code (For instance D2 Axle Code=4.10 gears with disc brakes, 31 spline axles and a Trac-Loc differential). I'll let the other guys chime in on the best ways to lift an Xploder, mine is more aimed for handling performance on the street. Hope this helps Alex, have a good one man.
