The fat ******* 95 Sport

This was a buddie/customer build I recently did, I look at it as practice. My wife has a 98 XLT V8 explorer and in the spring shes getting a D30 and 33's.

Run down on this build.....
1995 Explorer sport
4.0L m5ord and 1350 (eventually auto of some sort and most likely a 1354)
78/9 D44 5.13's Aussie, old school yukons (the good ones) with ctms
9" with 5.13 and spool
38.5x14x15 TSL's on Beadlocks (my old locks I built years ago)
Radius Arm front with EB coils, maybe an 78/9 steering box (maybe)



Before Pic, who's straight,clean ranger is that? Looks similar to Kyles beat and dented ranger:sonicjay:

Got the old 8.8 out and a 9" in position. temporary on the mono leaf. Plan to change that later. But needed to get the rear sitting on the SOA to get ride height so I could set the front. Thanks to pop-tart for welding up the rear spring perches. I recently moved into a new house and won't have my 220 for my compressor, plasma, and welder till tomorrow.

Where'd it all go?

Setting up the gears at the shop today.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Few less brackets in the way, now to the grinding of the remants. I hate grinding with a passion.

Started mocking up the coil buckets, trac bar mount, and gear box mount. Spent some time building a plate to strengthen the frame rail along the gear box mounting. Got the drivers frame rail all cleaned up. Still need to clean the pass rail. Also had to unfubar some previous fubaring on the front axle housing.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Mocked the radius arm mounts into place, now just need to mock the gear in position and cycle the susp and see how things fit and work.

On its own weight, no jackstands. Far from finished. Everything is just barely installed to check clearances and such. But this how it'll look. The floor isn't quite level due to the drain.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Full stuff drivers side, about 2"s further then what I will allow after a bumpstop install, RF drooped as far out, wheel turned to lock left side. Over and 1" of clearance to the body. Slight rub on radius arm.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Little bit or radiator and condenser protection, 3/8" angle.

Working on the gear box install.

backside

lower coil mount

Steering shaft made, not sure how well this is gonna work.

Pop-tart burning the radius arm mounts in place. This guy does some damn nice welding, better then myself.

Radius arm mount

Sitting on it own

2 bad ass fords

Spent about 9 hrs in the shop today busting ass on this thing. Pop-tart was over and we did some kick ass work. Put a serious dent in the project. See the light at the end.

Whats left...

Figure out a pressure line on the p/s.
Plumb all the brakes
Replace tcase
Build drive shafts
Mount rear shocks


Then hope it all works out in the end :sonicjay:

29 hrs into the project so far.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

End tally was 43 hours. Just a few adjustments and things to change up from here. I still need to flex it and check front driveshaft and stuff like that. Also need to change the steering gear, this box is fubared.

more pics
Next to my wifes stock 98

The ass

My door is at 6'8 ish, 10 psi in the tires.

Getting an alignment this morning.

Looks like 7"s of susp. lift in the end. Bit of death wobble over 30 mph. But with unbalanced 38.5's on beadlocks, and a trashy steering gear, and I think either new trac bar bushings or maybe going to heims, should be alright.

 

[RangerX]

Holy Crap, that looks so good! The Sport's wheelbase, with those size tires, and the EB trim paint...WOW!

 

[B II Ian]

man thats very nice, i have a 95 sport aswell, have been deciding wether to just sas it with an early bronco d44 or a full width 44... youve just sold me on full widths haha.

couple questions
did you strengthen the frame behind the coil buckets and track bar bracket? i noticed you bolted them to the frame.

and the 9", did you loose the speedo when you put it in due to the abs sensor was unpluged?
i have a 9" out of a 83 parts bronco that i purchased
and would prefer to use the 9" than a full width 8.8 due to there isnt a reliable c clip eliminator for the full width 8.8.

thanx Ian

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Owner wasn't concerned about speedo and truck is a 5 spd.

I fish plated the frame and there are sleeves in the frame going side to side. Last I heard the owner was considering selling it. But it hasn't been finished yet. Still needs bumpers and front wheelbearings and lockouts. Its been sitting in storage since I posted this thread.

 

[zman1995]

Nice

 

[CheapThrillEX]

It was brought back to me for some bumper/recovery point work....


I beleive they want to add some tube work off the new crossmember to protect the corners eventually

Hoping to get some video/action shots of it today finally lol.

 

[dmgilby]

Very nice looking sport! Nice work On the build.

 

[brnbomr]

great looking front bumper. i might steel that design some day. anymore info on the steering set up?

 

[CheapThrillEX]

great looking front bumper. i might steel that design some day. anymore info on the steering set up?

Bumper was made by a friend, he had it on his ranger. I just modified it to fit the explorer.


Steering is a 78/9 f150 box. Custom steering shaft with what I had laying around. Believe stock pitman arm, then hiems over the knuckle.

 

[EBEX99]

any more pics of how u put together your front bumper?

 

[CheapThrillEX]

I didn't build it, I just adapted it to the explorer.

Owner is finally using it, it went to Drummond Island and played in Turtle Ridge. He's been dd'ing it the last few weeks, yesterday he competeing in a local obstacle race at a mud bog.

He got rid of the 38.5's in favor of some 35" MTR kevlars, and he got rid of the eb superflex coils for some skyjacker coils.

 

[Govna47]

thats some amazing work!

 

[CheapThrillEX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBe5BcY1wE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Govna47]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBe5BcY1wE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

nice recovery on that one

 

[CheapThrillEX]

2nd half of his run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNhC0Q7jo0w