The rabbit hole just got a lot deeper...

[TrackAire]

I started with a very clean 1989 Bronco II and just wanted to put a Dana 35 and 8.8 rear end on it....re-gear it, lockers and a suspension kit that would let me run tall skinny 33's....like a 10.5 x 33 tire. I thought I knew what I wanted. Found a used 1994 Explorer as the donor vehicle for the axles. The 94' didn't have a lot of miles on it (like a 114K), the drivetrain was pretty good with no rust and the engine passed California's crazy smog test. Major issue I see with the drivetrain is the engine has a pretty bad oil leak, I'm guessing its the rear main seal. But the interior windows, locks, windshield, headliner, hatch, seat, etc need work and you can tell there was no pride in ownership over its life. But after running around in it for a few days I really love the square body four door platform. Soooo, I started looking for a very clean Explorer to be used in conjunction with the Bronco II for gold mining trips to a few claims in NorCal. Earlier this week I found a 1993 Explorer with just under 77k miles. Drove like a dream, needs the A/C recharged, volt meter doesn't work and the temp gauge does not work but I verified the under hood coolant temps were in check with an infared scanner after a long test drive. Battery was charging just fine according to my volt meter. All seems ok....fingers crossed.

The off road aspect of what is expected of these trucks will be steep deeply rutted trails, some minor rock crawling to get through washouts, etc. Very narrow trails with tons of brush making the path four feet wide.
I'm thinking a lift of 4" to 6" all via suspension....I'm not a body lift fan. Regarding shocks I don't want high dollar units with bypass set ups...I'm on the street or in low range. I've never figured out why guys spend $2000.00 plus on a shock package when they are locked in with a 60 to 1 low range gear ratio and crawling trails at 1 mph. I will not be doing any high speed pre-running or desert racer stuff. Like I said, it's either going to be asphalt or low range.

I essentially want the same setup on the Bronco II and Explorer when it comes to tires, gearing and lockers. Both trucks have to handle well at 60-65 mph interstate speeds for a least 4 hour drives. I need to make sure the suspension and steering are stable at speed without the anxiety of driving a narrow lifted truck that needs constant steering correction which is very fatiguing on long trips.

Here are the three questions I need help with regarding lifting the Explorer & Bronco II with a good quality suspension kit with extended radius arms.

#1: I've found 3 front kits for the Explorer and Bronco II that have extended radius arms...Duff, Skyjacker and Tuff Country. I've seen 410Fortune speak highly of the Skyjacker radius arms. All three of websites kinda suck when it comes to clarity on what and how each system is set up and some don't cover the Explorer but cover the Ranger, etc. Anybody have any pros or cons for the front systems I've listed? I know there are custom desert racing setups, but I'd like to stay with an off the shelf kit but of the highest quality in that market segment.
Also, I'm willing to do what it takes to make the steering right on these trucks...let me know your thoughts for tight steering with good road feel on the highway.

#2: On the rear, lifting the Bronco II with its leafs over axle is easy and a no brainer. But lets say I wanted to stay with leaf under for the Explorer. What are my options to lift the rear 4"-6"? Who makes a quality leaf spring pack to do this or will it be a combination of leaf spring and longer shackles? Am I going to need a custom pack like Deavers or equivalent? Any experience or advice will be appreciated.

#3: If I go the full 6" type lift, what is going to be my situation with driveshafts....will I need to lengthen the fronts or rears of either the Bronco II or the Explorer?

Ok, I think that's enough for this go around. I can't believe I now own 3 square bodies. That sort of snowballed quickly, lol. Must stay off Craigslist.....must stay off Craigslist.....must stay off Craigslist.

 

[RangerX]

I’ll take a stab at the freeway issue.
Twenty years ago, the build level you’re contemplating was the norm among most of us who wheeled our daily drivers. 4-6” of suspension lift, 33’s or bigger, gearing to match. We all drove to the trails from SoCal, so that means freeway driving, to Big Bear, deserts, Moab, Rubicon. Nothing is that close.
The main points I would stress for a wheelable daily driver are keep your swaybars hooked up, front AND rear, (disconnect at trailhead or camp), get the proper amount of dropped pitman arm to keep your steering in correct alignment with the front beams, and run wider rims with more offset. And then recognize you’re driving a heavy vehicle with a high center of gravity at 70-80 mph, and drive accordingly.
I put way over 200,000 miles of daily freeway driving on my truck when I lived back there, most of it with 7” of lift and 37s, and never had an issue onroad.

 

[TrackAire]

Thanks for the input RangerX,
I'm actually cool with keeping it below 65 mph....I actually don't like driving my stock Bronco II faster than that, especially if its windy.

Anybody have any advice on the rear leaf springs (for 4" to 6" of lift) for the Explorer?.....looking for a decent off the shelf production option. Maybe there isn't one???