THX for Help!!! (Pic)

[snowhunter]

This is my first post but I've been lurking for a few months now. I'm going to list what I've done to the truck so far because literally everything I have done has been almost solely from information on this forum... and for that I am very grateful.

I bought a 2005 ST this summer and have spent the last few months getting 'er in shape. I started with an oil change, transmission filter/fluid change, replaced leaking pinion seal and front differential fluid, changed all axle seals, replaced upper control arms, replaced ball joints, new inner and outer tie rods, new front and rear sway bar bushings, new sway bar end links, new body mount bushings and PA lift (I might have forgotten something, but that covers most of the first phase).

Then I decided it needed a locking rear axle (it has the open 4.10) so I got an Eaton E-Locker and then put on some new Wrangler Duratrac's and wheels, which then required some hub spacers. The fuel gauge didn't work when I bought it so after replacing the fuel pump and sending unit, I ended up getting a new instrument cluster as well.

This truck started out with the intent of being my hunting truck so I added a brush guard as well as front/rear hitch receivers for a future winch (fitting the front hitch inside the stock cladding after the lift and still fitting the brush guard took quite a bit of mental effort but I think it came together beautifully). The spare tire didn't fit under the bed so I finally ended with a roof basket and spare tire holder.

The radio display doesn't work so I am planning on getting a new radio/speakers with a backup camera but I think it will be about done after that. It turned out that I love driving the ST so much that I sold my wife's 2013 Explorer and the ST now sits in the garage next to her big sister, a 2014 Power Stroke.

Thanks again for all your help. I couldn't have done it without this forum.

 

[Macguel]

Great looking ST

 

[grimmolate]

Sweet truck! My only critique would be to get the exhaust tip cut and mounted up closer to the body.

 

[N2FORD]

Looks good, where did you get the front hitch?

 

[snowhunter]

Sweet truck! My only critique would be to get the exhaust tip cut and mounted up closer to the body.

Good catch. It's on the list. I'll do a full cat-back, but they want $500 for it and that seems a little steep right now.

Looks good, where did you get the front hitch?

It's just a Curt receiver (31407). It took some modification to get it to bolt to the tow hook brackets and still fit in the cladding and also clear the brush guard, but it fits like a glove now and is still recessed into the truck. I like it.

 

[grimmolate]

It's just a Curt receiver (31407). It took some modification to get it to bolt to the tow hook brackets and still fit in the cladding and also clear the brush guard, but it fits like a glove now and is still recessed into the truck. I like it.

I like it too, think I'll have to steal the idea for use on mine What kind of modification did it take to fit the tow hook brackets?

 

[rawb4291]

This is my first post but I've been lurking for a few months now. I'm going to list what I've done to the truck so far because literally everything I have done has been almost solely from information on this forum... and for that I am very grateful.

I bought a 2005 ST this summer and have spent the last few months getting 'er in shape. I started with an oil change, transmission filter/fluid change, replaced leaking pinion seal and front differential fluid, changed all axle seals, replaced upper control arms, replaced ball joints, new inner and outer tie rods, new front and rear sway bar bushings, new sway bar end links, new body mount bushings and PA lift (I might have forgotten something, but that covers most of the first phase).

Then I decided it needed a locking rear axle (it has the open 4.10) so I got an Eaton E-Locker and then put on some new Wrangler Duratrac's and wheels, which then required some hub spacers. The fuel gauge didn't work when I bought it so after replacing the fuel pump and sending unit, I ended up getting a new instrument cluster as well.

This truck started out with the intent of being my hunting truck so I added a brush guard as well as front/rear hitch receivers for a future winch (fitting the front hitch inside the stock cladding after the lift and still fitting the brush guard took quite a bit of mental effort but I think it came together beautifully). The spare tire didn't fit under the bed so I finally ended with a roof basket and spare tire holder.

The radio display doesn't work so I am planning on getting a new radio/speakers with a backup camera but I think it will be about done after that. It turned out that I love driving the ST so much that I sold my wife's 2013 Explorer and the ST now sits in the garage next to her big sister, a 2014 Power Stroke.

Thanks again for all your help. I couldn't have done it without this forum.

nice Trac. What lift did you do? What tires are you running?

 

[01STrunner]

Nice rig man! I ended up chopping my exhaust a little shorter after doing my BL to hide it a little better and I don't really want to spend money to do any exhaust upgrades since it's my trail rig.

Looks like we have a similar stable. My Trac shares driveway space with my 2010 6.4.

 

[snowhunter]

I like it too, think I'll have to steal the idea for use on mine What kind of modification did it take to fit the tow hook brackets?

I'll try and explain this the best that I can... The brush guard has a flange that is meant to bolt the brush guard through the tow hook holes. I cut that flange off and slid the brush guard mount into the end of the frame with nuts welded onto it. I then bolted through the frame to attach the brush guard at the right height (this took some trial and error, but the height worked great).

Doing this left the tow hook holes unused. The hitch is pre-drilled to use these same holes as well, but the height doesn't fit with the cowling and the brush guard. By flipping the hitch upside down and using the flange's that I had cut off the brush guard as a spacer (all were pre-drilled to use the tow hook holes). I used the hardware included with the hitch, and all the existing holes, and it happened to fit perfectly.

nice Trac. What lift did you do? What tires are you running?

Its a 3" PA lift with a small torsion twist up front. Tires are Duratrac 285/75/16. It takes some slight trimming, but they fit really well.

 

[grimmolate]

I'll try and explain this the best that I can... The brush guard has a flange that is meant to bolt the brush guard through the tow hook holes. I cut that flange off and slid the brush guard mount into the end of the frame with nuts welded onto it. I then bolted through the frame to attach the brush guard at the right height (this took some trial and error, but the height worked great).

Doing this left the tow hook holes unused. The hitch is pre-drilled to use these same holes as well, but the height doesn't fit with the cowling and the brush guard. By flipping the hitch upside down and using the flange's that I had cut off the brush guard as a spacer (all were pre-drilled to use the tow hook holes). I used the hardware included with the hitch, and all the existing holes, and it happened to fit perfectly.

Thanks for the explanation. Yeah, it was super easy to figure out once I got the part, especially since I don't have the brush guard. Just need to pull the bumper cover off now so I can trim it and the crash bar to fit the GMC/chevy tow hooks I got.