Trailmaster OR Superlift???

[BonesDT]

I contacted both trialmaster and superlift. Both confirmed to make a kit designed specifically for the '99 explorer now and are mailing me a copy of the installation intructions. What do you guys think? My top priority is ease of installation, my least concern is cost.

 

[Xplodor]

The existing TM kit is a POS. I know someone that does work for TM, and he didn't recomend that kit just yet. I just bought the Superlift, and will let you know how it is. It was highly recomended. You might want to think about just getting a custom lift done though.

 

[Texplorer]

I would deffinetly go with the superlift, the TM uses the steering slide that no one here likes. I dont think getting a custom lift is a good idea considering where you live. I have tried to find a good 4x4 shop in the whole area and I have had no luck. Superlift is the way to go.

 

[2001ExpSport]

Superlift

...but if cost is not a concern then do a straight axel conversion

 

[BonesDT]

xploder, whats a POS? yea, when i meant money is not a concern i meant in the under $2000 range. plus, i want to be able to do it myself. Texplorer is right, ain't no off-roading country shops around here.

 

[Xplodor]

POS stands for Piece Of S* will, you get the picture.

 

[BonesDT]

oh, duh, while your at it, let me know what IMO means too. good thing i asked you guys, i almost got the TM because i thought they were the only one with a kit specifically for the X. i didnt want a ranger one because ive never done much work on a car before, and i didnt feel like having to convert the instructions. its made my day that superlift came out with one for the X. let me know how it installs, and what the instructions are leavin out. did you do your 3" BL yet? how was that?

 

[2001ExpSport]

Oh, well in that case get the Superlift.

Do an SOA(spring over axel) in the rear, don't get the 4" lifted leaf springs.

 

[2001ExpSport]

IMO=in my opinion

IMHO=in my honest opinion

 

[BonesDT]

damn, you guys answer fast! why not the springs, i kinda liked them and the looks? can i get the front kit seperately?

 

[Texplorer]

You can get the front kit separetly but it does come with all four shocks. I think you can get more flex out of a SOA than with the lifted springs. Oh yeah, and it only costs like $20 for a SOA if you do it yourself.

 

[BonesDT]

hmmm, well then how much less is the it without the leaf springs? and hold-up! whats up with this straight axel conversion, this is kinda of new to me? how much higher can you raise the front and can i do it myself?

 

[Texplorer]

I think it is a little over $1000 for just the front. You really have to know what you are doing to be able to do a SAS. It involves alot of custom work. There are a couple people here that are in the process of doing it, do a search for lizardtrac, I think he is throwing in front and rear dana60's.

 

[2001ExpSport]

I straight axel conversion will put you over 10", but it costs a pretty penny if you have a shop do it. This is not something you could do yourself. Average shop costs for a SAS is around 5 grand for the 2nd gen X. There was a guy in our club that got a quote for 7 grand on his 01 sport.

An SOA gives more ground clearence plus you get to use the stock shocks because the shock plate is flipped and put into the stock position.

You will need new brake lines in the rear plus a front drive shaft which is around $400 I think.

Last time I looked, for just the front lift kit, shocks and SOA kit it was $1500.

 

[Xplodor]

So I can get more flex on the superlift kit if I went SOA with my stock springs? What if I did a TT and a SOA with the super lift springs? Will I still get the same flex then if I were to use the stock springs? Or are the stock springs just better for a spring over? Please let me know.

 

[taxx]

You can get more flex in the rear but not much. The benifit of the SOA is it gets your U-bolt and shock mouts out of the way and also your shackle is more out of the way. I have noticed with this setup and the Superlift up front my trail performance improved over the BL and TT/Shackles. There is a lot of diliberation with the torsion bar mounts since they will still be as low to the ground as stock. However, I have not seen them to be a problem at all. But now my frame is up and I can clear larger rocks. A solid front would be nice for flex, but unrealistic for my use of the X. Maybe one day I might change the front from t-bars to a coil over, don't think it would take too much fabrication.

Check out my sig link and go to the supperlift mod for more info on it.

I am not sure what you are getting at, but a TT and soa with superlift springs will look awful funny. You will have about 2" in front and about 9" in the rear. Bout the highest you can get out of the superlift install is 5.5 - 6" via a SOA (factory springs) superlift up front wil 1 - 2 inches of TT.

 

[Xplodor]

Well at about 12:00pm today my superlift will be on. So I'm wondering should I do a TT and take the superlift springs and put them over the axle, or should i not do a tt (on top of the superlift) and just put the stock spring over the axle? Pros or cons? How much more lift does a spring over axle provide because it at least has to be 4" to match the superlift up front right? Hope I didn't confuse you.

 

[Jason_25]

You'll definitely want to do the SOA for sure. IT offers increases ground clearance, more flex, and 5.5"of lift. Just crank the t-bars to match the front.

 

[Xplodor]

So doing a TT on top of the superlift front will be fine? And IF i do a SOA in the rear, then do i use the stock springs, or superlift springs?

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT!

 

[BonesDT]

Xploder, if you do a SOA with stock springs in the back it will lift it 5.5". then you have to do the superlift front for 4" and then a TT in the front for 1.5" for a total of 5.5" to match the back. if you do a SOA with the 4" superlift springs in the back you will have a 9.5" lift in the rear, and you won't be able to match the height in the front because 5.5" is the max you can go in the front.

I'm looking to do the front and back superlift 4". and then later add a TT and shackles. I dont know why, but it doesnt seem like it will be that much more expensive for the rear springs and i think i like the look of the big bow on them.

maybe Im just being stupid though too. ill look into the SOA. is it exactly 5.5" or a little less or a little more? id like to try to keep the TT equal to or less than 1.5" to prevent any stress. isnt using stock shocks a bad thing? why wouldnt you just use the superlift shocks, since it comes with the front kit no matter what anyway?