Transforming my explorer to an Xplorer

[Ken Cooke]

Felix,

Its good to see you and your neighbor (with the Jeep) were able to get out and kick up some dust. Its good to see that your neighbor made it back from Iraq. I was getting a little nervous for a while... Well, if you're up for a desert run of some sort, let me know. Also, Suzanne wanted to ask Annie how she would remove that concrete slab - her garden is bursting at the seams and she wants to expand!

 

[Felix]

I will have to talk to Annie and see what we are doing this weekend. If nothing is going on we maybe up to taking a drive out to your neck of the concret woods. Let me know if you all will be home and I will ask permision from the wife to come over.

Talk at you laters.

Mark

 

[Ken Cooke]

Mark,

That would be great news (although off-topic). I'll be looking forward to seeing your Explorer and what it can do in the hills. Maybe we could rendezvous with the Rebel 4x4 crew in the hills of Corona (a quick 15 min. from here) while the wives talk gardening. Let me know...

-Ken

 

[DB_1]

lookin real good there felix, i'm glad my old lift went to good use Bet you cant wait for the gear change, makes a HUGE difference. I'd save for at least one locker since they are going to crack open the diffs but I know its a lot to save up for. We'll have to get a run together soon...talk to ya later,
David

 

[madmike]

Hey Felix, nice looking X! I live in yuma, so when we get back to the states and off this damn boat, we'll have to hook up and hit some trails I'm in the process of buying FMExplorers x right now and should have it sometime around the first part of august and am going to be wanting to try it out, d44 and lockers, so keep in touch, mike

 

[kiadog]

the ex looks great felix,i just ordered from tire rack also i got the goodyear mt/r's and said they were for an 75 chevy truck.our trucks are twins in color,mine sits a little lower than yours i have a 3.5 suspension lift with a two in body lift and 33,s.hope to see you and your ride friday if you can .talk to ya later

 

[TravisC]

Looks good, so what's next?

 

[Felix]

Madmike - I have been planning on taking a trip to Yuma this summer cause one of my good friends is stationed there. Also, he recently got a nice pre-settup jeep before he got sent over for the war, and is getting into the trail driving thing. So, let us know when you are back and we can set something up.

Kiadog - If all goes well, I should be getting off work around noon. I have a few quick things to do and then down the hill we roll. I am going to see my friend with the black jeep can join us, not sure what he has planed for the night.

TravisC - Whats next? I need to save up for gears and a front locker. I am also trying to decied what to do about my front tires rubbing my finder. I think that i will put a spacer in the radius arm mouts to push them forward about a 1/8 inch to start. Also, am thinking about trying a set of 8 inch skyjacker springs if they will work with the 6 inch lift brackets. If all else fails, I will be putting fiber glass front fenders on. My wife said well if its going to be a real problem with the front clearance to get a body lift. So, I really have a delima, all these possible things to do and only getting Sergeants pay to do it with. Guess that is what makes me feel so good about driving my truck. I did the work for the money to get the parts and I did the work to put the parts on the truck. Just a really good sence of acomplishment.

Sorry for that last bit being so long, though I am sure there are other people that here that get the same fealing.

Simper Fi,

 

[RangerX]

Aack! Don't lift it higher if you plan to wheel it(and I know you DO). You don't want to :roll:!
Just trim a little fender.It's cheap, easy, and effective. Did I mention it's cheap?

 

[Felix]

It looks like I figured out what to do next on rig. It has been a while sence I last visited this thread and there is some big items going on in my garage.

To start I have 35x12.5-15's sittin mounted on Black steel rims with 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern. We all know what that means, SAS. I spent some time haggling with a junk yard owner about this 78 Bronco he had and got the D44 high pinion and all brackets (trac-bar w/mount, spring buckets, the works) for $300. With the help of DB-1, I got that heavy pig home and went to work. We got it stripped down to the housing and hauled it to currie for some narrowing. I now need to get back there and pic it up . I also have everthing but the gears ordered and or sitting in my garage at this time to start putting it back together.

Once the axle is assembled with 4.56 gears and locker the truck goes on the stands. So as to make the new spring buckets fit and build a trac bar mount.

I will get pics of stuff posted when things calm down and the axle housing itself is sittin in the garage again.

 

[Felix]

I made it to Currie Ent. today and picked up a little package they had waiting for me. I go it home and couldn't help but start painting before I even went in to say hello to the wife. Well anyways here are some pics of it about an hour after finishing the paint.

The first two pics are of the cut/sleeve weld Currie did. The second two pictures are of the full axle front and back views.

 

[rino351]

SWEET!!

 

[Ken Cooke]

Kick Ass Felix!

-Ken

 

[j602]

Man that's a clean axle. Good luck with it!

 

[bmxking5]

Awesome, really clean. Good luck!

 

[DB_1]

Better hide that thing or i'll have to come swipe that thing from ya!

 

[F14CRAZY]

Put those auto hubs back Truck looks really nice though. White Eddies are nice too, and with those classic luxury cast aluminum wheels

 

[urbanistic]

(jealous)

 

[Felix]

Well after many months of planing and way to much money invested. The 1978 High Pinion Dana 44 is in one piece and ready to go under my Explorer.

I found the axle sitting in a '78 Bronco (full-size) at the junkyard. It was rescued for certian doom and the fun begain. After taking a few days to disassemble the beast of and axle it found its way to Currie Enterprises. It spent a few weeks thier getting some much needed TLC.

Tonight I finished up buttoning the axle togehter. Keeping all the parts strait is a little fun as I have a 1966-77 long side inner shaft and the rest is 78-79 parts. It makes people look at you crazy when you are getting parts for you Explorer and telling them part numbers for 60's and 70's trucks. Anyways it got Yukon 4.56 gears with a new Yukon inner long side shaft. It also got all new breaks and Warn premium lock out hubs.

To mount the axle we have some Wildhorses rockcrawler 5.5" Early Bronco coils with the stock Early Bronco Radius arms. There is still some fabricating to do to make the F-250 Shock towers and Early Bronco upper spring buckets fit into place. Those are the next events to take place. Sitting in the garage is also a full front bushing kit from Energy Suspentions with 7* C-bushings to make sure everything is mounted properly.

I will have pictures up soon as everything starts to calm down around here. I may or may not get the pictures up before its back out on all fours. Though, I will make sure to take pics along the way.

 

[Felix]

Here are some photos of my D44 minus the breaks sitting on a dolly and ready to be installed.