"Ultimate" 1st Gen SAS Kit??

[Rick]

What you want from the "ulitimate" SAS kit for the 1st Generation Explorer?

How much should it cost?

Would you want everything to bolt on or would welding be acceptable?

I'm asking because if there is sufficent interest I will commision FST to build these kits and sell them through the website.

 

[410Fortune]

Here's what I think for a first gen:

Retain COILS, meaning no leafs
Welding to me is okay, I figure if you are putting a solid alxe under there you should expect some welding. You cant bolt everything on

It should be a complete kit, including all the parts you need or at the very LEAST DETAILED instructions on how to set it up.

Skyjacker has great instructions with their kits, James Duff does not for example.


to me ULTIMATE = coilovers, D44 or 60, high steer with hydro assist and a 4 link, buit you wont sell many of those

I think oine of the reasons why a bolt on kit hasnt been sucessfully marketed is because it doesnt take much to bolt a solid axle under the truck, really all thats needed that you cant get from the donor is a trac bar mount.

 

[jimbo74]

i say all bolt on with coils... that way it can give novices a real entry into the hobby... i agree they need to learn to wheel in a stocker first, but having a capable vehicle will also teach people things too....

 

[Trckmagik]

It would have to be way lower than the other SAS company out there. The link below shows the options available now. They do make this kit for the 91-94 Explorer right now.

Dead Link Removed

 

[410Fortune]

And I like the Fabritec kit, as far as fit and beefyness is considered, but it needs to FLEX and it needs to have less lift and more ground clearance. There is alot of room for improvement there.......

 

[Trckmagik]

I would love to swap over my daily driver from leafs to say the Fabritech kit, but only if it wasnt so expensive. Now for my trail explorer I would need flex and a resonable expense. I did my SAS for under a grand not including gears, tires, axles, etc.

Is this helping

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by 410Fortune

I think oine of the reasons why a bolt on kit hasnt been sucessfully marketed is because it doesnt take much to bolt a solid axle under the truck, really all thats needed that you cant get from the donor is a trac bar mount.

The EB SASs that have been done are relatively inexpensive, but they don't flex that well even with a wristed arm. What they offer is the toughness of a SA and of course the benefits of true articulation.

I have driven one of the EB swap trucks and it doesn't handle as well as my four link on the road.

To me ulitmate means, excellent drivablity on and off-road while still allowing massive flex.

I was thinking of having two stages available for the kit. One using coil springs and shocks and one for coil overs. Coil overs will add at least a $1000 to the price of the kit so that is definately not for everyone.

My other idea if this doesn't fly is to offer prefabricated pieces for the EB swap to make that easier for the average DIYer.

 

[AlaskanJack]

See now I like this Idea Rick. Course it could've happened sooner. Since I just bought my EB chassis. But I think two levels of kits would be great. Especially if one had the coilovers and 4 link with it.

But I think for people like me that are doing a SAS and have never done anything like it before things like locations for mounts is key plus the whole point of having a source you trust for things like steering and 4 link.

 

[hvac man]

I'm asking because if there is sufficent interest I will commision FST to build these kits and sell them through the website.

That would be pretty cool if a company that has an interest in explorers would build SAS kits for us

 

[NOTAJP]

That sounds like a great idea with the stages and all. Now I konw this will light some fires and I'm sure I'll get some hate mail for it, but for what Rick was describing I still believe leafs are a great route. Trckmagik and I did our SASs around the same time but there wasn't anything available at the time, so I decided to build it all in my head with the years of experience with JPs. I have a great ride, can drive straight over 80+ mph on the freeway, have 14" of travel (12" due to shocks), and the cost was very reasonable. We did a EB SAS on my father-in-law's BII. The ride isn't near my Exploder and if the battle came down to flex, I would own him. I plan on redesigning his suspension later this year. This is where the option of stages for a 'kit' would come in handy for someone that wants other than just coils, however, I still think coils are over rated in a daily driver/weekend off-roader. If the coil-over is done right and on a true trail rig (like Tom and Rick), then the benefits sine through.

 

[Rick]

Sorry, but I'll take any rig with coils over a rig with leafs. I have never found a vehicle with leafs all the way around that can ride well on washboard roads at speed. Ask anyone I go out with, I like going fast as much as I like crawling slow

 

[NOTAJP]

Originally posted by Rick
Sorry, but I'll take any rig with coils over a rig with leafs. I have never found a vehicle with leafs all the way around that can ride well on washboard roads at speed. Ask anyone I go out with, I like going fast as much as I like crawling slow

I like driving fast too. You're more than welcome to take a ride anyday.

 

[runoveryou]

i did my conversion with no donor vehicle my 4 wheel drive isnt currently done i still needa custom drive shaft ect. but im using an 89 jeep wrangler solid axle with the stock leaf springs for now it is still lifted about 3 1/2 inches higher than stock but i got everything at a local u pick it junk yard i got the shackles and everything fabbed it up with no custom products all hand built bye me or a friend and i have less than 500$ in it that includes fuel to go to the junk yards and everything i completed it minus the driveshaft in one weekend fri at noon-sunday night at about 3:00am

 

[runoveryou]

forgot to mention this, i am running my factory wheels and tires on this also bec the wrangler had the same bolt pattern and it only widened it bye about a half an inch

 

[daddy_ja]

hey rick, if they need a donnor vehicle, im all in!!! I'm here in phoenix, so it would be easy. Ja

 

[nissanboy]

Great idea.

All i think should be offered is Bolt on frame side link mounts with some kind of jig so the average DIYer can get everything lined up. Some weld on axle side link mounts. Steering linkage and a trackbar. Some method of springs. Possibly a driveshaft that will work with the suspension. And any axle braketry needed depending on axle chosen.

By not supplying the axle you still off tons of customizing for the owner to do. They can use anything from toy axles to D60 and rockwells if they want.

 

[rino351]

If FST does this, I think that they should do 4 options:
Full width 4 link w/coil overs
Full width w/regular coils
Narrowed 4 link w/coil overs
Narrowed w/regular coils

I think that would give more people decisions that they can make. They can do whatever suits their needs.
My $.02

oh, and it needs to be STRONG AS HELL

 

[Positive Vibes]

Signing up just in case this goes anywhere.

 

[slapthefunkyfou]

SUBSCRIBED. I'd like one.

 

[Creager]

i think a good kit to simply replace the TTB for people who just want a better than average explorer would be a good way to go.

And a good kit that would replace the TTB something really heavy duty like a dana 60. a kit where you can do anything you want for cheaper

hurry and get a kit going so i can buy it!

it should cost less then 2 grand. And there should be weldable kits and bolt on kits. a little of everything.