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Performance Upgrades - Maintenance - Modifications - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street Trucks. Covering the Explorer, ST, Sport, Lincoln Aviator, Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Aerostar. Featuring H.I. - Human Intelligence.
That's the norm around here. I did cut up a 91 several years ago. It came out of Michigan and had about 85000 on it. The interior was perfect, but the frame had rotted so bad i didn't drive it home. I trailered it as I didn't trust it to stay together, especially if it got hit.
The frame coatings on the 1st Gens was very poor quality from the factory. Mine is mostly gone and a lot of the frame is bare metal with very light surface rust. I have only painted over it in the areas I have welded or am painting for some other reason. The donor I bought for the wiring and interior was from Ohio. The body mounts were rusted through all the way around, but the interior was near perfect. 98,000 miles. Ended up stripping the body panels because they all looked new, not even any dings. Pulled the engine, trans and transfer case and parts of it went to other forum members. Left the axles intact because I didn't want to deal with fighting all the rusted bolts.
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The frame coatings on the 1st Gens was very poor quality from the factory. Mine is mostly gone and a lot of the frame is bare metal with very light surface rust. I have only painted over it in the areas I have welded or am painting for some other reason. The donor I bought for the wiring and interior was from Ohio. The body mounts were rusted through all the way around, but the interior was near perfect. 98,000 miles. Ended up stripping the body panels because they all looked new, not even any dings. Pulled the engine, trans and transfer case and parts of it went to other forum members. Left the axles intact because I didn't want to deal with fighting all the rusted bolts.
Yep, that sounds about right. It really makes it a treasure when you find a western vehicle around here. The one that is becoming my JP conversion came from utah or something. It was here a year and a half and the trans went out. It sat in the woods for about 6 months until i bought it as a parts vehicle. When i took it apart, the check marks were still on the frame from assembly. The factory exhaust and heat shield were all intact. The thing was so clean i felt i had hit the lotto. You could still see the VIN etched in the top of the frame. I didn't even know they did that when they were built.
One of my customers is Dana axle in KY. They build axles for jeeps and the super duty ford trucks, among others. The "paint" they use is like a waxy black coating that doesn't really cure. I think its the same stuff Ford probably uses on frames and other under body parts. Of course there is no primer and they really dont clean the metal first. The axles are built and sprayed at the end of the line and set in racks to be sent out.
Frame paint usually is gone in about two years here. All brand loyalty aside, a new vehicle is usually beginning to fall apart in 8-10 years. We don't even get as much of the road salt that we used to. My friend had a '10 chevy 1500. The truck was 9 years old and you could pick the bed up off the frame because there was nothing left holding it on. Fords and Dodges are no better. Honestly the Rams usually go first but the reat follow not too soon after! They all just go to dust. When i was a kid, we nearly lost the whole doghouse off our 78 Blazer! We took a hard right turn and the whole front end sheet metal shifted left about 4 inches. We lost a big chunk of the drivers body mount box at the same time. It skidded across the intersection. We stopped, got out and shoved the front end back in place. We made sure all the hoses were still connected and rolled on. There was nothing left of that thing when he sold it in 96. Somewhere on this forum, i mentioned a 77-79 ford that literally broke in half going around a right turn. I remember it clear as day. He ironically had a full load of scrap metal in the bed!
I was feeling festive this year and found some sweet 12V, LED lights. Here are the results. Probably gonna get a wreath for the spare, and i need to figure out how to mount those fabric antler things you can get for cars. I've got vent visors on my vehicles. Those limit mounting options for the antler kits.
Still out there, this time we help out Jeff Bezos.
Jeff Bezos! You owe me!
"So, I got that going for me"
"Which is nice"
Maybe we will break out the chains @ some point
Today i found the drive line noises in my EB. I ordered some manual hubs for it last week because i wanted to convert it and I figured the u-joints were beginning to seize up. I figured I would force them to free up or fail by installing manual hubs and locking them in to let the axle shafts free spin with the wheels. There was quite a bit of feedback in the steering on a hard turn in either direction. I've always had that indicate u-joints.
I bought some cheapo manual hubs on ebay for $80. I was surprised at the quality of the units. They actually aren't too bad. They seem to be made fairly well. The conversion hardware that comes with them is crap. I ordered the mile marker hub conversion kit as i wasn't sure if the hubs came with conversion hardware or not. Im glad I did. I think the thread on the included jamb nuts is wrong. It wanted to cut its own threads on my spindle. The mile markers went right on like they were made for it.
While installing these i found the inner bearings bad on both sides. Now I can't honestly remember when i had these apart last, but i was surprised to see these bad. They were full of metal flakes and one of the races was discolored from heat. A jaunt down the highway probably would have led to a failure in short order. So, new inner bearings, races and seals went in as well. The outers were fine, i cleaned them and repacked them. My drive line noise is gone, the feedback is gone, the front axle is smooth as butter while locked in now. Its really kinda nice! I'm amazed all this was from wheel bearings, and both inners at that. This truck has been driven 19,600 miles since 2009 when i rebuilt the engine and converted it to a 5 speed. It doesn't get much use. I estimate the front bearings might have 5K miles on them? Hopefully these go a bit further.
saddled the ex to go eastward, to the Inland Empire.That places the journeys' start, in the outlands? am often called outlandish.... The purpose (if there be purpose in anything); an automotive osteotomy, amputation of augmented ferro-flesh from a fallen ex. Your sacrifice will be grafted to the living, and you will not be forgotten. *pours out some angels share of sea foam.
Anyway. Went to junk yard. There was a recent junked '94 , turned out had full lift kit and stabilzer. The SOA was no weld/ custom brackets. Does anybody recognize who made this kit? There are part numbers stamped on everything. Couldn't take that skid guard as no grinders or torches are allowed in the yard and it was welded to frame.
The front brackets were common to the ranger 4 and 6" kits. The long radius arms were an option of the 6" kit, so id be surprised if this one is 4". I think they used the SOA for 5.5" rear lift hence the name of the lift. If you wanted 4" on the explorer, i think you got longer shackles or new springs or something. I really don't remember. Its cool you got the super runner steering kit too. Someone spent some $$ on that truck at one point.
I've had Issues with my idler arm. I cant keep bushings in it. Im sure its an alignment issue. They were rubber/nylon/poly something from original. I machined the frame end of the arm for a custom bronze bushing and grease fittings. It works for now until I SAS the truck.
Yep, Superlift Superrunner kit with steering. I had the same kit except for I used Skyjacker drop bracket on one side as it was cast and not welded plate. The radius arms were an option for the 4" and up kits, since I originally bought them with a 4" lift kit. Those rear SOA flip brackets are Superlift. I have them on mine still, but they are now welded to the axles because one side collapsed and they like to shift around, putting a groove in the axle tubes. If you install them, run a bead along the edge of the perches and they won't move.
Edit: If you cut the rear radius arm mounts off and fab up some heim joints mounts they will flex a lot more. Added bonus of never having to replace those rear bushings again.
kind of a mystery. There was no damage to I saw except the front right spare. It was an auto, the a4ld was dropped out and I think there was a 5r55e in the back. Interior was not in bad shape. Didn't catch the mileage.
as it came on the lot:
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kind of a mystery. There was no damage to I saw except the front right spare. It was an auto, the a4ld was dropped out and I think there was a 5r55e in the back. Interior was not in bad shape. Didn't catch the mileage.
as it came on the lot: View attachment 425100
